What is the effect of the simile 'as steady as a heartbeat'?
People assume that night workers are the unlucky ones, trudging to work while everyone else sleeps. I disagree. After six years of stacking shelves from ten until six, I can tell you that the night has its own quiet magic. The roads are empty, the warehouse hums, and by three o'clock the team has fallen into a rhythm as steady as a heartbeat. Admittedly, my body clock has never completely forgiven me, and my friends have stopped inviting me to Saturday lunches. But I earn an extra £2.40 an hour, I see the sunrise most mornings, and I have never once been stuck in rush-hour traffic. The real danger is not the shift itself but the idea that it is a lesser kind of life. Try it for a month before you pity me.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. It suggests calm, reliable teamwork that feels almost alive
- Step 1: The team's rhythm is compared to a heartbeat.
- Step 2: A heartbeat is regular and living, so it suggests a calm, reliable teamwork.
Answer
It suggests calm, reliable teamwork that feels almost alive.
Why not the others: It suggests the work is dangerous and tiring: A steady heartbeat suggests calm, not danger. It shows the writer is worried about health: The comparison is positive and not about health. It suggests the team works in silence: The simile is about rhythm, not about noise.
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