Question

1. read paragraphs 34 and 35 below.

the news spread through sighet like wildfire. soon that was all people talked about. but not for long. optimism soon revived: the germans will not come this far. they will stay in budapest. for strategic reasons, for political reasons . . .
in less than three days, german army vehicles made their appearance on our streets.
how are these paragraphs important to the structure of the passage?
a. they create a sense of confusion by describing the citizens’ reactions upon the arrival of the troops.
b. they create a sense of excitement by explaining the citizens’ emotions upon receiving the news of the german troops’ movements.
c. they create a sense of tension by explaining the german troops’ sudden appearance when the citizens felt at ease.
d. they create a sense of hostility by describing the german troops’ actions as confrontational when they arrived in the city.

Explanation:

The passage starts with news spreading like wildfire, optimism reviving, but then German Army vehicles appear on streets. This shows a shift from initial optimism/confusion to tension as the Germans' sudden appearance (after not coming initially) would create unease. Option A: The passage doesn't focus on citizens' reactions to troops' arrival (it's about the news and then their appearance), so A is wrong. Option B: There's no excitement or explanation of emotions from troop movements, so B is wrong. Option D: The passage doesn't describe hostile actions from German troops, just their appearance, so D is wrong. Option C matches the shift from initial optimism to tension with their sudden appearance.

Answer:

C. They create a sense of tension by explaining the German troops’ sudden appearance when the citizens felt at ease.