Question

the following text is adapted from elizabeth von arnims 1922 novel the enchanted april. mrs. wilkins and her friend rose are traveling in italy. \im going to have one of these gorgeous oranges,\ said mrs. wilkins, staying where she was and reaching across to a black bowl piled with them.
ose, how can you resist them. look—have this one. do have this beauty—\ and she held out a big one. as used in the text, what does the phrase
eaching across to\ most nearly mean? a) joining with b) gaining on c) stretching toward d) arriving at

Explanation:

In the context, Mrs. Wilkins is staying in one place and extending her arm to get to the bowl of oranges. "Stretching toward" best captures this action of reaching out with the arm to access something at a distance.

Answer:

C. Stretching toward