The Sidewalk Artist

Question

1
Since he had visited San Francisco, California, with his parents when he was twelve, Daniel had aspired to be a sidewalk artist. Every summer after that visit to the City by the Bay, he had taken drawing and painting lessons, perfecting his work and even earning prizes in various art contests throughout his high school years. Then, after high school graduation, his parents had encouraged him to accept a generous scholarship he was offered to study medicine at a prestigious east coast university. Daniel hadn't wanted to because he felt it was his calling in life to be a sidewalk artist and to study medicine would be to betray his dream; however, his parents persisted, and he packed his bags and flew to the east coast.

2
Now, at age 40, Daniel was having what his friends affectionately called a "midlife crisis." Being a successful pediatrician just hadn't been enough. Looking back at his teenage years when he'd spent so much of his time and energy creating works of art, he realized that he had been like a butterfly then, free and light and perfectly content. Though it had honored his parents and earned him an excellent living with worthwhile work, the decision to study medicine had sent him back into the cocoon. The butterfly had become imprisoned for years, and now he was breaking out, flying back to his dream of being a sidewalk artist in downtown San Francisco.

3
For the last six weeks, whenever the patient load was light at his small medical practice and one of his partners took over for him, Daniel picked up his easel and paints and rode the red cable cars down to Pier 39. He spent hours there inhaling the faintly wet freshness of the bay breezes, listening to the sounds of the pier scene, and painting scenes of brightly colored sailboats on the sparkling water. He painted bicyclists and runners with dogs on the beach and children walking on the piers with dripping ice cream cones in their pudgy hands. He painted the essence of Pier 39, and he felt liberated and more at peace with himself than he'd felt since high school. One morning in early September, six weeks since he'd begun these painting escapades to the pier, a little girl walked by his station and exclaimed with delight, "Oh, look, Mommy, there's the sidewalk artist!" Daniel lifted his head and smiled at the little girl, his face radiating perfect contentment at last.

Two-Part Question
Multiple Choice Question
The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A:

What inference can be made about Daniel's "midlife crisis" noted "affectionately" by his friends?
A.
Daniel was having great difficulty coping with his decision to go to medical school and the stress of his current career.

B.
Daniel's friends believe that he does not have any significant problems because his career is going well.

C.
Daniel is reflecting on the artistic goals and achievements of his youth and wants to feel that happiness again.

D.
Daniel's friends are very worried about him, as he does not seem committed to his medical career.

Multiple Choice Question
Part B:

What sentence from the text best supports your answer in part A?
A.
Every summer after that visit to the City by the Bay, he had taken drawing and painting lessons, perfecting his work and even earning prizes in various art contests throughout his high school years.

B.
Daniel hadn't wanted to because he felt it was his calling in life to be a sidewalk artist, and to study medicine would be to betray his dream; however, his parents persisted, and he packed his bags and flew to the east coast.

C.
Looking back at his teenage years when he'd spent so much of his time and energy creating works of art, he realized that he had been like a butterfly then, free and light and perfectly content.

D.
For the last six weeks, whenever the patient load was light at his small medical practice and one of his partners took over for him, Daniel picked up his easel and paints and rode the red cable cars down to Pier 39.

Answer 1

Part A:

The correct inference about Daniel's "midlife crisis" noted "affectionately" by his friends is:

C. Daniel is reflecting on the artistic goals and achievements of his youth and wants to feel that happiness again.

Part B:

The sentence from the text that best supports the answer in Part A is:

C. Looking back at his teenage years when he'd spent so much of his time and energy creating works of art, he realized that he had been like a butterfly then, free and light and perfectly content.

This sentence indicates that Daniel is reminiscing about his past artistic pursuits and the happiness they brought him, contributing to the inference about his midlife crisis.