Which word has the most negative connotation?

failure

Explanation: although a challenge is a struggle, failure is definitely worse then having to do something difficult, as for the other answers, they have positive connotations ;)

quite an interesting way to teach topic sentences, because the answer to this question is the best definition of a topic sentence that one can present, it is as if answering the questions taught you how to do it, this is some real teaching, it is terribly well-done.

the topic sentence in this paragraph is:

topic sentences writers stay on track and keep a paragraph from becoming an aimless collection of sentences about an idea.

which incidentally tells you what a topic sentence should be.

the right ones are in bold.

daintly refers to the fact she was reaching for what she ate, not necessarily what she is like.

greatest charm as in she possessed (=had) the greatest charm.

pleasant (her demeanor)

speaking (of her sensibility)

dead refers to the hypothetical mouse.

bleeding refers to the hypothetical mouse.