The answer should be "slow" the first pairing both end in "-est" making them superlatives giving a parallel in the structure. Following the same structure, the words from the pairing after can be ignored, the word dim is an adjective, "light" bulb is a noun, therefore, it is not a parallel structure.
Answer: Thoreau compares the cable to a man with nothing to say to a deaf woman, supporting his idea that technology many make communication easier but not necessarily meaningful.
Answer:
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant—
No! No! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone—
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I’ve got it right.)
Howe’er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee—
(I fear I’d better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)
Explanation:
