Bethany frowned at the dirt under her fingernails. She shrugged and plunged her fingers back into the upturned patch of soil in her front yard. She grabbed the soil in clumps and broke it through her fingers, letting the pieces fall back into the brown mounds.
Once Bethany finished preparing her soil bed, she jumped up to go back in the house. Leaving a trail of dirt, she went to the kitchen and grabbed the seed packets. She was ready to bring the seeds to life.
When Bethany stepped back outside, she saw a shiny bottle in the middle of her new flower bed. She went to pick up the litter and noticed soda has spilled into the soil.
“She looks like a hobo.” The contemptuous voice seemed to float on the breeze, but Bethany knew where it came from. Sure enough, Viola was sitting on her porch with another girl from school. Seeing Viola sent a shiver through Bethany. They were friends as little kids, but in ninth grade, Viola had decided that she was better than everyone else. She always criticized Bethany, so they stopped being friends.
Bethany felt her face tingle, but she kept her head down to focus on her work. She cleaned up the mess and carefully worked the seeds into place. After that, she dragged out the hose to soak the ground. Once she was finished, Bethany collapsed on the ground, hot and tired.
Weeks later, bright flowers—yellows, reds, pinks, and whites—sprung to life.
One afternoon, Bethany got home from school and was greeted with bad news. The night before, Viola had been in a car accident. She was in the hospital and would have to miss an entire semester of school. Bethany remembered how Viola had treated her weeks ago. Then, a stray memory popped up in her mind. She remembered a time that she cut her foot, and Viola carefully cleaned and bandaged the gash for her. Viola offered to do everything for Bethany so that she wouldn’t have to walk.
Bethany decided to visit that girl, and she arrived at the hospital room. Viola was sitting alone, and she could not stop the smile that formed when she laid eyes on the yellow, red, pink, and white flowers the Bethany carried in.
One theme of the passage is that people should appreciate nature. How do Bethany's actions reflect this theme?
Group of answer choices
She touches dirt with her bare hands.
She grows a flower garden in her yard.
She sits on the ground after working.
She visits an old friend in the hospital.
