Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:-
The first rays of dawn crept silently over the valley, brushing the roofs of the small village with a golden hue. Meera stood by her window, watching the mist rise from the river like a living spirit. Every morning, she waited for this moment—the quiet awakening of the world, when the air still carried the scent of night, and time seemed to pause between darkness and light.
Her life had not been easy. The fields were dry, her father’s health had worsened, and the village school where she taught was barely standing. Yet, every day, she crossed the hill to reach her classroom. Sometimes as she walked, she imagined her mother beside her—the way she used to before the years of hardship carved lines across her face. “Keep walking, Meera,” her mother would whisper in memory. “The hill always hides the sunshine till the last moment.”
Today, as Meera reached the top of the hill, she saw something that made her stop. A group of children, barefoot and laughing, were already outside the broken schoolhouse. They had gathered before she even arrived, clutching their slates and books like treasures. In that instant, the weariness of her journey melted away.
Meera smiled. She realized that beyond the hill—beyond the struggles, the loneliness, and the endless effort—there was light. Not the kind that came from the sun, but the kind that lived in the eagerness of young eyes and the unspoken promise of tomorrow.
What does the hill stand as a metaphor for?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The struggles in Meera’s life.
A metaphor presents one thing as another without "like" or "as". The last paragraph equates the hill with Meera's hardships: "beyond the hill—beyond the struggles, the loneliness, and the endless effort—there was light". Crossing the hill every day stands for facing the struggles of her life.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The distance between her home and the school. — Incorrect. Misread: "she crossed the hill to reach her classroom" describes the real hill on her way; the question asks what it stands for.
Option 3: The village’s isolation — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the passage never says that the village is cut off from other places.
Option 4: The joy of Children — Incorrect. Wrong link: the children's joy is what Meera finds beyond the hill, the light after the struggle, not what the hill stands for.