The descriptive language in sentence 10 is mainly intended to reinforce the passage’s depiction of the Players’

Choice D is the best answer. The descriptive language of sentence 10—notably, “static,” “shapeless,” “inhumanly heavy weight,” “promise of failure,” “apologetic nods and smiles,” “spastic haste,” “less explicit promises of failure”—serves primarily to convey a persistent mood of despair on the part of the Players toward the play. Choice A is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that the Players blame the director for the problems with the play. Choice B is incorrect because the passage indicates that the Players have relatively recently undertaken “a doubling and redoubling of their rehearsal schedule” (sentence 9). Choice C is incorrect because there is no evidence in the passage that the Players blame one another for the problems with the play; instead, they share a generalized sense of failure.