PSAT Reading Question 422: Answer and Explanation

Question: 422

It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that the narrator responds as he did to the letter out of a sense of

• A. obligation.
• B. sorrow.
• C. longing.
• D. terror.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

(A) From the passage, we know the narrator and his friend haven't seen each other for a long time. However, they were friends "in boyhood" and Roderick is ill, hoping to feel better in the presence of "his only personal friend." Thus, we can infer the narrator feels obligated, as in choice (A), to submit to the request. His feelings of "sorrow" and "terror" are brought on by the house, not by his friend's letter. Choice (C) is too extreme since it implies that the narrator held a strong desire or yearning to visit his old friend.