Question

Read the excerpts from Samuel Johnson’s preface to A Dictionary of the English Language.

Thus have I laboured by settling the orthography, displaying the analogy, regulating the structures, and ascertaining the signification of English words, to perform all the parts of a faithful lexicographer: but I have not always executed my own scheme, or satisfied my own expectations.

The underlined word emerges as a key term in the preface because Johnson

A: hints at the economic importance of his dictionary.
B: hopes that his dictionary will enlighten the uneducated.
C: seeks literary recognition for his publication.
D: strives to emphasize the effort his dictionary required.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: D: strives to emphasize the effort his dictionary required.

In this excerpt, Johnson reflects on the extensive labor he put into various aspects of his dictionary, indicating the significant effort involved in his work. The mention of "laboured" and "executed my own scheme" suggests a focus on the challenges and hard work he faced during the process of creating the dictionary.