Question

select the passage that has a more cheerful tone.
herbert looked up and saw a man approaching the farmhouse. it was mr. barton, a tall, shabbily attired man, his head crowned with a battered hat.
from the southern edge of the gleaming meadow, a tall man was swinging along with easy strides. he carried his broad - brimmed hat in his right hand and waved it as if in greeting.
adapted from horatio alger, helping himself and harriet f. comstock, joyce of the north woods

Explanation:

To determine the passage with a more cheerful tone, we analyze the descriptions:

• The first passage describes Mr. Barton as "shabbily attired" with a "battered hat"—these details have a more somber or neutral tone.
• The second passage describes a man "swinging along with easy strides" and "waved [his hat] as if in greeting"—actions like "swinging" and "waving in greeting" convey lightness, friendliness, and cheerfulness.

The passage with the more cheerful tone is:

From the southern edge of the gleaming meadow, a tall man was swinging along with easy strides. He carried his broad - brimmed hat in his right hand and waved it as if in greeting.

Answer:

To determine the passage with a more cheerful tone, we analyze the descriptions:

• The first passage describes Mr. Barton as "shabbily attired" with a "battered hat"—these details have a more somber or neutral tone.
• The second passage describes a man "swinging along with easy strides" and "waved [his hat] as if in greeting"—actions like "swinging" and "waving in greeting" convey lightness, friendliness, and cheerfulness.

The passage with the more cheerful tone is:

From the southern edge of the gleaming meadow, a tall man was swinging along with easy strides. He carried his broad - brimmed hat in his right hand and waved it as if in greeting.