|Question 9Verbal

Source Texts

Text
The following text is from Guy de Maupassant's 1884 short story "A Recollection," from the collection Guy de Maupassant Short Stories (translated by Albert M. C. McMaster et al. in 1903). The narrator is on a walk in the countryside outside of Paris, France.

I walked slowly beneath the young leaves, drinking in the air, fragrant with the odor of young buds and sap. I sauntered along, forgetful of musty papers, of the offices, of my chief, my colleagues, my documents, and thinking of the good things that were sure to come to me, of all the veiled unknown contained in the future. A thousand recollections of childhood came over me, awakened by these country odors, and I walked along, permeated with the fragrant, living enchantment, the emotional enchantment of the woods warmed by the sun of June.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
The narrator's natural surroundings help him escape his work concerns by prompting hopes about the future and memories of youth.
A
The narrator forgets to address pressing work issues because the smells of the countryside distract him with thoughts of his youth.
B
After a brief visit to his childhood home, the narrator decides to leave his job and return there to live permanently.
C
The narrator has chosen to visit the countryside to consider how his current position at work could help him gain future success.
D