Based on its use in this sentence, what is the connotative meaning of the word stagnant?

john, an aspiring actor, was criticized at his last audition for being stagnant and uninteresting.
still
quiet
standoffish
lifeless

Which word best describes the author's tone in this excerpt from "that spot" by jack london? i don’t think much of stephen mackaye any more, though i used to swear by him. i know that in those days i loved him more than my own brother. if ever i meet stephen mackaye again, i shall not be responsible for my actions. it passes beyond me that a man with whom i shared food and blanket, and with whom i mushed over the chilcoot trail, should turn out the way he did. i always sized steve up as a square man, a kindly comrade, without an iota of anything vindictive or malicious in his nature. i shall never trust my judgment in men again. why, i nursed that man through typhoid fever; we starved together on the headwaters of the stewart; and he saved my life on the little salmon. and now, after the years we were together, all i can say of stephen mackaye is that he is the meanest man i ever knew. a. excited b. ironic c. indignant d. playful

Is the group of words a simple sentence, a compound sentence, or a run-on sentence? jan went on a quiz show, won two hundred dollars, and bought gifts for her family. a. run-on sentence b. compound sentence c. simple sentence

What is the narrator's main conflict in this passage? a. he doesn't like someone mispronouncing his name. b. he has a history of beating up kids he doesn't like. c. he has a violent temper that he cannot control. d. he doesn't like "the kid" he mentions in the paragraph.