Which device is used in "not hours, but the last public space where staying costs nothing"?
Cities measure libraries by circulation figures, as though a book's worth were settled the moment it leaves the shelf. But a library is also a room where nobody asks you to buy anything. Teenagers finish homework beside retirees reading newspapers; newcomers practise English at free conversation tables. Remove the room, and the figures may look the same while something harder to count disappears. Councils that cut opening hours to save a little money should consider what they are really trading: not hours, but the last public space where staying costs nothing.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Contrast
- Step 1: The phrase pairs "not hours" with "but ... public space". Step 2. A not-this-but-that pattern is a contrast. Answer: contrast. Why not the others: There is no comparison with like or as, no historical reference and no sound words.
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