Answer:
The best option seems to be letter C) the writer showing the motivation of the characters through dialog.
Explanation:
In this particular excerpt, we don't know much about the characters. They could be friends, classmates, even relatives. We also don't know much about what they are doing, there isn't much action being described. What we do have is a dialog between Terrence and Pat. Through this dialog, we can tell they present different levels of motivation, even though it is not explained why or how they got to feel this way. While Terrence seems enthusiastic, "booming", exclaiming his words, Pat is down in the dumps. Terrence himself says she's "kind of quiet" after she answers him "without enthusiasm". With this dialog, thus, the author is showing readers the characters' motivation.
