Read the given passage and answer the four questions that follow:-
If my younger self could see me now, she would be incredulous. That I work in the field of dance or decipher and translate dance for my own comprehension, call it choreography if you wish, would have been unbelievable. In this respect, I am particularly envious of dancers who claim that they are 'born to dance', implying that it was clearly laid out for them from the beginning. I must say, I find this assertion dubious; it is rarely that easy. To dance' means 'to struggle'.
In all truth, as a child, I never did want to dance; it was forced upon me by a doting mother and a silent father. My father probably kept his peace to avoid argument. From the beginning, my lessons took place under trying conditions, though I believe that the conditions were more trying for my mother than for me. She travelled in local, over-crowded trains to the dance class with an unwilling child, tired from a whole day at school.
Interestingly, when I was seven, we went to see a movie starring Mumtaz Ali, who did a dance number in the film. When we arrived home, I began prancing around the house imitating the film actor and my mother, who was quietly watching, was the one who said, 'Kumudini, you are born to dance.' Ironically, I have no recollection of this story; it was my mother who saw this innate ability in me.
The narrator says, 'to dance means to struggle' as she _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → had to work hard to perfect the art, though unwillingly
"To dance means to struggle" is the narrator's reply to dancers who claim they were "born to dance". She finds that claim doubtful because for her it was "rarely that easy": dance was forced upon her, her lessons took place under trying conditions, and she went as an unwilling child, tired after school. Dance meant hard work, done without wanting it.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: was envious of the other dancers' talent. — Incorrect. Wrong reason: she does say she is envious of dancers who claim to be born to dance, but she envies the ease they claim, not their talent, and she doubts the claim. Her envy is not the reason she calls dance a struggle.
Option 2: had tough time convincing her parents about her passion — Incorrect. Contradicted: this reverses the passage: it was her mother who pushed her into dance, and she had no passion for it as a child.
Option 3: doesn't have good memories of her childhood — Incorrect. Too broad: the passage says she has no recollection of one incident (the prancing at seven); it says nothing about bad memories of her childhood as a whole.