Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.

I am a foot taller than the tallest girl in my village and twice the weight of the fattest. On my only visit to a beautician. the woman said she found my face a challenge. Yet, despite these social disadvantages, I feel cheerful, happy, confident and secure.
Several years ago, I visited the city for the first time. and I saw something there that made me realize the stupidity of trying to conform - of trying to be like everybody else - even with particular physical disadvantages. There was a small plump woman all dressed up but looking really stuffed and funny in the fashion wear. She also carried a shooting stick. But because she was so plump, when she sat on the stick, it went deep into the ground and she couldn't pull it out. She tugged and tugged. tears of rage in her eyes. When the final tug brought it out, she crashed with it to the ground. I saw her walk away. Her day had been ruined. She had made a fool of herself in public. She had impressed nobody. In her own sad eyes, she was a failure.
But hardly anyone took any notice of her and her misery in the busy street. I remember well when I was like that in the days before I learned that nobody really cared what you did. And watching that miserable small woman as she walked away gave me renewed inspiration.
(a) Briefly describe two physical characteristics of the writer as shown in the passage.
(b) Why is the writer not bothered about her social disadvantages?
(c)(i) How did the woman with the shooting stick feel after the incident? (ii) Why was the feeling unnecessary.
(d) .... when she sat on the stick... (i) What grammatical name is used to describe the above expression? (ii) What is its function?
(e) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it in the passage:
(i) disadvantages; (ii) conform; (ii) tugged; (iv) miserable; (vi) inspiration


Show Answer Show Explanation