Question

The evening wind made such a disturbance just now, among some tall old elm trees at the bottom of the garden, that neither my mother nor Miss Betsey could forbear glancing that way. As the elms bent to one another, like giants who were whispering secrets, and after a few seconds of such repose, fell into a violent flurry, tossing their wild arms about, as if their late confidences were really too wicked for their peace of mind, some weather-beaten ragged old birds' nest burdening their higher branches, swung like wrecks upon a stormy sea. -Adapted from David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens.

Which pair of words from the selection are most similar in meaning?
A) disturbance and repose
B) secrets and confidences
C) wicked and weather-beaten
D) ragged and stormy

Answer 1

The pair of words from the passage that are most similar in meaning are 'secrets' and 'confidences'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens describes a scene where the wind is causing a commotion among the elm trees, likening the trees to 'giants who were whispering secrets' and the birds' nests to 'wrecks upon a stormy sea'. Among the word pairs provided, B) secrets and confidences are most similar in meaning, both relating to information that is meant to be kept private or shared only with trusted individuals.