i GUESS it is a signal phrase if you have any reason to doubt it just tell me and i will research it
Answer:
C. A signal phrase
Explanation:
In this passage, the phrase "and she responded" can be considered an example of a signal phrase. A signal phrase is a phrase that leads into a quotation or statistic. These usually present the author's name, the reason for using the quote, or the context for the quotation. Signal phrases allow the reader to anticipate what he is about to read.