Question

Read the passage from The Importance of Being Earnest.

Lady Bracknell. . . . I think some preliminary inquiry on my part would not be out of place. Mr. Worthing, is Miss Cardew at all connected with any of the larger railway stations in London? I merely desire information. Until yesterday I had no idea that there were any families or persons whose origin was a Terminus.

Which excerpt from the passage contains a paradox and a pun?

“my part would not be out of place.”
“larger railway stations in London.”
“I merely desire information.”
“whose origin was a Terminus.

Answer 1

D

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

“whose origin was a Terminus.“

Step-by-step explanation:

Paradox is a contradictory assertion itself or contradictory to our expectations.

In the given example, two important words that make this paradox are origin and terminus. Origin, we can say, a start position, a position where something starts or is coming from, or develop from it. Terminus is the end of a bus or a train line, the last station, so generally the outermost point.

Pun is a wordplay that has an intentional humorous effect.

So, the excerpt “whose origin was a Terminus.“ is both paradox and a pun.