Question

read the excerpt from a rumor of war.

the discovery that the men we had scorned as peasant guerrillas were, in fact, a lethal, determined enemy and the casualty lists that lengthened each week with nothing to show for the blood being spilled broke our early confidence.

according to the excerpt, the soldiers

felt that their efforts were not successful.
failed because of their lack of self-belief.
showed no apprehension about facing the enemy.
were proud of their own strength and determination.

Explanation:

Analyze the text evidence

The excerpt states that "the casualty lists that lengthened each week with nothing to show for the blood being spilled broke our early confidence." The phrase "nothing to show for the blood being spilled" directly indicates that the soldiers felt their efforts and sacrifices were not yielding successful results.

Evaluate the options

• "felt that their efforts were not successful": This matches the evidence of having "nothing to show" for their casualties.
• "failed because of their lack of self-belief": Incorrect, as they had "early confidence" which was only broken later by the reality of the war.
• "showed no apprehension about facing the enemy": Incorrect, as their confidence was "broke[n]" by discovering a "lethal, determined enemy."
• "were proud of their own strength and determination": Incorrect, as the text focuses on their broken confidence and the enemy's determination.

Answer:

• felt that their efforts were not successful. (Correct answer)
• failed because of their lack of self-belief.
• showed no apprehension about facing the enemy.
• were proud of their own strength and determination.