The correct answer is letter b.
The excerpt is written in the Simple Past and narrates a series of events that happened in a sequence.
Notice the verbs in the Simple Past : wept, wailed, fell, faded and died.
There is a verb missing in the part " the earth stiff and cold" The verb is grow, the Simple Past form is grew, therefore " the earth grew stiff and cold" is the correct way.
Letter A is wrong because there's a verb missing.
Letter C and letter D " the earth was growing stiff and cold" the verb grow is in the Past Continuos, " the leaves were falling from the sorrowing trees" the verb fall is also in the Past Continous breaking the pattern stablished.
Yes Infatuation is an abstract noun. hope this helps.
B) The daily work continued; nay, it actually increased;
Something that is happening on a consistent basis. It also gives the feeling that it is work to make it persistent. In option B, the statement "daily work" indicates that something is done daily which supports the idea of persistent. The sentence containing the line "The daily work continued; nay, it actually increased" also includes the description "with an astonishing pertinacity." Pertinacity means persistent determination. The brain failing and life slipping away does not show any persistent determination. Also, the statement that she inquired with acute anxiety does not how any persistent determination.
