(1) 'A' is used before consonant sounds. 'Rainy' starts with a consonant sound, so 'a' is correct. (2) 'The' is used when referring to something specific that both speaker and listener know about. Here, 'the sky' refers to the specific sky on that afternoon. (3) 'Her' is the possessive determiner referring to Mala (singular female). The context focuses on Mala's house. (4) 'The' is used because 'the rain' refers to the specific rain falling at that time. (5) 'One... another' is the correct pair for indicating movement between two items. 'One puddle to another' is the correct expression. (6) 'A few' has a positive sense meaning 'some' or 'a small number.' 'Few' has a negative sense meaning 'almost none.' Since Mala spotted some snails, 'a few' is correct. (7) 'Each' emphasizes individual items in a group. When focusing on individual jumps one by one, 'each' is appropriate. (8) 'Their' is used because the sentence mentions 'both' referring to Mala and her brother (plural). (9) 'Neither' means 'not one nor the other of two.' The sentence means both siblings did not mind being drenched, so 'neither' is correct.