To trudge means to "walk slowly and with heavy steps, typically because of exhaustion or harsh conditions."
Does that help?
The phrase that contributes to the author's sad tone is "silent sterile shores," conveying a somber image, as stated in option A and further explained below.
<h3>What is tone?</h3>
In literature, the term tone is used to refer to the author's attitude or approach concerning a certain topic. Tone is revealed through the words chosen by the author. Examples of tone are:
In the passage we are analyzing here, the author's tone is sad. The words and phrases that convey such sadness upon seeing the somber reservoir are:
- Debris-choked side canyons
With the information above in mind, we can select option A as the correct answer.
Learn more about tone here:
brainly.com/question/15447799
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