In an inference question about a character who avoids eye contact and hurriedly changes topics, what can you infer about the character's emotions?

• A. The character is confident and calm.
• B. The character is curious and excited.
• C. The character is bored and uninterested.
• D. The character is anxious, uncomfortable, or evasive.

Answer: (D)

Nonverbal cues like eye contact and how someone steers a conversation reveal how a character feels in the moment. Avoiding eye contact often signals anxiety, discomfort, or evasiveness because it shows a reluctance to engage openly. When that same person quickly shifts to a new topic, it reinforces the same idea: they’re trying to escape or deflect rather than reveal their thoughts. Together, these behaviors point to an emotional state of being anxious, uncomfortable, or evasive, rather than confident and calm, curious and excited, or bored and uninterested. The other possibilities would usually show more willingness to engage—steady eye contact and staying on topics for discussion—rather than the avoidance and hurried topic changes observed here.