OpenSAT

Question #N992

The writer of a memoir is describing an event where a train is traveling across a bridge. The writer wants to emphasize how slowly the train was moving in order to create a sense of anticipation and suspense for the reader. Which of the following sentences from the memoir is most effective at accomplishing this goal?

Which of the following sentences from the memoir is most effective at accomplishing this goal?

A. The train inched across the bridge, its wheels groaning slowly against the steel.

B. The train moved slowly across the bridge, its progress punctuated by the rhythmic clang of the wheels.

C. As the train crossed the bridge, it seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace.

D. The train was moving slowly across the bridge, but it seemed to be moving quickly.

Reveal Answer Go Back

Correct Answer is: A

Choice A uses the verb "inched" to create a sense of slow, deliberate movement. The phrase "its wheels groaning slowly against the steel" adds to the sense of anticipation and suspense by creating a more vivid and sensory image of the train’s progress. Choices B and C use less vivid language and don’t create the same sense of slowness. Choice D is incorrect because the sentence describes a contradiction, which is illogical in this context.