Question

the following text is adapted from james baldwin’s 1956 novel giovanni’s room. the narrator is riding in a taxi down a street lined with food vendors and shoppers in paris, france. the multitude of paris seems to be dressed in blue every day but sunday, when, for the most part, they put on an unbelievably festive black. here they were now, in blue, disputing, every inch, our passage, with their wagons, handtrucks, their bursting baskets carried at an angle steeply self confident on the back. ©1956 by james baldwin
4 mark for review
as used in the text, what does the word “disputing” most nearly mean?
a arguing about
b disapproving of
c asserting possession of
d providing resistance to

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "disputing" in the text, we analyze the context: the narrator is in a taxi on a street with vendors and shoppers who are using wagons, handtrucks, etc., to take up space for the taxi's passage. "Asserting possession of" fits as the people are claiming the space (every inch of the passage) with their belongings. "Arguing about" would imply a verbal dispute, which isn't suggested. "Disapproving of" is about opinion, not space. "Providing resistance to" is more about opposing movement, but here it's about claiming the area, so "asserting possession of" is best.

Answer:

C. Asserting possession of