Question

Read the excerpt from chapter 6 of Animal Farm.

November came, with raging south-west winds. Building had to stop because it was now too wet to mix the cement. Finally there came a night when the gale was so violent that the farm buildings rocked on their foundations and several tiles were blown off the roof of the barn. The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance. In the morning the animals came out of their stalls to find that the flagstaff had been blown down and an elm tree at the foot of the orchard had been plucked up like a radish. They had just noticed this when a cry of despair broke from every animal's throat. A terrible sight had met their eyes. The windmill was in ruins.

How does the pacing of this passage affect the reader's interpretation of the text? Select three options.

The flashback to earlier events helps readers understand what caused the storms.
The slowing of the pace shows readers the cause of the windmill’s destruction.
The slowing of the pace creates suspense for readers about what is to come.
Speeding up the pace of the text brings it to the climax of the windmill’s destruction.
The slowing of the pace gives readers details about the storm and its aftermath.

Answer 1

Selected: 2, 3, and 5.

- The slowing of the pace shows readers the cause of the windmill’s destruction (the detailed build-up of the gale makes clear the storm caused the ruin).
- The slowing of the pace creates suspense for readers about what is to come (the gradual escalation—from wind to damage to discovery—builds tension).
- The slowing of the pace gives readers details about the storm and its aftermath (specific images—tiles blown off, flagstaff down, uprooted elm—are spelled out during the slower sections).

Options 1 and 4 are incorrect: there is no flashback, and the passage does not rely on a sped-up pace to reach the windmill’s climax.