Question

Read the following sentences from "The Third Bank of the River."
My father was a dutiful, orderly, straightforward man. And according to several reliable
people of whom I enquired, he had had these qualities since adolescence or even
childhood. By my own recollection, he was neither jollier nor more melancholy than the
other men we knew. Maybe a little quieter.
Which of the following sentences is the best paraphrase of this excerpt?
My father always seemed to be somewhat sad and withdrawn.
As far as I knew, my father had always been a loyal family man.
Ever since he was a child, my father was both serious and subdued.
From childhood to adulthood, my father was very honest and open.

Answer 1

Answer:

Ever since he was a child, my father was both serious and subdued.

Explanation:

The biggest problem about this question is finding the appropriate synonyms for adjectives describing his father. His opinion about his father is influenced by his memories and experience, as well as stories from people who knew him. We see that his father was dutiful, orderly and a little quiet, which excludes the answer D. However, he wasn't melancholy, which excludes the answer A.  Also, we don't see any descriptions about his father's relationship with the family, thus making B incorrect answer. That leaves us with C as the best fitting answer.