The following text is from John Galsworthy’s 1918 short story “Buttercup Night.” In this scene, the narrator is on a solitary excursion in the rural “West country” of England.
Around, as far as one could see, there was hardly a yard of level ground; all was hill and hollow, that long ago had been reclaimed from the moor; and against the distant folds of the hills the farmhouse and its thatched barns were just visible, embowered amongst beeches and some dark trees, with a soft bright crown of sunlight over the whole. A gentle wind brought a faint rustling up from those beeches, and from a large lime tree that stood by itself.
Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
A) To show how a single area seems dramatically different at dawn and at dusk
B) To celebrate the simple lifestyle of an area’s inhabitants
C) To convey impressions of a terrain at a particular time of day
D) To suggest that difficult travel enhances an appreciation for natural beauty
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is C) To convey impressions of a terrain at a particular time of day.
In this excerpt, the narrator describes the landscape in the rural West country of England. The description focuses on the undulating hills and hollows, the farmhouse, the beech trees, and the lime tree. The setting suggests that the narrator is observing the scene at a time of day when sunlight gently illuminates the area. The phrase “with a soft bright crown of sunlight over the whole” highlights the soft lighting, which suggests a time when the sun is either rising or setting, creating a warm, peaceful atmosphere.
The main purpose of the text seems to be capturing the visual and sensory impressions of the terrain as it appears at this particular moment, with the emphasis on the natural beauty of the environment. The gentle wind, the faint rustling of the leaves, and the distant view of the farmhouse evoke a sense of tranquility and connection to the land. The choice to describe the area as having been “reclaimed from the moor” further emphasizes the interaction between humans and nature, but the focus here is more on how the land looks and feels in this specific moment rather than the broader themes of human activity or lifestyle.
The other options are less fitting: Option A focuses on changes over time of day, but the passage doesn’t suggest any comparison between dawn and dusk. Option B could be considered, but the passage doesn’t emphasize the lifestyle of the inhabitants as much as the landscape itself. Option D, while it involves nature, doesn’t suggest travel or hardship as a key theme in this scene.