Question

I descended the steps to the cellar, reminding myself that the smell of dirt was not to be feared. The earthen walls shone with moisture, and the rows of jarred fruit gleamed. I loathed these errands and doubted my ability to discern a peach from a pear in the dim light. I held a jar inches from my eyes and concluded it was some undesirable green—beans or peas—to be retrieved at a later date. As I mused, something crept stealthily from the shadows, and pounced unexpectedly from the summer’s stash. Which best describes the tone of the excerpt?

Answer 1

The tone of the narrator is fear with curiosity. I can assume this because they seemed frightened but kept looking at things anyway.

Answer 2

The options for this question are:

A) somber

B) disinterested

C) angry

D) uncertain

Answer: A) Somber.

Explanation: The tone of a story is the author's attitude towards the audience, the subject or even the characters of the story. There are many kinds of tone: positive, negative, happy, sad, angry, etc. In the given excerpt, we can see that the speaker is a little confused and also uncomfortable by what seems to be a situation of suspense. Also the appearance of something in the shadows, gives this excerpt a somber tone.