Question : Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
Anna Pávlovna's drawing room was gradually filling. The highest Petersburg society was assembled there: people differing widely in age and character but alike in the social circle to which they belonged.
Prince Vasili's daughter, the beautiful Hélène, wore a ball dress and her badge as maid of honour. The youthful little Princess Bolkónskaya, known as the most fascinating woman in Petersburg was also there. Vasili's son, Hippolyte, Mortemart, and many others had also come.
To each new arrival, Anna Pávlovna said, "You have not yet seen my aunt," or "You do not know my aunt?" and very gravely conducted him or her to a little old lady, wearing large bows of ribbon in her cap, who had come sailing in from another room as soon as the guests began to arrive; and slowly turning her eyes from the visitor to her aunt, Anna Pávlovna mentioned each one's name and then left them.
Each visitor performed the ceremony of greeting this old aunt whom not one of them knew, not one of them wanted to know, and not one of them cared about; Anna Pávlovna observed these greetings with mournful and solemn interest and silent approval. The aunt spoke to each of them in the same words, about their health and her own.
And each visitor, though politeness prevented his showing impatience, left the old woman with a sense of relief at having performed a vexatious duty and did not return to her the whole evening.
Question:
"The guests left the old woman with a sense of relief at having performed a vexatious duty". The duty is described as vexatious because:
Option 1: the guests were not happy when they finally left the aunt
Option 2: the guests were happy to have completed the assigned duty
Option 3: it was quite pleasing to the guests
Option 4: it was a duty they found quite annoying
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Correct Answer: it was a duty they found quite annoying
Solution : The correct choice is the fourth option .
Explanation : The duty is described as vexatious because it was perceived as annoying or bothersome by the guests. They felt obliged to greet Anna Pávlovna's aunt as part of social etiquette, despite not knowing her, wanting to know her, or caring about her. This obligatory action was seen as a tiresome formality rather than a genuine interaction, making it an unwelcome and irritating task for the guests.
Therefore, the right answer is that it was a duty they found quite annoying.
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