Question

Read the passage below from “Marigolds” and answer question. Miss Lottie’s house was the most ramshackle of all our ramshackle homes. The sun and rain had long since faded its rickety frame siding from white to a sullen gray. The boards themselves seemed to remain upright not from being nailed together but rather from leaning together, like a house that a child might have constructed from cards. A brisk wind might have blown it down, and the fact that it was still standing implied a kind of enchantment that was stronger than the elements. There it stood and as far as I know is standing yet—a gray, rotting thing with no porch, no shutters, no steps, set on a cramped lot with no grass, not even any weeds—a monument to decay. What can best be inferred about Miss Lottie based on the description above? Miss Lottie was a loner with no family. Miss Lottie wished she could afford a better home. Miss Lottie was one of the poorest people in the neighborhood. Miss Lottie was an outcast who did not take care of her home

Answer 1

Answer: The right answer is "Miss Lottie was one of the poorest people in the neighborhood."

Explanation: Since in this passage there are still no references to the character of Miss Lottie, it is not yet possible to infer that she was an outcast who did not take care of her home, as she truly was. In addition, it cannot be inferred that she lived alone (which she didn't) or that she wished she could afford a better house. The description of the house, however, does reveal that hers was one of the most rundown homes in an already extremely poor neighborhood, since it was not properly maintained.