GATE CE 2023 Set 2 — Question 8

MCQ+2 / -0.67EasyReading ComprehensionVerbal AptitudeGeneral Aptitude

General Aptitude → Verbal Aptitude → Reading Comprehension

Last updated 5 September 2026

Question

Based only on the following passage, which one of the options can be inferred with certainty? When the congregation sang together, Apenyo would also join, though her little screams were not quite audible because of the group singing. But whenever there was a special number, trouble would begin; Apenyo would try singing along, much to the embarrassment of her mother. After two or three such mortifying Sunday evenings, the mother stopped going to church altogether until Apenyo became older and learnt to behave. At home too, Apenyo never kept quiet; she hummed or made up silly songs to sing by herself, which annoyed her mother at times but most often made her become pensive. She was by now convinced that her daughter had inherited her love of singing from her father who had died unexpectedly away from home. [Excerpt from These Hills Called Home by Temsula Ao]

Correct answer (D) When Apenyo hummed at home, her mother tended to become thoughtful. Solution The passage states that at home, Apenyo's singing "annoyed her mother at times but most often made her become pensive." The word "pensive" means engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought. Therefore, it can be inferred with certainty that when Apenyo hummed at home, her mother tended to become thoughtful. Option (A) is incorrect because the passage mentions the mother was embarrassed at church, not necessarily at home. Option (B) is incorrect because the mother's feelings also included being pensive, not "only" annoyance. Option (C) is incorrect because the passage says she was "convinced" that Apenyo inherited the love of singing from her father. Thus, the correct option is (D). Turn this into a strength. Explore AI-powered practice and doubt support with Success Tracker.

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Correct answer (D) When Apenyo hummed at home, her mother tended to become thoughtful. Solution The passage states that at home, Apenyo's singing "annoyed her mother at times but most often made her become pensive." The word "pensive" means engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought. Therefore, it can be inferred with certainty that when Apenyo hummed at home, her mother tended to become thoughtful. Option (A) is incorrect because the passage mentions the mother was embarrassed at church, not necessarily at home. Option (B) is incorrect because the mother's feelings also included being pensive, not "only" annoyance. Option (C) is incorrect because the passage says she was "convinced" that Apenyo inherited the love of singing from her father. Thus, the correct option is (D).

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