Read the passage. the headmistress of the boarding school was a buttoned-up, austere woman with a tightly wound, slate-gray bun at the top of her head and clunky black shoes on her feet. she made sure that our uniforms were complete at inspection every morning, and if one of us dared to wear a warmer pair of socks than the thin, oatmeal-colored ones we were issued, there would be trouble. what does the use of the word austere imply? that the headmistress is concerned about her students that the headmistress is not a kind person that the headmistress is kind to some students that the headmistress is uncomfortable

The correct answer is that the use of the word “austere” implies “that the headmistress is not a kind person”. The adjective “austere” describes someone who is very severe and unfriendly in manner. In this passage, one can understand that the headmistress is strict and unfriendly by the way she behaves. Moreover, adjectives such as “buttoned-up” (someone unwilling to show feelings and emotions) and phrases such as “there would be trouble” complement the meaning of “austere”.

what are the following?

"why don't you like me the way i am? " i cried. "i'm not a genius! i can't play the piano, and even if i could, i wouldn't go on tv if you paid me a million dollars! "

explanation:

the conflict between jing-mei and her mother is over jing-mei's piano lessons since her mother wants her to become a prodigy but she does not want to play it any more.