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Information and IdeasHardDetail from a literary excerpt

Information and Ideas practice question

The following text is from a short story. Esme had rehearsed the speech on the train, in the lift, and again in the corridor outside his office. Now, seated across from him, she found that the sentences arrived in the wrong order, and that he had begun nodding before she reached the point.

Based on the text, which statement about Esme is most accurate?

  1. A. Her careful preparation did not keep the conversation from going differently than she had planned.Correct
  2. B. She had given no thought beforehand to what she would say.
  3. C. He refused to let her speak.
  4. D. She decided at the last moment not to deliver the speech.

Answer: A. Her careful preparation did not keep the conversation from going differently than she had planned.

Three rehearsals, then sentences 'in the wrong order' and a listener nodding early: the plan and the event diverged despite the preparation.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. She had given no thought beforehand to what she would say.
She rehearsed three times; she had thought about it a great deal.
C. He refused to let her speak.
He nods while she speaks; nothing suggests he stops her.
D. She decided at the last moment not to deliver the speech.
She is delivering the speech — badly ordered, but delivered.

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