Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the…

Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 23 to 30.

In the scorching heat of Mandalay, hundreds of patients — from infants to the elderly and Buddhist monks — are lying on hospital beds in an outdoor car park. Three days after a catastrophic earthquake hit Myanmar, the people in the city are very worried and waiting for more assistance.

The earthquake, which measured approximately 7.7 on the Richter scale, struck on March 28, accompanied by numerous aftershocks. The devastating disaster claimed over 2,000 lives across Myanmar and Thailand. Mandalay General Hospital has relocated most patients outside following the collapse of several structures. The situation is far from ideal for anyone here at the hospital.

“We’re doing everything possible under these circumstances,” an anonymous medical worker explained to AFP. With temperatures reaching 39 degrees Celsius, patients, volunteers, and staff have spent nights under makeshift tarpaulin covers erected to protect them from the intense sun. Family members hold their relatives’ hands, offering reassurance, while others use bamboo fans to provide relief. Young children with injuries cried in the uncomfortable environment, and a wounded monk lay connected to an intravenous drip.

Medical staff are equally affected by the crisis. During brief breaks from their “grueling” work schedules, healthcare workers eat on the ground, attempting to regain their strength. While the hospital structure appeared intact, only critical care patients and their attending physicians stayed indoors. Everyone else crowded together under the tarpaulin or found shelter in a nearby area with a metal roof.

The word “scorching” in paragraph 1 could be replaced by ______.