Neco 2017 Literature In English Question 51

Read the excerpt below. Evening had settled over the village, and the thatched roofs lay silent under a sky bruised with dark clouds. The children's laughter that had once echoed through the narrow lanes was now a distant memory, replaced by the soft rustle of leaves as the wind whispered through the empty streets. Yet, as the first pale light of dawn broke, the horizon glowed amber, and the villagers emerged, their faces bright with renewed purpose. (a) Identify the dominant mood in the first paragraph and justify with two textual clues. (b) In the second paragraph the mood changes. Identify the new mood and explain how the author achieves this shift. (c) Discuss how the overall mood progression contributes to the central theme of the passage.