Question

I remember distinctly the thrill of climbing aboard a U.S. Army helicopter in the cool of the morning and taking off across the rice fields with a South Vietnamese battalion for a day’s jousting with the Vietcong guerillas. There was hope then that the non-Communist Vietnamese might win their war. I was proud of the young American pilots sitting at the controls in the cockpit and I was grateful for the opportunity to witness this adventure and to report it. We are fighting now, I used to think, and some day we will triumph and this will be a better country.
Which choice best describes how the author builds conflict in this excerpt?

A. He reflects back and describes his initial optimism of the war.
B. He makes predictions about the possible outcomes of the war.
C. He criticizes the US government for becoming involved in the war.
D. He shares his hopes for the non-Communist Vietnamese.

Answer 1

A. He reflects back and describes his initial optimism of the war.

Answer 2

A. He reflects back and describes his initial optimism of the war. Everyone initially feels that optimism going into a battle. The idea of victory is something easy to see. But it gives the idea that possibly it may not turn out exactly as he hopes in the final sentence.