How does the rhetoric of this passage best support the tone?
there was so much to do; we didn't know where to start.
the packed closets? the collapsing garage? the stuffed
attic? how had dad let the house fall into such disarray?

The tone of a passage is the attitude that the author has towards the subject that he is describing. In this example, the author adopts a tone of stress and anxiety when talking about everything that has to be done in the house. Moreover, this tone is developed through the rhetorical devices that the author employs. The author uses vivid language in order to convey the amount of work that has to be done in the house. Moreover, he provides several examples that allow the reader to create a mental picture of the state of the house.

may i see the passage?

"why don't you like me the way i am? " i cried. "i'm not a genius! i can't play the piano, and even if i could, i wouldn't go on tv if you paid me a million dollars! "

explanation:

the conflict between jing-mei and her mother is over jing-mei's piano lessons since her mother wants her to become a prodigy but she does not want to play it any more.