Question

analyzing a memoir
pre - test complete
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read the excerpt from chapter 7 of night.
when at last a grayish light appeared on the horizon, it revealed a tangle of human shapes, heads sunk deeply between the shoulders, crouching, piled one on top of the other, like a cemetery covered with snow. in the early dawn light, i tried to distinguish between the living and those who were no more. but there was barely a difference. my gaze remained fixed on someone who, eyes wide open, stared into space. his colorless face was covered with a layer of frost and snow.
which statement best describes the atmosphere the author creates?
it is an atmosphere of relief.
it is an atmosphere of hesitation.
it is a skeptical atmosphere.
it is a nightmarish atmosphere.

Explanation:

The text describes a scene with "a tangle of human shapes", "heads sunk deeply", "like a cemetery covered with snow", and a person with a "colorless face covered with frost and snow". These elements create a nightmarish and bleak image. There is no indication of relief (no positive or comforting elements), hesitation (no signs of indecision in the description), or skepticism (no doubt - related expressions).

Answer:

It is a nightmarish atmosphere.