Question

the golden hope
by robert h. fuller (adapted excerpt)
chares, too, belonged to a family of wealth and influence, for his father, jason, had been one of the foremost men in thebes. in height he stood more than six feet, and the knotted muscles of his arms indicated enormous strength. he was buoyant, light - hearted, irresponsible, and pleasure - loving. his affection for the athenian, whom he had known from boyhood, was the strongest impulse in him.
they (chares and clearchus) had first met leonidas at the olympic games, where he won the laurel crown in the chariot race, and they had admitted him to their friendship. different as they were from each other, there seemed little in common between either of them and the swarthy lacedaemonian who lay eating silently while they chattered pieces of mutual acquaintance. leonidas was rather below the middle stature, all bone and sinew, practised in arms, and inured to hardships...
select the correct answer.
how does the author develop the characters in this excerpt?
a. by including details that describe the characters’ families
b. by comparing and contrasting only their physical appearance
c. by including dialogue between the characters
d. by comparing and contrasting their interests and values

Explanation:

To determine how the author develops the characters, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The excerpt does not focus on family details.
• Option B: The author describes physical traits (height, muscles) and contrasts (e.g., Leonidas' stature vs others) of the characters, comparing and contrasting physical appearance.
• Option C: There is no dialogue between characters shown.
• Option D: The excerpt does not focus on interests and values.

Answer:

B. by comparing and contrasting only their physical appearance