question_answer

                                                    Read the given passage carefully,                                                        'Mum!' I shouted. Are you okay?' I saw her little tent shuddering in the gale and listened closely for her response. Her voice was almost casual: 'Oh, yes, I'm fine.' That's my mother. It was the first night of our cycling trip through the interior of Iceland?a region so remote and inhospitable that for centuries, according to legend, it was abandoned. The weather was decidedly hurricane-like, but Mum wasn't concerned. Months ago, I told her about my plan to pedal across Iceland. 'It will be really difficult,' I said. "The roads are unpaved and often washed out and the wind is blowing constantly sometimes so hard that it pushes you off the road." There was silence for a moment. Then she asked, 'Can I come?' 'Sure,' I replied. "But like the rest of us, you have to train to do two 160 kilometres a day back-to-back," 'Wow,' she said, 'I could never do that.' I had more faith in my mother's physical abilities than she did. I'd seen her raise six children and put in long hours doing physical labour on our small farm. 'Sure you can,' I told her, 'Start tomorrow.' What really concerned me was what I perceived to be her frustrating humility, I thought her too self-deprecating about her intellect just because she had not completed college. I felt she underestimated her attractiveness just because she was not the type to wear make up or fancy clothes. As I had grown into adulthood, the life I'd chosen seemed light-years away from Mum's quiet existence, still caring for her children and her children's children. Sometimes, on a visit home, I'd describe some recent trip I'd taken and her blue eyes would shine with interest. So, I couldn't help thinking this trek might revitalise Mum, who had started to slow down in her 50s. It might spice up what I saw as her humdrum life. And it might be a boost to her tentative and retiring persona. Mum trained furiously, months in advance. As the trip roster was pared down to Mum, my good friend Alien and me, she stood as the most dedicated. Soon she was riding 80-100 Ion per day and was as strong a rider as Alien or I. Complete the statements. (a) The narrator describes roads across Iceland as ......... (b) The narrator had faith in his mother's physical abilities because ......... (c) In his adulthood the narrator realised that his life was ........ (d) The narrator and his friend were sure about Mum's preparation when ......... (e) The word in the passage which means the same as 'noticed/became aware of is ......

Answer:

  (a) unpaved and washed out. (b) he had seen her raise six children put in long hours doing physical labour on their small farm. (c) far away from his mother's quiet existence. (d) she was riding 80-100 km per day and was as strong a rider as them. (e) perceived.