OpenSAT

Question #N1021

The excerpt is from a novel by a Chinese-American author who writes about family and culture. "The old woman knew the secret of happiness. "I think I know the secret," she had said to her daughter once, "but you've got to forget about it. You've got to lose track. That's the secret." "But you've got to forget it?" her daughter had asked, "and forget it?" Her mother nodded, "You've got to forget, you've got to lose track. That's the key. You must forget about it. You must let it go."

Which choice best explains the central idea expressed in the excerpt?

A. Sometimes the best way to achieve happiness is to forget about trying to achieve it.

B. The old woman’s wisdom is based on a secret that she has kept from her daughter.

C. Forgetting the past is essential to living a happy life.

D. The old woman is teaching her daughter how to forget about her worries.

Reveal Answer Go Back

Correct Answer is: A

The old woman’s advice about forgetting the secret of happiness is meant to encourage her daughter to stop focusing on finding happiness. By letting go of the need to find happiness, the old woman suggests, one can become happy without consciously seeking it.