Question

read this passage:
the flashlight flickered and then died, plunging wills into darkness. he reached into his pocket for fresh batteries and found, like always, nothing. hoping anne would realize what had happened and come back and rescue him, he tapped the flashlight several times and frantically pushed the switch off and on, as if that would help. nothing. wills tapped the flashlight again, this time harder, and resorted to pleading. \please,\ he muttered. \please, turn on.\
which statement best describes how the mood supports the overall meaning of the passage?
a. the exasperated mood helps the reader understand how willss irresponsibility makes him a frustrating person to be around.
b. the nervous mood helps the reader understand how willss forgetfulness has led to a genuinely frightening experience for him.
c. the relaxed mood helps the reader understand how wills has put himself into a dangerous situation he is only beginning to understand.
d. the disrespectful mood helps the reader understand how wills must learn to take the needs of others into account.

Explanation:

The passage shows Wills in a tense situation (flashlight dying, no batteries, frantic actions like tapping and pleading). Words like "frantically" and the desperate "Please, turn on" create a nervous mood. His forgetfulness (no batteries) leads to a scary (darkness, reliance on others) experience.

Answer:

B. The nervous mood helps the reader understand how Wills's forgetfulness has led to a genuinely frightening experience for him.