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I was thrilled by the wildness of the ocean and my grandmother's fearless relationship to it. I loved the way she never consulted her mirror after her swim, but always looked as if she had been born to the sea, a kind of aquatic heiress.
Which of the following is the most reasonable conclusion to draw about Lydia from the second sentence?
Correct IncorrectThe correct answer is (C).
Getting to the Answer: When a question asks for an inference, the correct answer is something that can be deduced from the text, while not being directly stated. In the passage, the narrator states that Lydia never used a mirror after swimming but seemed "born to the sea, a kind of aquatic heiress," which suggests she looked elegant and in her element after swimming.
(A) Incorrect: the narrator is not talking about any regrets in these lines
(B) Incorrect: although the narrator states that Lydia does not use a mirror after swimming, nothing is said about other time spent grooming
(C) Correct: the narrator suggests that Lydia looks natural after swimming, suggesting a certain elegance
(D) the narrator does not provide evidence that Lydia was acting "overly formal"