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Literary passages · Question 262 of 305

According to Micawber's example, what separates "happiness" from "misery"?

Question 262

HardOriginal question

‘My dear young friend,’ said Mr. Micawber, ‘I am older than you; a man of some experience in life, and—and of some experience, in short, in difficulties, generally speaking. At present, and until something turns up (which I am, I may say, hourly expecting), I have nothing to but advice. Still my advice is so far worth taking, that—in short, that I have never taken it myself, and am the’—here Mr. Micawber, who had been beaming and smiling, all over his head and face, up to the present moment, checked himself and frowned—‘the miserable you behold.’

‘My dear Micawber!’ urged his wife.

‘I say,’ returned Mr. Micawber, quite forgetting himself, and smiling again, ‘the miserable wretch you behold. My advice is, never do tomorrow what you can do today. is the thief of time. Collar him!’

‘My poor papa’s ,’ Mrs. Micawber observed.

‘My other piece of advice, Copperfield,’ said Mr. Micawber, ‘you know. Annual income twenty pounds, annual nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery. The blossom is blighted, the leaf is withered, the god of day goes down upon the dreary scene, and—and in short you are for ever . As I am!’

To make his example the more impressive, Mr. Micawber drank a glass of punch with an air of great enjoyment and satisfaction, and whistled the College Hornpipe.

According to Micawber's example, what separates "happiness" from "misery"?

Options for question 262

Show the answer and explanation
CorrectNot quiteAnswer B

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. Both cases have an income of twenty pounds. Spending "nineteen nineteen and six" is sixpence under the income, and "twenty pounds ought and six" is sixpence over.

  2. A tiny difference decides everything.

Worth noting

The income is the same in both cases; only the spending changes, and by very little.

Concept
Working out a comparison from figures
Typical time
60 s
Your time
—
The rule this testsWhat the passage suggests
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Ten questions from Literary passages, at your own pace.

Practise this chapter →

Ten questions from Literary passages, at your own pace.