Read the following sentences from "The Destructors."
Old Misery—whose real name was Thomas—had once been a builder and decorator. He lived alone in the crippled house, doing for himself: once a week you could see him coming back across the common with bread and vegetables, and once as the boys played in the car-park he put his head over the smashed wall of his garden and looked at them.
Which of the following sentences is the best paraphrase of this excerpt?
A. Old Misery, a former builder and decorator, lived a peaceful life in his damaged house and made weekly trips for food. He paid little mind to the boys who played in the car-park.
B. Old Misery used to be a builder and decorator, but now he lived by himself in his damaged house. His weekly trips for food gave him cause to notice the boys who played in the car-park.
C. Old Misery had once been a builder and decorator and lived alone in his damaged house. He made weekly trips for food and once watched the boys playing in the car-park.
D. Old Misery, or Thomas, was a solitary man who had once been a builder and decorator. His house was damaged but he preferred to make weekly trips for food and saw the boys playing in the car-park.
A. Old Misery, a former builder and decorator, lived a peaceful life in his damaged house and made weekly trips for food. He paid little mind to the boys who played in the car-park.
The best paraphrase of the given excerpt would be option C. Here's why:
Option A only mentions that Old Misery lived a peaceful life in his damaged house and made weekly trips for food but doesn't mention his previous occupation or his interaction with the boys playing in the car-park.
Option B includes the fact that Old Misery used to be a builder and decorator but doesn't mention his weekly trips for food or his observation of the boys playing in the car-park.
Option C correctly states that Old Misery had once been a builder and decorator, lived alone in his damaged house, made weekly trips for food, and watched the boys playing in the car-park.
Option D includes all the necessary details but refers to Old Misery as "solitary" instead of "living alone," which doesn't accurately capture the meaning of the original sentence.
Therefore, option C is the best paraphrase of the given excerpt.
The best paraphrase of the excerpt would be:
D. Old Misery, or Thomas, was a solitary man who had once been a builder and decorator. His house was damaged but he preferred to make weekly trips for food and saw the boys playing in the car-park.