Read the following passage and questions, then choose the right answer from options, the answer should be one of A, B, C, D.

<passage>:
Earth set itself grimly to meet them with into its field. "Suppose we settle this argument about humanity," said Knof Llud Planet Stories Fall 1949. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that backdrop, and had seen them dwindle, turn red and go out as the time," said the voice lightly. "When he saw that it was hopeless, he But now unwonted excitement possessed the hundred-odd members of the in the ship and had never seen a planet. The grownups talked in low voices, in tones of mingled eagerness and apprehension, of what might lie at the long journey's end. For the sun ahead was the Sun, whose rays had warmed their lives' beginning. out from its original cramped quarters. Now the interstellar ship was little more than a hollow shell. he met them with an impassive countenance, and announced quietly, "We've sighted Earth." A feverish buzz arose the captain gestured for silence and went on, pick out the atom of reflected light that was Earth, home. They wrung each other's hands, kissed, shouted, wept. For the present their fears were forgotten and exaltation prevailed. Lesra?" She drew an uncertain breath and released it in a faint sigh. "I don't know. It's good that Earth's still there." She was thinking, he judged shrewdly, of Knof Jr. and Delza, who save from pictures could not remember sunlit skies or grassy fields or woods in summer.... He said, with a touch of tolerant amusement, "What did you think might have happened to Earth? After all, it's only been nine hundred years." "That's just it," said Lesra shakily. "Nine hundred years have gone by— worry. Things may have changed—but we'll manage." But his face had hardened against registering the gnawing of that same doubtful fear within him. He let his arm fall. "I'd better get up to the bridge. There's a new course to be set now—for Earth." He left her and began to climb the stairway again. Someone switched off the lights, and a charmed whisper ran through the big room as the people saw each other's faces by the pale golden light of Earth's own Earth. Llud nodded curt approval, remarking, "Probably we'll be intercepted before we get that far." Quests returned successful, or if they returned at all. And we don't know what changes have taken place on Earth. It's possible—not likely, though—that something has happened to break civilization's continuity to the point where our expedition has been He turned away grim-lipped and left the bridge. From his private office-cabin, he sent a message to Chief Astronomer Zost Relyul to notify him as soon as Earth's surface features became clear then he sat idle, alone with his thoughts. and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost Earth years—though physically he was only forty now, ten years older than when the voyage had begun. That was the foreshortening along the time axis of a space ship approaching the speed of light. Weeks and months had passed for the Quest III in interstellar flight while years and decades had raced by on the home world. shortly after leaving Procyon, end of the first leg of the trip. He slid it onto the reproducer. confident than he knew it was now. "One light-day out from Procyon, the thirty-third day by ship's time since leaving Earth. "Our hopes were dashed—and I think all of us, even remembering the Centaurus Expedition's failure, hoped more than we cared to admit. If Procyon had possessed a habitable planet, we could have returned after an absence of not much over twenty years Earth time. "It is cheering to note that the crew seems only more resolute. We go its spectrum, so like our own Sun's, beckons. If success comes there, a century will have passed before we can return to Earth friends, relatives, all the generation that launched the Quest will be long since dead. Nevertheless we go on. Our generation's dream, back, an ironic smile touching his lips. That fervent idealism seemed "We face the unpleasant realization that what was feared is probably true—that worlds such as the Sun's are a rare accident, and that we may complete our search without finding even one new Earth. "It makes no difference, of course This may be man's last chance of escaping his pitiful limitation to energy stores that went into them, left Earth's economy drained and exhausted. Only once in a long age does mankind rise to such a selfless and transcendent effort—the effort of Egypt that built the pyramids, or the war efforts of the nations in the last great conflicts of the therefore signalize the beginning of the end. Population can be life.... In our day the end of man's room for growth on the Earth was its decline with the knowledge that its race went onward and upward, "Hopeless, unless we find planets!" achieve a velocity that would take us there without dying of senility of aging too greatly. It would be a one-way journey—even if enough fuel remained, there would be little point in returning to Earth after "That was why the planners limited our voyage, and those of the other Quests , to less than a thousand years Earth time. Even now, according turn back. The stars had claimed his heart—but he was still a part of Earth, and not even nine hundred years of space and time had been able to alter that. He wondered if there would still be a quiet stream and a green responsibility, could rest and dream no more.... Those things went on, if men didn't change them. And a pine forest where he and young Knof could go camping, and lie on their backs at night and gaze at the glittering constellations, far away, out of reach.... He wasn't sure he it seemed these years he could still respond quickly and smoothly to a crisis. sixth now." Repeated blows quivered the navigator said, obviously striving for calm, "They're light craft, not fifty feet long, but they move fast. The detectors hardly had time to show them before they opened up. Can't get a telescope beam on them Their faces were set, scared, uncomprehending. The but it plunged on toward Earth, its mighty engines still steadily braking its interstellar velocity. His young face was less anxious than his elders' he had confidence in "That," said the captain grimly, "is what we have to find out. Why—on questions at each other, as the thought of help from outside flashed origin. They had seen no recognizable life in the part of the galaxy they had explored, but one of the other constant arrival of fresh attackers, while others raced away into space, presumably returning to base to replenish their ammunition. That argued a planned and prepared interception with virulent hatred behind we're having to shed energy, the fuel will be gone in six or eight hours." "We'll have reached Earth before then," Gwar Den said hopefully. "If they don't bring out the heavy artillery first." "We're under the psychological disadvantage," said the captain, "of not "They're mad and we aren't, yet," said the boy. Then, seeing that he Smiles splintered the ice of tension. Captain Llud said, "Maybe you've There was no answer. The ship drove on, its fuel trickling away under they told him nothing only the continental outlines were clear, and those were as they had been nine hundred years ago.... He looked up last. The two other interstellar expeditions that went out have already returned and been destroyed, as you will soon be—the sooner, if you continue toward Earth." ponderous and unswerving progress toward Earth had somehow

<question>:
At what moment in the story did the characters seem to have the most hope?

<options>:
A When Captain Llud was looking at old photographs of his crewmates and reflecting on his long journey with people he cares for.
B When the group started to return to Earth and things looked like smooth sailing.
C When the group found a potentially human-friendly planet to inhabit.
D When the group landed on Earth and walked around on grass for the first time in 10 years.

<answer>:

B