SSAT Reading Question 215: Answer and Explanation
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Question: 215
4. In the eyes of the faculty, Paul's most serious offense was his
- A. insulting remarks made in class
- B. inability to control his temper
- C. failure to complete his assignments
- D. obvious contempt for his teachers
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
D is correct. As stated in lines 37-41, the real cause of the trouble "lay in a sort of hysterically defiant manner of the boy’s; in the contempt which they all knew he felt for them, and which he seemingly made not the least effort to conceal." The insult mentioned in the passage is not a remark, but rather the way in which Paul "started back with a shudder and thrust his hands violently behind him" when his English teacher tried to guide his hand, so choice A is wrong. There is no mention of Paul’s inability to control his temper or failure to complete assignments, so choices B and C are wrong. The passage mentions that Paul looked out the window during recitation, which indicates that he was inattentive in class (choice E), but this offense is minor in comparison to the obvious contempt he displayed toward his teachers.