No one noticed when Mina paused outside the classroom. The hallway moved around her—fast, loud, ordinary. She stood still, watching the tiled floor beneath her shoes. There was no actual line there. But it felt like one. A thin invisible thread separating before and after.
Today was the day she was supposed to speak. A presentation. Group grades. Expectations. The kind of thing that made her stomach tighten before her mind even caught up.
She had practiced. Enough to memorize the words, if not believe them. But standing here, with her hand on the doorframe, she wasn’t sure she could cross that line.
It wasn’t about fear, exactly. It was about what followed. The voice crack. The half-smile from the corner of the room. The idea that a stumble could erase all the effort she had built in private. That she could be judged for the moment and not the journey.
But then she remembered something her older sister had once said, during a different hard moment: *“You don’t have to be fearless. You just have to move anyway.”*
So Mina stepped forward. The world didn’t shift. The floor didn’t glow. But something quiet in her did. Something unmeasurable but real. A kind of strength that only shows up when you're unsure and go anyway.
She walked into the room. Still nervous. Still unsure. But past the line that wasn’t there—and never had been.
Q1: What is the main theme of the passage?
Q2: What does the 'line' in the hallway symbolize?
Q3: What role does Mina’s sister’s advice play in the story?
Q4: How does the author use contrast between action and perception in the final paragraph?
Q5: What tone best describes the passage overall?
Q6: Which sentence best reflects the theme of internal courage?
Printable Comprehension Practice
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Q1: What is the main theme of the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The passage centers on Mina's choice to act in the presence of fear, not its absence, reinforcing the theme of quiet courage.
Q2: What does the 'line' in the hallway symbolize?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The 'line' represents an internal moment of hesitation—an invisible division between who Mina was before the decision and who she becomes by crossing it.
Q3: What role does Mina’s sister’s advice play in the story?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The quote offers Mina a shift in mindset that enables her to move forward without needing to feel fully ready.
Q4: How does the author use contrast between action and perception in the final paragraph?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The author contrasts the ordinary environment with Mina’s internal shift to highlight the real transformation happening within her.
Q5: What tone best describes the passage overall?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The tone is subtle and emotional, showing respect for the personal, internal nature of courage.
Q6: Which sentence best reflects the theme of internal courage?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: This line captures the essence of the theme—that real strength can emerge in uncertain moments.