Let's find the right answers against OAs!

[Ilovepsycho]

King James I was a clever and learned man -- far from the slobbering pedant he has sometimes been made out. His defects were vanity and a softness in his nature, shown by his habit of lecturing people at one moment and giving way to them at another, and a liking for worthless favourites. He could criticize a theory, but he could not judge a man. It was hard for him to realize that because he had a weaker character than that of Queen Elizabeth and because, unlike her, he had a large family and extravagent tastes, he could not hope to hold Parliament in check quite as she had done. Queen Elizabeth had died some 400,000 founds in debt and had been able to keep her head over water only by selling Crown lands. King James was, therefore, ( B ) to ask the Parliament for money. But soon after he came to the throne he wisely concluded peace with Spain, ending a war that had lasted nearly twenty years ; and the Parliament did not expect to have to vote taxes except in times of war. Therefore the power of the purse became an effective bargaining counter with the monarchy. Finally -- and this was an error of judgment on his part -- the King lacked effective representatives of his interests in the Lower House such as Queen Elizabeth had commanded to direct and influence its debates. So the Parliament, instead of working along with the King's Government in its not unreasonale policy, which was to maintain peace by avoiding foreign entanglements, to impose unity on the Church, and to arrange a legislative union between England and Scotland, began to put forward policies of their own and to win the initiative in legislation.

1. What is the popular image of King James I that the author of the passage is trying to refute?

a. that he was a selfish tyrant
b. that he was an ignoramus
c. that he had a speech impediment
d. that he was sentimental and pompous

2. Which of the following correctly reflects the relationship between the Parliament and the King?

a. The Parliament shielded the people from the king's despotism.
b. The Parliament could control the king by promising or refusing him money.
c. The Parliament opposed the king's making peace with Spain.
d. Many of the members of the Lower House were privately in the king's pay and promoted his cause in the Parliament.

3. Which word best fits blank ( B ) ?

a. reduced
b. obliged
c. had
d. constrained

The OAs of this above questions were very awkward. Of the OAs, what is definitely wrong was included -- the error question is excluded in the above because the error is very obvious. The above questions is also chosen by me owing to those awkward OAs. The OAs were D, A, and B, but I don't accept it.

I think the answer of the first question is 'B', given the sentences "King James I was a clever and learned man -- far from the slobbering pedant he has sometimes been made out." The popular image of Kind James I is the slobbeing pedant but the author wants to tell that he was a clever and learned man de facto. Consequently, is the 'B' right?

I feel the answer of the second is 'B', given the sentence "Therefore the power of the purse became an effective bargaining counter with the monarchy." In fact, I've googled about King James I and found that He was in conflict with the Parliament. The Parliament held him in check using their power of money because of his debts that Queen Elizabeth inherited to him, his large family, etc. Therefore I hold that 'B' is definitely right.

As for the third question, 'be reduced' is followed by 'to sth, or to doing sth', so that is wrong. 'Be obliged' and 'be constrained' are both followed by 'to do sth', so can satisfy the blank. But I think 'obliged' include the meaning 'to force sb to do sth, especially by a law, rule, duty or so on. There in context, 'constrained' is more right than 'obliged' I think.

What do you think of that? I would like to hear your opinion or logic.

Thanks for reading.