by Cathy Spagnoli
The help of elders supports harmony in society, and friends can come in many forms, as this tale suggests. A yamanba, found in Japanese folklore, usually lives on mountains, is quite fierce, and can change shapes.
Mukashi, mukashi ... Long ago in a quiet Japanese village, people feared the yamanba who lived at the top of a nearby mountain.
When rains fell too hard on their crops, people said, "It's her fault, that yamanba. She likes to make trouble."
When snows piled up high on their houses, people said, "It's her fault, that yamanba. She loves to make trouble."
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Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
What can a reader determine about most of the villagers based on the figurative language in the passage?
(1 point)
Responses
They are deeply afraid of the yamanba.
They are deeply afraid of the yamanba.
They want to prove their bravery to the yamanba.
They want to prove their bravery to the yamanba.
They love and wish to please the yamanba.
They love and wish to please the yamanba.
They see the yamanba as no more than superstition.
1 answer
Based on the figurative language in the passage, a reader can determine that most of the villagers are deeply afraid of the yamanba. The villagers attribute negative events, such as heavy rains and snow, to her actions, suggesting a belief in her power to cause trouble and a general sense of fear toward her. Thus, the correct response is:
They are deeply afraid of the yamanba.
