Read the following comprehension passage carefully and then answer the question by choosing the best option out of the four alternatives. My brother David was always very close to our grandmother. They shared a deep love of Mother Nature and of eating food that they had grown with their own hands. Whenever his work schedule permitted, he would drop in for a short visit and a cup of coffee. One day, when David found no one at home, he left a small chunk of garden dirt on her porch. This simple act later became known in the family as his special "calling card". Whenever Grandmother returned home and saw the little piece of soil on her porch, she immediately knew that Dave had come by to see her. Although Grandmother grew up in poverty in Italy, she managed to do well after moving to the United States. She remained healthy and independent and enjoyed a long, fulfilling life. Recently she suffered a stroke and passed away. Everyone in the family felt deep sorrow, and David was completely heartbroken because his lifelong friend was gone. Grandmother's death made everyone

Introduction:
This question checks your ability to connect a specific emotional description to all the characters in the passage. It focuses on the reaction to Grandmother's death, especially the difference between the general mood of the family and the particular intensity of David's grief.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The passage states: "Recently she had a stroke and died. Everyone was saddened by her death."
- It then adds: "David was disconsolate. His lifelong friend was now gone."
- "Disconsolate" means extremely sad or unable to be comforted.
- The question asks: "Grandmother's death made everyone _____.", but the options mention David as well.

Concept / Approach:
The main idea is to distinguish between the general feeling shared by everyone and the stronger, more personal sorrow felt by David. The phrase "everyone was saddened" clearly describes the group, while "David was disconsolate" highlights one individual's deeper grief. The correct option must include both the fact that everyone felt sad and that David was not excluded from this grief. It must not introduce a positive emotion like happiness, which does not appear in the passage.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the sentence "Everyone was saddened by her death". This means all family members were sad.Step 2: Read the next line: "David was disconsolate." This means his sadness was especially intense.Step 3: Understand that if everyone was sad, David, as part of "everyone", was also sad, and in fact even more deeply affected.Step 4: Look at option A, "sad including David". This correctly indicates that everybody, David included, felt sadness.Step 5: Confirm that no other option fits both the general sadness and David's presence within that group.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you rewrite the information in your own words, it becomes "The death made everyone sad, and David was especially sad." This matches option A very closely. Any option that excludes David from the group, or that suggests a positive reaction like happiness, would contradict the explicit text in the passage, where no one is described as pleased by her death.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, "disconsolate excluding David", is illogical because the passage directly states that David himself was disconsolate. Option C, "happy and disconsolate", mixes opposite emotions and has no support in the passage; no one is described as happy about her death. Option D, "sad excluding David", is wrong because it leaves out David, yet the passage clearly includes him as the most deeply affected person.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students become confused by the separate mention of "everyone" and "David" and begin to think they must choose between the two. In reality, David is part of "everyone" and then singled out for emphasis. Another pitfall is to overthink the wording of the options instead of returning to the simple statement "Everyone was saddened". When in doubt, always match the key word in the question "everyone" with the sentence that uses the same term in the passage.

Final Answer:
Grandmother's death made the whole family sad, and David was especially grief stricken, so the correct answer is sad including David.