Question

arush took baby steps to school. he was returning after a month of staying at the hospital, and he had strangely missed everyone—even the sternest of teachers. for arush, anything was more fun than those white walls and the hard bed at the hospital. he was torn between the feelings of excitement and anxiety.
on one hand, arush was all better now; on the other hand, he had gained a lot of weight because of a long bed - rest. he felt like an expansive balloon held to the ground by two fragile strands of threads. the doctors had told him he would be back in shape after exercising and eating better, but he was worried about how his friends would look at him. he had taken hall an hour for a 10 - minute walk because of his hesitation. finally, he had arrived. there was no going back. he had seen the crowd.
arush saw the banner, the balloons, and the party hats. his friends had prepared for a celebration to mark his return. the crowd swarmed at him with the speed of bees whose hive had been stoned. they took turns asking him how he felt and saying that he was missed terribly. nobody mentioned his weight gain or looked at him differently. his friends were genuinely happy to have him back.
gradually, arush felt comfortable in his own skin. his feet felt more firmly on the ground. the negative ideas he had about himself shattered like pieces of broken glass. his mind was now a mirror that reflected things more clearly. he was indeed back.
1 what does the author mean by \an expansive balloon held to the ground by two fragile strands of threads\?
○ a. arush is able to walk with little discomfort.
○ b. arush is able to glide his way to the school.
○ c. arush still feels the side effects of the medicine.
○ d. arush feels huge and weak at the same time.

Explanation:

The text describes Arush's physical state and actions. The phrase "an expansive balloon held to the ground by two fragile strands of threads" is a metaphor. Metaphors are common in literature (a sub - field of Arts) to create vivid imagery. Here, it likely implies that Arush's physical state (like the balloon) is somewhat unsteady (held by fragile threads) but has some positive aspect (expansive). Option A says "Arush is able to walk with little discomfort". If we consider the balloon as representing his body (maybe after an illness, as he was in the hospital), and the "fragile strands" as something that is just enough to support him (but not causing much discomfort as he can hold the balloon, i.e., move around).

Answer:

A. Arush is able to walk with little discomfort.