In the article, “Earthships,” what does passive solar mean

An Earthship is a type of passive solar house made primarily of natural and recycled materials. ... Earthships are generally Off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels. Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources, especially energy from the sun.

the characters in string all have major secrets that they strive to avoid revealing throughout the play.

the narrator is saying that the old lady made her feel uncomfortable. you know this because they say "i found that rather irksome", "perhaps it was her being so upright and trim", and "i don't think it was that, because i thought that quaintly pleasant." hope this !