Complete the text choosing the appropriate words. When I was four months old, my mother died suddenly...

1) b) after 2) c) himself 3) c) with 4) d) did 5) d) did 6) b) wonderful 7) c) easy-going 8) a) could

To complete the text by choosing the appropriate words, we need to consider the context and meaning of each sentence carefully. Here is the text with the correct words filled in and explanations for each choice:

When I was four months old, my mother died suddenly and my father was left to look (1) after me all by (2) himself. I had no brothers or sisters with whom I could play (3) with. While I was still a baby, my father (4) washed me and fed me and (5) did all the millions of other things a mother normally does for her child. But my father didn’t mind. He was without any doubt the most (6) wonderful father any boy ever had. Some people thought he was a serious man. But he wasn’t. He was full of fun, very cheerful and (7) reliable as he always (8) could do what he had promised to.

1) a) through b) after c) for d) at

• after: The correct phrase is "to look after," which means to take care of someone. "Look through," "look for," and "look at" have different meanings that do not fit the context.

2) a) him b) his c) himself d) he

• himself: This reflexive pronoun is used to emphasize that the father had to do everything on his own. "Him," "his," and "he" do not fit grammatically in this context.

3) a) together b) out c) with d) too

• with: The phrase "play with" is commonly used to describe playing in the company of others. "Together" and "out" do not fit the grammatical structure of the sentence, and "too" is inappropriate here.

4) a) cleared b) cleaned c) washed d) did

• washed: In the context of taking care of a baby, "washed" makes the most sense as it specifically refers to cleaning the baby. "Cleared" and "cleaned" could refer to other things, and "did" is too vague.

5) a) used b) produced c) made d) did

• did: The phrase "did all the millions of other things" is a common way to express that someone took care of numerous tasks. "Used," "produced," and "made" do not fit the context.

6) a) stubborn b) wonderful c) ambitious d) big-headed

• wonderful: This adjective fits the positive description of the father. "Stubborn," "ambitious," and "big-headed" have negative or different connotations that do not fit the context.

7) a) reliable b) quick-tempered c) easy-going d) greedy

• reliable: This word indicates that the father could be trusted to keep his promises, which fits the context describing his positive traits. "Quick-tempered," "easy-going," and "greedy" do not fit the positive context.

8) a) could b) was able c) managed to d) couldn’t

• could: This choice fits the context of always being able to do what he promised. "Was able" is grammatically awkward here, "managed to" implies difficulty, and "couldn’t" is the opposite of the intended meaning.

1) c) for 2) b) his 3) c) with 4) d) did 5) d) did 6) b) wonderful 7) c) easy-going 8) a) could

When I was four months old, my mother died suddenly and my father was left to look after me all by himself. I had no brothers or sisters with whom I could play with. While I was still a baby, my father did me and fed me and did all the millions of other things a mother normally does for her child. But my father didn’t mind. He was without any doubt the most wonderful father any boy ever had. Some people thought he was a serious man. But he wasn’t. He was full of fun, very cheerful and easy-going as he always could do what he had promised to.