Question

life with irene was well documented by her artistic sister, who loved music and writing but cared nothing for science. apparently, no two people could be more opposite than fun - loving, fashionable eve and her somber sister irene. in speaking of irene, eve once said, all my efforts to get her to take care of her fine hair and to make up her face, with its firm and beautiful features... have been in vain. she said further, that this young person, so unsociable, so slow - moving and hard to approach, lacked the dash of brilliant pupils. she had something better - knowledge once acquired was fixed firmly in her well - ordered mind. irene was more ______ than her sister.

• ○ jovial

• ○ endearing

• ○ studious

• ○ superficial

Explanation:

The text contrasts fun-loving, fashionable Eve with somber Irene. Irene is described as unsociable, slow-moving, with knowledge fixed firmly in her well-ordered mind, and lacking the dash of brilliant pupils but having solid, retained knowledge. "Jovial" matches Eve's fun-loving trait, "endearing" is not supported by the text, "superficial" describes Eve's focus on fashion, while "studious" fits Irene's trait of retaining acquired knowledge and her serious, non-social demeanor focused on learning.

Answer:

studious