Question

read the passage from theodore roosevelt: an autobiography.
in the yellowstone the animals seem always to behave as one wishes them to! it is always possible to see the sheep and deer and antelope, and also the great herds of elk, which are shyer than the smaller beasts. in april we found the elk weak after the short commons and hard living of winter.
what is the closest meaning of the underlined phrase as it used in the excerpt?
○ survival efforts
○ hunting season
○ long and cold season
○ trials and tribulations

Explanation:

The phrase "short commons and hard living" refers to the difficult, harsh conditions the elk endured over winter, leaving them weak. "Trials and tribulations" best captures this idea of severe hardships. "Survival efforts" focuses on actions, not the conditions; "hunting season" is unrelated; "long and cold season" only describes the winter's traits, not the hardship of living through it.

Answer:

trials and tribulations