As soon as he finished his speech, there was spontaneous applause from the audience.

well-timed
willing
instinctive
instantaneous

The correct answer is: D. instantaneous.

Spontaneous applause is applause that is given without any prompting or encouragement. It is often given in response to a particularly moving or inspiring speech or performance. In the context of the question, the audience’s applause was instantaneous, meaning that it began immediately after the speaker finished his speech. This suggests that the audience was very impressed by the speech

and that they felt a strong emotional connection to it.

The other options are not as accurate descriptions of the audience’s applause. Option A, well-timed, suggests that the audience’s applause was carefully planned and executed. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this was the case. Option B, willing, suggests that the audience was happy to applaud the speaker. However, it is also possible that the audience felt obligated to applaud, or that they were simply following the lead of others in the audience. Option C, instinctive, suggests that the audience’s applause was a natural reaction to the speaker’s words. However, it is also possible that the audience was simply following social norms and that they would have applauded any speaker who gave a speech of similar length and quality.

Overall, the best description of the audience’s applause is instantaneous. This suggests that the audience was very impressed by the speech and that they felt a strong emotional connection to it.