Choose from the options lettered A- E the one that is most nearly opposite in me...

The question is asking you to choose the option that is the opposite in meaning to the italicized word "adequate". The sentence tells us that the fuel supplies, which were previously enough, became something else during an industrial action.

To answer this question, you need to understand the meaning of the word "adequate". Adequate means "enough" or "sufficient". So, you need to choose the option that means "not enough" or "insufficient".

Option A is "enough", which is the same as "adequate". Option B is "inconvenient", which means difficult or annoying, but it doesn't have the opposite meaning to "adequate". Option C is "insufficient", which means "not enough" or "not adequate", and is the opposite of "adequate". Option D is "rationed", which means limited or controlled, but it doesn't have the opposite meaning to "adequate". Option E is "restricted", which means limited or confined, but it doesn't have the opposite meaning to "adequate".

Therefore, the correct answer is option C, "insufficient", which means "not enough" or "not adequate".