Question

from little journeys to the homes of the great, vol. 3: little

1. \tnine miles south of boston, just a little back from the e
2. shores of old ocean, lies the village of braintree. it is on the
3. post-road, being one of that string of settlements, built a few
4. apart for better protection, that lined the sea, boston being cr
5. and plymouth full to overflowing, the home-seekers spread o
6. and south.
7. \tin sixteen hundred twenty, when the first cabin was b
8. braintree, land that was not in sight of the coast had actually
9. back a mile, all was a howling wilderness, with trails made by
10. beasts. these paths led through tangles of fallen trees and t
11. rocks, beneath dark, overhanging pines where winters snow
12. not till midsummer, and the suns rays were strange and alien
13. who sought to traverse these ways had to crouch and crawl c

14 through them no horse or ox or beast of burden had carried
question 1:
which word could best replace \alien\ in line 12?
a \tdisliked
b \texciting
c \tunfamiliar

Explanation:

To determine the best replacement for "alien" in line 12, we analyze the context. The sentence describes the sun's rays in a wilderness setting. "Disliked" (A) is about opinion, "Exciting" (B) is about emotion, and "Unfamiliar" fits the idea of the sun's rays being strange (not known/recognized) in that environment.

Answer:

C. Unfamiliar