Word Meaning in the Preface to A Dictionary of the English Language — Unit test
Question 13 • OK-English IV A-CR
Read the passage from "Mutability.”We are as clouds that veil the midnight moon;How restlessly they speed, and gleam, and quiver, Streaking the darkness radiantly!—yet soon Night closes round, and they are lost for ever:
Answer
A
emphasizes that although life is fleeting, it is exciting.
B
compares the spark of creativity to the enduring night sky.
C
introduces the idea that people are destined to live life in darkness.
D
explains that people are permanent, bright fixtures like the heavens.
Explanation
The speaker compares people to clouds that briefly streak and gleam across the night sky before disappearing. The words “restlessly,” “radiantly,” and “yet soon” show both the excitement and the short duration of life. Therefore, choice A, “emphasizes that although life is fleeting, it is exciting,” best captures the passage.
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