The Camping Trip
Angela Antrim

1 "Okay, guys. It's a three-mile hike to the campsite! Let's embark on our family camping adventure!" Randy and Susan started climbing the rocky mountain terrain, noticing the brambles and undergrowth as they ascended the steep path. The sun beat down on them even though the leaves on the trees had already started to turn.

2 For about forty-five minutes, the siblings dodged branches, stepped over encroaching tree roots, and avoided mud puddles. Mom led the way along the trail, with Susan behind her and Randy at the back of the line.

3 As the family rounded a curve, Susan heard Randy suddenly stumble and gasp. She turned just in time to see her twin brother fall onto his right arm. He let out a painful yelp after hitting the ground.

4 "Mom! Mom!" Susan exclaimed, "Randy's injured!" Their mother hustled back down the trail to the teens.

5 "What happened?" Mom asked with a concerned look on her face.

6 "I guess I wasn't looking where I was going. I accidentally tripped over an enormous tree root and fell on my arm," Randy explained between gritted teeth.

7 Mom knelt down to examine Randy's arm. The boy winced in pain as his mother carefully manipulated it.

8 "Randy's arm may be fractured," Mom concluded. "I need to create a splint to hold it still until we can get him to a doctor."

9 "Susan, go find two branches about the length of your brother's arm. Look quickly, but remain on the path!" Susan began rummaging through the piles of sticks that lined the length of the trail. As she quickly searched the underbrush, Susan discarded branches that were too short, too thin, and too large. Finally, she discovered two sticks that were each about a foot long and an inch thick.

10 "Here, Mom, I found some branches. Hopefully, these will work," said Susan as she sprinted back down the trail toward her family.

11 "Randy, this will probably hurt, but we have to hold your arm still so I can splint it between the sticks." Randy continued to grimace in pain as his mother secured the branches on either side of his injured arm. She then tore a bandanna into four strips of cloth and tied it firmly around the branches to ensure that Randy couldn't move his arm.

12 For the next hour, Randy, Susan, and their mother cautiously navigated their way back down the trail. Susan carried Randy's backpack along with her own supplies, while their mother guided Randy between the overhanging branches along the narrow path.

13 As the family returned to their car in the parking lot, Randy commented, "This wasn't a typical camping trip, but I will certainly remember it for a long time."
How would the purpose of this selection be different, if the author had relied more heavily on description than on dialogue?

A) More description and less dialogue would have made the story less dramatic.
B) More description and less dialogue would have made the story more dramatic.
C) More description and less dialogue would have no effect on the purpose of the story.
D) More description and less dialogue would have made the story more appealing to teenage readers.