Question

question 16 of 17
read this passage:

rita slowly climbed the stairs. the wood beneath her feet
creaked like an ancient door on rusty hinges. she thought
she heard something and froze in her tracks. her heart
was a speeding train. hearing nothing more, she continued
walking. she wished she could see better. she was
surrounded by blackness darker than deep space.
which option best describes the role of the simile in the passage?

a. to convey a sense of what rita is hearing
b. to convey a sense of what might be upstairs
c. to convey a sense of how high the steps are
d. to convey a sense of how tense rita is

Explanation:

The simile in the passage is "The wood beneath her feet creaked like an ancient door on rusty hinges" and "Her heart was a speeding train". The first simile describes the sound of the stairs, but the second (and the context of her freezing, wishing to see better) shows her tense state. Option A is incorrect as the heart simile isn't about hearing. Option B is wrong as the similes don't describe what's upstairs. Option C is incorrect as the similes don't relate to step height. Option D matches the tense mood conveyed by her reactions and the heart simile.

Answer:

D. To convey a sense of how tense Rita is