Direction: A passage is given with question following it. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
My brother, David was always close to our grandmother. Both of them shared a love of Mother. Nature and of food that they had grown themselves.  Whenever his schedule permitted, he would drop in for a short visit and a cup of coffee. One day, when he found no one home, he left a chunk of dirt on her porch. This started what was later to be known as his “calling card”. Grandmother would come home occasionally and instantly know that Dave had been by when she spotted the chunk of dirt on her porch.
Although Grandmother had a poor upbringing in Italy, she managed to do well in the United States. She was always healthy and independent and enjoyed a fulfilling life. Recently she had a stroke and died. Everyone was saddened by her death. David was disconsolate. His life-long friend was now gone.
David would drop in for a short visit and leave a _____ as a sign on grandma’s porch if she was not at home.