The Presentation "For the final exam, instead of a written test, everyone will be required to give a te n- minute presentation on one of the science topics we covered this year," Mr. Marx announced. Angela felt her stomach twist into anxious knots. When Mr. Marx passed around a sig n- up sheet, Angela chose the topic of tadpoles, but also made sure she picked the very last time slot for presentation days. She wanted to put as much distance as possible between now and the moment she would have to speak in front of the class. Angela began having trouble sleeping at night. She dreamed of failing the final exam not because she didn't know the material, but because she froze and forgot her speech. Every classmate's presentation she watched meant she was one step closer to having to present herself. When the day arrived, Angela couldn't eat breakfast, and she had to get through math and history before science. She couldn't concentrate at all. Her heart pounded as Mr. Marx called her name. She gathered her notecards with shaking hands and slowly walked to the front of the room. "Tadpoles," she began, "are frogs or toads at the beginning of their life cycle." Whew, she thought. The first sentence came out. Then, something happened that she did not expect at all. She relaxed. Once she began, the words flowed out. She could see Mr. Marx start to smile and nod encouragingly. After weeks of dreading this moment, she couldn't believe how quickly the presentation passed. "So," she said brightly, after her presentation concluded. "Does anyone have any questions about tadpoles?" Which of the following best describes the main theme or lesson of the story? Thoroughly preparing for a challenge can make it seem less scary. Waiting to do something can be worse than actually doing it.