The following is from a novel published in 1922. Mr. Brennan delivered his speech at the union meeting with the same measured cadences he had used twenty years earlier as a young organizer. The hall, however, contained men he did not recognize, debating issues he had not anticipated, in a vocabulary partly his and partly foreign. After he sat down, the applause was respectful and brief, and the next speaker was already at the front before Mr. Brennan had finished arranging his papers.
Which inference is most strongly supported by the passage?
- A
Mr. Brennan has gained increasing influence over union affairs
- Bcheck_circle
Mr. Brennan's relevance within the movement may have shifted in ways he has not entirely registered
- C
The audience was openly hostile to Mr. Brennan
- D
Mr. Brennan delivers a different speech each year
Explanation
Same cadences as decades ago, unfamiliar audience, brief applause, and quick succession suggest fading relevance, supporting B. A, C, D contradict the details.