Question

review the passage. the verbal irony is shown in bold.
grandson: a book?
grandfather: thats right. . . .
grandson: does it got any sports in it?
grandfather: are you kidding? fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles . . .
grandson: doesnt sound too bad. ill try and stay awake.
grandfather: oh. well thank you very much. very nice of you. your vote of confidence is overwhelming. all right. \the princess bride, by s. morgenstern. chapter one: buttercup was raised on a small farm in the country of florin.\
from the princess bride. copyright 1987 by 20th century fox
what is the effect of the verbal irony on the passages meaning or tone?
it illustrates how boring the story is.
it highlights the grandsons lack of enthusiasm.
it demonstrates the grandfathers anger.

Explanation:

Verbal irony is when someone says the opposite of what they really mean. The grandfather's bolded statement "Oh. Well thank you very much. Very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming." is ironic because the grandson's comment "I'll try and stay awake" implies the story might be boring, and the grandfather's response is sarcastic (not a genuine thank you or feeling of being confident in the story's appeal). The grandson's lack of enthusiasm (shown by his doubt he'll stay awake) is highlighted by the grandfather's ironic response. The first option is wrong because the grandfather listed exciting elements, so the story isn't boring. The third is wrong as the grandfather isn't angry, just sarcastic about the grandson's lack of enthusiasm.

Answer:

It highlights the grandson's lack of enthusiasm.