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Difficulty: HardDrawing Inferences and Deductions from Unseen Passages

Read the prose extract below carefully:

"The village elder unrolled the parchment decree on the wooden table, his finger pausing over the newly affixed red wax seal. Without uttering a word to the waiting assembly, he pulled the oil lamp closer, held the corner of the document over the flame until it caught fire, and tossed the blazing parchment into the iron brazier. He then turned to the messenger and nodded slowly once."

From the elder's deliberate actions, which of the following is the most valid deduction regarding his position on the decree?

  1. A
    He accidentally sets fire to the parchment while attempting to inspect the seal closer to the oil lamp.
  2. He tacitly rejects the authority of the decree while formally acknowledging the messenger's delivery.Answer
  3. C
    He burns the document to prevent rival villages from gaining access to its confidential contents.
  4. D
    He signals to the waiting assembly that the messenger should be detained for delivering unfavorable news.

Answer

The elder tacitly rejects the authority of the decree while formally acknowledging the messenger's delivery.
The elder's deliberate burning of the parchment decree publicly signals defiance and rejection of the decree's legal or political authority, while his final solitary nod to the messenger acknowledges that the message was received.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the character's key actions and sequence in the extract.
The elder pauses at the seal, deliberately burns the parchment in the brazier without speaking, and then gives a single nod to the messenger.
In unseen passages, non-verbal actions reveal unspoken attitudes, character motivation, and implicit meaning.
2
Evaluate the implicit meaning of burning the official document in front of the assembly.
Destroying an official decree by fire in public signifies explicit non-compliance and defiance toward the issuing authority.
A decree represents official command; its immediate destruction demonstrates rejection of its terms.
3
Analyze the meaning of the single nod directed to the messenger.
Nodding once to the messenger separates the messenger (the bearer) from the mandate (the message), confirming receipt of delivery.
The nod acknowledges the person delivering the message, contrasting with the destruction of the document itself.

Key Concept

Drawing Inferences and Deductions from Unseen Passages
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Drawing Inferences and Deductions from Unseen Passages

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