The Fight

It suggests their friendship and brotherhood mattered more to them than the title of winner.

Step 1: The announcer was about to declare the winner — a moment every boxer trains for. Step 2: Yet both Antonio and Felix left together, arm in arm, without waiting. Step 3: This is the story's most powerful statement — that their bond as 'amigo brothers' transcended any trophy or title. Step 4: The line 'No matter what the decision, they knew they would always be champions to each other' confirms this. Option A is wrong — there is no protest. Option C misunderstands — the judges were ready. Option D is a distractor with no textual support.

Simile

Step 1: A simile is a comparison between two different things using the words 'like' or 'as.' Step 2: Here, Antonio's hand is compared to a piston — a mechanical part that moves up and down rapidly inside an engine. Step 3: The word 'like' makes this a simile, not a metaphor (which would say 'his hand was a piston'). Step 4: Personification gives human qualities to non-human things — not the case here. Alliteration is the repetition of the same starting sound. Hyperbole is an exaggeration. This is clearly a simile because of the word 'like.'

To establish the cultural identity of the characters and the neighbourhood they come from.

Step 1: Piri Thomas himself was Puerto Rican-Cuban and wrote about the Latino community in New York. Step 2: Using Spanish words like 'hermano' (brother) and 'amigo' (friend) reflects the real language and culture of the characters. Step 3: This is a literary technique called cultural authenticity — it makes the characters feel real and their world feel genuine. Step 4: Option A is wrong — the author always provides meanings, showing the intent is inclusion. Option C is a stereotype that has no support in the text. Option D is invented.

Felix was avoiding eye contact because he was uncomfortable about their upcoming fight.

Step 1: The word 'purposely' is key — it tells us Felix's action was deliberate, not accidental. Step 2: If he was simply focused on running, the author would not have used the word 'purposely.' Step 3: Felix was intentionally avoiding looking at Antonio because they both had something heavy on their minds — the upcoming fight between best friends. Step 4: This tension is confirmed when Felix himself says they both have 'something to say to each other.' Option A has no textual basis. Option C ignores the word 'purposely.' Option D — intimidation would mean direct eye contact, not avoidance.