Question

read the excerpt from mark twains \the £1,000,000 bank - note\.
well, i was perfectly honest and square with her, told her i hadnt a cent in the world but just the million - pound note shed heard so much talk about,
and it didnt belong to me, and that started her curiosity; and then i talked low, and told her the whole history right from the start, and it nearly killed her
laughing. what in the nation she could find to laugh about i couldnt see, but there it was; every half - minute some new detail would fetch her, and i
would have to stop as much as a minute and a half to give her a chance to settle down again. why, she laughed herself lame—she did, indeed; i never
saw anything like it. i mean i never saw a painful story—a story of a persons troubles and worries and fears—produce just that kind of effect before.
which rhetorical device is demonstrated in the excerpt?
a. hyperbole
b. allusion
c. metaphor
d. oxymoron

Explanation:

• Hyperbole: It is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally. In the text, “it nearly killed her laughing” and “she laughed herself lame” are extreme exaggerations. The narrator is emphasizing how much the woman laughed, not stating a literal fact.
• Allusion: Refers to an indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. There is no such reference in the excerpt.
• Metaphor: Compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as”. The text does not make such a comparison.
• Oxymoron: Combines contradictory terms. There are no contradictory terms combined in the given text.

Answer:

A. hyperbole