The underlined words in the excerpt from "Silent Spring" create a tone that is:
1. Ominous: The mention of hens brooding but no chicks hatching, small pig litters, and lack of pollination due to the absence of bees conveys a sense of foreboding and potential ecological disaster.
2. Desperate: The farmers' inability to raise animals and the lack of pollination for fruit trees depict a situation of urgency and helplessness in the face of environmental decline.
3. Melancholic: The absence of new life (chicks, piglets) and the failure of natural processes like pollination evoke a feeling of sadness and loss.
Overall, the underlined words in the excerpt create a tone that is worrisome, highlighting the negative impact of environmental degradation on farm life and the ecosystem.
