Sayika's TV

The customer service representative at the store attested to the flat screen television's high resolution, pristine surround sound, and web connectivity-but when she had it at home, Sayika wondered if she had been swindled. Every time she turned on the television, "No data available" flashed across the screen, precipitating an unseemly display of overt frustration. Convinced she had assembled and mounted everything properly, Sayika once again referred to the television's mammoth instruction manual and confirmed she had done everything correctly. Confounded, Sayika was about to return it to the store and reiterate her annoyance when an unplugged cable caught her eye. Sayika was exasperated.

''This story is based on material from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program English Language Arts Grade 8 test, Form 27. All copyright belongs to the Tennessee Department of Education and NCS Pearson.''