Final answer:
The author expresses annoyance with stickers on fruit, making option 4 the correct answer. The question also delves into the disconnect between poetic pondering and the practical responses one would receive in a modern supermarket environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's opinion about stickers on fruit is best described as finding them annoying. When the author says, "Nothing gets on my skin like when the grocer puts stickers on fruit," it implies a strong negative reaction. Hence, the correct answer to the student's question is option 4) The author finds stickers on fruit annoying.
Analysis of the Question
This question requires understanding the figurative language used by the author to express an opinion. The phrase "gets on my skin" is a colloquial way of expressing irritation or annoyance. Therefore, when faced with this scenario in a supermarket, the author is conveying frustration with the practice of applying stickers to fruits.
Regarding the excerpt of Whitman's three questions in a supermarket context, they reflect a whimsical or philosophical pondering that seems at odds with the routine, transactional nature of contemporary consumer interaction in places like Publix, Kroger, or Ingles. If a person were to ask, "Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel?", the responses by the staff would likely be mundane or even confused. This contrast highlights a gap between the poetic or profound reflections Whitman alludes to and the literal mindset often found in modern consumer environments.