The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1837 story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.” The main character, a

Question

The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1837 story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.” The main character, a physician, is experimenting with rehydrating a dried flower.

At first [the rose] lay lightly on the surface of the fluid, appearing to imbibe none of its moisture. Soon, however, a singular change began to be visible. The crushed and dried petals stirred and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson, as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber.

As used in the text, what does the phrase “a singular” most nearly mean?

Accepted Answer

Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, &ldquo;singular&rdquo; most nearly means extraordinary. The text portrays an experiment in which a character rehydrates a dried rose by infusing it with moisture. After prolonged contact with the liquid, the rose begins to absorb it, undergoing an exceptional transformation: its color deepens, its previously &ldquo;crushed and dried&rdquo; petals shift, and the entire flower revives &ldquo;from a deathlike slumber.&rdquo; In other words, an extraordinary change is visible in the flower. Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts &ldquo;singular&rdquo; can mean of or relating to an individual or to a single instance of something, this usage doesn&rsquo;t imply loneliness or an otherwise unsatisfactory condition of isolation. Moreover, the text doesn&rsquo;t attribute such a condition to the rose. Choice B is incorrect. Although &ldquo;singular&rdquo; has several related meanings, none of them relate to being disagreeable or unpleasant. Moreover, the text doesn&rsquo;t portray the change undergone by the rose as necessarily disagreeable. Choice C is incorrect because &ldquo;singular&rdquo; means extraordinary, not acceptable. The change is portrayed as striking, not barely satisfactory.

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