Question

read the excerpt from martin luther king jr.s \i have a dream\ speech. fivescore years ago, a great american, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation. this momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. it came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. the emotional connotation of the underlined word helps king emphasize the document’s history. significance. timing. creativity.

Explanation:

The word "momentous" means very important or significant. In the context of the Emancipation Proclamation, using "momentous" to describe the decree emphasizes how significant that document was (as a beacon of hope for slaves, ending their captivity). History would relate to past events but not the emphasis here; timing is about when it happened, and creativity is unrelated. So the connotation of "momentous" emphasizes significance.

Answer:

B. significance