Comprehension:
Read the given extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Mr.Utterson, the lawyer was a man of rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable. At friendly meetings, and when the wine was to his taste, something eminently human beaconed from his eye; something indeed which never found its way into his talk, but which spoke not only in these silent symbols of the after-dinner face, but more often and loudly in the acts of his life. He was austere with himself; and though he enjoyed the theater, had not crossed the doors of one for twenty years. But he had an approved tolerance for others; sometimes wondering, almost with envy, at the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds; and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove. It was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of down-going men. And to such as these, so long as they came about his chambers, he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.
No doubt the feat was easy to Mr. Utterson; for he was undemonstrative at the best, and even his friendship seemed to be founded in a similar catholicity of good-nature. It is the mark of a modest man to accept his friendly circle ready-made from the hands of opportunity; and that was the lawyer’s way. His friends were those of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest; his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time, they implied no aptness in the object. Hence, no doubt, this was the bond that united him to Mr. Richard Enfield, his distant kinsman, the well-known man about town.
Read the passage carefully and find the word which is opposite in meaning to "Monologue"
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Discourse
- Monologue means a long speech by one person. Only one person speaks in it.
Example: The actor delivered a moving monologue at the end of the play. - Discourse means communication in speech or writing, especially a conversation or discussion between people. It involves more than one speaker, so it is the closest opposite of monologue among the options.
Example: The two scholars held a long discourse on ancient history.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Countenance — Incorrect. Countenance means a person's face or expression. It has no link with speech.
Example: Her calm countenance hid her worry.
Option 3: Demeanour — Incorrect. Demeanour means a person's outward behaviour or manner. It describes conduct, not speech.
Example: His polite demeanour impressed the interviewers.
Option 4: Tolerance — Incorrect. Tolerance means willingness to accept opinions or behaviour that one does not share. It is not about speech.
Example: The teacher showed great tolerance towards the restless children.
Note: The exact opposite of monologue is dialogue, which is not among the options; discourse is the closest of the four.