The verb excerpt comes from the Latin word <em>excerptus</em> which means to "pluck out, pick out, extract." The noun excerpt comes from the Latin word <em>excerptum </em>which means "an extract, selection."
Answer: A. Russell's sister takes after their mother, but he does not.
In the story, there is no implication of Russell not being obedient. He is so obedient he performs the job he hates everyday because his mother tells him to do so. There is also no sign of Russell's sister wanting to become a writer.
The author mentions that he has learned all of his mother's maxims as well, so that is not a difference between them. The difference is that his sister feels compelled to say them, and means them, because they align with what she thinks. This is because the sister is more similar to their mother than Russell.
By explaining the concept of being an “also-ran,” the author describes someone who enjoys participating in a contest even though he or she does not win. The quotation from paragraph 9 expresses the author's positive viewpoint of “also-rans” who “finish third in a three-horse race.
