Question

close read: analyze the text
identify the choice that best answers the question.
the following question has two parts. answer part a first, and then part b.
part a
in \ambush,\ what most likely motivates the narrator to kill the young man?
a. a deep loyalty to his country
b. an instinctive reaction to his fear
c. a cruel lack of compassion for the enemy
d. a calculated decision to protect his platoon
part b
which passage from the selection most clearly supports the answer to part a?
a. i did not hate the young man; i did not see him as the enemy; i did not ponder issues of morality or politics or military duty
b. i was terrified. there were no thoughts about killing .... i had already thrown the grenade before telling myself to throw it
c. it occurred to me then that he was about to die. i wanted to warn him.
d. it was not a matter of live or die .... almost certainly the young man would have passed by.

Explanation:

In "Ambush", the narrator is shown to be in a state of fear when he throws the grenade at the young man, indicating an instinctive reaction. For Part B, the passage about being terrified and throwing the grenade without thinking clearly supports the idea of an instinct - based action.

Answer:

Part A: B. an instinctive reaction to his fear
Part B: B. I was terrified. There were no thoughts about killing . . . I had already thrown the grenade before telling myself to throw it