Read the sentence from “Hmong Tops.”He fiddled with his key ring; the cold brass key felt like a block of ice in his pocket. He had never needed a key to enter his old home; someone was always there to greet him.

The cold key is described as feeling “like a block of ice,” but the contrast with his old home gives the detail a deeper meaning. Lorenzo used to arrive to find someone waiting for him; now he must let himself in, so the key reminds him of the changes and loneliness in his life. The best choice is “the key is a bleak reminder of the changes in Lorenzo’s life.”

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