Comparing and Contrasting Two Versions of The War of the Worlds
Question 12 • NY-English Language Arts 12 CR
Read the excerpt from H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds.The end of the cylinder was being screwed out from within. Nearly two feet of shining screw projected. Somebody blundered against me, and I narrowly missed being pitched onto the top of the screw. I turned, and as I did so the screw must have come out, for the lid of the cylinder fell upon the gravel with a ringing concussion. I stuck my elbow into the person behind me, and turned my head towards the Thing again. For a moment that circular cavity seemed perfectly black. I had the sunset in my eyes.
Answer
A
with the inclusion of factual data
B
through the suspenseful mood
C
with the use of gory details
D
through the relaxed tone
Explanation
The passage builds suspense by describing the cylinder opening little by little, the crowd jostling, and the narrator turning to face the unknown “Thing.” The cavity then appears “perfectly black,” leaving the reader uncertain about what will emerge. This suspenseful mood is the main way the excerpt establishes its science-fiction scene, rather than factual data, gore, or a relaxed tone.
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