"...Mr Purcell heard it no more than he would have heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar clock."(Read para beginning with "It was a rough day...")

(i) What does 'it' refer to?

(ii) Why does Mr Purcell not hear 'it' clearly?

(i)It refers to the sound of the bell over the door that jingled whenever a customer entered.

(ii)He could not hear it clearly because his pet shop was always full of chirping, squeaking and mewing of the birds and pets he kept in his shop.