Question

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read the following:
he told her he was sorry for what he had done. she responded with a malediction.
what does \malediction\ mean as it is used in this reading? use these dictionary entries to answer the question:
mal- (prefix) bad, evil
-dict (suffix) speak or declare
curse
tears
shrug
forgiveness

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "malediction", we analyze the word parts. The prefix "mal-" means "bad, evil" and the suffix "-dict" means "speak or declare". Combining these, "malediction" should relate to speaking something bad/evil. Among the options, "curse" fits as it involves speaking evil or bad words, while "tears" (emotional/physical), "shrug" (a gesture), and "forgiveness" (positive) do not match the negative speaking implied by the word parts.

Answer:

A. curse