Read the excerpt from "Daughter of Invention". " Sticks and stones don't break bones ," she chanted. Yoyo could tell, though, by the look on her face, it was as if one of those stones the kids had aimed at her daughters had hit her. But she always pretended they were at fault. "What did you do to provoke them? It takes two to tangle, you know.” What is the original meaning of the underlined idiom in this excerpt?
Answer
A
Sometimes, it is difficult for a person to make a decision.
B
People should not criticize others if they have similar problems.
C
A person who keeps moving has no responsibilities and no cares.
D
Words cannot actually hurt a person like sticks and stones can.
Explanation
The idiom “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” originally means that insults and hurtful words cannot physically injure someone the way sticks and stones can. In the excerpt, the mother chants this saying while pretending the children’s words do not hurt, even though she appears upset. The correct choice is “Words cannot actually hurt a person like sticks and stones can.”
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