Question

Read the excerpt from an essay about the red wolf. The red wolf, a native of the southern United States, is on the brink of extinction. Its status on the critically endangered list suggests a dire circumstance, despite efforts to restore its population. Its threats include hunting, new construction, and death by motor vehicle. But the most pervasive hindrance to the restoration effort is human ambivalence. Few are willing to serve as defenders of the ‘big bad wolf,’ but the red wolf is in dire need of human assistance. People must disregard this misnomer and offer a measure of human kindness and consideration to this graceful creature. How does the author's word choice affect the tone of the excerpt? The words effort and ambivalence impart an indifferent tone. The words critically and threats impart a fierce tone. The words dire and must impart a passionate tone. The words kindness and consideration impart a gentle tone.

Answer 1

The words dire and must impart a passionate tone. I would say that the author is passionate about saving the red wolf and about trying tururen public opinion around to a more favorable image of wolves as valuable creatures that have much more to fear from man than man has to fear from them.