Which sentence uses kindle to mean arouse interest?

• A. The firefighter used dry wood to kindle the fire.
• B. The speaker's story kindle the audience's curiosity about the topic.
• C. The lamp will kindle the night.
• D. The rain kindle the garden.

Answer: (B)

Kindle here means to arouse, spark, or awaken interest or curiosity. In the sentence about the speaker, the story acts as a catalyst that starts the audience thinking more deeply about the topic. That figurative use—to kindle curiosity or interest—is a natural and common collocation, conveying a gradual ignition of attention rather than a literal fire.

The other sentences use kindle in ways that don’t fit this sense: starting a fire is a literal use, and expressions like “kindle the night” or “kindle the garden” read as unusual or overly personified, not about arousing interest. So the choice that best captures the idea of interest being sparked by the story is the one that partners kindle with curiosity.