Read the following lines and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option :
The signal was given, the pistol exploded
And so did the runners on hearing the sound
But the youngest among them stumbled and staggered
And he fell on his knees to the ground.
He gave out a cry of frustration and anguish
His dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt
But as sure as I'm standing here telling the story
Now it's a strange one, but here's what occurred
The eight other athletes stopped in their tracks
The ones who had trained for so long to compete
One by one they turned round and came back to help him
And lifted the lad to his feet.
That's how the race ended, with nine gold medals
They came to the finish line holding hands still
And the banner above and nine smiling faces
Said more than these words ever will
Said more than these words ever will
In the sentence - 'The signal was given, the pistol exploded and so did the runners, the underlined phrase means that the runners ________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → sprinted off
In "The pistol exploded / And so did the runners", the verb "exploded" works in two senses at once: the pistol fires, and the runners burst away at full speed. To sprint off is to start running very fast.
Example: As soon as the bell rang, the children sprinted off to the playground.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: were stranded due to the explosion — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: stranded means left stuck and unable to move on; the runners started the race, they were not stuck.
Example: Hundreds of passengers were stranded at the airport because of the fog.
Option 2: burst out in anger — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: to burst out in anger is to show sudden anger; the pistol was only the starting signal, and nobody was angry.
Example: He burst out in anger when he saw his broken phone.
Option 4: eased off — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: to ease off is to slow down or become less intense, the opposite of the burst of speed at the start.
Example: The rain eased off by the evening.