Answer :
The meaning of "yearning" as it is used in paragraph 3 is "intense desire," in the sense that the people have an intense desire to finally breathe free.
What is the meaning of "yearning"?
The verb "to yearn" means to want or to desire something strongly, intensely. Therefore, the meaning of "yearning", as it is used in paragraph 3, will be similar to that of the verb. Let's analyze it below.
The paragraph contains a quote by Emma Lazarus that mentions the masses of people "yearning to breathe free." Lazarus was referring to all those who intensely desired to have freedom, all those who wanted the opportunity to build a life on their own terms.
With the information above in mind, the best option among the answer choices is "intense desire," as expressed in option A.
The complete question with the missing paragraph and answer choices is the following:
For the millions who responded to Emma Lazarus' ringing call of "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," the pretentious edifice was the gateway to futures and opportunities vastly better than what they left behind.
What is the meaning of "yearning" in paragraph 3?
- intense desire
- desperately begging
- hopefully expecting
- tirelessly fighting
Learn more about the meaning of "yearning" here:
https://brainly.com/question/21929227
#SPJ1