Read the passage carefully and answer the following question: “Why is the narrator’s boss angry and throwing ‘hissy fits’?”

Introduction / Context:
This reading comprehension question focuses on understanding the reason for the boss's anger in the passage. The narrator describes travelling to work on unreliable trains and mentions that the boss has been “throwing all sorts of hissy fits about people swanning in at all times”. The question asks what exactly is causing this anger. To answer correctly, one must interpret the expression “swanning in at all times” in context.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The passage explains that there have been many problems on the train line, with trains being cancelled without warning. The narrator is worried about being late because the boss is angry about staff arriving at irregular hours. The phrase used is “swanning in at all times”, suggesting that people arrive whenever they like, not at a fixed time. We assume the boss is concerned with punctuality and discipline at the workplace.

Concept / Approach:
The central concept is that of lateness and irregular arrival times. A “hissy fit” is an informal expression for an angry outburst or tantrum. When the boss complains about people “swanning in at all times”, the boss is accusing staff of coming in late or unpredictably. Therefore, we need an option that expresses the idea of employees arriving late or not following proper office timings, rather than one specific person's lateness or a medical condition.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the portion of the passage describing the boss's reaction. It clearly links the anger to people “swanning in at all times”. Step 2: Understand that “swanning in” means coming in casually, often late or without regard for punctuality. Step 3: Realise that the boss is angry about this general behaviour, not only about one specific day or one employee. Step 4: Match this understanding with the options. Option (d) “Because employees are coming late to work” captures the general problem. Step 5: Confirm that the other options either misrepresent the reason or over focus on the narrator alone.

Verification / Alternative check:
Option (a) suggests a medical issue, “started suffering from fits”, but “hissy fits” is a metaphorical phrase for emotional outbursts, not a medical condition. Option (b) “Because it is a bad day” is too vague; a bad day might include many factors, but the passage specifies the boss's complaint about arrival times. Option (c) focuses on “she was late the day before”, but the boss's comments clearly describe a pattern among multiple staff members, not just one previous incident. Only option (d) matches the continuing problem and the phrase “swanning in at all times”.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option (a) misinterprets “hissy fits” literally as medical fits, which is incorrect for this idiomatic expression.
Option (b) gives a general statement about a bad day but does not capture the specific cause of anger mentioned in the text.
Option (c) limits the boss's anger to the narrator's personal behavior, whereas the passage speaks about people in general coming at all sorts of times.
Only option (d) reflects the actual reason: frequent lateness and irregular arrival times of employees.

Common Pitfalls:
Readers sometimes take idiomatic phrases too literally. “Hissy fit” is informal language for throwing a temper tantrum, not an indication of a health problem. Another common error is not noticing plural expressions like “people swanning in” and assuming the issue relates only to the narrator. Always check whether the author is describing a general trend or one individual when interpreting reasons for anger or criticism in a passage.

Final Answer:
The boss is angry because employees are coming late to work and arriving at irregular times.