Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 18 / 466

UPSC CSE Prelims 2026

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage.
Passage: Was it the sun-dappled ambience, the strawberries and cream, the frustration of Flavio Cobolli's unforced errors against Serbian Novak Djokovic on Centre Court or simply the crushing weight of being a 64-year-old man in the third act of a very public life? Whatever the reason, Hugh Grant, the actor, deserves empathy. There he was, in the Royal Box at Wimbledon, flanked by Britain's well-dressed and well-rested spectators, watching the men's singles quarterfinals, when the actor did something quietly radical: head at a tilt, eyes closed, utterly unbothered, he took a nap. So praise be to Grant for serving up an unexpected ace. In that small, delicious moment, he didn't merely catch forty winks, he made an elegant case for surrender. Not to laziness, but to limits. To the body's quiet wisdom over society's relentless performance metrics. Wimbledon had its tennis. The perpetually sleep-deprived discovered a leading man, not of action, but of rest.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
  1. Hugh Grant was watching, from the Royal Box, the men's semifinal match on Centre Court between Flavio Cobolli and Novak Djokovic.
  2. The phrase 'unexpected ace' in the context uses a term from the game of tennis to highlight Hugh Grant's somewhat uncharacteristic act of catching 'forty winks'; an act that is viewed with opprobrium.
  3. Grant subjects the demands of society to the wisdom of his body.
Select the answer using the code given below.

EXPLANATION

The correct option is B - 3 only.

[as per provisional answerkey]

Why this is correct

The passage explicitly states that Grant’s act of napping was a surrender to "the body's quiet wisdom over society's relentless performance metrics." This directly supports Statement 3, as it highlights that Grant prioritized his physical need for rest (body's wisdom) over the societal expectation of remaining alert and performative in a public, high-profile setting (demands of society).

Why the other options are incorrect

  • Statement 1 - Hugh Grant was watching the men's semifinal match: This is factually incorrect based on the passage. The text states he was watching the "men's singles quarterfinals," not the semifinals. In UPSC CSAT, such specific factual discrepancies make a statement false.
  • Statement 2 - an act that is viewed with opprobrium: While the passage uses the tennis term "unexpected ace" to describe the nap, it does not view the act with "opprobrium" (harsh criticism or censure). On the contrary, the author uses positive and empathetic language, such as "praise be to Grant," "delicious moment," and "elegant case for surrender," indicating approval rather than condemnation.
  • Option (a), (c), and (d): These options are incorrect because they include Statement 1 or Statement 2, both of which contain inaccuracies regarding the details or the tone of the passage.

Key Concept

Critical reading and tone analysis: distinguishing between specific factual details (quarterfinals vs. semifinals) and identifying the author's appreciative stance versus a critical one.