Question

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Doctor Pascal
by Emile Zola

In the heat of the glowing July afternoon, the room, with blinds carefully closed, was full of a great calm. From the three windows, through the cracks of the old wooden shutters, came only a few scattered sunbeams which, in the midst of the obscurity, made a soft brightness that bathed surrounding objects in a diffused and tender light. It was cool here in comparison with the overpowering heat that was felt outside, under the fierce rays of the sun that blazed upon the front of the house.

Standing before the press which faced the windows, Dr. Pascal was looking for a paper that he had come in search of. With doors wide open, this immense press of carved oak, adorned with strong and handsome mountings of metal, dating from the last century, displayed within its capacious depths an extraordinary collection of papers and manuscripts of all sorts, piled up in confusion and filling every shelf to overflowing. For more than thirty years the doctor had thrown into it every page he wrote, from brief notes to the complete texts of his great works on heredity. Thus it was that his searches here were not always easy. He rummaged patiently among the papers, and when he at last found the one he was looking for, he smiled.

For an instant longer he remained near the bookcase, reading the note by a golden sunbeam that came to him from the middle window. He himself, in this dawnlike light, appeared, with his snow-white hair and beard, strong and vigorous; although he was near sixty, his color was so fresh, his features were so finely cut, his eyes were still so clear, and he had so youthful an air that one might have taken him, in his close-fitting, maroon velvet jacket, for a young man with powdered hair.

The passage implies that Dr. Pascal is which kind of character?

A well-disguised villain
A scatterbrained and angry genius
A patient and scholarly man
A nervous and unsure person

Answer 1

What answer choices do you think we can get rid of?

Answer 2

A well-disguised villain

Answer 3

I agree with that, nowhere in the passage where it mentions him doing any villainous activities.
That leaves us with B, C, and D

Answer 4

So i think it may be " A patient and scholarly man"

Answer 5

Which one do you think we can get rid of next? I'm seeing a lot of nervous connotative words throughout the passage, so D could be the answer.

But the reading is also hinting towards some scatterbrained diction words

Answer 6

I'm not seeing any words with a patient or scholarly context, so I don't think it could be C

Answer 7

Hmmm ok

Answer 8

im lost in thought rn

Answer 9

I'm down to B and D

The passage uses words that are similar/identical to characteristics for B and D.

Answer 10

Yeah samee

Answer 11

I am think D.) more though

Answer 12

i think its b but i might be wrong

Answer 13

I saw it mainly in the second paragraph last sentence

Answer 14

When I read it, that's what lead me to believe the answer I chose. The diction and context clues also lead me to believe that

Answer 15

Would you care to elaborate on the "diction and context clues"

Answer 16

"For more than thirty years the doctor had thrown into it every page he wrote, from brief notes to the complete texts of his great works on heredity. Thus it was that his searches here were not always easy. " True it doesn't show nervousness in the first sentence there, but.....

I'm trying my best, I'm running on like five hours of sleep...and it wasn't good sleep either

Answer 17

`He himself, in this dawnlike light, appeared, with his snow-white hair and beard, strong and vigorous; although he was near sixty, his color was so fresh, his features were so finely cut, his eyes were still so clear, and he had so youthful an air that one might have taken him, in his close-fitting, maroon velvet jacket, for a young man with powdered hair.`

Does this description of Dr. Pascal even give you the slightest impression that he is a man who is unsure of himself and nervous?
I get the idea that Dr. Pascal is a confident man who is charming and respected

Answer 18

You're right, you're always right....i'm never right, even when i try to explain how i got it i'm always wrong.....i see things in a different way when i read/comprehend them

Answer 19

I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna try to explain better. It might just turn into an argument and I don't want that on these feeds.

Answer 20

Disagreements are natural. and there's nothing wrong with it. This is a place to learn. If you still believe your answer is correct then feel free to explain so that we can all learn :)

Answer 21

I see both ways could be correct, it's just taking me a while to comprehend it...I shouldn't have stayed up until a quarter 'till 2 am *cst* last night

Answer 22

@mrmudd183
1. If you don't know the answer to question, or is unclear about it, why answer? If you're wrong, just admit that you're wrong, and don't bring up excuses such as you were up too late last night
2. Saying this, "You're right, you're always right....i'm never right, even when i try to explain how i got it i'm always wrong.....i see things in a different way when i read/comprehend them." Just admit that you're wrong, although this would of course again contradict what you said above. You can't just believe that you're right... but when someone comes along and proves you wrong... throw a tantrum and bring up excuses to defend yourself.
3. "I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna try to explain better. It might just turn into an argument and I don't want that on these feeds." *cough you're afraid to lose the argument

Answer 23

Ok so what is the final answer?

Answer 24

I was going through your asked questions and you've asked this question three times even after getting a response from other people.

Do you want to give it a shot yourself?
Feel free to read the above discussion and the points that I mentioned to help you reach the final answer.

Answer 25

In order to help me pick the final answer which i am snuck between C.) and D.)