Question

we were nearing the second crossroads, where deep gullies lined both sides of the road and the dense forest crept to the very edges of high, jagged, clay - walled banks. suddenly, stacey turned. \quick!\ he cried. \off the road!\ without another word, all of us but little man scrambled up the steep right bank into the forest.
\get up here, man,\ stacey ordered, but little man only gazed at the ragged red bank sparsely covered with scraggly brown briers and kept on walking. \come on, do like i say.\
\but ill get my clothes dirty!\ protested little man.
\youre gonna get them a whole lot dirtier you stay down there. look!\
little man turned around and watched saucer - eyed as a bus bore down on him spewing clouds of red dust like a huge yellow dragon breathing fire. little man headed toward the bank, but it was too steep. he ran frantically along the road looking for a foothold and, finding one, hopped onto the bank, but not before the bus had sped past enveloping him in a scarlet haze while laughing white faces pressed against the bus windows.
little man shook a threatening fist into the thick air, then looked dismally down at himself.
\well, ole little man done got his sunday clothes dirty,\ t.j. laughed as we jumped down from the bank. angry tears welled in little mans eyes but he quickly brushed them away before t.j. could see them.
from mildred d. taylor, roll of thunder, hear my cry. copyright 1976 by mildred d. taylor
what is the meaning of gullies as used in the passage?
streams ditches caves

Explanation:

The passage describes gullies lining the road next to steep, clay-walled banks. A gully is a narrow trench or ditch formed by erosion, which matches the context of a roadside feature. "Streams" are flowing water, which is not indicated, and "caves" are underground/rock openings, which does not fit the description of roadside features.

Answer:

ditches