A. kept The phrase "couldn't stand being kept waiting" means that the person was very annoyed or frustrated about having to wait.

B. asking The phrase "Much as she disliked asking for help" means that even though she didn't like to ask for help, she knew she had to.

A. unsatisfactory The word "unsatisfactory" means not good enough or not meeting expectations.

D. on The phrase "keep on" means to continue doing something.

B. to sing The phrase "couldn't imagine Gerry singing in public" means that the speaker couldn't picture Gerry singing in front of others.

B. to make The phrase "didn't mean to make you cry" means that the speaker didn't intend to cause the other person to cry.

C. to buy The phrase "stopped to buy some water" means that they paused their journey to purchase water.