Question

read the passage.
in this excerpt from a short story, a french soldier has escaped from enemy captors to rejoin the french army.
from an adventure
1
after walking for a long time in the sand... the soldier was obliged to stop, as the day had already come to an end. despite the beauty of the night, with its exquisite sky, he felt that he could not. though he fain would continue on his weary way, he suddenly he had come to a small eminence, on the summit of which grew a few palm trees whose verdure shot into the air and could be seen from afar; this had brought hope and consolation to his heart.
2
his fatigue was so great that he threw himself down on a block of granite, capriciously fashioned by nature into the semblance of a camp-bed, and without taking any precaution for defense, was soon fast in sleep. in the middle of the night his sleep was disturbed by an extraordinary sound. he sat up: the profound silence that reigned around enabled him to distinguish the alternating rhythm of a respiration whose savage energy it was impossible could be that of a human being.
(from \an adventure\ by honoré de balzac, translated by ellen marriage and clara bell, in the human comedy by honoré de balzac)
which detail from the passage most clearly develops the suspenseful point of view?

1. \walking for a long time in the sand... the soldier was obliged to stop as the day had already come to an end\ (paragraph 1)
2. \on the summit of which grew a few palm trees whose verdure shot into the air and could be seen from afar\ (paragraph 1)
3. \he threw himself down... and without taking any precaution for defense, was soon fast in sleep\ (paragraph 2)
4. \the alternating rhythm of a respiration whose savage energy it was impossible could be that of a human being\ (paragraph 2)

Explanation:

To determine the detail that develops the suspenseful point of view, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Describes the soldier stopping due to the end of the day, which is more about fatigue/timing, not suspense.
• Option 2: Describes the palm trees on the universe, giving a sense of setting but not suspense.
• Option 3: Describes the soldier falling asleep, showing vulnerability but not immediate suspense.
• Option 4: Describes an extraordinary sound and a respiration that is not human, creating a sense of mystery and impending danger, which builds suspense as it hints at a non - human presence.

Answer:

1. "the alternating rhythm of a respiration whose savage energy it was impossible could be that of a human being" (Paragraph 2)