Question

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.”

I found it at last in the ruins of a great temple in the mid-city. A mighty temple it must have been, for the roof was painted like the sky at night with its stars—that much I could see, though the colors were faint and dim. It went down into great caves and tunnels—perhaps they kept their slaves there. But when I started to climb down, I heard the squeaking of rats, so I did not go—rats are unclean, and there must have been many tribes of them, from the squeaking. But near there, I found food, in the heart of a ruin, behind a door that still opened. I ate only the fruits from the jars—they had a very sweet taste. There was drink, too, in bottles of glass—the drink of the gods was strong and made my head swim. After I had eaten and drunk, I slept on the top of a stone, my bow at my side.

Which details most reveal the setting of the passage? Select three options.

A“the ruins of a great temple in the mid-city”
B“rats are unclean, and there must have been many tribes of them”
C“in the heart of a ruin, behind a door that still opened”
D“they had a very sweet taste”
E“the drink of the gods was strong and made my head swim”

Answer 1

A, B, C

Step-by-step explanation:

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Answer 2

A. “the ruins of a great temple in the mid-city”

B. “rats are unclean, and there must have been many tribes of them”

C. “in the heart of a ruin, behind a door that still opened”

Step-by-step explanation:

In literature, the term setting refers to the time, space, and societal and cultural circumstances in which the plot of a story takes place.

The details that reveal the most about the setting of the given scene from By the Waters of Babylon are: the ruins of a great temple in the mid-city, rats are unclean, and there must have been many tribes of them, and in the heart of a ruin, behind a door that still opened.

These details represented by options A, B, and C tell us about the location of the temple and its features. Options D and E don't tell us about the setting - they describe the food and drink the narrator enjoyed. This is why they are incorrect.