Question

the following text is from elizabeth cleghorn gaskells 1853 novel cranford.

we had tacitly agreed to ignore that any with whom we associated on terms of visiting equality could ever be prevented by poverty from doing anything that they wished. if we walked to or from a party, it was because the night was so fine, or the air so refreshing, not because sedan chairs were expensive. if we wore prints, instead of summer silks, it was because we preferred a washing material; and so on, till we blinded ourselves to the vulgar fact that we were, all of us, people of very moderate means.

7 □ mark for review

which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

a it introduces a silent agreement, proposes courses of action to abide by the agreement, and then evaluates their effectiveness.

b it states a characters determination for empathy, illustrates the efforts insincere nature, and then states a truth that surprised them.

c it describes a communitys financial struggles, explains how members overcame those struggles, and then celebrates their resilience.

d it states a social convention, provides examples of how that convention operated, and then acknowledges what the convention concealed.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option A: The text doesn't "propose courses of action" or "evaluate effectiveness". It describes actions following the agreement, not proposing. Eliminate A.
2. Analyze Option B: The text is about a social agreement, not a character's empathy. The actions are to ignore poverty, not an insincere effort for empathy. Eliminate B.
3. Analyze Option C: The text isn't about "overcoming struggles" or "celebrating resilience". It's about ignoring financial reality, not overcoming it. Eliminate C.
4. Analyze Option D: First, the "silent agreement" (social convention) to ignore poverty is stated. Then examples (walking instead of sedan chairs, prints instead of silks) show how the convention operated. Finally, it acknowledges what was concealed (their moderate means). This matches the text's structure.

Answer:

D. It states a social convention, provides examples of how that convention operated, and then acknowledges what the convention concealed.