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, "she laughed herself lame" is an over - the - top exaggeration of how much she was laughing.
• Allusion: Refers to an indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea. There is no such indirect reference in the text.
• Metaphor: Compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as". No such comparison is made here.
• Oxymoron: Combines contradictory terms. There are no contradictory terms combined in the text.

Answer:

A. hyperbole