The Governor told the chief that he was only on a routine tour

Analyze the question

The underlined part is not marked in the text, but from the options it is clearly "routine tour". We need the option closest in meaning to it.

Explain the concept

• Routine means regular, habitual, or done as a normal part of a schedule. It is not special or unusual.
• Tour here means a visit or trip made to inspect or see places.

So a "routine tour" is an ordinary, regularly scheduled visit.

Solution: check each option

• A. normal and regular visit. "Normal and regular" matches "routine", and "visit" matches "tour". This fits.
• B. unplanned encounter. Routine means planned and habitual, so this is the opposite.
• C. surprise and impromptu check. A surprise or impromptu check is also unplanned, so it contradicts "routine".
• D. working, visit and homage. This adds the idea of paying homage, which the sentence never mentions. It also has nothing to do with "routine".

Answer: The governor was telling the chief that his visit was nothing unusual, just a normal, regular one.

Tip: In "nearest in meaning" questions, work out the core meaning of the key word first. Then eliminate options that give the opposite idea. For "routine", think regular, usual, ordinary, and watch out for opposites like surprise, impromptu, unplanned.