So he . . . had opened his "Dental Parlors" on Polk Street, an "accommodation street" of small shops in the residence quarter of the town. Here he had slowly collected a clientèle of butcher boys, shop girls, drug clerks, and car conductors. He made but few acquaintances. Polk Street called him the "Doctor" and spoke of his enormous strength. For McTeague was a young giant, carrying his huge shock of blond hair six feet three inches from the ground; moving his immense limbs, heavy with ropes of muscle, slowly, ponderously. His hands were enormous, red, and covered with a fell of stiff yellow hair; they were hard as wooden mallets, strong as vises, the hands of the old-time car-boy. Often he dispensed with forceps and extracted a refractory tooth with his thumb and finger. His head was square-cut, angular; the jaw salient, like that of the carnivora.

Question

So he . . . had opened his "Dental Parlors" on Polk Street, an "accommodation street" of small shops in the residence quarter of the town. Here he had slowly collected a clientèle of butcher boys, shop girls, drug clerks, and car conductors. He made but few acquaintances. Polk Street called him the "Doctor" and spoke of his enormous strength. For McTeague was a young giant, carrying his huge shock of blond hair six feet three inches from the ground; moving his immense limbs, heavy with ropes of muscle, slowly, ponderously. His hands were enormous, red, and covered with a fell of stiff yellow hair; they were hard as wooden mallets, strong as vises, the hands of the old-time car-boy. Often he dispensed with forceps and extracted a refractory tooth with his thumb and finger. His head was square-cut, angular; the jaw salient, like that of the carnivora.

McTeague's mind was as his body, heavy, slow to act, sluggish, yet there was nothing vicious about the man. Altogether he suggested the draught horse,,superscript,1,baseline, immensely strong, stupid, docile, obedient.

When he opened his "Dental Parlors," he felt that his life was a success, that he could hope for nothing better.

(from ,begin underline,McTeague,end underline, by Frank Norris)

,fill in the blank,

,begin bold,,superscript,1,baseline, draught (draft) horse,end bold, a horse used for hauling heavy loads

Question
What does this passage ,begin emphasis,most,end emphasis, strongly suggest about the field of dentistry in McTeague's time?

Answer options with 4 options
1.
Dentistry was a manageable livelihood.

2.
Dentistry required minimal care and precision.

3.
Dentistry was an unpopular form of employment.

4.
Dentistry required independence and resourcefulness.

Answer 1

Option 1. Dentistry was a manageable livelihood.

Answer 2

The passage most strongly suggests that option 1, dentistry was a manageable livelihood, in McTeague's time.

Answer 3

To answer this question, we need to analyze the passage and understand what it suggests about the field of dentistry in McTeague's time. The passage describes McTeague as a dentist who opens his "Dental Parlors" on Polk Street, where he slowly collects a clientèle of different individuals. It also highlights McTeague's physical attributes, such as his enormous strength, huge size, and powerful hands. Additionally, the passage mentions that McTeague sometimes extracts teeth with his thumb and finger instead of using forceps.

Considering these details, we can infer that the passage suggests dentistry was a manageable livelihood (option 1) for McTeague. Despite his limited social interactions, McTeague successfully establishes his dental practice and attracts clients, including butcher boys, shop girls, drug clerks, and car conductors. The fact that he is able to extract teeth with his thumb and finger showcases his resourcefulness and independence as a dentist.

Therefore, the most strongly suggested answer based on the passage is option 1: Dentistry was a manageable livelihood.