Question

the room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight — hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. on the sideboard behind her, two tall glasses, soda water, whiskey. fresh ice cubes in the thermos bucket. mary maloney was waiting for her husband to come home from work. now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come. there was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did. the drop of the head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil. her skin — for this was her sixth month with child — had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, darker than before. 2. what is the meaning of \tranquil\ in paragraph 3? a. relaxed b. excited c. dull d. happy

Explanation:

The word "tranquil" in the context describes Mary's calm and peaceful state while waiting for her husband. "Relaxed" best captures this meaning as it implies a lack of stress or agitation, which aligns with how she is presented in the text. "Excited" implies high - energy and eagerness which is not the case. "Dull" has negative connotations of being uninteresting and is not appropriate. "Happy" is too specific an emotion compared to the general sense of calmness conveyed by "tranquil".

Answer:

A. relaxed