What is the effect of the final sentence of the extract?
The harbour had once been the pride of the town. Now its stone wall leaned like a tired man, and weeds pushed through the cracks where fishermen had mended nets. Every morning old Mr Tolland walked to the end of the pier, sat on an upturned crate and stared at the grey water as if he expected the boats to return. The younger people laughed at him. 'There is nothing out there,' they said, 'only the sea.' But Mr Tolland knew that the sea was not empty. It held every winter he had worked on it, every storm he had survived and the faces of the friends who had not.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. It shows that the sea holds memories and loss for him
- Step 1: The list builds from winters to storms to faces. Step 2. The last item adds loss. Answer: It shows that the sea holds memories and loss for Mr Tolland. Why not the others: The others are not hinted at.
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