When an author uses the literal meaning of a word in the text they are

Please help

Referring to the dictionary defenition of a word

Explanation:

This is because the author is using the word in a literal meaning and not in an expressional meaning like a poet does.

Example. The Main Character cannot break through the wall, Its pretty tough.

This is literal. The word " tough " is being used in its dictionary meaning since it means Hard.

Meanwhile a poet might use this as an expression of something else like

" He was heartbroken, the woman he loved had shattered his soul and it was a tough experience for him "

Tough is used as an emotional feeling of being broken down instead of its dictionary counterpart.

Hope it helped, sorry if Im wrong.

quite an interesting way to teach topic sentences, because the answer to this question is the best definition of a topic sentence that one can present, it is as if answering the questions taught you how to do it, this is some real teaching, it is terribly well-done.

the topic sentence in this paragraph is:

topic sentences writers stay on track and keep a paragraph from becoming an aimless collection of sentences about an idea.

which incidentally tells you what a topic sentence should be.

i think it is called the president's cabinet.