39. Select the sentence in the passage that best identifies the motive of the Wicked Witch.

Answer: B

Explanation:

The Wicked Witch is motivated by anger towards intruders in her territory.

The sentence that best identifies the motive of the Wicked Witch is when she is described as being angry to find Dorothy and her friends in her country, prompting her to blow upon a silver whistle to summon her wolves. This clearly indicates her desire to protect her domain from perceived threats.

A) Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that was as powerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere.

This option highlights the Wicked Witch's ability to see her surroundings but does not provide insight into her motives or emotions. It merely describes a characteristic rather than her intentions or feelings about the presence of others.

B) They were a long distance off, but the Wicked Witch was angry to find them in her country; so she blew upon a silver whistle that hung around her neck.

This option directly states the Wicked Witch's anger upon discovering intruders in her territory, demonstrating her protective instinct and aggressive motivation. It clearly connects her emotions to her actions, making it the best choice to represent her motive.

C) At once there came running to her from all directions a pack of great wolves. They had long legs and fierce eyes and sharp teeth.

While this option describes the wolves responding to the Wicked Witch, it does not convey her motives. It focuses more on the wolves' characteristics rather than the Witch's intentions or feelings about the situation.

D) So, as she sat in the door of her castle, she happened to look around and saw Dorothy lying asleep, with her friends all about her.

This sentence describes a moment of observation without revealing any motive or emotional response from the Wicked Witch. It simply states what she sees without indicating any intention or action based on that observation.

Conclusion

Option B is the only choice that explicitly captures the Wicked Witch's motivation of anger towards those who intrude upon her territory, leading her to take action against them. The other options either describe her characteristics, observations, or the actions of others without addressing her underlying motives, making B the clear and definitive answer.