Language and Style Unit Test

Question

11 of 1511 of 15 Items

Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

Stepping off the train, Fernando’s senses were overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. Sky-scraping buildings loomed overhead, seeming to look down on him and laugh at his smallness. People were moving in all directions, all living their own lives. He had never felt more alone than in this crowd. Fernando longed for the familiar faces of home, not these strange people who neither knew or cared anything for him.
What hidden truth is expressed by the paradox in this paragraph?

(1 point)
Responses

The more people you know, the more alone you are.
The more people you know, the more alone you are.

Being around strangers can be a lonely experience.
Being around strangers can be a lonely experience.

People who live in small towns are generally happier than people in cities.
People who live in small towns are generally happier than people in cities.

Existence is lonely because nobody can truly know another person.

Answer 1

The hidden truth expressed by the paradox in this paragraph is:

Being around strangers can be a lonely experience.

This reflects Fernando's feelings of isolation in a bustling city full of people, emphasizing the paradox of being surrounded by many yet feeling profoundly alone.