Read the passage from Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, then answer the questions that follow. "There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surrounding. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, and spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze color that flamed and flickered across a backdrop of pines"

1. what is the subject/topic of this passage?
2. What are the words in this passage that convey tone about the town?
3. Is the tone positive or negative?
4. What can you conclude about the town based on the tone used?
5. Based on the tone, what do you think is the author's purpose in this passage?