UPSC Prelims 2013·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

English Passage - 2 It was already late when we set out for the next town, which according to the map was about fifteen kilometres away on the other side of the hills. There we felt that we would find a bed for the night. Darkness fell soon after we left the village, but luckily we met no one as we drove swiftly along the narrow winding road that led to the hills. As we climbed higher, it became colder and rain began to fall, making it difficult at times to see the road. I asked John, my companion, to drive more slowly. After we had travelled for about twenty kilometres, there was still no sign of the town which was marked on the map. We were beginning to get worried. Then without warning, the car stopped and we found we had run out of petrol. The travellers were worried after twenty kilo metres because

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Last updated 8 Jul 2026, 4:39 pm IST
  1. Ait was a lonely countryside
  2. Bthey probably feared of having lost their wayCorrect
  3. Cthe rain began to fall
  4. Dit was getting colder as they drove.

Explanation

The travellers were worried after twenty kilometres because they had already travelled five kilometres more than the expected distance to the town (15 km) and still saw no sign of it. This direct discrepancy between the expected distance and the actual distance covered without reaching the destination strongly suggests they feared they had lost their way.

A) it was a lonely countryside: While true, the loneliness was a general condition, not the specific reason for worry after travelling 20 km and not seeing the town. B) they probably feared of having lost their way: This is the most logical conclusion. They expected the town at 15 km, but after 20 km, there was "still no sign of the town," leading to worry. C) the rain began to fall: The rain started earlier, as they climbed higher. Their worry after 20 km was specifically about the town's absence, not the ongoing rain. D) it was getting colder as they drove: Similar to the rain, the cold started earlier. The specific worry after 20 km was about the missing town.

Reading Comprehension: English Passage - 2 It was already late when we set out for the next town, which according to the map was about fifteen
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