“I can’t believe we got stuck with Dietrich as a lab partner,” groaned Grable.
“What rotten luck,” Bacall agreed. “Maybe Dr. Hayworth will let us switch groups.”
“Here he comes, you guys,” warned Monroe. “Try to be nice to him. How would you feel if you were the new student in school?”
“He isn’t just a new student,” Grable said. “He was kicked out of his last school for cheating on an exam. Do you want your grade to depend on a cheater?”
“I want to be a nice person more than I want to get an A,” Monroe said with a stubborn look on her face.
“What do you guys think about this project?” asked Dietrich as he approached the girls. “It looks pretty tough to me, but I think we’re up to the challenge.”
“As long as we keep everything nice and ethical, we should be fine,” Bacall replied with an insincere smile. Dietrich’s face turned bright red, and he cleared his throat.
“I guess you’ve heard about my past,” he said with a sigh. “I was hoping that I could make a fresh start at this school.”
“Why don’t you tell us your side of the story?” suggested Monroe.
“I made a wrong decision last year and cheated on a math exam,” Dietrich admitted. “My teacher caught me, and I was kicked out of school. I’ll never do anything like that again, I swear. In fact, I spent all summer volunteering with the Inner City Tutoring Program. I’ve changed my ways, and I hope that people can start to forget about the past. Everyone has been saying nasty things about me behind my back, and I don't have a single friend here. It's been a lonely few weeks.”
“Everyone else at this school may think of you as a cheater, but from now on, we’ll consider you a friend,” promised Monroe.
“We can do even better than that,” Grable said. “We can start spreading the truth around school instead of lies. By this time next week, everyone will know what kind of person you really are, Dietrich.”
“Thanks, guys,” replied Dietrich with a grateful smile.
1
Which of the following statements best describes the overall theme of this passage?
A.
A bad reputation is easy to earn, but it is hard to lose.
B.
A person who gossips often becomes the target of gossip.
C.
The habit of cheating on tests is impossible to overcome.
D.
Female students are more open-minded than male students.