Question

Which sentences in this excerpt from The Time Machine by H. G. Wells suggest that the Morlocks possess a degree of intelligence comparable to that of humans?
Within was a small apartment, and on a raised place in the corner of this was the Time Machine. I had the small levers in my pocket. So here, after all my elaborate preparations for the siege of the White Sphinx, was a meek surrender. I threw my iron bar away, almost sorry not to use it.

A sudden thought came into my head as I stooped towards the portal. For once, at least, I grasped the mental operations of the Morlocks. Suppressing a strong inclination to laugh, I stepped through the bronze frame and up to the Time Machine. I was surprised to find it had been carefully oiled and cleaned. I have suspected since that the Morlocks had even partially taken it to pieces while trying in their dim way to grasp its purpose.

Now as I stood and examined it, finding a pleasure in the mere touch of the contrivance, the thing I had expected happened. The bronze panels suddenly slid up and struck the frame with a clang. I was in the dark—trapped. So the Morlocks thought. At that I chuckled gleefully.

I could already hear their murmuring laughter as they came towards me. Very calmly I tried to strike the match. I had only to fix on the levers and depart then like a ghost. But I had overlooked one little thing. The matches were of that abominable kind that light only on the box.

Answer 1

“Suppressing a strong inclination to laugh, I stepped through the bronze frame and up to the Time Machine. I was surprised to find it had been carefully oiled and cleaned. I have suspected since that the Morlocks had even partially taken it to pieces while trying in their dim way to grasp its purpose.” Just like humans, the Morlocks are trying to figure it out which takes some degree of intelligence.

Answer 2

Answer:  For once, at least, I grasped the mental operations of the Morlocks and I was surprised to find it had been carefully oiled and cleaned.

Explanation: In the given excerpt from "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells, we can see two sentences that suggest that the Morlocks possess a degree of intelligence comparable to that of humans, the first one is "For once, at least, I grasped the mental operations of the Morlocks" because it suggests that the Morlocks have the capacity to think and reason, and the second one is "I was surprised to find it had been carefully oiled and cleaned" because it conveys something common in humans (cleaning and oiling the machine).