Which pair of words has similar denotations but different connotations?
a. daring; adventurous
b. cautious; careful
c. small; puny
d. big; large

The correct answer is C. A denotation is the literal meaning of a word, the definition or definitions you find in a dictionary. A connotation refers to the attitudes that people attach to the literal meaning, it is usually positive, negative, or neutral. In the case of "small" and "puny", both have the denotative meaning of tiny size, not big or medium sized. However, while "small" has a neutral connotation, "puny" has a negative one, since it is usually associated to weakness. Also, "puny" is related to the human body, while "small" is far more general. That diference is also related to their connotations

the god   the goddess of salt water, of fresh water   yet more powerful and perfect.

it is the background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story. the exposition will often have information about events that happened before the story began. the exposition is often the very first part of the plot.