Question

Excerpt from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

“Humbug!” said Scrooge; and walked across the room. After several turns, he sat down again. As he threw his head back in the chair, his glance happened to rest upon a bell, a disused bell, that hung in the room, and communicated for some purpose now forgotten with a chamber in the highest story of the building. It was with great astonishment, and with a strange, inexplicable dread, that as he looked, he saw this bell begin to swing. It swung so softly in the outset that it scarcely made a sound; but soon it rang out loudly, and so did every bell in the house. This might have lasted half a minute, or a minute, but it seemed an hour. The bells ceased as they had begun, together. They were succeeded by a clanking noise, deep down below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain over the casks in the wine merchant’s cellar. Scrooge then remembered to have heard that ghosts in haunted houses were described as dragging chains. The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound, and then he heard the noise much louder, on the floors below; then coming up the stairs; then coming straight towards his door. “It’s humbug still!” said Scrooge. “I won’t believe it.”


Question 2

The reader can conclude that -


A someone is tricking him

B a ghost will walk in

C he is hallucinating

D the bells will ring again

Answer 1

The excerpt from 'A Christmas Carol' suggests an impending supernatural encounter, characterized by a ghost, based on the tropes of unexplained bell ringing and the sound of dragging chains.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens presents the reader with a classic case of supernatural occurrences that are often featured in gothic literature. The main character, Scrooge, is experiencing events that lead him to doubt the reality of his senses. The ringing of the bell followed by the dragging chain sounds forms an ominous atmosphere, priming him for an encounter with the supernatural. The question asks the reader to interpret Scrooge's reaction to these occurrences.

If we analyze the given options:

• A assumes there is a physical person orchestrating the events, which the text does not support.
• B, a ghost will walk in, aligns with the idea of dragging chains and bells ringing on their own, a common trope in stories of hauntings.
• C, he is hallucinating, could be considered but is less likely given the context of the story which leans towards the supernatural.
• D, the bells will ring again, isn't supported directly by the text.

Therefore, the strongest conclusion based on the provided text is B: a ghost will walk in.

Answer 2

B

Step-by-step explanation:

with all the evidence it is apparent a ghost is going to appear and I've read it before and a ghost does walk in