16Hit1600
Information and IdeasHardInterpreting a ritual in a literary excerpt

Information and Ideas practice question

The following text is from a novel. Every morning Bram wound the clock in the hall, though it had not kept time in years and he never looked at it. His daughter said it was a waste of a minute. He said a minute was what he had.

Which statement best describes what the text conveys about Bram's habit?

  1. A. He values the ritual of winding the clock for its own sake rather than for any use.Correct
  2. B. He relies on the clock to know the time.
  3. C. He winds the clock to annoy his daughter.
  4. D. He has recently stopped winding the clock.

Answer: A. He values the ritual of winding the clock for its own sake rather than for any use.

The clock doesn't work and he never looks at it; the winding is the point, and he gives his minute to it gladly.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. He relies on the clock to know the time.
The clock 'had not kept time in years'.
C. He winds the clock to annoy his daughter.
Nothing suggests spite; his reply is about how he spends his minute.
D. He has recently stopped winding the clock.
He winds it 'every morning'.

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