Question

read the passage. then answer each question.
orson welless war of the worlds
in 1939, on an october night, an invasion was reported on the radio. the report put listeners in a daze as it described an attack on new jersey by aliens from planet mars.
the news bulletins were updated by rotating broadcasters describing various scenes. the pitiless martians crushed the human army. they shredded property with their heat rays. the neutral, authentic-sounding radio broadcast brought fear to listeners who believed the events were true. the gauge of anxiety increased as the show described the invasion of new york city.
in reality, the broadcast was a drama based on the science-fiction novel the war of the worlds. an actor named orson welles had directed and performed in it and co-authored the script as well.
the next day, mr. welles found his name on the front pages of newspapers across the country. critics accused him of abuse of trust, because he knew the show would cause panic. initially, welles defended himself. however, he later admitted to poor judgement, saying, \if id planned to wreck my career, i couldnt have gone about it better.\

1. what is the meaning of the word daze as it is used in paragraph 1?

① state of happiness ② state of shock ③ confuse ④ surprise

1. pick the word that best defines pitiless as it is used in paragraph 2.

① heartless ② merciful ③ powerful ④ strange

1. what does the word shredded mean as it is used in paragraph 2?

① mended ② occupied ③ destroyed ④ stole

1. the latin word abusus means \misuse.\ the word abuse in paragraph 4 means

① mistreatment ② respect ③ creation ④ withdrawal
a prepositional phrase includes a preposition and its object. a comma may be used to separate it from the rest of the sentence. for example, after the show, we went out for dinner. underline a prepositional phrase in \orson welless war of the worlds.\
write your own
write 3-5 sentences that describe a person, place, or thing without naming it. use at least three words from this unit. have a partner read your sentences and guess what you have described.

Explanation:

1. For "daze" (para1): The radio report about a Martian attack would put listeners in a shocked, disoriented state, matching "state of shock".
2. For "pitiless" (para2): The Martians crushed the army and destroyed property without mercy, so "heartless" is the correct definition.
3. For "shredded" (para2): The text links this to property damage from heat rays, so it means "destroyed".
4. For "abuse" (para4): Given the Latin root "abusus" (misuse), and the context of breaking trust, "mistreatment" (misusing the audience's trust) fits.
5. Prepositional phrase: A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition; "on an October night" (from para1) follows this structure.
6. Writing task: Uses 3+ unit words (daze, pitiless, shredded) to describe a storm without naming it.

Answer:

1. b) state of shock
2. a) heartless
3. c) destroyed
4. a) mistreatment
5. Example prepositional phrase: on an October night (from the first paragraph)
6. Example writing:

The sudden, howling force threw debris through the air, leaving the neighborhood in a dazed, chaotic mess. Its pitiless winds shredded porch swings and tore shingles from roofs, leaving nothing untouched. By dawn, the gauge of destruction was clear: trees lay crumpled, and streets were flooded with rainwater. Even the neutral, sturdy street signs had been bent at odd angles, a silent reminder of the chaos that had swept through.