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.
‘There was light.’ What does the word light suggest here?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → feeling of reassurance
The passage says that beyond the struggles "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". The light is figurative: it is the comfort and hope Meera feels on seeing the children, a feeling of reassurance (the feeling that removes one's doubts and fears).
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: beauty of nature — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: the light "lived in the eagerness of young eyes"; it comes from the children, not from nature.
Option 3: glow of fire — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the passage says nothing about fire.
Option 4: warmth of the sun — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage says plainly that it was "not the kind that came from the sun".