Difficulty: Hard

Average Score: 0%

Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Charity, and Prudence, would accompany him down to the foot of the Hill [called Difficulty]. So they went on together, reiterating their former discourses, till they came to go down the Hill. Then said Christian, As it was difficult coming up, so (so far as I can see) it is dangerous going down. Yes, said Prudence, so it is, for it is a hard matter for a man to go down into the Valley of Humiliation, as thou art now, and to catch no slip by the way; therefore, said they, are we come out to accompany thee down the Hill. So he began to go down, but very warily; yet he caught a slip or two.

Which of the following inferences is most clearly supported by the information in the passage?

Rationale

The late king had been a handsome and admirable person.

The passage implies that the characters reflect on the king's attributes, suggesting he was esteemed and held in high regard, which supports the inference that he was handsome and admirable.

A (The late king's brother had always envied the late king.) YOUR ANSWER

This choice introduces an assumption about the brother's feelings toward the late king without any textual evidence. The passage does not provide any information regarding their relationship or feelings of envy, making this inference unsupported.

B (The late king had been a handsome and admirable person.) CORRECT

This inference is supported by the context of the passage, where the characters discuss the late king in a positive light, indicating respect and admiration. Their reflections suggest that he possessed admirable qualities, including physical attractiveness, which is a reasonable conclusion drawn from their discourse.

C (The queen immediately regretted her marriage to her deceased husband's brother.) YOUR ANSWER

There is no indication in the passage that the queen experienced regret regarding her marriage. The text does not explore her feelings toward her marriage, making this inference unfounded and unsupported by the provided information.

D (The queen had always been fond of her late husband's brother.) YOUR ANSWER

While this choice implies a positive sentiment, the passage does not provide any direct evidence of the queen's feelings toward her husband's brother. Therefore, this inference lacks support and is not clearly conveyed in the text.

Conclusion

The passage primarily highlights the positive attributes of the late king, leading to the inference that he was both handsome and admirable. Other choices either introduce unsupported assumptions or lack relevant textual evidence, reinforcing that the best-supported inference is indeed about the late king's character as perceived by those discussing him.

Related Questions

View all