Question

Read this sentence from Silent Spring.

Along the roads, laurel, viburnum and alder, great ferns and wildflowers delighted the traveler's eye through much of the year.

Read the excerpt from "A Case for Waawaatesi."

It turns out that being dark part of the time is a good idea for animals, and for ourselves. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Which best states a comparison of the tones used in these excerpts?

Both excerpts are negative, but the second excerpt has a more negative tone.
Both excerpts are positive, but the first excerpt has a more serious tone.
Both excerpts are despairing, but the first excerpt has a gloomier tone.
Both excerpts are uplifting, but the second excerpt is more conversational in tone.

Answer 1

Both excerpts are uplifting, but the second excerpt is more conversational in tone.

Explanation: The Silent Spring line is descriptive and celebratory of nature, while the Waawaatesi line offers reassurance in a relaxed, spoken style ("It turns out," "That’s the way it’s supposed to be").