Question

it was 1896, and david was thrilled to be there in paris among the first people viewing the arrival of a train at la ciotat station, the lumière brothers’ newest motion picture. but soon after the fifty - second film began, enthusiastic whispers gave way to hysterical screams. the locomotive on the screen appeared to be barreling directly into the theater. audience members surrounding david leaped from their seats and ran to the back of the room. the effect was so realistic that david felt he had almost been struck by the oncoming train.
how does the setting of paris in 1896 affect the actions of the audience?
1 at the time, audiences went to the theater expressly to be thrilled by the films they viewed.
2 david and the surrounding audience do not know how to react to a train, having never seen one before.
3 the audience experiences irrational fears due to its unfamiliarity with film, a newly invented medium.

Explanation:

To determine how the 1896 Paris setting affected the audience's actions, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The text says audiences went to theaters for various films, not "expressly" for the Lumière brothers' film. The initial excitement was for the new motion picture, but not that they went specifically to be thrilled by these films. Eliminate 1.
• Option 2: The key event is the audience's reaction to the realistic train scene. The text states the effect was so realistic that David and others reacted as if the train was real. This is because they were unfamiliar with film (a new medium), so they didn't know how to react to the realistic illusion of a train. This matches the idea that their unfamiliarity (due to it being a new medium) led to irrational fears/reactions. Wait, no—let's re - evaluate. The question is about how the setting (Paris 1896) affected actions. In 1896, film was new, so audiences had never seen such a realistic moving image. So their unfamiliarity with the new medium (film) made them react as if the train was real. Option 3 says the audience experienced irrational fears due to unfamiliarity with film. But the question is about the setting (Paris 1896) affecting actions. The setting in 1896 means film was new, so people like David and the audience had never seen a film before (option 2: "David and the surrounding audience do not know how to react to a train, having never seen one before" – here, "one" refers to a film - like realistic train depiction). Wait, the film showed a train arriving, and because it was 1896 (film was new), they had never seen such a realistic moving image, so they didn't know how to react (thought the train was real). So option 2 explains that in 1896 (the setting, where film was new), they had never seen a film before, so they didn't know how to react to the train - like image, leading to their actions (leaping from seats). Option 3 talks about irrational fears due to unfamiliarity, but the main action - driver was their lack of experience with film (never seen one before), leading to the reaction. So option 2 is correct as the setting (1896, new film medium) meant they had never seen such a thing, so didn't know how to react.

Answer:

1. David and the surrounding audience do not know how to react to a train, having never seen one before.