. But 'tis a common proof,
That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber upward turns his face;
But when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend.
Which of the following paraphrases of the excerpt best retains the meaning
and flow of ideas?
A But it's commonly proved that ambitious young people will climb a
ladder, and the climber will turn his face up; but when he gains the very
top rung, he will turn back around, look into the clouds, and make fun of
the people who helped him get there in the first place.
B Lowly young people commonly prove themselves by climbing up the
ladder to success; but when an ambitious young man scorns the climbers
who come behind him and turns his face upward to the clouds, he will
have trouble attaining the utmost heights.
C However, it is a familiar experience that fake humility is a young man's
way to the top, and so he will apply himself to it; but when he gets to the
top, he will turn away and reach for the sky, spurning the sordid steps he
took to get where he is.
D Ambition's ladder is what young people climb to success, but when they
get up into the clouds, they turn their backs on the ladder and scorn the
base way they went up.