Read the passage and answer the following questions
“In ancient times, a king had his men place a boulder on a roadway. He then hid in the bushes and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers passed by and simply walked around it. Many people blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone removed. One day, a peasant came along carrying vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the way. After much pushing and straining, he finally managed. After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the road.”

What was the attitude of the merchants regarding the boulder?

They were indifferent

The correct answer is Option (1) → They were indifferent

The passage states that the wealthiest merchants and courtiers simply walked around the boulder instead of trying to remove it. This shows that they were indifferent—they did not care enough to take action. Instead of making an effort to clear the road, they ignored the problem and continued on their way.