Read the story Time for a Change. It was Take Your Kid to Work Day, so Carlos was visiting his mother's workplace in the heart of New York City. She managed a team at an advertising agency, which had its offices in a skyrise that appeared to touch the clouds. When Carlos arrived in her personal office, he gazed out the window and took a few steps back. Carlos didn't care for heights, speed, or change; instead, he enjoyed following a daily routine, falling out of an office building was not part of Carlos's plan.

After a morning of meetings, during which Carlos drew pictures of trees on a notepad, his mother was finally free to go out for lunch. As the pair were walking toward the elevator, Ms. Parkston rushed up, gasping for breath. She had an office emergency that only the manager could solve. Carlos bit back a groan, realizing that his mother would not be available for lunch after all. Ms. Parkston suggested that Stacey, the office assistant, take Carlos to the nearby hot dog stand, and Carlos's mother reluctantly agreed.

Stacey whistled cheerfully as she and Carlos walked through the streets of New York City. She asked Carlos how his day had been, and Carlos recounted the morning of meetings and his tree drawings. Stacey's brow creased in concern and then smoothed when they arrived at the hot dog stand. When lunch was served, Carlos refused to put on any toppings, causing Stacey to gaze at his hot dog in dismay.

"I like predictability," Carlos explained patiently. "I know that I love plain hot dogs, and I don't want to ruin a perfectly good meal by drowning it in toppings that I might loathe."

"You miss out on amazing opportunities if you refuse to have new experiences," Stacey protested. "People say that variety is the spice of life because it makes everything more interesting."

a frowning boy stops in the street, with his back to two girls near a hot dog stand

Carlos glared at Stacey, handed back the hot dog and walked away from her challenge to make a change. Eventually, Carlos's feet slowed, and he considered Stacey's words carefully. Perhaps he had been too careful because he was afraid; maybe he could try something new. Carlos returned to the stand and piled toppings on top of his hot dog. He discovered that he loves pickles, ketchup, and onions.

When Stacey and Carlos returned to the office, Carlos eyed his notepad thoughtfully. Perhaps it was time to add variety into his predictable routine. He opened the notepad to a fresh page and began to draw an office building that reached beyond the clouds.

Read the story Hide and Seek.

It was a gorgeous day on Governors Island, with the sun shining brightly and the crisp wind blowing through the green trees. Raj looked around and sighed happily. The only thing that would make this day better was if he could succeed at locating Maria. His young friend was playing hide and seek, and Raj had already looked behind most of the rocks. Raising his hand to shade his eyes, Raj looked around the park once more, searching for Maria.
A Carlos and Raj are both afraid of slides.
B Carlos and Raj both love eating hot dogs.
C Carlos and Raj are both afraid of heights.
D Carlos and Raj both play hide and seek.