Read the excerpt from Walden. Hardly a man takes a half-hour's nap after dinner, but when he wakes he holds up his head and asks, "What's the news?" as if the rest of mankind had stood his sentinels [soldiers]. Which best describes the "man" Thoreau refers to in the excerpt? A - He expects others to attend to his needs when he wakes up. B - He is under constant protection by soldiers. C - He naps often and is always sleepy. D - He must have the most up-to-date news at all times.

A - He expects others to attend to his needs when he wakes up.

When the man wakes up, by asking "’What’s the news?’ as if the rest of mankind had his sentinels ..." it means he had expected to be guarded/looked after. This can be discerned by looking to the definition of "sentinel." Even though there is an in-text definition/synonym provided in brackets of "soldier," what a sentinel is is a soldier that specifically guards, looks out, and protects typically at a secure location’s perimeter or entrance.