In this section, you have six short passages. After each passage, you will find some questions based on the passage. First, read a passage and answer the questions based on it. You are required to select your answers based on the contents of the passage and opinion of the author only.
Passage:
When Jonathan (the seagull) came, it was well after dark, and he floated in moonlight on the surface of the ocean. His wings were ragged bars of lead, but the weight of failure was even heavier on his back. He wished, feebly, that the weight would be just enough to drag him gently down to the bottom, and end it all. But soon he came back to normal. He pushed wearily away from the dark water and flew towards the land, grateful for what he had learned about work saving low-altitude flying.
His wings were ragged bars of lead’ means that
- Ahis wings were damaged and supported by bars of lead.
- Bhis wings were damaged and therefore very heavy.
- Che had rags and bars of lead on his wings.
- Dhis wings were broken like pieces of lead.
Explanation
The metaphor 'ragged bars of lead' fuses two ideas: 'ragged' signals his wings were damaged and torn, while 'bars of lead' conveys that they felt unbearably heavy. It does not mean literal lead bars were attached to his wings. Option (b), 'his wings were damaged and therefore very heavy', captures both halves of the image. Hence option (b) is correct.