Question

Which answer choice explains the most reasonable inference readers can make from evidence in Selection 1?
A. In paragraph 2, “did not know what to think” helps the reader infer that the shoemaker was unhappy that someone else made the shoes.
B. In paragraph 3, “cut out his work and went to bed early” helps the reader infer that the shoemaker was not a hard worker.
C. In paragraph 5, “rushed off” helps the reader infer that the elves did not want to be discovered by the shoemaker and his wife.
D. In paragraph 7, “dancing and skipping” helps the reader infer that the elves already knew the shoemaker and his wife had left them gifts.

Answer 1

C

“Rushed off” implies the elves hurried away to avoid being seen, so the most reasonable inference is that they did not want to be discovered. The other choices read too much into the text: “did not know what to think” shows surprise or confusion (not necessarily unhappiness), “cut out his work and went to bed early” could mean he was tired or relieved, not that he wasn’t a hard worker, and “dancing and skipping” shows joy but doesn’t prove they already knew about the gifts.