select the passage that has a more uncertain tone.\n\nhe answered not a word. like the last column of some…

select the passage that has a more uncertain tone.\n\nhe answered not a word. like the last column of some ruined temple, he remained standing mute and solitary in the middle of the otherwise deserted room.\n\ni behaved with a politeness which seemed to disconcert him. perhaps he was shy. he mumbled to me as if maybe he were ashamed of what he was saying.\n\nadapted from herman melville, \bartleby, the scrivener\ and joseph conrad, the secret sharer

select the passage that has a more uncertain tone.\n\nhe answered not a word. like the last column of some ruined temple, he remained standing mute and solitary in the middle of the otherwise deserted room.\n\ni behaved with a politeness which seemed to disconcert him. perhaps he was shy. he mumbled to me as if maybe he were ashamed of what he was saying.\n\nadapted from herman melville, \bartleby, the scrivener\ and joseph conrad, the secret sharer

Answer

Brief Explanations:

To determine the passage with a more uncertain tone, we analyze both:

  • The first passage uses descriptive imagery (comparing him to a ruined temple column) and states facts about his silence and solitude—no uncertainty.
  • The second passage uses words like "seemed," "Perhaps," and "as if maybe," which introduce speculation and doubt about his feelings (shy, ashamed). These tentative terms create an uncertain tone.

Answer:

The second passage: "I behaved with a politeness which seemed to disconcert him. Perhaps he was shy. He mumbled to me as if maybe he were ashamed of what he was saying."