The museum's new security guard, Anton, insisted on walking the same route each hour: first the gallery of maritime paintings, then the glass case of ancient coins, and finally the modern sculpture wing, where he paused longest. He claimed the sculptures were "hardest to watch," though they were bolted to the floor and roped off. Anton rarely spoke to visitors, except to ask, politely, that they step back from the ropes; yet with the janitor he became unexpectedly talkative, asking whether the building's cameras "ever blink" and whether the night shift's logs were stored digitally or on paper. When the curator introduced a temporary exhibit of borrowed artifacts, Anton requested the shipping manifests "for practice," and he copied the crate numbers into his phone before deleting them, then emptying the trash folder. During lunch he sat where he could see the staff entrance, and he flinched whenever the freight elevator chimed. One afternoon, after a child dropped a brochure and it skittered under a bench, Anton retrieved it quickly, smoothing the paper with his palm as if flattening fingerprints. The curator praised his diligence, but the janitor later remarked that Anton never removed his gloves, even when the building's heat failed and everyone else rubbed their hands for warmth.
- Anton is probably anxious about germs, so he keeps gloves on and monitors entrances to avoid crowded spaces.
- Anton likely worries about being implicated in wrongdoing, so he minimizes traceable actions and studies procedures closely. (correct answer)
- Anton is fascinated by modern art, so he lingers with sculptures and memorizes crate numbers for personal enjoyment.
- Anton has been promoted recently, so he practices with manifests to train new guards and modernize the museum's system.
Explanation: This question tests ISEE Upper Level reading comprehension, specifically inferring information not directly stated. Inference requires understanding implicit meanings and reading between the lines using textual clues. In the passage, the author provides clues such as Anton asking about cameras and logs, copying then deleting manifests, watching the staff entrance, never removing gloves, and smoothing fingerprints which suggests fear of being implicated in wrongdoing. The correct answer is B because it interprets these clues to infer Anton worries about being implicated in potential theft or wrongdoing, so he minimizes traceable actions. A common distractor like A fails because it assumes germophobia, which doesn't explain his specific interest in security systems and manifests. Students should practice identifying subtle clues and distinguishing between literal and implied meanings. Encourage recognizing how defensive behaviors reveal underlying anxieties.