Question

adapted from the underdogs
by mariano azuela

in the brush and foliage of the sierra, demetrio macias and his threescore men slept until the halloo of the horn, blown by pancracio from the crest of a peak, awakened them.

\time, boys! look around and see whats what!\ anastasio montanez said. an hour or more elapsed with no sound or stir save the song of the locust in the brush or the frog stirring in his mudhole. at last, when the ultimate faint rays of the moon were spent in the rosy dimness of the dawn, the silhouette of a soldier loomed at the end of the trail. as they strained their eyes, they could distinguish others behind him, ten, twenty, a hundred... then, suddenly, darkness swallowed them up. only when the sun rose, demetrios band realized that the canyon was alive with men, tiny figurines seated on miniature horses.

now the moving ant-like figures were lost in the dense chaparral, now they reappeared, stark and black against the ocher. the voices of officers, as they gave orders, and soldiers, marching at ease, were clearly audible.

select the correct answer.

how does the interaction between demetrios band and the soldiers advance the plot?

it develops the rising action.
it leads to the resolution.
it illustrates the turning point.
it introduces the characters.

Explanation:

Analyze the narrative context and plot structure

The passage describes Demetrio Macias and his men waking up in the sierra and spotting approaching soldiers. They watch the silhouette of a soldier loom at the end of the trail, followed by "ten, twenty, a hundred" more, realizing the canyon is "alive with men." This sighting of the enemy forces and the impending confrontation builds suspense and tension, which directly develops the rising action of the narrative.

Evaluate the answer choices

• "It develops the rising action": Correct. The discovery of the approaching enemy soldiers creates tension and sets up the conflict, which is the definition of rising action.
• "It leads to the resolution": Incorrect. This is the beginning of a confrontation, not the wrapping up of the story.
• "It illustrates the turning point": Incorrect. The turning point (climax) would be the actual battle or decisive moment, whereas this is the buildup.
• "It introduces the characters": Incorrect. The main characters (Demetrio and his men) were already introduced at the very beginning of the passage.

Answer:

• (A) It develops the rising action. (Correct answer)
• (B) It leads to the resolution.
• (C) It illustrates the turning point.
• (D) It introduces the characters.