Question

"He struggled up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face and the salt water in his open mouth made him gag and strangle. Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet. A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place."   -What does this description reveal about Rainsford?- A. He is an experienced and capable hunter who can track his enemy. B. He is both physically strong and mentally disciplined. C. At his core, he is bloodthirsty and murderous. D. His intelligence and status have served him well.

Answer 1

This quote doesn't tell us anything about Rainsford's abilities as a hunter or how he can track an enemy, so A is not our answer.

Rainsford is not shown to be blood thirsty either, so we can eliminate C.

Although the quote does show us how his intelligence might've lead him to stop his vain struggle to reach the yacht, it never mentions his status.

This process of elimination leads us to the answer B. Rainsford's "strong strokes" are mentioned, meaning that he does have strength, and because "A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place" is mentioned, we can infer that he has been mentally disciplined enough to be able to calm himself down in life or death situations. And so B is our answer!