"Gus, I need to see you in my office," said Mr. Matthews. Gus nervously shut…
2023
"Gus, I need to see you in my office," said Mr. Matthews. Gus nervously shut the door to Mr. Matthews' office behind him and took a seat. Mr. Matthews' office was so high up that Gus had to angle his chair awkwardly so that he couldn't see out of the window. Mr. Matthews pointed his finger at Gus and began talking, "You have been fitting in great over here, and that's one of the most important things you can do in this company." Gus let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Matthews continued speaking. "Gus, I want to invite you on a company trip. We will be taking a private jet to Colorado." Gus's eyes widened and his heart began thumping rapidly. "Wow, Mr. Matthews! I don't know what to say," Gus replied honestly. Mr. Matthews continued, "Then we will be climbing up a mountain to a private cabin." Gus loosened his tie a bit a gulped. He was hoping that it would be over but Mr. Matthews continued, "After completing some team building activities, we will take a hot air balloon ride over the mountains!" Gus's heart was now pounding so hard that he was worried that Mr. Matthews might see it thumping through his shirt. He was sweating excessively. Mr. Matthews slapped him on the shoulder, "So what do you say Gus?" Gus did not know what to say. How does Gus really feel about his boss's invitation?
- A.
Gus is very excited
- B.
Gus is not excited
- C.
Gus does not want to go at all
- D.
None of these
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Answer: Gus does not want to go at all. The passage shows he feels anxious and unwilling to accept the invitation.
He angled his chair awkwardly so that he couldn't see out of the window — a behavior that suggests avoidance (possibly of heights or the situation).
His heart began thumping rapidly and his eyes widened — physical signs of fear or high anxiety.
He gulped, loosened his tie, and was sweating excessively, and he was worried Mr. Matthews might see his heart thumping — more evidence of nervousness and discomfort rather than enthusiasm.
These behavioral and physiological clues point to anxiety and reluctance, so the best interpretation is that Gus does not want to go at all. Briefly, 'very excited' contradicts the evidence, and 'not excited' understates the intensity of his anxious reaction.