Question

Read the excerpt from Silent Spring. The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. In this excerpt, the phrase best shows the author's tone of despair which strategies are most effective to help a reader determine the meaning of an unknown word?

a) Check for nearby synonyms that may provide a clue to the word’s meaning.
b) Check surrounding words to see what events are leading up to this word.
c) ask people nearby if they happen to know the meaning of the unknown word.
d) substitute the unfamiliar word with a familiar word to see if it makes sense.

Answer 1

When analyzing the author's tone in a passage, it is important to consider the connotations and meanings of specific words. In this excerpt from Silent Spring, the phrase 'lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire' best shows the author's tone of despair.

Step-by-step explanation:

When reading a passage like this, it is important to analyze the connotations and meanings of specific words to understand the author's tone.

In this excerpt from Silent Spring, the author's tone of despair is best shown through the phrase 'lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire.'

The words 'browned' and 'withered' convey a sense of destruction and decay, while the comparison to fire adds a sense of devastation. By examining these words and their connotations, the reader can better understand the author's tone of despair.