Question

r, despite the fact that the british lined up in a straight line toght red coats. the british moved on to concord, expecting anoth, however, hundreds of minutemen took position behind stone watrees, in a kind of primitive guerrilla fighting style. the british werefire from minutemen snipers hidden in trees and behind houses. theroops retreated to boston. by the end of the first day of the revolutionacounted 73 dead and 174 wounded.
what is the meaning of the underlined phrase in the passage above?
choose one option
a british troops were vulnerable to attack by the hidden minutemen.
b british troops were sitting on the ground in the same position that duckssometimes take.
c the british often hunted for ducks in the woods around concord and lexington.
d british troops were taking care of ducks while their commanders were away.

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of the underlined phrase (likely "sitting ducks" based on context and options), we analyze each option:

• Option A: The Minutemen were hidden (behind stone walls, trees, houses) and the British were in a straight line/visible, making them vulnerable to attack. This matches the guerrilla - style fighting and the British casualties.
• Option B: The phrase "sitting ducks" is not about physically sitting like ducks on the ground, but a metaphor for vulnerability, so this is incorrect.
• Option C: The passage is about a battle, not duck hunting, so this is irrelevant.
• Option D: The passage has no mention of British troops taking care of ducks, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

A. British troops were vulnerable to attack by the hidden Minutemen.