Question

select the passage that has a more unsettled tone. and he went to his desk trembling a little and with shaking knees. it was as though the memory of some terrible pain had suddenly laid its icy hand upon his heart and touched the scar of a great horror. lost in the crowd, miserable and undersized, he meditated confidently on his power. keeping his hand in the left pocket of his trousers, he lightly grasped the india - rubber ball, the supreme guarantee of his freedom. adapted from algernon blackwood, four weird tales and joseph conrad, the secret agent

Explanation:

To determine the passage with a more unsettled tone, we analyze the language and imagery:

• The first passage uses words like "trembling", "shaking knees", "terrible pain", "icy hand", and "great horror". These create a sense of fear, anxiety, and emotional disturbance, conveying an unsettled mood.
• The second passage has words like "confidently" and "supreme guarantee of his freedom", which suggest a more assured or determined tone, not unsettled.

Answer:

And he went to his desk trembling a little and with shaking knees. It was as though the memory of some terrible pain had suddenly laid its icy hand upon his heart and touched the scar of a great horror.