Question

one day, a cartoon turned up in esmeralda’s editor-in-chief mailbox, a series of drawings featuring a huge-eyed, egg - shaped penguin. in the first panel, a dozen identical penguins were walking in a line across a white landscape, with one penguin trailing behind, apparently lost in thought. in the next panel, the penguins were huddled together on the ice, with one penguin, standing just a little apart, carefully considering the looming, white face of a glacier. in the last panel, the contemplative penguin had painted the glacier in bright, joyful colors while his companions looked on in wonder. the penguin’s white belly was spattered in purple, green, and blue, and he looked very pleased with himself. the caption read “it’s getting quite a following; they were so witty and insightful, always featuring the charming penguin and his friends. students talked about them in the cafeteria, in the hallways, and on the bus. the author’s use of the word insightful makes the masked pencil seem more
upbeat.
familiar.
intelligent.
mysterious.”

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze the meaning of "insightful." "Insightful" means having or showing an ability to understand deep or subtle aspects, which relates to being intelligent (able to think deeply). "Upbeat" is about being positive, "familiar" is about being known, and "mysterious" is about being secretive—none match "insightful" as well as "intelligent."

Answer:

C. intelligent