UPSC Prelims 2014·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

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. The transformation that occurred during the audition refers to

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. Athe nervousness of Cynthia
  2. Bthe eruption of the entire room in thunderous applause
  3. Cthe surprise on the faces of her classmates
  4. Dthe stunning performance of Cynthia.Correct

Explanation

The transformation refers to the change in Cynthia's demeanor and ability during the audition. She went from being a shy, terrified girl who believed she was untalented to delivering an excellent, stunning performance that captivated everyone. A) the nervousness of Cynthia: Her nervousness was her initial state, not the transformation. The transformation was the change *despite* or *from* that nervousness. B) the eruption of the entire room in thunderous applause: This was the *reaction* to her performance, happening *after* the transformation, not the transformation itself. C) the surprise on the faces of her classmates: This was the *reaction* of others to her performance, not the internal or external change in Cynthia. D) the stunning performance of Cynthia: This directly describes the remarkable change from her perceived inability and fear to her actual excellent delivery, which is the core of the "transformation."
Reading Comprehension: Passage Cynthia was a shy girl. She believed that she was plain and untalented. One day her teacher ordered the entire c

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