Answer:
As if merely <em><u>subsisting</u></em> according to his self-imposed rules weren’t strenuous enough…
Explanation:
The word "subsist" is a gerund that means sustenance, dependent, survival on one's own. In other words, it means the ability or capacity to support and survive by oneself on a minimal level.
The given line<em> "as if merely subsisting according to his self-imposed rules weren't strenuous enough..."</em> is from Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild." The lines go like this-
<em>As if merely subsisting according to his self-imposed rules weren't strenuous enough, Rosellini also exercised compulsively whenever he wasn't occupied with foraging. He filled his days with calisthenics, weight lifting, and running, often with a load of rocks on his back. During one apparently typical summer, he reported covering an average of eighteen miles daily.</em>
Thus, the correct word for the blank in the line is "subsisting".
Esperanza is afraid of Sire because he makes her uncomfortable; she says, "it (makes) your blood freeze to have somebody look at you like that".
It is I think compound-complex? I may be wrong or it’s just complex I am sorry for a not definite response
