Question

Select all that apply.

Without the word spring in the first sentence of this paragraph, how would you know the time of year in which the story takes place?

Spring had come. The people moving to and fro were gaily chattering. Behind the fences of the little gardens, the buds on the trees were swelling, and their branches rustled faintly in the fresh breeze. Youth and gladness were in the sky and on the earth and in the heart of man.

Buds on the trees were swelling.
Branches rustled faintly in the fresh breeze.
The association of youth and gladness with the rebirth symbolized by spring.

Answer 1

Buds on the trees were swelling.

The association of youth and gladness with the rebirth symbolized by spring.

Step-by-step explanation:

These two details would allow us to discover that the story we are talking about takes place in the spring. In this passage, we learn that the buds on the trees were swelling. This usually takes place in the spring, as this is the season when flowers bloom. Moreover, we also learn about the "youth and gladness" in the sky, on the earth and in human hearts. This is also a significant detail, as youth is often associated with the rebirth of nature that takes place in the spring.

Answer 2

Without the word spring in the first sentence of this paragraph, how would you know the time of year in which the story takes place? The following options apply:

-Buds on the trees were swelling.

-The association of youth and gladness with the rebirth symbolized by spring.

The swelling buds point to a specific time in the life cycle of trees while the association of youth and gladness as elements of spring, of the rebirth of spring, is quite strong in this paragraph, specially as “youth and gladness” are located clearly on the sky and earth.

The remaining option, “Branches rustled faintly in the fresh breeze”, doesn’t provide a link to spring as strong as the other options.