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In the following excerpt from the novel *The Rover* by Joseph Conrad, the narrator, a sailor, is reminiscing about his youth and a time when he was a young apprentice: "There was a time when, as a lad, I too, felt a kind of kinship with the great sea-birds that were my companions and shared my daily life—a certain instinctive sympathy with their wild, free motion. "The author uses the words "companions" and "shared" to emphasize a particular relationship between the narrator and the seabirds. What is the most likely reason why the author uses this word choice?

SAT · English · previous-year question

  1. A.convey a sense of wonder and awe at the beauty of nature.
  2. B.suggest that the narrator and the seabirds have a special bond.correct
  3. C.emphasize the narrator’s youthful innocence and naiveté.
  4. D.illustrate the narrator’s growing awareness of the natural world.

Answer

B. suggest that the narrator and the seabirds have a special bond.

Explanation

The words "companions" and "shared" imply that the narrator and the seabirds have a special bond, as if they were friends or family. The author chose this word choice to help the reader understand that the narrator felt a strong connection to the seabirds.

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