In Exposure, what are the soldiers awake at night afraid of?

• A. Rain and snow
• B. Hunger
• C. An enemy attack
• D. A parade

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is that in Exposure the soldiers stay awake at night because they fear an enemy attack and shelling. The poem places you with them in the trenches, where danger from the opposing forces could erupt at any moment, keeping them tense and alert. The harsh weather and cold contribute to the misery, but they’re background factors; the pressing fear driving the wakefulness is the threat from the enemy. Hunger isn’t the focus of the tension, and a parade would be the opposite mood of the scene, so it doesn’t fit the poem’s grim reality.