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Direction: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions. A word is given in bold to help you locate it while answering the question. There were many fishermen who lived near a sea. They went to the sea daily in their boats to catch fish. Catching fish from the sea and selling them in the market was their source of livelihood.

One of the fishermen had two young sons named Anna and Nanha. The sons used to play near the sea shore and collect sea-shells from the beach and give it to their mother. Their mother made various toys from the shells. This was the extra income of the family.

Once cyclonic weather was forecast and the fishermen were advised to leave the littoral areas and go to some safe place. They had been warned that the storm could prove to be devastating.

All the fishermen vacated their houses and went to other places for safety of their lives. Within a few hours a heavy storm struck the coastal region.

The sea had become very rough and the waves were rising very high as if the angry sea was lolling its tongue to devour everything on the earth. Two fishermen, who had not cared to listen to the warnings and went for fishing, were washed away. The houses nearby, which accommodated scores of families, were washed away in such a manner that it seemed they never existed. After four days, when the storm calmed down, all the fishermen came back to their colony. They found that their houses had been destroyed completely by the violent storm.

Seeing no sign of his house, Nanha started crying. Anna said to his younger brother Nanha, "Brother, don't cry. The sea is very cruel. It looks so calm and attractive that we like to play near it. Its blue water attracts us to build our houses here. And in one sway it makes our houses non-existent. Actually this sea is a real hypocrite."

The sea was listening to both the children. It came in a disguise of a beautiful girl. She was wearing blue frock with blue frills. She said, "Why are you criticizing the sea? Actually the sea is not to be blamed. It is calm and quiet and its waves are as beautiful as I am".

Nanha said, "How do you know this?"

The girl said, "I know this because I control the waves. I always live in the depths of the sea. My appearance is blue because of the reflection of the blue colour of the sky."

Anna was not satisfied with her reply. He again said, "How can you say that you are not cruel? You became so furious with the storm that you rendered us homeless. You swallowed so many of our boats which were lying on the sea-shore."

The sea-girl said, "This storm is not in my control. Actually when the winds become strong and blow at such a high speed that it becomes uncontrollable, my waves also become strong and stormy. And then nobody can stop the storm except the winds. If the winds change their speed or direction, the storm is also turned to that side." Anna and Nanha were satisfied with her answer. They bid her good-bye and once again started playing on the sea-shore. They saw that all the fishermen were busy in reconstructing their houses.

 

What is the opposite of the word 'devour' as used in the story?

A)  annihilate         

B)    swallow           

C)    spew               

D)    destroy      

E)  gobble