Question

read the two excerpts from the end of the selection. how does the mood shift from the first excerpt to the second?
a from gloomy to cheerful
b from serious to humorous
c from formal to informal
d from joyful to melancholy
excerpt 1
on her way home, miss brill usually bought a slice of honey - cake at the baker’s. it was her sunday treat. sometimes there was an almond in her slice, sometimes not. it made a great difference. if there was an almond, it was like carrying home a tiny present - a surprise - something that might very well not have been there. she hurried on the almond sundays and struck the match for the kettle in quite a dashing way.
excerpt 2
but today she passed the baker’s by, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room - her room like a cupboard - and sat down on couch. she sat there for a long time. the box that the fur came out of was on the bed.

Explanation:

In Excerpt 1, Miss Brill's actions (buying honey - cake, being excited about the almond, acting dashingly) create a joyful mood. In Excerpt 2, she skips the baker's, goes to a dark, cupboard - like room, and sits for a long time, creating a melancholy mood. Option A is wrong as it's the reverse. Option B is wrong as there's no shift to humorous. Option C is wrong as the focus is on mood, not formality. So the mood shifts from joyful to melancholy.

Answer:

D. from joyful to melancholy