Character Traits and Evidence

Read the passage carefully:

Maya noticed the new student sitting alone at lunch, staring at her sandwich without eating. Without hesitation, Maya gathered her tray and walked over. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked with a warm smile. The new student, Emma, looked surprised but nodded. Maya introduced herself and began asking Emma about her interests, making sure to listen carefully to every answer. When Emma mentioned she didn't know where the library was, Maya offered to show her after lunch. By the end of the week, Maya had introduced Emma to her entire friend group and made sure she felt welcome at their school.

Meanwhile, in science class, Marcus always worked alone. When the teacher assigned group projects, he immediately told his group, "I'll do it myself. You'll probably just slow me down." He rarely helped others who asked questions, often saying he didn't have time to explain things twice. When his teacher praised another student's creative approach to an experiment, Marcus muttered, "Mine was better," loud enough for others to hear.