The best way to eliminate wordiness is the following:
<em> The audience gave the guest speaker a standing ovation.</em>
Wordiness is the use of more words than necessary to express an idea. The phrase <em>"to give a standing ovation"</em> already comprises the ideas of "rose up" and <em>"applauded"</em>. Thus, they are not necessary in the sentence. Replacing those words with the words <em>"gave the guest speaker a standing ovation"</em> is the right way to eliminate wordiness in that sentence.
Answer: The right answer is the A) Brutus asks Lucius if he cried out during his sleep to check if he imagined the ghost of Caesar.
Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that this scene takes place almost at the end of Act IV. Lucius is playing the lute and singing for Brutus, and he falls asleep. Then the ghost of Caesar enters and announces Brutus that he will see him again in Philippi. When the ghost exits, Brutus asks Lucius to wake up, and he asks him if he cried out because he was dreaming, and if he saw anything, but Lucius says that he didn't, so he sends him back to sleep. Therefore, Brutus was just trying to check if he had imagined his vision or if it had been real.
The correct answer is "John Steinbeck"
He was a famous American novelist, born in California, who depicted lives of regular Californian people, including folklore and symbolism, and other aspects of various traditions. He won the Nobel prize for his novel East of Eden.