The sentence is missing a subject.
A. The speaker is saying that she and her peers should be allowed to handle the punishments for people like Hester Prynne. She thinks this because they would band together as a group and be all on the same page in their punishment, rather than leaving it up to the magistrate--whose punishment she does not think adequately fit the crime Hester committed.
NEVER “lend” your pencils to people because, let me tell you, you’re not getting them back.
Answer:
A. Using credibility or reputation to persuade
<span>D) Passing out the tests, the instructor smiled at me with understanding</span>
