Read the following research paper excerpt and answer the question.

according to mario pei, slang is common to english as well as to foreign languages (80). many words that were once considered slang are now words of full, legitimate standing in our language. some of these words are strenuous, spurious, clumsy, and bogus. even shakespeare introduced into current usage such slang terms of his day as hubbub, fireworks, fretful, (to) bump, and (to) dwindle. pei estimates that about 90 per cent of all slang words eventually become permanent (johns 12).

in the fourth sentence, the writer uses the word "even." this is an example of careful word choice because

it emphasizes the influence of slang
it contrasts shakespeare's reputation for beautiful words with his use of slang
it demonstrates that shakespeare's influence on language is lessening
it adds length to an otherwise short sentence

I would contend that the right answer is the A) It emphasizes the influence of slang.

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that by writing that even the great Shakespeare used slang words the author is emphasizing the influence of this way of speaking, since not only more contemporary and less influential individuals, but also Shakespeare employed it. Option C can be discarded, since the sentence actually confirms Shakespeare's influence on language, and option D can also be discarded, since it is irrelevant—the short word "even" does not lengthen the sentence. One could think that using "even" might suggest that the author wants to contrast Shakespare's reputation for more formal words with his use of slang, but the use of the adjective "beautiful" is not accurate (the author is not describing slang in negative terms), so this option should be eliminated as well.    

answer: i chose a.

explanation: