Question

Consider these versions of The War of the Worlds.

Excerpt 1, from H. G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds:

The common round the sand pits was dotted with people, standing like myself in a half-fascinated terror, staring at these creatures, or rather at the heaped gravel at the edge of the pit in which they lay. And then, with a renewed horror, I saw a round, black object bobbing up and down on the edge of the pit. It was the head of the shopman who had fallen in, but showing as a little black object against the hot western sun. Now he got his shoulder and knee up, and again he seemed to slip back until only his head was visible. Suddenly he vanished, and I could have fancied a faint shriek had reached me.

Excerpt 2, from Howard E. Koch's script for Orson Welles's radio adaptation:

PHILLIPS: Ladies and gentlemen, you've just heard Mr. Wilmuth, owner of the farm where this thing has fallen. I wish I could convey the atmosphere . . . the background of this . . . fantastic scene. Hundreds of cars are parked in a field in back of us. Police are trying to rope off the roadway leading to the farm. But it's no use. They're breaking right through. Cars' headlights throw an enormous spot on the pit where the object's half buried. Some of the more daring souls are now venturing near the edge. Their silhouettes stand out against the metal sheen.

Which statement best describes the similarity between these versions?

Both versions impart an urgent tone through a resident’s words.
Both versions impart setting details through colorful description.
Both versions explain the background of a scientific phenomenon.
Both versions use characterization to show the locals' intelligence.

Answer 1

Answer: B

Explanation: Both versions impart setting details through colorful description.

Answer 2

The statement which best describes the similarity between these versions is:

B. Both versions impart setting details through colorful description.

Step-by-step explanation:

H. G. Wells was an English author (1866-1946) who wrote the famous novel "War of the Worlds," in which martians invade the Earth. As we know, the novel was adapted and broadcast via radio in 1938 to sound as if it were news bulletins. Allegedly, some people panicked while listening to the radio, truly believing the planet was under attack. However, we now know it was not a generalized panic.

Both excerpts give a colorful, vivid description of the scene before the narrator's eyes. Word choice makes it possible for readers, in the first case, and listeners, in the second, to really see, hear, or even feel the same things as the narrator. With the first excerpt, we can see the person who fell into the pit trying to leave it, only to slip back and then be dragged by some mysterious creature. With the second passage, we can see the cars, the police, the headlights, and finally the shadows of the people who have approached the object that fell from the sky.