Question
From a very early period in my life all my interest had been toward microscopic investigations. When I was just ten years old, a distant cousin, hoping to astonish my inexperience, constructed a simple microscope for me by drilling a small hole in a disk of copper, in which a drop of pure water was sustained. This apparatus, magnifying some fifty diameters, showed only indistinct forms, but was still sufficiently wonderful to work up my imagination.
Seeing me so interested in this instrument, my cousin explained all that he knew about the principles of the microscope, told me a few of the wonders discovered through its use, and ended by promising to send me a properly made one upon his return to the city. I counted the days, the hours, the minutes between that promise and his departure.
Meantime, I was not idle. Every substance that bore the remotest resemblance to a lens I eagerly seized. All panes of glass were ruthlessly destroyed in the hope of obtaining lenses of marvelous power. I even went so far as to steal the glasses from my Aunt Agatha's spectacles, with the idea of grinding them into lenses of wondrous magnifying properties—in this attempt it is unnecessary to say that I totally failed.
At last the microscope came. A better apparatus could not have been selected. Accompanying it was a small treatise on the microscope—its history, uses, and discoveries. Suddenly, the dull veil of ordinary existence that hung across the world seemed to roll away, and to lay bare a land of enchantments. I was in daily communication with living wonders such as I had never imagined. Where others saw only a drop of rain slowly rolling down the window-glass, I saw a universe of beings. In common mildew, I saw enchanted gardens, filled with the densest foliage, while from the fantastic boughs of these microscopic forests hung strange fruits glittering with green and silver and gold.
It was no scientific thirst at this time that filled my mind. It was the pure enjoyment of a poet to whom a world of wonders has been disclosed.
1
How does the author use the first three paragraphs to build tension?
A.
by portraying the narrator as both irritable and destructive while awaiting the arrival of the new microscope
B.
by describing the narrator's excitement then disappointment over not having received the new microscope from his cousin
C.
by detailing the narrator's interest in the makeshift microscope then his impatience for the new one to arrive
D.
by emphasizing the days, hours, and minutes the narrator counts while using the new microscope from his cousin
Seeing me so interested in this instrument, my cousin explained all that he knew about the principles of the microscope, told me a few of the wonders discovered through its use, and ended by promising to send me a properly made one upon his return to the city. I counted the days, the hours, the minutes between that promise and his departure.
Meantime, I was not idle. Every substance that bore the remotest resemblance to a lens I eagerly seized. All panes of glass were ruthlessly destroyed in the hope of obtaining lenses of marvelous power. I even went so far as to steal the glasses from my Aunt Agatha's spectacles, with the idea of grinding them into lenses of wondrous magnifying properties—in this attempt it is unnecessary to say that I totally failed.
At last the microscope came. A better apparatus could not have been selected. Accompanying it was a small treatise on the microscope—its history, uses, and discoveries. Suddenly, the dull veil of ordinary existence that hung across the world seemed to roll away, and to lay bare a land of enchantments. I was in daily communication with living wonders such as I had never imagined. Where others saw only a drop of rain slowly rolling down the window-glass, I saw a universe of beings. In common mildew, I saw enchanted gardens, filled with the densest foliage, while from the fantastic boughs of these microscopic forests hung strange fruits glittering with green and silver and gold.
It was no scientific thirst at this time that filled my mind. It was the pure enjoyment of a poet to whom a world of wonders has been disclosed.
1
How does the author use the first three paragraphs to build tension?
A.
by portraying the narrator as both irritable and destructive while awaiting the arrival of the new microscope
B.
by describing the narrator's excitement then disappointment over not having received the new microscope from his cousin
C.
by detailing the narrator's interest in the makeshift microscope then his impatience for the new one to arrive
D.
by emphasizing the days, hours, and minutes the narrator counts while using the new microscope from his cousin
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
C. by detailing the narrator's interest in the makeshift microscope then his impatience for the new one to arrive
The first three paragraphs build tension by showcasing the narrator's initial fascination with the makeshift microscope and the subsequent excitement and anticipation for the arrival of the new, properly made microscope. The progression from initial wonder to increasing impatience effectively heightens the emotional stakes.
The first three paragraphs build tension by showcasing the narrator's initial fascination with the makeshift microscope and the subsequent excitement and anticipation for the arrival of the new, properly made microscope. The progression from initial wonder to increasing impatience effectively heightens the emotional stakes.
There are no human answers yet. A form for humans to post answers is coming very soon!