Passage Cynthia was a shy girl. She believed that she was plain and untalented. One day her teacher ordered the entire class to show up for audition for the school play. Cynthia nearly died of fright when she was told that she would have to stand on stage in front of the entire class and deliver dialogues. The mere thought of it made her feel sick. But a remarkable transformation occurred during the audition. A thin, shy girl, her knees quaking, her stomach churning in terror, began to stun everyone with her excellent performance. Her bored classmates suddenly stopped their noisy chat to stare at her slender figure on the state. At the end of her audition, the entire room erupted in thunderous applause. Cynthia was afraid to stand on stage because
- Ashe felt her classmates may laugh at her
- Bher stomach was churning
- Cshe lacked self-confidenceCorrect
- Dshe did not like school plays.
Explanation
The correct answer is C because the passage explicitly states that Cynthia was a shy girl who believed she was plain and untalented. These beliefs are direct indicators of a lack of self-confidence, which caused her fear of standing on stage and performing.
A) she felt her classmates may laugh at her: While possible, the passage does not explicitly state this as her fear. Her core belief about herself (untalented) is a more direct reason. B) her stomach was churning: This was a physical symptom of her terror, not the cause of her fear itself. She was afraid, and as a result, her stomach churned. D) she did not like school plays: The passage provides no information to suggest she disliked school plays; her fear was related to performing, not the activity itself.
Related questions
More UPSC Prelims practice from the same subject and topic.
- Prelims 2014CSATReading Comprehension
Passage - 1 The Himalayan ecosystem is highly vulnerable to damage, both due to geological reasons and on account of the stress caused by increased pressure of population, exploitation of natural reso…
- Prelims 2014CSATReading Comprehension
Passage-1 The Himalayan ecosystem is highly vulnerable to damage, both due to geological reasons and on account of the stress caused by increased pressure of population, exploitation of natural resour…
- Prelims 2014CSATReading Comprehension
Passage-1 The Himalayan ecosystem is highly vulnerable to damage, both due to geological reasons and on account of the stress caused by increased pressure of population, exploitation of natural resour…
- Prelims 2014CSATReading Comprehension
Passage-1 The Himalayan ecosystem is highly vulnerable to damage, both due to geological reasons and on account of the stress caused by increased pressure of population, exploitation of natural resour…
- Prelims 2014CSATReading Comprehension
Passage-2 It is often forgotten that globalization, is not only about policies on international economic relationships and transactions, but has equally to do with domestic policies of a nation. Polic…
- Prelims 2014CSATReading Comprehension
Passage-2 It is often forgotten that globalization, is not only about policies on international economic relationships and transactions, but has equally to do with domestic policies of a nation. Polic…