Question

Read the following excerpt from the article "Vision, Voice and the Power of Creation: An Author Speaks Out," by T. A. Barron and answer the question that follows:
Right now, I am spending a lot of time listening to the voice of a particularly compelling character: the young Merlin. In the end, I finally heard the voice of Merlin thanks to a surprising source: the haunting, mysterious hooting of a great horned owl outside the window of my Colorado home. As I listened to that owl's resonant [echoing] call in the pre-dawn hours one morning, something about it gave me a whole new cadence [rhythm], a whole new sound. And then, a whole new voice.

Which adjective supports the author's explicit message about his inspiration for Merlin's voice? (10 points)

1)Young

2)Mysterious

3)New

4)Whole

Answer 1

I believe the correct answer is 2) mysterious.
He states in the excerpt that the voice of Merlin came to him 'thanks to a surprising source: the haunting, mysterious hooting of a great horned owl...' So the inspiration for Merlin's voice was mysterious, strange, secretive, and he didn't understand it yet at the moment when he heard it. But once he started writing, inspired by the owl's hooting, he suddenly found Merlin's voice.

Answer 2

I believe your answer would be 3).New.
The message throughout seems to be new, he even talks about feeling new.