Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow…
2023
Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate option.
A majority of people think that their dream job is too hard to achieve, too competitive and believe that it is all a matter of luck. All this is true actually, but why should that stop anyone from trying to get the job they really want ? A really determined person will always succeed and, in many ways, will need other people to give up trying so that he can succeed.
Many job seekers feel limited by the choices they made at college. They may think that because they studied marketing, all they can ever do is work in marketing. All the evidence shows that, in fact, employers are less interested in acquired knowledge than the ability to think and learn. It is also very difficult to predict the needs of society. For example, if a person chose to study dentistry because there was a lack of dentists when he was in high school, that may not be the case when he graduates. The needs of employers and the economy can change very quickly, and often unexpectedly.
Of course, if it is a very tough time economically, it is hard to find employment straight after university, but it is by no means impossible. It might take several months longer to find a job after graduating, but there is work out there. A really key piece of advice is never to get downhearted by rejection because there will probably be a lot you can do to achieve your dream job, whatever it is. You must never give up. Be prepared to work hard and for long hours without necessarily climbing up the career ladder. There is a lot to be said for learning your trade from the bottom up. At the start, there will probably be little money, but it will be worth it in the end. The best jobs are not supposed to be easy — that is what makes them challenging. And if you like a challenge, just keep your head down and go for it.
A job seeker who likes challenges should keep his head down. This means he should ______.
- A.
walk away in anger
- B.
bow down his head
- C.
avoid troublesome situations
- D.
confront challenging situations
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
In reading comprehension, a figurative or idiomatic phrase inside a passage must be read in the CONTEXT the author builds around it — the sentences immediately before and after usually fix the intended sense, which can differ from the phrase's literal or most common dictionary meaning.
Application
The passage closes with a chain of persistence-themed advice: never give up despite rejection, be ready to work long hours for little initial pay, and accept that "the best jobs are not supposed to be easy — that is what makes them challenging." It then adds, "And if you like a challenge, just keep your head down and go for it." The phrase "go for it" immediately after "keep your head down" shows the idiom is being used for determined, head-on effort toward a hard goal, not for lowering one's head or staying out of difficulty.
Contrast
walk away in anger — conflicts with the passage's persistence theme; nothing in the text links this phrase to anger or quitting.
bow down his head — the literal, physical reading of the idiom, which ignores the accompanying "go for it."
avoid troublesome situations — the reverse of the passage's advice, which is to pursue a challenge, not stay away from it.
confront challenging situations — matches "keep your head down and go for it," i.e. taking on the difficulty with determination.
Result
The passage uses the idiom to mean tackling a challenge with full determination, so a job seeker who likes challenges should confront challenging situations.