Question

Read the excerpt from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He [Hyde] put the glass to his lips and drank at one gulp. A cry followed; he reeled, staggered, clutched at the table and held on, staring with injected eyes, gasping with open mouth; and as I looked there came, I thought, a change—he seemed to swell—his face became suddenly black and the features seemed to melt and alter—and the next moment, I had sprung to my feet and leaped back against the wall, my arms raised to shield me from that prodigy, my mind submerged in terror. Which is the best summary of the events described? Hyde’s face starts to swell, and his features begin to change. He then takes a drink from the glass as Lanyon looks on in terror. Hyde’s features begin to change drastically. Lanyon watches for a moment before running out of the room in fear. Hyde drinks from the glass and begins staggering around. Lanyon watches Hyde’s features change and leaps back in horror. Hyde raises the glass to his lips and drinks all the liquid in one gulp. Immediately after, he starts to convulse and stagger.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C) Hyde drinks from the glass and begins staggering around.  Lanyon watches Hyde’s features change and leaps back in horror.

Hyde first drinks from the content of the glass and then he starts staggering around and stumbling into things. Only then his features start to change “his face became black and features seemed to melt and alter”, which led Layton to leap back against the wall in horror and cover himself from that sight.

Answer 2

Let's look at each sentence and spot the errors:

1. Hyde's face starts to swell, and his features begin to change. He then takes a drink from the glass as Lanyon looks on in terror. 

* As you see in the first choice, the order of the events is not correct.

2. Hyde's features begin to change drastically. Lanyon watches for a moment before running out of the room in fear. 

* In this summary, it mentions that Lanyon ran out of the room, but in the excerpt, he merely jumped back against the wall. 

3. Hyde drinks from the glass and begins staggering around. Lanyon watches Hyde's features change and leaps back in horror. 

* The events are laid out correctly and it includes some important details like the staggering and the fear of Lanyon. 

4. Hyde raises the glass to his lips and drinks all the liquid in one gulp. Immediately after, he starts to convulse and stagger. 

* In this summary, it misses important details such as the reaction of Lanyon. Yet, it mentions those that do not really have meaning to it like, "drinking the liquid in one gulp." 


The answer is the 3rd summary.