Excerpt from an unexplainable occurrence
elizabeth kibler

1) my sleepy little town used to be a blip on the world’s radar screen, but recently it seems that it cannot escape from the glare of the spotlight. people throughout the state continue to talk about the so-called unexplainable occurrence that happened here.

2) two summers ago, my summer vacation commenced much like every other and i could scarcely handle the boredom. one day, i overheard some people discussing a traveling carnival that had unexpectedly arrived in our town the night before. the performers planned to put on a spectacular show that evening. i had never been to a carnival, but i welcomed a distraction from a normally dull friday night.

3) as i strolled to the carnival, i noticed that my town looked deserted. the usually hectic streets seemed lonely in the moonlight, and many of the businesses had closed so that everyone could enjoy the exhibition. the only sounds i heard were the echoes of music and cheering that arose from the park. when i got closer, i could see the gigantic shadows of animals and performers leaping across the sides of the glowing tent. the scents of cotton candy and popcorn wafted through the air.

4) i peered inside the luminous tent and instantly recognized numerous people from the town. they gazed toward the top of the tent at a courageous trapeze artist who swung perilously above them. i took a seat beside the door and held my breath waiting for the next act. crack! i almost jumped out of my seat when i heard the ringmaster’s whip splinter the air. throughout the night, the entertainers kept the crowd engaged with a variety of wild and crazy events. then, the carnival characters took their bows and ended their performance. afterward, the townspeople walked wearily, but jubilantly, home.

in paragraph 4, the word luminous means
a) bright.
b) gigantic.
c) noisy.
d) shadowy.