sat-dog

Choice A is the best answer because it accurately describes Sir Winston Day as he is portrayed in the text. The text indicates that Sir Winston’s “features seemed moulded to adorn a bust, or possibly a stamp,” suggesting that he appeared distinguished. But the text also indicates that his “actual achievements” during his long public service constitute an “enigma,” or mystery, highlighting the point with a joke about Sir Winston’s uninteresting memoirs (any information about his achievements past the first thirty pages “might as well have remained state secrets” since, it’s implied, no one bothered to read that far). Thus, the text suggests that Sir Winston appears distinguished even though his known accomplishments, if any, are relatively few. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the text indicates that Sir Winston behaved dishonorably. Rather, the text indicates that his “actual achievements” during his long public service constitute an enigma, or mystery, suggesting that he may have done very little, not that what he has done was disreputable. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text says that Sir Winston’s achievements that appear “after the thirty-page mark” in his memoirs “might as well have remained state secrets,” this is a joke about the public’s lack of interest in the memoirs, not a sincere claim that secrecy was intended. Choice D is incorrect because the text does not associate Sir Winston with modesty, nor does it suggest that he was a capable public servant. Rather, by indicating that Sir Winston’s “features seemed moulded to adorn a bust, or possibly a stamp,” the text suggests that Sir Winston’s appearance communicated importance, not modesty. The text further indicates that his “actual achievements” during his long public service constitute an enigma, or mystery, suggesting that he may have done very little, not that he was particularly capable.