Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 374 / 466

UPSC CSE Prelims 2013

It was already late when we set out for the next town, which according to the map was about fifteen kilometers 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 kilometers, 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 kilometers because

EXPLANATION

Correct Option (B)

The passage explicitly states, "After we had travelled for about twenty kilometers, there was still no sign of the town which was marked on the map. We were beginning to get worried." The map indicated the town was approximately fifteen kilometers away. Therefore, having traveled five kilometers beyond the expected distance without reaching the town, the travellers' worry is directly attributable to the probability of having lost their way, as the expected landmark was absent.

Incorrect Options:

  • Option 1: While the setting was a remote countryside, the passage does not identify this as the specific cause of worry at the twenty-kilometer mark. The concern is linked to the absence of the town.
  • Option 3: The rain began earlier, as they climbed higher, before reaching the twenty-kilometer point. While it contributed to difficult driving conditions, it is not presented as the direct reason for their worry specifically after travelling twenty kilometers and not finding the town.
  • Option 4: The increasing coldness is mentioned as they drove higher, preceding the twenty-kilometer mark. This describes an environmental condition but is not cited as the cause of their anxiety when the town failed to appear.