HSA 2006 English Item 37

Read the essay “High Tide in Tucson.” Then answer the following.

Read this sentence from the essay.

But our household had a deficit of males, so my daughter and I chose Buster, for balance.

What is meant by the phrase “deficit of males”?

1. The females in the house have more money.
2. The females outnumber the males in the house.
3. The males spend less time inside the house than outside.
4. The males in the house are interested in other things.