English - FL Indirect Speech [4-M] (Second/Final Exam)

Nick explained to his parents that when he had described his sleepless symptoms and sudden aversion to lying down, the doctor had asked him a few questions while checking the veins in his wrist. Finally, the doctor had told him through Tsetan that it was a cold along with the effects of altitude and that he would be given something for it. When Nick had asked whether he would recover enough to do the kora, the doctor had assured him that he would be fine and would be able to do it.

The narrator observed that the snow did not seem too deep, but Daniel explained that the danger was not in its depth but in its icy top layer. He suggested that if they slipped, the car could overturn. As they watched, Tsetan grabbed handfuls of dirt and scattered them across the frozen surface. Both the narrator and Daniel joined in to help, spreading the soil over the snow.
Once the snow was covered with dirt, Daniel and the narrator remained outside the vehicle to reduce its weight and make it easier for Tsetan to drive. Tsetan then reversed the car, carefully moved it onto the now-dirty snow, and slowly drove across the icy surface without any apparent difficulty.

The turns became sharper, and the ride grew bumpier as Tsetan shifted into third gear while they continued to climb. The track gradually moved away from the icy river, making its way through steeper slopes covered with large rocks that had patches of bright orange lichen. Beneath these rocks, chunks of snow remained in the nearly permanent shade. The narrator felt pressure building up in his ears, so he held his nose, snorted, and cleared them.
  As they struggled around another tight bend, Tsetan suddenly stopped. Before the narrator could understand what was happening, Tsetan had already opened his door and jumped out of his seat. Daniel also stepped out of the vehicle, allowing a rush of cold air to enter. Noticing the scene outside, Daniel remarked that there was snow.

As the hills began to rise once again from the rocky wilderness, they saw solitary drokbas tending to their flocks. Sometimes they were men, and sometimes women, all wrapped in warm clothing. These figures would pause and stare at their car, occasionally waving as they passed. Whenever the track brought them close to the animals, the sheep would react by moving away from the speeding vehicle.
They also saw the dark tents of nomads set up in complete isolation, usually with a large black Tibetan mastiff standing guard. These dogs would lift their heads upon noticing their approach and fix their gaze on them. As they moved closer, the dogs would suddenly spring into action, rushing towards them like a bullet being fired from a gun and almost as fast.