In the reading comprehension passage, the expression "scouring up things" is used. What does "scouring up things" mean in that context?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to a reading comprehension passage where the author describes a homely scene. The phrase scouring up things appears as part of a description of Jenny and her Barns working in the other end of the house. To understand the meaning of this phrase, we must pay attention to the domestic setting and the typical tasks people do when they are scouring up things in a household context.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The phrase appears in a sentence about household activity at night.
• Jenny and her Barns are in the other end of the house doing this activity.
• Options relate to cleaning, searching, soaking, or writing.
• We assume a traditional rural household with kitchen chores after dinner.

Concept / Approach:
The verb scour in domestic usage commonly means to clean something thoroughly, especially by rubbing it hard with an abrasive material, such as steel wool or a rough pad. The phrase scouring up things in a home setting typically refers to scrubbing pots, pans, and utensils after a meal. The other options refer to searching, soaking, or writing, which do not match this everyday domestic context. Therefore, we look for a choice that specifically describes vigorous cleaning of kitchenware.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the passage mentions that it is Saturday night and there is a bright fire while some family members are at work. Step 2: Recognise that in such a context after supper, household members often clean dishes and cooking utensils. Step 3: Recall the meaning of scour as to clean by rubbing hard with something abrasive. Step 4: Examine option A, cleaning pans with a small ball of wire or plastic, which directly refers to the act of scrubbing cooking utensils using an abrasive scrubber. Step 5: Examine option B, to search a place thoroughly in order to find something, which uses a different sense of scour, applicable in contexts like scouring the countryside. Step 6: Examine option C, to put something in liquid for a time so that it becomes completely wet, which describes soaking rather than scouring. Step 7: Examine option D, writing something quickly and carelessly, which has no relation to cleaning or scouring. Step 8: Conclude that option A best matches the domestic cleaning sense used in the passage.

Verification / Alternative check:
Reading the original passage, we see that the author paints an image of a quiet household evening: a fire burning, the older family members resting, and other members busy in routine chores. The phrase scouring up things fits perfectly with the familiar task of scrubbing pots and pans after meals. The searching meaning of scour does not fit because there is no mention of a lost object or any urgency to find something. Therefore, the cleaning sense is clearly the intended one, which aligns with option A.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is wrong because, although scour can mean to search thoroughly, the context here is domestic cleaning, not searching an area. Option C describes soaking, which is often a preliminary step before scouring but is not itself scouring. Option D concerns writing and bears no connection to the physical activity suggested in the description. None of these alternatives matches the image of practical kitchen work in the passage.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may know only one sense of a word and may apply it everywhere without considering context. Here, someone familiar only with scour meaning search may jump to option B. The best practice is always to think about the setting described in the passage and ask what people in that situation are most likely doing. Contextual reading is especially important in vocabulary questions drawn from longer passages.

Final Answer:
In the passage, scouring up things means cleaning pans with a small ball of wire or plastic, that is, thoroughly scrubbing kitchen utensils.