I would choose D. It isn't A because there isn't a clear comparison in the passage. It isn't B because there is no contradiction. C simply doesn't make sense. If you had a strong feel why would you make it seem insignificant? So that is why I picked D.
Answer:
Gerunds and gerund phrases always function as nouns.
They can act as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, or objects of a preposition in a sentence.
Just google the rhetorical devices
A literal statement is when you mean exactly what you say. You aren’t being sarcastic or very serious about anything.
