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Difficulty: MediumDrawing Inferences and Deductions from Unseen Passages

Read the verse extract below carefully:

"The clock-smith wipes the brass casing clean,
Yet leaves the rusted springs untouched within.
He polishes the face to catch the gleam,
While quiet shadows warp the gears within.
A passerby admires the golden chime,
Unaware the pendulum has ceased its time."

From the extract above, what can be deduced about the clock-smith's work?

  1. He prioritizes outward appearance over restoring internal functionality.Answer
  2. B
    He lacks the technical skill required to repair antique clock mechanisms.
  3. C
    He intends to trick the passerby into buying a completely broken timepiece.
  4. D
    He polishes the brass casing to muffle the sound of the faulty pendulum.

Answer

He prioritizes outward appearance over restoring internal functionality.
The extract explicitly contrasts the polished exterior ('wipes the brass casing clean', 'polishes the face') with the neglected interior mechanism ('rusted springs untouched', 'pendulum has ceased its time'). This direct thematic contrast demonstrates that the clock-smith prioritizes cosmetic presentation over actual functional restoration.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify key textual contrasts in the extract.
The speaker contrasts exterior actions ('wipes the brass casing clean', 'polishes the face') with internal neglect ('rusted springs untouched', 'pendulum has ceased its time').
Deductions in literature rely on recognizing how structural contrasts create implied meaning.
2
Synthesize the contrast to establish the main inference.
The clock-smith focuses exclusively on making the timepiece look functional and appealing to outside observers without fixing its core operational mechanism.
Valid inferences must be derived strictly from implicit evidence within the passage.

Key Concept

Drawing Inferences and Deductions from Unseen Passages
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Topics

Drawing Inferences and Deductions from Unseen Passages

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