its B took the test and got it right :)
The conclusion about the Eldest Magician the excerpt supports is the one in the first alternative: "The Eldest Magician has a good sense of humor." He calls the Man lazy in a very humorous way, and even tells the man his children are lazy too, and names them Malazy- the lazy people. The fact the Eldest Magician named the Man's children in such an amusing way, joking with Malaysia, the country, shows how good his sense of humor is. Instead of being mad at the Eldest Magician, the Man went along with his joking and replied: "If I am to be lazy all my days, let the Sea work for me twice a day for ever. That will save paddling." At that, the Eldest Magician laughed and agreed it was fair enough, which showed his nice sense of humor, as well as the good vibes within him.
The answer is: He is pretending to be Ernest.
In Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," Algernon confronts Jack and the latter reveals that Ernest is his fictional irresponsible brother he pretends to be in order to have fun and disappear for a few days. Therefore, Algernon, who is deeply in love with Cecily, decides to show up at Jack's country state pretending to be Ernest.
