Read the following lines and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option :
The signal was given, the pistol exploded
And so did the runners on hearing the sound
But the youngest among them stumbled and staggered
And he fell on his knees to the ground.
He gave out a cry of frustration and anguish
His dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt
But as sure as I'm standing here telling the story
Now it's a strange one, but here's what occurred
The eight other athletes stopped in their tracks
The ones who had trained for so long to compete
One by one they turned round and came back to help him
And lifted the lad to his feet.
That's how the race ended, with nine gold medals
They came to the finish line holding hands still
And the banner above and nine smiling faces
Said more than these words ever will
Said more than these words ever will
When one of the runners fell down, the rest of them ________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → stopped, helped him and finished the race with him
The poem says, "The eight other athletes stopped in their tracks", "came back to help him / And lifted the lad to his feet", and then "They came to the finish line holding hands".
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: completed the race without him — Incorrect. Contradicted: they finished together, holding hands, with nine smiling faces.
Option 2: rushed to the finish line — Incorrect. Contradicted: they stopped in their tracks and turned back instead of rushing on.
Option 4: ignored him completely — Incorrect. Contradicted: they came back to help him.