Explanation
Correct answer: B.
Choice B is the best answer because as used in the text, “manifest” most nearly means perceptible or detectable. The text indicates that the sun was “already down,” meaning it was below the horizon and not directly visible. However, the sun’s presence was nonetheless perceptible or manifest in the “tongues of fire” (or beams of light) that still flickered in the darkening sky.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts “manifest” can mean “realized” or “brought into being,” that is not the context here. Rather, the text is about how the sun’s presence was perceptible or manifest in the “darting” beams of light that could still be seen in the sky.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. This choice would suggest that the sun is situated, or located, in the light it emits, which is not supported by the surrounding context. Rather, the text is about how the sun’s presence was perceptible or manifest in the remaining light that could still be seen in the sky.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect. Although the text is about the decreasing light in the scene at sunset, the text’s use of “manifest” is about how the sun’s presence was nonetheless perceptible or manifest in the “tongues of fire” still visible in the sky as night approached.