From BIG NATE – IN CLASS BY HIMSELF by Lincoln Peirce She could have called on anybody.

There were twenty-two other kids in the classroom, and they all had their hands in the air. Francis did. Teddy did. Gina did, of course. Even Nick Blonsky, who usually sits in the back row with his pencil up his nose, had his hand raised. She could have called on one of them, right?
Guess who she called on.
Mrs. Godfrey always does this. She always calls on me when I don’t know the answer. And she can TELL I don’t know it. Ever hear somebody say that dogs can smell fear? That’s Mrs. Godfrey. She’s like a dog.
A big, ugly, nasty dog.
I sort of skooch down in my seat. The whole class is staring at me. My ears start to burn, then my cheeks. I can feel tiny droplets of sweat beading up on my forehead.
“WELL?” she barks.
I’ve heard that on an average day you use about 10 percent of your brainpower. Well, sitting here with my mouth turning dry as a sack of sand, I really need that other 90 percent to kick in. But my mind is blank.
Mrs. Godfrey steps away from the chalkboard and starts toward me. She looks mad. No, worse than mad. She looks mean. Her face is flushed. I can see tiny flecks of spittle at the corner of her mouth. That’s pretty gross. I brace myself…
And the bell rings!

12) Which two words best contribute to the overall tone of the selection?
A. mind, nose
B. fear, dog
C. chalkboard, gross
D. brainpower, ears