Read the passage and answer the following questions.
There is a lovely story of a tree and a little boy who used to play in its shade. They had become friends. One day, the boy sat leaning against the trunk of the tree, crying. He was hungry. "Eat my fruit" said the kind tree bending down one of its branches. The boy ate the fruit and was happy. The boy grew up. One day, he sat under the tree with an anxious look on his face. "What is the matter?" asked the tree. "I am going to marry and I want a house to live in," said the young man. "Cut down my branches and build your house." said the tree. The young man built a house with the branches of the tree. The young man became a sailor. One day, he sat under the tree with a worried look. "What is the matter?" asked the tree. "My captain is a cruel fellow. I want a ship of my own." said the sailor. "Cut down my trunk and build a ship." The sailor lost his ship and returned home as a helpless old man. On a cold winter's day, he stood where the tree once was, leaning on his stick and trembling with cold. "Make a fire of me, and warm yourself' said the stump of the tree. The stump of the unselfish tree burnt in the fire, softly humming a tune.
How were the tree and the little boy related to each other?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → They were very close friends due to their very long association
The passage begins with the little boy who used to play in the shade of the tree, and says, "They had become friends." The friendship lasted the boy's whole life: he came back to the tree as a young man, as a sailor and finally as a helpless old man. So they were close friends through a very long association.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: They were close contenders in their race to survive — Incorrect. Contradicted: a contender is a person who competes with others to win something. The boy and the tree never compete; the tree gives up its own life for the boy.
Example: Four teams are strong contenders for the trophy.
Option 3: They were colleagues as they work together — Incorrect. Not mentioned: colleagues are people who work in the same place. The boy and the tree never work together.
Option 4: They were competitors in their need to fulfill their own needs. — Incorrect. Contradicted: only the boy has needs that are met; the tree asks for nothing, so there is no competition between them.