Question

Difficulty: MediumIdentifying Directly Stated Character or Subject Traits

For forty years, Silas Thorne maintained the town clock in the bell tower of St. Jude’s. Unlike his predecessor, who had frequently complained about the bone-chilling drafts and the steep, spiral stairs, Silas possessed an uncomplaining temperament that made him suited for the solitary work. He climbed the tower twice a day, in the freezing damp of winter and the stifling heat of summer, without a single murmur of discontent. To the townspeople, Silas was a ghost who lived among gears, but to those who visited his workshop, his patience was his defining characteristic. He would spend hours adjusting a single escapement wheel, his hands moving with a deliberate, slow precision. Although he was slow in his movements, he was never lazy; rather, he was intensely focused on the mechanical perfection of his timepieces. Indeed, his logs showed that he valued accuracy above all else, recording even a one-second deviation with meticulous concern.

According to the passage, which of the following is a trait explicitly attributed to Silas Thorne?

  1. A
    A tendency to perform work slowly because of a general laziness
  2. B
    A vocal dissatisfaction with the physical demands of climbing the tower
  3. An uncomplaining disposition that fit the isolation of his jobAnswer
  4. D
    An indifference to minor errors in the timepieces he adjusted

Answer

An uncomplaining disposition that fit the isolation of his job
The correct answer is correct because the passage explicitly states that Silas 'possessed an uncomplaining temperament that made him suited for the solitary work,' which directly aligns with having an uncomplaining disposition suited to isolated work.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the question stem to identify the target subject and task.
The question asks for a character trait of Silas Thorne that is explicitly stated in the passage.
This establishes that the correct answer must be directly stated in the text and cannot rely on speculation or extrapolation.
2
Scan the passage for explicit mentions of Silas Thorne's temperament, traits, or characteristics.
The passage explicitly states: 'Silas possessed an uncomplaining temperament that made him suited for the solitary work' and highlights his 'patience' and focus.
Locating the exact sentence containing the trait ensures a direct match with the correct option.
3
Compare the located detail with the answer choices to identify a close paraphrase.
The option describing 'an uncomplaining disposition' directly paraphrases 'an uncomplaining temperament' from the passage.
ACT literal comprehension questions require identifying correct paraphrases of explicit details while eliminating choices that misrepresent or contradict the text.

Key Concept

Identifying Directly Stated Character or Subject Traits
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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