Understanding the Passage and the Question

The passage describes a snowy scene in a village called The Crosses. It talks about how difficult it is to see the road because of strong wind and snow. The tracks left by the sledge-runners are quickly covered by snow.

The question asks us to fill in blank number 4 with the most appropriate word from the given options. Blank 4 describes how the road was still identifiable despite the snow.

Analyzing Blank 4 in Context

The sentence with blank 4 reads: "The tracks left by the sledge-runners were immediately (3) ______ by snow and the road was only (4) ______ by the fact that it was higher than the rest of the ground."

This sentence tells us that the visual evidence of the road (tracks) was gone, but the road was still somehow recognizable or detectable because it had a physical characteristic (being higher than the surrounding ground). We need a word for blank 4 that means 'recognized', 'identified', or 'distinguished from the surroundings'.

Evaluating the Options for Blank 4

Let's look at the meanings of the provided options:

• anguished: This means experiencing or expressing severe mental or physical pain or suffering. This word does not fit the context of describing a road or how it is identified.
• crushed: This means pressed or squeezed with force so as to flatten, distort, or break. While snow might be crushed, the road itself isn't described as being crushed in this context. It doesn't fit the idea of how the road is *seen* or *identified*.
• extinguished: This means put out (a fire, candle, or light) or brought to an end; annihilated. This word is often used for lights or fires, or abstract things like hopes. It doesn't make sense to say a road is "extinguished" in this way.
• distinguished: This means recognized or identified as different or distinct; stood out from others. This word perfectly fits the context. The road was recognized or identified (distinguished) because it was higher than the surrounding ground. Even though the snow covered the tracks, this physical difference made the road distinguishable.

Determining the Correct Option

Based on the analysis, the word that best fits the meaning of being recognized or identified based on a specific characteristic (being higher than the ground) is "distinguished".

Therefore, the sentence correctly reads: "...and the road was only distinguished by the fact that it was higher than the rest of the ground."

Final Answer for Blank 4

The most appropriate option to fill in blank number 4 is "distinguished".

Revision Table: Key Concepts

Additional Information: Reading Comprehension Strategies

When tackling fill-in-the-blank questions in reading passages, consider these strategies:

• Read the entire passage first to get the main idea.
• Read the sentence containing the blank carefully.
• Look for context clues in the sentences immediately before and after the blank, and in the sentence with the blank itself.
• Consider the part of speech needed for the blank (adjective, verb, noun, etc.). In this case, "distinguished" is a past participle used here like an adjective modifying "road".
• Try substituting each option into the blank to see which one makes the most sense grammatically and contextually.
• If multiple options seem plausible, choose the one that fits the overall tone and meaning of the passage most precisely.

In this question, the phrase "by the fact that it was higher than the rest of the ground" is the key context clue that points directly to the meaning of "distinguished".