Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions on it.
Twenty years ago, I used to drive a taxi for a living. I drove the night shift. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in the dark, and shared stories about their lives. Then, they opened the door and left, and I never met them again. During that time, I encountered people whose lives amazed me, inspired me, and made me laugh and weep. But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night. I was responding to a call from a small block of walk-up flats in a quiet part of the town. When I arrived at 2:30 am, the area was deserted and the building was dark, except for a single light from a ground floor window. I honked twice and waited, but no one appeared. Under such circumstances, many drivers usually drove away, but I had seen so many people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation showed a sign of danger, I always went to the door. "This passenger might be someone who needed my assistance," I reasoned to myself. So, I walked to the door and just as I approached, the door opened. I heard an elderly voice call out, "Just a minute." I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A woman in her 80s stood before me. "Would you please carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the taxi, and then returned to assist her. She took my arm and we walked slowly towards the taxi. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It is nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated." "Oh, you're such a good son," she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address and asked, "Can you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest route," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I am not in a hurry. I'm on my way to the St. John's Hospice." The St. John's Hospice was where dying people went to stay to be cared for till they passed away! 1 looked into the rear-view mirror. The old lady's eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I have a short time to live." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "Sure madam, just tell me where you want to go, by the way, my name is John," I said. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as a secretary. We drove through the neighbourhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newly wed. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a restaurant, where she had gone to celebrate her father's birthday as a girl. Sometimes, she would ask me to stop in front of a particular building and would stare into the darkness without uttering any word. As the first hint of the sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. Two orderlies came out to the taxi as soon as we pulled up. I opened the boot and took the suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing." I said. "You have to make a living," she said. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY (1) In one sentence, highlight the impacts passengers had on the writer.
(2) Which story, according to the passage, affected the writer the most?
(3) Why did the writer not drive away even when he honked and no one appeared?
(4) As the first hint of the sun was creasing the horizon.... What figure of speech is used in this expression?
(ii) What does it mean?

Unless a situation showed a sign of danger...
(6) What grammatical name is given to the expression above?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence? (7) In which two ways did the writer make the woman happy?
(8) Why did the woman ask the writer to drive her through the town?
(9) Find one word or phrase which is nearest in meaning to, and can replace each of the following words as used in the passage:
(1) encountered
(ii) inspired
(iii) circumstances
(iv) glistening
(v) uttering
(vi) suddenly

Question

xavidivax xavidivax

17-07-2024
English

Answered

Read the passage below carefully and answer the questions on it.
Twenty years ago, I used to drive a taxi for a living. I drove the night shift. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in the dark, and shared stories about their lives. Then, they opened the door and left, and I never met them again. During that time, I encountered people whose lives amazed me, inspired me, and made me laugh and weep. But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night. I was responding to a call from a small block of walk-up flats in a quiet part of the town. When I arrived at 2:30 am, the area was deserted and the building was dark, except for a single light from a ground floor window. I honked twice and waited, but no one appeared. Under such circumstances, many drivers usually drove away, but I had seen so many people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation showed a sign of danger, I always went to the door. "This passenger might be someone who needed my assistance," I reasoned to myself. So, I walked to the door and just as I approached, the door opened. I heard an elderly voice call out, "Just a minute." I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A woman in her 80s stood before me. "Would you please carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the taxi, and then returned to assist her. She took my arm and we walked slowly towards the taxi. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It is nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated." "Oh, you're such a good son," she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address and asked, "Can you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest route," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I am not in a hurry. I'm on my way to the St. John's Hospice." The St. John's Hospice was where dying people went to stay to be cared for till they passed away! 1 looked into the rear-view mirror. The old lady's eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I have a short time to live." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "Sure madam, just tell me where you want to go, by the way, my name is John," I said. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as a secretary. We drove through the neighbourhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newly wed. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a restaurant, where she had gone to celebrate her father's birthday as a girl. Sometimes, she would ask me to stop in front of a particular building and would stare into the darkness without uttering any word. As the first hint of the sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. Two orderlies came out to the taxi as soon as we pulled up. I opened the boot and took the suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing." I said. "You have to make a living," she said. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS CORRECTLY (1) In one sentence, highlight the impacts passengers had on the writer.
(2) Which story, according to the passage, affected the writer the most?
(3) Why did the writer not drive away even when he honked and no one appeared?
(4) As the first hint of the sun was creasing the horizon.... What figure of speech is used in this expression?
(ii) What does it mean?

Unless a situation showed a sign of danger...
(6) What grammatical name is given to the expression above?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence? (7) In which two ways did the writer make the woman happy?
(8) Why did the woman ask the writer to drive her through the town?
(9) Find one word or phrase which is nearest in meaning to, and can replace each of the following words as used in the passage:
(1) encountered
(ii) inspired
(iii) circumstances
(iv) glistening
(v) uttering
(vi) suddenly

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