UPSC Prelims 2013·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

English Passage - 3 A stout old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrograd to the great confusion of the traffic and no small peril to herself. It was pointed out to her that the pavement was the place for foot-passengers, but she replied, "I'm going to walk where I like. We've got liberty now." It did not occur to the dear lady that if liberty entitled the foot-passenger to walk down the middle of the road it also entitled the taxi-driver to drive on the pavement, and that the end of such liberty would be universal chaos. Everything would be getting in everybody else's way and nobody would get anywhere. Individual liberty would have become social anarchy. The lady refused to move from the middle of the street because

Dalvoy logo
Reviewed by Dalvoy
UPSC Civil Services preparation
Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. Ashe was not afraid of being killed
  2. Bshe felt that she is entitled to do whatever she likedCorrect
  3. Cshe did not like walking on the pavement
  4. Dshe was confused.

Explanation

The lady refused to move because she explicitly stated, "I'm going to walk where I like. We've got liberty now." This directly indicates her belief that liberty entitled her to do as she pleased, regardless of rules or order. A) She was not afraid of being killed: While she might not have shown fear, her stated reason for refusing was "liberty," not a lack of fear. The passage mentions "peril," implying danger existed. B) She felt that she is entitled to do whatever she liked: This is directly supported by her statement "I'm going to walk where I like. We've got liberty now," which the passage then critiques as a flawed understanding of liberty leading to chaos. C) She did not like walking on the pavement: The passage does not provide any information about her preference for walking on the pavement or disliking it. Her reason was about "liberty." D) She was confused: The passage states the traffic was confused, not the lady. Her response shows a clear (though misguided) rationale for her actions.
Reading Comprehension: English Passage - 3 A stout old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrograd to the great c
ShareWhatsAppXTelegram

Related questions

More UPSC Prelims practice from the same subject and topic.