Question

sometimes it touches me more when i hear a phrase in spanish rather than english. were walking in the campo 1 and a friend warns me to steer clear of that thorny bush, esa mata hay que respetarla. (that plant is one you have to respect.) my old niñera 2 answers my compliment that she is looking younger every year, los años no perdonan a nadie, doña! 3 (the years dont forgive anyone, doña!) she calls me doña who once ran my world - proof of her point that time topples us all, but her saying it in spanish goes deeper and stirs the sediment at the bottom of my heart, so the feeling is stronger, more mixed in with everything else i am, swirling through both the thick and thin of me, leaving nothing unfeeling which is why ive been accused of overreacting when i change countries and forget myself.

1. in lines 5 and 9, what is the main effect of the spanish phrases?

a. it provides an example of phrases that are more meaningful to the speaker in spanish.
b. it emphasizes that the speaker is not as fluent in spanish as she is in english.
c. it highlights the respect the speaker has for the spanish language.
d. it shows how much the speakers friends and family care about her.

Explanation:

The text starts with "Sometimes it touches me more when I hear a phrase in Spanish rather than English." This sets the context. Then, the Spanish phrases in lines 5 ("Esa mata hay que respetarla") and 9 ("Los años no perdonan a nadie, doña!") are given. The speaker explains that the Spanish phrases "goes deeper and stirs the sediment at the bottom of my heart, so the feeling is stronger". This clearly shows that these Spanish phrases are more meaningful to the speaker compared to if they were in English, which aligns with option A. Option B is incorrect as there's no indication the speaker is not fluent in Spanish. Option C is wrong because the respect is for the phrases' impact, not the language itself in a general highlighting - respect - for - language - sense. Option D has no basis in the text as the focus is on the speaker's reaction to the phrases, not friends/family's care.

Answer:

A. It provides an example of phrases that are more meaningful to the speaker in Spanish.