Look back (at)

[Sitifan]

1. Look ____ the way we had come, we could see the whole vally spread out behind us.
(A) back at (B) back
2. It's easy to make judgments looking ___ the past.
(A) back at (B) back
The answers to the above questions are: #1 B; #2 A.
Why not use "at" in #1?
_________________
Thank you very much for your reply.

[Barb_D]

Tell me that #1 was really "looking" and not "look," right?

I'd say #1 could be either. Without the "at" it tells you which direction you looked. With the "at," it tells you what you looked at.

[Sitifan]