Read the given passage and answer the four questions that follow:-
The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the 'Coach and Horses' more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.
Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in winter time was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.
Mrs. Hall makes a meal for the guest with her own hands because she is feeling:-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → overjoyed
Overjoyed means extremely happy. For Mrs. Hall, a guest in winter was "an unheard-of piece of luck", and one who did not haggle was better still. Cooking the meal with her own hands shows her delight and her wish to "show herself worthy of her good fortune".
Example: The farmers were overjoyed when the rain finally came.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: overwhelmed — Incorrect. Overwhelmed means so strongly affected by something that one cannot cope. Contradicted: Mrs. Hall copes very well; she lights the fire and goes off to cook, so she is pleased, not overcome.
Example: The new clerk was overwhelmed by the pile of files on his desk.
Option 3: despondent — Incorrect. Despondent means low in spirits, hopeless. Contradicted: this is the opposite of how she feels about her good fortune.
Example: He grew despondent after failing the test twice.
Option 4: apprehensive — Incorrect. Apprehensive means worried that something bad will happen. Not mentioned: the passage shows no worry on her part; she is resolved to please her guest.
Example: She was apprehensive about driving at night.