Question

Which excerpt from the passage contains a paradox and a pun?

“my part would not be out of place.”
“larger railway stations in London.”
“I merely desire information.”
“whose origin was a Terminus.”

Answer 1

D: “whose origin was a Terminus.”

Explanation: edge test

Answer 2

Because a pun is a play on words, it can be seen that “Terminus,” the last word of the last line presented, is a pun because of how it could mean the ending of a railway if not capitalized. But, because it is capitalized, it is referring to the Roman god of boundaries. A paradox (or contradiction of sorts) exists within the last line because of the relationship the author gives to “origin” and “Terminus,” which provides the contradictory message that one’s beginning was actually an ending, or “whose origin was a Terminus.” Thus, it is the last line of the excerpt that contains both a pun and a paradox.