Question

a daughter of the samurai
by etsu inagaki sugimoto (excerpt)
etsu inagaki sugimoto, the daughter of a samurai, was
raised in cold and isolated echigo, japan. in this excerpt
from her memoir, she recounts the extensive preparations
made in her village before each years first snowfall.
1 japan is often called by foreign people a land of
sunshine and cherry blossoms. this is because tourists
generally visit only the eastern and southern parts of the
country, where the climate is mild all the year round. on
the northwest coast the winters are long, snow often
covering the ground from december to march or april.
2 in the province of echigo, where was my home, winter
usually began with a heavy snow which came down fast
and steady until only the thick, round ridge-poles of our
thatched roofs could be seen. then groups of laborers,
with straw mats over their shoulders and big woven hats
that looked like umbrellas, came and with broad wooden
shovels cut tunnels through from one side of the street to
the other. the snow was not removed from the middle of
the street all winter. it lay in a long pile, towering far above
the house-tops. the laborers cut steps, for they were
carrying snow at intervals all winter, and we children used
4
select the correct answer.
read paragraph 2.
2 in the province of echigo, where was my home, winter usually began with a heavy snow which came down fast and steady until only the thick,
round ridge-poles of our thatched roofs could be seen. then groups of laborers, with straw mats over their shoulders and big woven hats that
looked like umbrellas, came and with broad wooden shovels cut tunnels through from one side of the street to the other. the snow was not
removed from the middle of the street all winter. it lay in a long pile, towering far above the house-tops. the laborers cut steps, for they were
carrying snow at intervals all winter, and we children used to climb up and run along the top. we played many games there, sometimes pretending
we were knights rescuing a snow-bound village, or fierce brigands stealing upon it for an attack.
how does the author develop her points about the snowy climate in this paragraph?
a. by describing villagers emotional reactions to the coming snowfall
b. by explaining her feelings regarding the laborers difficult work
c. by giving details about how the villagers coped with winter weather
d. by reflecting on the long winters her family had endured to that point

Explanation:

The paragraph details specific actions villagers take to deal with heavy snow: laborers cut tunnels through street snow, leave a central snow pile, and cut steps for snow transport. It does not focus on emotional reactions, the author's feelings about labor difficulty, or reflective family endurance, but rather practical coping methods.

Answer:

C. by giving details about how the villagers coped with winter weather