Question

fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray—that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. what does the term scourge mean as it is used in the next to last paragraph? a ally b blessing c curse d surprise

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "scourge" in the sentence, we analyze the context. The sentence refers to "this mighty scourge of war" and the hope that it passes away. War is generally seen as a negative, harmful thing.

• Option A: "ally" means a friend or partner, which doesn't fit as war is not a friend.
• Option B: "blessing" is a positive thing, but war is negative, so this is incorrect.
• Option C: "curse" means something that causes harm or suffering, which matches the negative connotation of war here.
• Option D: "surprise" doesn't relate to the harmful nature of war.

So "scourge" here means "curse".

Answer:

C. curse