Question

read the excerpt from flannery o’connor’s \the life you save may be your own\
he was more depressed than ever as he drove on by himself. the late afternoon had grown hot and sultry and the country had flattened out. deep in the sky a storm was preparing very slowly and without thunder as if it meant to drain every drop of air from the earth before it broke. there were times when mr. shiftlet preferred not to be alone. he felt too that a man with a car had a responsibility to others and he kept his eye out for a hitch - hiker. occasionally he saw a sign that warned: “drive carefully. the life you save may be your own.”
which statement most accurately represents the excerpt’s larger idea?
∘ beauty and truth appear in unexpected places.
∘ social isolation may lead people to act immorally.
∘ getting what you want may not make you happy.
∘ you may not get everything that you have bargained for.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the excerpt: Mr. Shiftlet is driving alone, more depressed than ever. He has a car (something he might have wanted), but he's not happy.
2. Evaluate Option A: The excerpt has no focus on beauty or truth in unexpected places. Eliminate A.
3. Evaluate Option B: There's no mention of immoral acts due to social isolation. Eliminate B.
4. Evaluate Option C: Mr. Shiftlet seems to have a car (a desired thing), but he's depressed, showing getting what he wanted didn't make him happy. This fits.
5. Evaluate Option D: The excerpt doesn't discuss unfulfilled bargains. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. Getting what you want may not make you happy.