Comprehension:
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:-
My father and I stood atop a lofty church tower overlooking a quaint Italian town not far from our home in Rome. I remember wondering what purpose had prompted this sudden expedition.
“Look down, Elsa”, he instructed softly. Summoning my courage, I gazed at the intricate labyrinth below- a cluster of winding, serpentine streets converging upon a modest central square. “See, carisimma”, Father continued with gentle conviction,“there is always more than one path that leads to the square. Life mirrors that very truth-if a single road does not take you to your destination, you must have the wisdom and courage to seek another.”
At that instant, I began to discern the quiet intent behind his lesson. Earlier that morning, I had implored my mother to intervene about the dreadful school lunches my sister and I were compelled to endure, but she had dismissed my complaint as trivial. When I turned to Father for help, he, too, had declined to act directly. Instead, he had brought me to this tower---- not to lecture, but to impart, through vision and reflection, the art of thinking differently. By the time we descended, my mind had conceived a plan.
The next day at school, I discreetly poured my unappetizing soup into a bottle, smuggled it home, and persuaded our cook to serve it to Mother at dinner. The scheme unfolded flawlessly. After the first spoonful, she spluttered indignantly, “The cook must have lost her senses!” My sister and I quickly confessed, and Mother, now convinced, promised to take up our case at school the following day.
In the years that followed, that singular lesson revealed its profound depth. I learned that passive acceptance of an apparent impasse often paves the way to defeat, whereas an imaginative and tenacious pursuit of alternatives can transform barriers into opportunities.
Indeed, it was this very belief in alternate routes--this refusal to concede to dead ends-that later illuminated my path toward my first modest triumph as a designer.
What can be deduced about father's method of teaching an important life lesson to Elsa?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → He preferred symbolic and experiential learning to direct teaching.
The passage says that the father took Elsa to the tower "not to lecture, but to impart, through vision and reflection, the art of thinking differently". The many streets leading to one square stand for the many ways to reach a goal (symbolic), and Elsa learns by seeing it for herself (experiential, learning through one's own experience).
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: He believed in silent observation rather than verbal instruction. — Incorrect. Contradicted: he does not stay silent; he says "Look down, Elsa" and explains that "there is always more than one path".
Option 3: He thought children should find their own way without any guidance. — Incorrect. Contradicted: he does guide her, taking her up the tower "to impart ... the art of thinking differently"; he only refuses to solve the problem for her.
Option 4: He wanted to discourage Elsa from questioning her mother's authority. — Incorrect. Contradicted: his lesson leads Elsa to change her mother's mind, and Mother "promised to take up our case at school".