Question

question 12 of 20
read the following excerpt from journal of the adventures of a party of california gold - seekers by margaret frink:
on the evening before, the whole family, including my mother, were gathered together in the parlor, looking as if we were all going to our graves the next morning,
how does frink use an idiom in this excerpt?
a. to explain the scene before departing by using colorful and vivid language
b. to describe the familys dread before traveling into the unknown
c. to show a contrast between the excitement and the fear of the journey
d. to suggest that the family didnt expect to be alive the next morning

Explanation:

The idiom "looking as if we were all going to our graves" is used to convey the family's extreme dread and apprehension about the upcoming journey into the unknown. There is no excitement - contrast shown, and it's a figurative expression not a literal expectation of death. It's not mainly about using colorful language for the scene but about the emotion of dread.

Answer:

B. To describe the family's dread before traveling into the unknown