This is because the sound you make when you say x is ex thus using a but when you make the b sound it sounds like be.
A red herring is when irrelevant topics are introduced into a situation in order to divert the attention of the listeners from the real issue. In the case of a detective story, red herring typically functions when it serves as a false clue in the plot. The correct answer is option d. This false clue diverts the people's attention to the real situation or case.
The quote is saying that the theaters work brought a return to modified realism. Meaning that with the realism is modified, so I believe that answer would be C.