Step 1: Understanding the context.
The sentence discusses sunlight falling on water near noon, with the subject considering the brightness and appearance of the river light. We need to fill the blanks with prepositions that logically connect these ideas.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.
(A) about, in, at, to, for: "About" would be incorrect in the first blank, as it does not convey the relationship between the sunlight and the water. Also, "to" doesn't fit the context. This is not the best option.
(B) of, on, at, to, at: "Of" fits the first blank well, indicating the sunlight's connection to the water. "On" is appropriate for describing sunlight falling on water, "at" fits with "noon," and "to" fits the phrase describing the movement or direction of the river light. This option works well.
(C) about, in, at, to, for: "About" does not fit, and the preposition choices don't create the necessary logical flow in the sentence. This option is incorrect.
(D) on, on, by, to, on: "On" fits the first blank, but "by" does not fit the second blank. "To" in the fourth blank does not match the intended meaning. This is not the right choice.
(E) of, on, on, to, at: "On" is repeated inappropriately in the third blank, making this option incorrect.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct set of prepositions is (2) of, on, at, to, at, as it creates the most logical and grammatically correct sentence.