1 my old school had just one class at each grade. it was a real-­life little house on the prairie. i was well­-known and popular. other kids looked up to me and wanted to be my friend. you might say that i was a big fish in a small pond. when i started at my new school, i had to make a lot of adjustments.

2 that all changed when my family moved. my new school is three times bigger than my old school. at first, no one here knew me. the kids were polite, but they did not treat me like a good friend. for a few days, i felt sad and homesick. then i decided to change my attitude. i could and would work hard to improve my situation.

3 first, i made a list of my goals. they included making new friends, getting to know my teachers, and keeping busy in a positive way. as i was walking through the hall, i saw a poster announcing the upcoming election for school officers. suddenly, it all fell into place. i would run for freshman class president! the idea seemed a little crazy, even to me. how could a newcomer, an unknown, get elected?

4 i wore a corny-looking straw hat like old-­time politicians used to wear at conventions. i boldly walked up to people and introduced myself. i engaged students and teachers in conversations. i was honest about what i was doing and why. i felt like a character in an old jimmy stewart movie. i promised that if i were elected, i would work just as hard to improve the school as i had to win the office

5 last week, i achieved my goal. now, i wear a pin on my lapel that says “freshman class president.” i wear it proudly. i am very busy trying to keep my campaign promises, and i am very happy.
use the passage to answer the question.
read the following paragraph from "the pin."

my old school had just one class at each grade. it was a real­life little house on the prairie. i was well­known and popular. other kids looked up to me and wanted to be my friend. you might say that i was a big fish in a small pond. when i started at my new school, i had to make a lot of adjustments.
which of the following is the best paraphrase of the ideas in this paragraph?

a. the narrator enjoys being the most popular kid at his old school. he doesn't really like the idea of having to change.
b. the narrator comes from a very small school that resembles little house on the prairie and was used to being admired by others. he was excited about starting at a new school that was bigger.
c. the narrator enjoyed his former school, which was small enough for him to earn the admiration and respect of others. however, his new school was different and he needed to get used to it.
d. the narrator liked the fact that his old school was small enough for him to be known and liked by almost everyone in it. his new school gave him the uneasy feeling of being a little fish in a much bigger pond.