Question

3 ...The greatest curiosity of the study remains to be mentioned; it was a ponderous folio volume, bound in black leather, with massive silver clasps. There were no letters on the back, and nobody could tell the title of the book. But it was well known to be a book of magic; and once, when a chambermaid had lifted it, merely to brush away the dust, the skeleton had rattled in its closet, the picture of the young lady had stepped one foot upon the floor, and several ghastly faces had peeped forth from the mirror; while the brazen head of Hippocrates frowned, and said,--"Forbear!" What is the meaning of the phrase ponderous folio volume as it is used in paragraph 3 of the passage? A) a storage trunk B) a very large, heavy book C) a strange, unusual object D) something that is forbidden

Answer 1

Answer:

B) a very large, heavy book

Explanation:

“Ponderous folio volume” as used in the paragraph in the passage connotes a somewhat large, and heavy book that is voluminous. From the description that follows, we can tell what is being described is a book that is huge, given that it is “bound in black leather, with massive silver clasps”. So, therefore, the most likely meaning of the phrase “ponderous folio volume”, considering the available options given, is “B) a very large, heavy book”