Read the passage given below and answer the following question by choosing the correct option:
Holidays
There is not much need of proving to most schoolboys that holidays are necessary. They are quite convinced that they are-and most desirable, too. They welcome a holiday from school with hilarious joy, and plague the headmaster on the least excuse to let them off their lessons. It would be more in place to try to convince them of the necessity of work and study. Yet it may be desirable to show that regular intervals of rest, recreation, or a change of occupation are really necessary. As the old rhyme says
"All work and no play.
Makes Jack a dull boy."
Holidays at proper intervals are especially necessary for young people, and for those engaged in hard mental work; for continuous work. without a break, will injure the health, and may cause a nervous breakdown. A short holiday, rightly used, will send us back to our work with renewed zest and vigour. "Rightly used." It all depends upon that. For holidays may be abused. If the holiday is spent in stupid idleness, or in an exhausting round of exciting amusements, or shut up in close stuffy rooms drinking and playing, or in any other unhealthy way, the boy or man will come back to his work tired, listless, and uninterested. The holiday, instead of doing good, has done harm, much more harm than steady work could ever do.
How can a holiday, then, be best used, so that at the end of it we shall come back to work with energies renewed and interest keener than ever? If we are students, or have been shut up in stuffy offices, we should get away into the pure air of the country and live a healthy life. enjoying games or sports. We should avoid unhealthy amusement, keep early hours and get plenty of refreshing sleep. And we should not be completely idle. Change of occupation is a rest. And if we have a little regular work to do, work that we take an interest in, it will make our holiday not only healthier, but more enjoyable.
Choose the correct option to complete the given sentence:
Holidays can be best used in _________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → visiting a place of interest.
The passage says a holiday is best used by getting away into the pure air of the country, living a healthy life and keeping up a little work we take an interest in, since "Change of occupation is a rest." Visiting a place of interest is such a healthy change, and it is the only option that is not one of the misuses the passage warns against.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: shutting up in stuffy rooms. — Incorrect. Contradicted: being "shut up in close stuffy rooms" is named in the passage as a way holidays are abused.
Option 3: drinking and playing in an unhealthy way. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage lists "drinking and playing, or in any other unhealthy way" among the misuses that send people back tired.
Option 4: spending time in idle gossiping. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage warns against "stupid idleness" and says we should not be completely idle.