Question

read the following text from a historical novel. this excerpt is about confederates spy henry harrison.

he said slowly, \weve had no word of union movement.\

the spy bobbed with joy. \i knew it. thass why i hurried. came through that picket line in the dark and all. i dont know if you realize, general—\

sorrel said coldly, \sir, dont you think, if this mans story was true, that we would have heard something?\

sorrel did not approve of spies. the spy grimaced, blew. \you aint exactly on friendly ground no more, major. this aint virginia no more.\

true, longstreet thought. but there would have been something from stuart? longstreet said, \general stuarts cavalry went out a few days back. he hasnt reported any movement.\

the spy shrugged, exasperated, glooming at sorrel. sorrel turned his back, looked at his fingernails.

from michael shaara, the killer angels. copyright 1974 by michael shaara

the previous text suggested that sorrel trusted harrison as a spy. how does this historical novel build on or challenge that idea?

options:
it demonstrates the rivalry between sorrel and harrison.
it shows sorrel doubting a report from harrison.
it explains sorrel’s reasons for trusting harrison.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

1. Option 1 ("It demonstrates the rivalry between Sorrel and Harrison"): The text focuses on Sorrel's trust (or lack of full trust) in Harrison as a spy, not a rivalry. There's no indication of competition or animosity between them.

1. Option 2 ("It shows Sorrel doubting a report from Harrison"): Sorrel’s actions (e.g., "Sorrel did not approve of spies," "exasperated, glooming at Sorrel") and dialogue ("don’t you think, if this man’s story was true, that we would have...") suggest he questions the reliability of Harrison’s report (since Harrison is a spy). This matches the text’s tone of skepticism.

1. Option 3 ("It explains Sorrel’s reasons for trusting Harrison"): The text shows Sorrel’s doubt (not trust) in Harrison’s report. Phrases like "did not approve of spies" and the spy’s defensive tone imply Sorrel is skeptical, not trusting.

Answer:

B. It shows Sorrel doubting a report from Harrison.