Question

read the following passage from a long walk to water. in this excerpt, salva has just arrived in rochester, new york, and is meeting his host family.

there they were, smiling and waving in the airport lobby—his new family! chris, the father; louise, the mother; and four children. salva would have siblings, just as he had before. he felt his shoulders relax a little on seeing their eager smiles.
salva said \hello\ and \thank you\ many times, for in his fatigue and confusion, these were the only words he felt sure about. he could not understand what anyone was saying, especially louise, who spoke so quickly that at first he was not sure she was even speaking english.
and yes, they did have more clothes for him!—a big puffy jacket, a hat, a scarf, gloves. he put on the jacket and zipped it up. the sleeves were so bulky that he felt as if he couldnt move his arms properly. he wondered if he looked very foolish now, with his body and arms so fat and his legs so thin. but none of the family laughed at him, and he soon noticed that they were all wearing the same kind of jacket.
the glass doors of the airport terminal slid open. the frigid air hit salva’s face like a slap. never had he felt such cold before! in the part of africa where he had lived all his life, the temperature rarely dropped below seventy degrees.
when he inhaled, he thought his lungs would surely freeze solid and stop working. but all around him, people were still walking and talking and moving about. apparently, it was possible to survive in such cold temperatures, and he now understood the need for the awkward padded jacket.
salva stood still inside the terminal doors for a few moments. leaving the airport felt like leaving his old life forever—sudan, his village, his family . . . .
tears came to his eyes, perhaps from the cold air blowing in through the open doors. his new family was already outside; they turned and looked back at him.
salva blinked away the tears and took his first step into a new life in america.
from linda sue park, a long walk to water. copyright 2010 by linda sue park

how does salva feel upon meeting his new family?

his tension and nerves begin to subside, but he still feels a little overwhelmed.

he is thankful for their generosity, but he wants to remain emotionally guarded.

he feels unsure of how to fit into his new family, but he is excited to get to know them.

Explanation:

To determine Salva's feelings, we analyze the text:

• "He felt his shoulders relax a little" shows tension subsiding.
• "in his fatigue and confusion, these were the only words he felt sure about. He could not understand what anyone was saying" shows he’s overwhelmed.

The first option matches: tension/nerves subside, but still overwhelmed. The second option’s "emotionally guarded" isn’t supported (he’s grateful and relaxed). The third’s "excited to get to know them" isn’t evident (focus is on confusion/fatigue, not excitement about bonding).

Answer:

His tension and nerves begin to subside, but he still feels a little overwhelmed.