Comprehension:
Read the given extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Mr.Utterson, the lawyer was a man of rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable. At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye; something indeed which never found its way into his talk, but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of the after-dinner face, but more often and loudly in the acts of his life. He was austere with himself; and though he enjoyed the theater, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years. But he had an approved tolerance for others; sometimes wondering, almost with envy, at the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds; and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove. It was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of down-going men. And to such as these, so long as they came about his chambers, he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.
No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson; for he was undemonstrative at the best, and even his friendship seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good-nature. It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle ready-made from the hands of opportunity; and that was the lawyer’s way. His friends were those of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest; his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time, they implied no aptness in the object. Hence, no doubt, this was the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield, his distant kinsman, the well-known man about town.
Read the given options carefully, and choose the option that correctly summarises the content of the passage.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → The passage includes a rich description of the numerous shades and quirks of Mr Utterson's personality, interests and behavioural patterns.
The extract describes Mr Utterson's face, his manner of speaking, his habits (avoiding the theatre), his tolerance of others and the way his friendships formed. It is a detailed account of the many sides of his character, interests and behaviour.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The passage describes the foundation of the friendship between Mr Utterson and his associates. — Incorrect. Too narrow: his friendships come only in the last part, and the extract explains their nature (old ties and relatives), not how one particular friendship was founded.
Option 2: The passage investigates the characteristics of Mr Utterson's personality and intellectual development, and highlights his unique contribution to society as a lawyer. — Incorrect. Not mentioned: nothing is said about his intellectual development or his contribution to society; his profession appears only in "the lawyer" in the first line.
Option 4: The passage's terse prose demonstrates a certain fondness for brevity and describes the flamboyant social life of Mr Utterson and his acquaintances. — Incorrect. Contradicted: he was "undemonstrative at the best" and "austere with himself". Terse means using few words, and flamboyant means showy and full of confident display. The extract's long sentences are not terse, and it describes a man who was austere and undemonstrative, not one with a flamboyant social life.
Example: The singer was known for his flamboyant costumes.