Read the following passage carefully and answer the next five questions by choosing the correct options:
I am a king, I am a slave,
I am a worm, I am God,
DERZHAVIN
The following day Charsky sought our room number 35 in the dark and dirty corridor of an inn. He stopped at the door and knocked. The Italian of the previous day opened the door.
"Victory!" Charsky said to him. "The affair is settled. The Princess --- offers you her salon. At a big party last night I succeeded in recruiting half Petersburg. Get your tickets and programmes printed. I guarantee you, if not a triumph, at least a profit. . . ."
"And that's the main thing!" cried the Italian, expressing his delight by a spate of lively movements, characteristic of his southern origin. "I knew that you would help me. Corpo di Bacco! You are a poet like myself, and there's no denying that poets are splendid fellows! How can I express my gratitude? Wait... would you like to hear an improvisation?"
"An improvisation! ... But can you do without an audience, without music, without the thunder of applause?"
"Nonsense! Where could I find a better audience? You are a poet, you will understand me better than others, and your quiet encouragement will mean more to me than whole storms of applause.... Find yourself a seat somewhere and give me a theme".
Charsky wondered whether the Italian could give an improvisation without _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → All the above
When the Italian offers an improvisation, Charsky asks: "But can you do without an audience, without music, without the thunder of applause?" His question names all three things he thinks an improviser needs: an audience, music and applause. The Italian waves the doubt away, but the question asks what Charsky had in mind.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: an audience — Incorrect. Too narrow: an audience is only one of the three things Charsky lists.
Option 2: music — Incorrect. Too narrow: music is also only one of the three.
Option 3: applause — Incorrect. Too narrow: "the thunder of applause" completes the list; choosing it alone leaves out the other two.