Question

Read this sentence. "I have an idea at the back of my mind that that manager-man doesn't love Englishmen!" Why does the author conclude the excerpt with this sentence? A. to give a humorous slant to the scene by using an understatement B. to offer a guess about the manager's personal preferences C. to show the narrator's suspicions about the manager that will be addressed in the next segment D. to express regret over having complained to the manager

Short answer

A. to give a humorous slant to the scene by using an understatement

Step-by-step solution

Identifying the Sentence Context

First, we need to understand the context of the sentence. Here, the narrator seems to be making an assumption about the manager's feelings towards Englishmen.

Evaluate the Options

Now, we will take a look at each option and analyze how well it aligns with the context of the sentence. A. to give a humorous slant to the scene by using an understatement -> The phrase 'at the back of my mind' suggests that there is some degree of uncertainty or casualness in the narrator's assumption, which could be interpreted as humorous. B. to offer a guess about the manager's personal preferences -> This option seems plausible as the narrator is indeed making a guess about the manager's feelings towards Englishmen. C. to show the narrator's suspicions about the manager that will be addressed in the next segment -> This option could potentially be true, depending on the full context of the story it's taken from, but we have no clear evidence to support this from the given sentence alone. D. to express regret over having complained to the manager -> This option is not supported by the given sentence, as there is no indication of the narrator expressing any kind of regret.

Choose the Best Option

Going by the given sentence alone, Option A seems to best capture the intent of the author in including the sentence at the end of the excerpt, as it reflects the casual and potentially humorous nature of the narrator's assumption. So, the answer should be: A. to give a humorous slant to the scene by using an understatement