Multiple choice

' ... I, too, was lighter' suggests that the narrator

Directions: Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows by selecting the most appropriate option.
1.        Dust-caked clouds coated the bay, tanker ships signalled.
2.       Dozens of us wearily pressed on through the unseasonal winds and blanketed chill. Outdoor cafe chairs were abandoned, some overturned and others stacked waiting to tumble down. But not today. My bag felt heavier on my shoulder than ever before. I lifted it in my hand to relieve the pressure and dreamed of days when I, too, was lighter.
3.        My mind wandered.
4.        Another year gone.
5.       I tripped through a wall of pedestrians, then suddenly a moving bus carelessly littered me down into the curb. My tear-stained eyes searched for an angel on the concrete surface, but the illuminated white crossing hand signalled my insignificance.
6.       I pushed myself up, bruised and filthy. A horn quickly warned me of approaching death, then the yellow taxi sped through the red bulb. Sighing, I checked each direction, brushing waste from my body as I joined a new crowd and made the final push across the last road. I hoisted my bag, checked. for my office keys, then entered one of the many sky-gripping fortresses of the financial district.
7.        Back to work.

  1. was very light for his size

  2. was fat but light-footed

  3. was fat and clumsy

  4. was light and agile

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The narrator says his bag 'felt heavier on my shoulder than ever before' and then 'dreamed of days when I, too, was lighter.' This contrast between feeling heavy now and dreaming of being lighter suggests he was fat in the past. If someone is fat, they literally weigh more. When he says he dreamed of being 'lighter', he means physically lighter (less weight). The context implies he was fat and clumsy (the heaviness of the bag and himself made his journey difficult). Option C captures this: 'was fat and clumsy'.