Read the passage from "Optimism.”My life was without past or future; death, the pessimist would say, "a consummation devoutly to be wished.” But a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living. Night fled before the day of thought, and love and joy and hope came up in a passion of obedience to knowledge.
Answer
A
She suggests a hypothetical situation to illustrate how dark life would be without the benefit of optimism.
B
She uses an example from her own life to illustrate why she is able to be optimistic despite her circumstances.
C
She explains the facts of her physical limitations to shed light on the importance of considering pessimism.
D
She cites a quotation from an expert to lend credibility to the idea that pessimism sometimes has its merits.
Explanation
The speaker describes her own experience: before understanding a word communicated through another person’s fingers, she felt life had no past or future; that moment brought joy, hope, and a desire to live. This personal example shows how she found optimism despite her circumstances. Choice B best describes the passage; she is not presenting a hypothetical situation or citing an expert.
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