Below is the last stanza of a poem, "Dover Beach," written in 1876 by Matthew Arnold.
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
Which of these statements best describes the remedy Arnold proposes for the world?
A. The world may end, but love conquers all.
B. Look to your dreams for answers to life's questions.
C. Our faith in each other can shelter us from deceptive chaos.
D. In this deceptive world, ignorance requires faith.
According to science, the fastest speed possible for anything is the speed of light. The speed of light is about 186,000 miles per second. That means that in one minute, light travels 11,160,000 miles. The star nearest Earth is the Sun. It's about 93,000,000 miles from Earth. Therefore, it takes sunlight about eight minutes to travel to Earth. So, when you see the Sun, you aren't seeing it as it is. You're seeing it as it was eight minutes ago. Since the stars are much farther away than our Sun, imagine how far back in time you're seeing them! It's obvious that humans will never travel to planets around even the nearest stars.
Which statement taken from the paragraph is most likely to be opinion rather than fact?
A. The fastest speed possible for anything is the speed of light.
B. Humans will never travel to planets around even the nearest stars.
C. The star nearest Earth is the Sun.
D. When you see the Sun, you aren't seeing it as it is.
Question 1. Read the poem twice, the answer is in the beginning phrase.
Question2. Statements of opinion are often preceded by arguments to the hyperbolic like "It is obvious"
To determine the best description of the remedy Arnold proposes for the world in the last stanza of the poem "Dover Beach," we can analyze the stanza.
Arnold begins the stanza by addressing the concept of love and urges two individuals to be true to one another. He suggests that the world, which may seem like a land of dreams, actually lacks joy, love, light, certitude, peace, and help for pain. The stanza also mentions a darkling plain where confused alarms of struggle and flight occur, and ignorant armies clash by night.
Based on this analysis, the best description of the remedy Arnold proposes for the world is C. Our faith in each other can shelter us from deceptive chaos. This interpretation aligns with the idea that amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the world, staying true to each other and having faith in one another can provide solace and shelter from the pervasive confusion and struggles.