Question

Inside, I was surprised by the lack of hospital smell, although there was another odor or maybe the absence of an odor. The air was antiseptic, sterile.

(1 point)
fragrant
cold
clean
smokey

Answer 1

The most accurate description for an antiseptic and sterile hospital environment would be 'sterile,' indicating an absence of odors rather than a specific smell.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phrase indicating the absence or presence of an odor in a sterilized hospital environment suggests that the most appropriate description would be 'sterile' as the air in such settings is often cleansed of any scents, potentially through the use of antiseptics. The air would not be 'fragrant' as it lacks any pleasant scent, 'cold' which relates more to temperature than smell, nor 'smokey' as no burning or smoke is implied.

Various texts reference the sensation of odor in their environment to convey a specific atmosphere. From the provided references, it is clear that smells in literature are used to invoke a spectrum of responses, ranging from comfort, as seen with the 'penetrating fragrance' which revived Georgiana, to discomfort, captured by the 'peculiar odor' that seemed to follow the narrator in their house. The descriptors highlight the ability of smell to influence mood and setting within storytelling.