Question 5 • CMS 2026-2027 English III CREDIT RECOVERY
Read the excerpt from A Rumor of War . The tedium was occasionally relieved by a large-scale search-and-destroy operation, but the exhilaration of riding the lead helicopter into a landing zone was usually followed by more of the same hot walking, with the mud sucking at our boots and the sun thudding against our helmets while an invisible enemy shot at us from distant tree lines. The paradox in the excerpt illustrates the idea that
Answer
A
danger could alleviate the monotony of war.
B
walking was often necessary after flying.
C
the soldiers could not see their enemies.
D
the heat was more difficult to overcome than the enemy.
Explanation
The excerpt contrasts the tedium of routine walking with the exhilaration of a dangerous helicopter landing. The search-and-destroy operation briefly relieved the monotony, even though it led back to the same exhausting conditions and danger. This paradox shows that danger could alleviate the monotony of war; the passage is not mainly comparing heat with the enemy or emphasizing that walking followed flying.
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