Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this article.

Read this excerpt from "Nixon Resigns" by Carroll Kilpatrick:

But why did the President always rely on Ehrlichman and Haldeman? The official was asked. “Will we ever know?” he replied. “When Mr. Nixon was Vice President,” he recalled, “he demanded that we never abuse the franking privilege. If there was any doubt, we were to use stamps. Everything had to be above board.

“Surely his friendship with Ehrlichman and Haldeman was one of the most expensive in history.”

Which statement best explains how the use of language affects the tone?

It creates an informal and bemused tone.

It creates a formal and bewildered tone.

It creates an informal and perplexed tone.

It creates a formal and skeptical tone.