Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 16 to 20.

Do you have the right mindset?

        Think back to a time when you were in a classroom, perhaps confronted with a challenging maths problem. This could have happened recently or many years ago. How did you respond? Some students feel immediately overwhelmed and give up, (16) ____________. Others embrace the challenge, making an effort to tackle it and hoping to gain knowledge even if they do not succeed.

        Early in her career, psychologist Carol Dweck at Stanford University (17) ____________, presenting problems slightly beyond their current abilities. One group responded positively, enjoying the challenge and demonstrating confidence in their capacity to develop. Dweck termed this a “growth mindset,” focused on learning and future progress. Another group felt their intelligence was being judged, interpreting failure as a lack of ability. These children exhibited a “fixed mindset,” struggling to envision improvement. Some even considered cheating or comparing themselves with weaker peers to protect their self-esteem. This observation highlights a broader issue in how students are guided and assessed in educational settings.

        Dweck emphasizes that traditional praise for talent or intelligence can instill a fear of failure. (18) ____________. She argues that recognition should instead highlight effort, strategies, persistence, and incremental improvement. Such an approach encourages mastery-oriented thinking and motivates learners to continually enhance their skills.

        Research confirms these insights. Students who were taught that grappling with difficult material strengthens neural connections advanced faster than their peers. In one study, underperforming children on a Native American reservation practiced growth mindset techniques for a year, (19) ____________. Such evidence clearly demonstrates the practical benefits of adopting a growth mindset.

        Returning to the initial question: Do you tend to embrace challenges and make a genuine effort to learn? If so, you already demonstrate a growth mindset. If not, it is never too late. With deliberate effort and effective strategies, (20) ____________.

Question 16. 

        A. assuming the task is beyond their capacity

        B. supposing the solution requires knowledge they lacked

        C. providing the explanation has not yet been made clear

        D. seeing that the question was intentionally designed to confuse