excerpt from Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy

Question

Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

This much we pledge—and more.

To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.

What mood does the underlined portion of the excerpt evoke?

A. 

hope

B. 

surprise

C. 

bitterness

D. 

anger

Answer 1

Hi, Sarah!

For a number of reasons, I'd go with hope. Wording like, "a new torch has been passed" shows hope is pinned on the performance of the new generation, and "united there is little we cannot do" also shows optimism.

Another trick you can use is to look for similarities to eliminate answers. In this case, bitterness and anger are pretty much the same thing. Since there can be only one answer, looking for similarities and eliminating them help you improve your odds if you have to guess.

One last thing - for surprise, you'd need evidence of a "gotcha" or "I've been caught" moment. This passage is mainly about determination and hope for the future.

Good luck in your studies!