Read the passage and answer the four questions that follow:-
Thanks to the angle of the van and the injuries Michael had sustained, just opening a door and clambering out of the vehicle seemed an insurmountable challenge, never mind climbing up 145 feet of steep, rugged terrain.
He'd have to rely on being rescued. But that wouldn't be easy. Michael could hear cars whizzing past on the road above, but even if passersby happened to glimpse his vehicle amid the shoulder-high brush, apparently abandoned, they wouldn't be able to see anyone inside.
He had no cellphones-Michael had never seen the point of getting one. No one knew he'd had taken an unplanned drive out of Victoria, so they'd have no reason to look for him here. And he couldn't honk to get the attention of drivers on the highway. In the 19years that he'd owned his van, the horn had never worked.
On the plus side, he was dry, at least for the most part. It was cold in the van, but he had an extra fleece-ironically, emblazoned with 'Live the adventure, live the dream."
To sustain himself, he had scattered roasted veggies, the bread which was now inedible, but he had a bag of mini chocolate bars. To drink he had one water bottle.
He apportioned out his stash and switched on his hazard lights, hoping someone would spot him from the highway above. It was a false hope. He didn't realize that his off road descent had ripped the wires off the van's undercarriage.
Michael didn't have much hope of being rescued by the passers-by because of _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → the high foliage which obstructed the view
The passage says that even if passers-by glimpsed the van "amid the shoulder-high brush", they would not be able to see anyone inside. Brush is thick undergrowth of bushes and small plants, that is, high foliage, and it blocked the view of the van. This is why Michael had little hope of being noticed by the people driving past.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: the rugged terrain — Incorrect. Wrong cause: the steep, rugged slope is the reason Michael could not climb up to the road himself; it is not what kept passers-by from seeing him.
Option 3: the injuries that he had sustained — Incorrect. Wrong cause: his injuries made it hard for him to get out of the van, but they had nothing to do with whether people on the road could see him.
Option 4: the angle of the vehicle — Incorrect. Wrong cause: the angle of the van made opening the door difficult; the passage does not link it to the view from the road.