Read the excerpt from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cl
eaning his little home. First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur, and an aching back and weary arms. How does the author’s word choice help express the tone of the excerpt? The negative connotations of the words “dust,” “aching,” and “weary” give the excerpt a tone of relaxation. The negative connotations of the words “dust,” “aching,” and “weary” give the excerpt a tone of tiredness. The positive connotations of the words “home,” “morning,” and “splashes” give the excerpt a tone of relaxation. The positive connotations of the words “home,” “morning,” and “splashes” give the excerpt a tone of tiredness.
Answer: B, the negative connotations of the words “dust,” “aching,” and “weary” give the excerpt a tone of tiredness.
Explanation:
In the excerpt, we learn that the mole has been working hard, and that he worked all morning. Spring-cleaning usually implies a deep cleaning, like replacing the carpet or cleaning your oven. However, when someone typically does some spring-cleaning, they end up tired. We can prove this by using the words “aching” and “weary,” as they describe being tired.
Working up to 20 hours a day, cowboys drove the animals from one watering place to the next. They had to guard against predators (two- and four-footed), straying cattle, and stampedes at night. For his hard and dirty work the typical cowboy earned between $25 and $40 a month.
