group of friends has gathered for breakfast at Barton Park before spending the rest of the day as guests of Colonel Brandon, the owner of the Delaford estate. During breakfast, Colonel Brandon receives a letter with startling news.,end italics,
from ,begin bold,Sense and Sensibility,end bold,
paragraph 1,"Something very melancholy must be the matter, I am sure," said she. "I could see it in his face. Poor man! I am afraid his circumstances may be bad. The estate at Delaford was never reckoned more than two thousand a year, and his brother left everything sadly involved. I do think he must have been sent for about money matters, for what else can it be? . . . Perhaps it is about Miss Williams—and, by the by, I dare say it is, because he looked so conscious when I mentioned her. Maybe she is ill in town; nothing in the world more likely, for I have a notion she is always rather sickly. . . . Maybe his sister is worse at Avignon, and has sent for him over. His setting off in such a hurry seems very like it. Well, I wish him out of all his trouble, with all my heart, and a good wife into the bargain."
paragraph 2,So wondered, so talked Mrs. Jennings; her opinion varying with every fresh ,begin underline,conjecture,end underline,, and all seeming equally probable as they arose. Elinor, though she felt really interested in the welfare of Colonel Brandon, could not bestow all the wonder on his going so suddenly away which Mrs. Jennings was desirous of her feeling; for besides that the circumstance did not, in her opinion, justify such lasting amazement or variety of speculation, her wonder was otherwise disposed of.
(from ,begin underline,Sense and Sensibility,end underline, by Jane Austen)
Question
Which word ,begin emphasis,best,end emphasis, replaces "conjecture" as it is used in paragraph 2?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
astonishment
2.
expectation
3.
interpretation
4.
judgment
3. interpretation
Batteries were speaking with thunderous oratorical effort. Here and there were flags, the red in the stripes dominating. They splashed bits of warm color upon the dark lines of troops.
The youth felt the old thrill at the sight of the emblem. They were like beautiful birds strangely undaunted in a storm.
As he listened to the din from the hillside, to a deep pulsating thunder that came from afar to the left, and to the lesser clamors which came from many directions, it occurred to him that they were fighting, too, over there, and over there, and over there. Heretofore he had supposed that all the battle was directly under his nose.
As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash of astonishment at the blue, pure sky and the sun gleamings on the trees and fields. It was surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden process in the midst of so much devilment.
(from ,begin underline,The Red Badge of Courage,end underline, by Stephen Crane)
When the correspondent again opened his eyes, the sea and the sky were each of the gray hue of the dawning. Later, carmine and gold was painted upon the waters. The morning appeared finally, in its splendor with a sky of pure blue, and the sunlight flamed on the tips of the waves.
On the distant dunes were set many little black cottages, and a tall white wind-mill reared above them. No man, nor dog, nor bicycle appeared on the beach. The cottages might have formed a deserted village.
The voyagers scanned the shore. A conference was held in the boat. "Well," said the captain, "if no help is coming, we might better try a run through the surf right away. If we stay out here much longer we will be too weak to do anything for ourselves at all." The others silently acquiesced in this reasoning. The boat was headed for the beach. The correspondent wondered if none ever ascended the tall wind-tower, and if then they never looked seaward. This tower was a giant, standing with its back to the plight of the ants. It represented in a degree, to the correspondent, the serenity of nature amid the struggles of the individual—nature in the wind, and nature in the vision of men. She did not seem cruel to him, nor beneficent, nor treacherous, nor wise. But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent. It is, perhaps, plausible that a man in this situation, impressed with the unconcern of the universe, should see the innumerable flaws of his life and have them taste wickedly in his mind and wish for another chance. A distinction between right and wrong seems absurdly clear to him, then, in this new ignorance of the grave-edge, and he understands that if he were given another opportunity he would mend his conduct and his words, and be better. . . .
(from "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane)
Question
Compare the way the passages illustrate the relationship between man and nature.
Based on the passages, which inference about nature is ,begin emphasis,most,end emphasis, valid?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
Nature inspires man to search his soul and learn from past mistakes.
2.
Nature is disinterested in the actions of man whether innocent or evil.
3.
Nature overshadows man and makes human life seem insignificant.
4.
Nature remains unchanged despite the horrors committed by man.