COMPREHENSION 4. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions which follow.

One day, it suddenly dawned on me how my parents were ageing. My father who once was tall and strong was now showing strains on his face through toils on his farm. He was wearing wrinkled face and had grey hair all over his head. Looking at his youthful days pictures, I am much convinced that women sang him praises.

My mother, though carried her age much better, had been robbed of her strength, and her breasts emptied through childbearing and breast feeding respectively. However, she still carries on with her petty trading activities as a habit and not necessity.

My mother now smiles slowly and rarely speaks. Her face and skin remain smooth and her expression is self-satisfactory. My parents who are now the head of their respective extended family, represent the highest and wisest authority.

a. What had caused the strains in the writer's father's face?

b. What is the writer convinced about?

c. What had robbed of the writer's mother's strength?

d. What had emptied the writer's mother's breasts?

e. Why does the writer's mother still sell?

f. The writer's parents represent in their extended families

g. Explain the following expressions in your own words.

i. Women sang him praises

ii. Still carries on with

h. For each of the following words, give another word or phrase that means the same and can fit into the passage.
i. Dawned on

ii. Robbed of

III. Rarely

iv. Authority​