SAT OwlThe following text is from an 1888 novel by Eliza Marchbank. Mrs. Dunmore is showing a visitor around her garden.
"These roses," said Mrs. Dunmore, "were planted by my husband the spring before he died. I have never let the gardener touch them." She bent to pull a weed from beneath the nearest bush, though there was none that the visitor could see, and straightened the label at its base, which was already perfectly straight. Then she moved briskly on to the vegetable beds and spoke for a quarter of an hour about cabbages.
Based on the text, what can most reasonably be inferred about Mrs. Dunmore?
She tends the roses herself because she doubts that the gardener has the skill to care for them.
She is more interested in vegetables than in flowers.
She is moved by memories of her husband and busies herself to hide it.
She is embarrassed that weeds have grown beneath the roses.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Right after mentioning her late husband, Mrs. Dunmore pulls a weed that isn't there, straightens a label that is already straight, and hurries off to talk about cabbages. These pointless actions suggest she is covering strong feelings, choice C.
Choice D misses the key detail that the visitor sees no weed at all, so the gesture is a distraction, not a reaction to real weeds.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. She keeps the gardener away from the roses because her husband planted them, not because she doubts the gardener's skill.
- B. Her quick move to the cabbages comes right after she mentions her husband, which suggests she is avoiding emotion, not showing a real preference.
- D. The visitor can see no weed, so she isn't reacting to weeds. The pointless tasks suggest she is covering her feelings.
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