UPSC Prelims 2012·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. A local man, staying on the top floor of an old wooden house, was awakened at midnight by a fire. Losing his way in a smoke-filled passage, he missed the stairway and went into another room. He picked up a bundle to protect his face from the fire and immediately fell through the floor below where he managed to escape through a clear doorway. The "bundle" proved to be the baby of the Mayor's wife. The "hero" was congratulated by all. The man was called a hero because he

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. Aexpressed his willingness to risk his life to save others
  2. Bmanaged to escape from the fire
  3. Cshowed great courage in fighting the fire
  4. Dsaved a life.Correct

Explanation

The correct answer is D because the passage explicitly states that the "bundle" he picked up was the Mayor's wife's baby, and he was then called a "hero" and congratulated. His action, though accidental, resulted in saving a life. A is incorrect because the passage states he picked up the bundle "to protect his face from the fire," indicating self-preservation, not an expressed willingness to risk his life for others. B is incorrect because while he did escape, the passage highlights his heroism in relation to the baby, not merely his own escape. Many people escape fires without being called heroes. C is incorrect because the passage describes him losing his way and trying to escape, not fighting the fire.
Reading Comprehension: Read the following passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based o
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