Question

Then there came a moment when the first shock had worn off and when, in spite of everything—in spite of their terror of the dogs, and of the habit, developed through long years, of never complaining, never criticising, no matter what happened—they might have uttered some word of protest. But just at that moment, as though at a signal, all the sheep burst out into a tremendous bleating of—

"Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER! Four legs good, two legs BETTER!"

Which statement best explains why this passage is an example of irony?

The sheep, which are four-legged animals, are chanting about how two legs are better.
The sheep partake in a chant that they do not actually agree with about two legs being better.
The sheep, after years of inaction, decide to take a stand about two legs being better than four.
The sheep are stating that the pigs walk on two legs, which is an inaccurate description.

Answer 1

"The sheep, which are four-legged animals, are chanting about how two legs are better."

Explanation: It's ironic because there's a contrast between reality (the sheep have four legs) and what they are proclaiming (that two legs are superior), creating a surprising and incongruous effect.