Question

first read: concept vocabulary
identify the choice that best answers the question.

which is the best example of someone speaking in earnest?

a. brad pretended that school was closed to see whether he could trick anyone.

b. miriam exaggerated when she said the wind had nearly knocked her down.

c. consuelo politely praised the movie even though she didnt enjoy it.

d. dan apologized sincerely for the trouble he had accidentally caused.

Explanation:

To determine the best example of speaking in earnest, we first define "in earnest" as speaking sincerely or seriously, without pretense, exaggeration, or insincerity.

• Option A: Brad is tricking others, so his speech is not earnest.
• Option B: Miriam is exaggerating, so her speech is not earnest.
• Option C: Consuelo is being polite but insincere (she didn’t enjoy the movie), so her speech is not earnest.
• Option D: Dan is apologizing sincerely, which matches the definition of speaking in earnest.

Answer:

D. Dan apologized sincerely for the trouble he had accidentally caused.