Choose the appropriate word to fill in the blank.

Read the text and answer questions

Ursula! I whispered

Yes, my darling, she said, without __________ her eyes.

What have you got in your basket? I asked. She opened her eyes, startled, and looked at me.

What do you mean? she said defensively.

There is something moving in your basket, I said.

Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just a present for somebody. She said.

Adapted from, FERGUSON, Kenneth. Read for Meaning, Comprehension tests for First Certificate. Ed. Evans Brothers, first Published 1975.