Read this excerpt from chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter . Before this ugly edifice, and between it and the wheel-track of the street, was a grass-plot, much overgrown with burdock, pig-weed, apple-peru, and such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found something congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison. Which best describes the effect of the words “ugly,” “overgrown,” “pig-weed,” and “unsightly vegetation”?
Answer
A
They impart a mysterious mood.
B
They establish a rough, untamed setting.
C
They impart an angry mood.
D
They establish a rural, agricultural setting.
Explanation
The words “ugly,” “overgrown,” and “unsightly vegetation” emphasize that the area is neglected and unkempt. The weeds grow wild rather than being planted or cared for, creating a rough, untamed setting. They do not primarily create mystery or anger, and the plot is not a cultivated farm.
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