An effect of one thing can become a cause for something else. Cause and effect can create a whole chain of linked events. Read the following story.

Mira wanted to make sure she made it to class on time. She searched for her bike lock, but she couldn’t find it anywhere. Finally, she found it buried under a pile of laundry. “How did that get there?” she wondered. She grabbed the lock and headed for her bike. She knew she was already late for class, so she took a shortcut. The sidewalk there was broken, and Mira pedaled hard. She was making good time, but suddenly, she heard a pop and then a hiss. She got off her bike. Her tire was flat.

Which of the following correctly describes how the events in this story are connected?

A
Because Mira was running late for class, she could not find her bike lock. Since she got a flat tire, she took a shortcut over broken sidewalk.

B
After searching for her missing bike lock, Mira was running late for class. For that reason, she took a shortcut on her bike over broken sidewalk. That’s how she got a flat tire.

C
Mira took a shortcut over broken sidewalk, so she was late for class. Because of this, she got a flat tire. That’s why she couldn’t find her bike lock.

D
Mira got a flat tire on her way to class. As a result, she was late and searched for her missing bike lock.