gravity means seriousness, so we understand that she looked serious and that scared the author, but as he looked deeply he understood that ----. because there is a contrast due to the word 'BUT' the answer choice is opposite to serious so fun and playful.

"At first, I found her gravity rather intimidating; but, as I saw more of her, I found that (i) ______ was very near the surface."

Meaning: Gravity here means seriousness (can infer from phrase 'gravity of the situation'). But means a contrast which tells us we need an opposite of seriousness here.

A- Seriousness is the opposite of what we need. Incorrect.
B- Confidence means belief which is illogical in context.
C- Laughter is a perfect fit and a good opposite to seriousness. Correct.
D- Poise means balance or grace, neither of which make any sense here.
E- Determination means resolution. Also illogical.

can someone explain me the meaninf of the sentence ?

Good question - it was tricky but when I saw the answer kicked myself for not thinking like that.

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