14
QuizMultiple Choice

"By the Waters of Babylon," Part 1: Analyzing Setting — Quiz

Question 14 • English Language Arts 10

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.” How shall I tell what I saw? The towers are not all broken—here and there one still stands, like a great tree in a forest, and the birds nest high. But the towers themselves look blind, for the gods are gone. I saw a fishhawk, catching fish in the river. I saw a little dance of white butterflies over a great heap of broken stones and columns. I went there and looked about me—there was a carved stone with cut—letters, broken in half. I can read letters but I could not understand these. They said UBTREAS. There was also the shattered image of a man or a god. It had been made of white stone and he wore his hair tied back like a woman's. His name was ASHING, as I read on the cracked half of a stone. I thought it wise to pray to ASHING, though I do not know that god. Which details in the passage describe an atmosphere of desolation? Choose two correct answers.

Answer
A
“How shall I tell what I saw?"
B
"but the towers themselves look blind"
C
"a fishhawk, catching fish in the river"
D
"a little dance of white butterflies"
E
"shattered image of a man or a god"

Explanation

The towers that “look blind” suggest a lifeless, abandoned place, especially because the passage says the gods are gone. The “shattered image of a man or a god” also shows destruction and ruin. Together, these details create an atmosphere of desolation.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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