Question

1. in the first paragraph, how does the author primarily establish aris thorne’s internal conflict and engage the reader’s sympathy?

a) by listing the technical specifications of the station’s decommissioning process.
b) by using dialogue between aris and a departing crew member to show his loneliness.
c) by contrasting the successful completion of his official mission with the hollow personal emptiness he feels, using imagery of silence and abandonment.
d) by introducing an immediate external threat, like a meteor shower, to create tension.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Technical specs don't show internal conflict or engage sympathy. Eliminate.
• Option B: Dialogue showing loneliness may not fully capture internal conflict or use imagery. Less likely.
• Option C: Contrasting official success with personal emptiness (using silence/abandonment imagery) fits showing internal conflict and engaging sympathy.
• Option D: External threat creates action, not internal conflict or sympathy. Eliminate.

Answer:

C) By contrasting the successful completion of his official mission with the hollow personal emptiness he feels, using imagery of silence and abandonment.