Question

what are we so afraid of?
why would we want to dismiss romeo and juliet or those who claim to be like them?
2 we talk excitedly about meeting someone and how we \click\ or
eally hit it off\ — how we feel intimately acquainted even though weve only just met. this is our way of believing in low-grade love at first sight, while still scorning its full - blown form.
imagine if we did what romeo and juliet do. they show the signs that we tend to regard as hallmarks of \mature\ love — profound passion, intimacy and commitment — right away.
for shakespeare, if you have this, you have love, whether it takes six months or six minutes.
its easy to say that people dont love each other when they first meet because they dont know each other and havent had a chance to form a true attachment. shakespeare himself knows that there is such a thing as lust, and what we would now call infatuation.
hes no fool.
still, he reminds us — as forcefully as we ever will be reminded — that some people, right

1. assessment: what is the best meaning of the word \hallmarks\ as it is used in paragraph 26?

a. examples
b. limitations
c. advantages
d. characteristics

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "hallmarks" in the context, we analyze the sentence: "They show the signs that we tend to regard as hallmarks of 'mature' love — profound passion, intimacy and commitment — right away." The words "profound passion, intimacy and commitment" are the defining features (characteristics) of mature love here.

• Option A: "examples" would imply specific instances, but these are defining traits, not examples.
• Option B: "limitations" are negative aspects, which don't fit as these are positive traits of love.
• Option C: "advantages" are benefits, but these are more about identifying features rather than benefits.
• Option D: "characteristics" matches as they are the distinguishing features (hallmarks) of mature love.

Answer:

D. characteristics