Final answer:
Lines A (“The sun sets behind the hills, casting a golden glow.”) and B (“In the quiet of the night, the stars illuminate the sky.”) express themes of nature's beauty and tranquility found in excerpts describing the beauty of sunset and the tranquil effect of a starry night.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lines that express the same basic theme concern the beauty of nature and its tranquil effect. From the provided excerpts, the lines:
- “The sun sets behind the hills, casting a golden glow.” (Option A)
- “The sun had disappeared over the high ridge behind the city, and the stone pines stood black and flat against the fires of the afterglow.”
both illustrate the serene beauty of a sunset. Similarly, these lines both capture a tranquil nighttime scene:
- “In the quiet of the night, the stars illuminate the sky.” (Option B)
- “Stars peeped out to brighten and grow, and the huge, windy, eastern heave of sage-level paled under a rising moon and turned to silver.”
Therefore, options A and B from the original question pair well with the corresponding passages that explore the same themes of natural beauty and serenity at sunset and under the stars.