Read the excerpt below from the student model by Ruby Allen Short. In this essay, the writer's main focus, or theme, is her fear of changing her appearance. As you read, think about what supporting evidence is used to support this focus. I have had long hair for as far back as I can remember. Long hair, almost to my hips, the kind that people always want to touch and braid, even when they hardly know you. The kind that gets sticky at the back of your neck when it's hot, goes staticky at the ends when it's humid, and takes hours to dry after a ten-minute shower. The kind people notice. My long hair was a part of me, as much as an arm or a leg. It easily identified me to others and to myself. That was why it was such a big deal for me when, this recent summer, I decided to cut most of it off. I hadn't even gotten a trim in years— partially out of laziness, but mostly because I couldn't imagine myself without my signature waist-length locks. Changing it came with a laundry list of intimidating unknowns, the kinds of questions I hadn't considered for years. Would I look different? Would I feel different? Keeping it long felt familiar and certain. I could still be confident; I could still feel like myself. Which statement is an example of supporting evidence for the writer's theme? A:"I could still be confident; I could still feel like myself."
B:"Long hair, almost to my hips, the kind that people always want to touch and braid,
even when they hardly know you."
C:"My long hair was a part of me, as much as an arm or a leg."
D:"I have had long hair for as far back as I can remember."