Question

Read these sentences from the text. The pause is an exceedingly important feature in any kind of story, and a frequently recurring feature, too. It is a dainty thing, and delicate, and also uncertain and treacherous; for it must be exactly the right length—no more and no less—or it fails of its purpose and makes trouble. Which response best explains the effect of the word choice on the meaning of the sentences? The pause is used too often and can distort the meaning of a story. The pause is rarely used correctly and should be avoided when telling a story. The pause must be used expertly in order to be effective. The pause should be used infrequently in order to maximize its impact.

Answer 1

The answer is:

The pause must be used expertly in order to be effective.  

In the excerpt, the pause is an important literary device that must be used extremely carefully because it is so delicate and subtle that it might cause inconvenience to the reader or make the text miss its objective. For that reason, Mark Twain suggests that the pause is employed with absolute precision: neither too short nor too long.