This question is missing the excerpt from "Oliver Twist". I have found it online. It is the following:
The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook's uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over the short commons. The gruel disappeared; the boys whispered to each other, and winked at Oliver; while his next neighbors nudged him. Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said, somewhat alarmed at his own temerity: . . .
Answer:
The author's use of "whispered," "winked," and "nudged" in paragraph 2 impact the meaning of the paragraph:
D. by contrasting the lighthearted attitude of the boys with Oliver's attitude.
Explanation:
From the excerpt, we can tell everyone knows that if any boy dares to ask for more food, the master gets furious and punishes him. However, Oliver is starving. The other boys are encouraging him to go and try to get more food, but they probably do not think he will actually do it. They are acting in a playful, lighthearted manner. Oliver, on the other hand, is not. He has serious reasons to be asking for food. Unlike the boys', Oliver's attitude is desperate. Having that in mind, we can choose letter D as the best option:
D. by contrasting the lighthearted attitude of the boys with Oliver's attitude.
