Question

ighlight important details in the passage that will help you make an inference.

No one in Libby Prison hospital paid much attention to this tiny, birdlike woman with a thin nose and alert blue eyes as [Elizabeth Van Lew] went about her business of visiting the hospitalized soldiers. She read to them and brought them baskets of goodies. The Confederate guards had no idea that this kindhearted woman was gathering military intelligence from the prisoners and laying the groundwork for espionage activities.

—The Dark Game,
Paul Janeczko

Which inference can a reader make from the information in the passage?

At this time, women were not viewed as capable of carrying out spy activities.
The guards at the prison did not know that Van Lew was spying.
At this time, it was illegal for women to participate in spy activities.
Van Lew was a small woman who visited soldiers in a hospital.

Answer 1

Important details:
- "No one in Libby Prison hospital paid much attention to this tiny, birdlike woman..."
- "She read to them and brought them baskets of goodies."
- "The Confederate guards had no idea that this kindhearted woman was gathering military intelligence from the prisoners and laying the groundwork for espionage activities."

Inference and explanation:
- Best answer: "The guards at the prison did not know that Van Lew was spying." The passage explicitly says the guards had no idea and gives details (her unassuming appearance and kind actions) that explain why they overlooked her.

Why the others are wrong:
- "At this time, women were not viewed as capable of carrying out spy activities." — Not stated or supported; the passage describes this situation only, not general attitudes.
- "At this time, it was illegal for women to participate in spy activities." — Not mentioned.
- "Van Lew was a small woman who visited soldiers in a hospital." — This is explicitly stated, not an inference.