Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes - each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands. Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts. Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected ideas. Clever expressions. Jokes. Love songs. From the time I was really little - maybe just a few months old - words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like lemonade. I could almost taste them. They made my jumbled thoughts and feelings have substance. My parents always blanketed me with conversation. They chattered and babbled. They verbalized and vocalized. My father sang to me. My mother whispered strength into my ear. Every word my parents spoke to me or about me I absorbed and kept and remembered. Question Write a RARE response in which you identify at least 2 examples of figurative language from the passage and explain their meaning.(4 points)

In the passage, the author uses the metaphor of words swirling around like snowflakes to describe the abundance and diversity of words in their life. This metaphor conveys the delicate and unique nature of words, comparing them to snowflakes that are individual and fleeting. It also highlights how words can land softly and disappear quickly, much like snowflakes melting in one's hands.

Another example of figurative language in the passage is when the author describes words as liquid gifts that they drank like lemonade. This metaphor suggests that words were nourishing and enjoyable for the author, just like a refreshing drink on a hot day. It conveys the idea that words had a tangible and pleasurable quality for the author, providing sustenance for their thoughts and feelings.