Question

Jonah is reading the passage and believes that the phrase "icy smile" is an oxymoron. Why does he believe this? A. The words "icy" and "smile" describe a person's feature. B. The words "icy" and "smile" are opposite in meaning. C. The words "icy" and "smile" add to the passage's dialogue. D. The words "icy" and "smile" both have long i sounds.

Answer 1

Answer: B

Explanation:

"icy" when describing a person's attitude or personality means cold, rude, etc, but a smile is usually happy and warm.

Personally I don't think it's an oxymoron- it's definitely possible to do a rude, fake smile. But B is what an oxymoron is- two words that are opposite in meaning and shouldn't technically be used together- like "awfully good" or "bittersweet."