Question

The best thing for children is for them to be given more freedom - not to do whatever they want, of course; they need clear boundaries set by parents. But unsupervised play isn’t just some kind of childhood luxury that kids can do without. It is vital for children’s healthy emotional and social development. Study after study has shown that it helps to develop children’s ability to negotiate social rules and to create their own rules. Children need to learn to deal with risks and develop the capacity to assess challenges, and develop resilience to life’s inevitable blows. ___________________.

• A. In short, taking risks in childhood should not be discouraged.
• B. In short, taking risks in childhood can have unexpected consequences.
• C. In short, taking risks in childhood goes hand-in hand with developing new skills.
• D. In short, taking risks in childhood is necessary for children’s physical development.
• E. In short, taking risks in childhood is necessary for children’s intellectual development.

Answer 1

The correct option is C In short, taking risks in childhood goes hand-in hand with developing new skills.

Option (c)

Both options [d] and [e] can be dismissed immediately, as the author mentions only children’s emotional and social development, not their physical or intellectual development. [b] is very vague, and does not really connect to the topic of the passage. The author stridently argues that children should be free to take risks, so [a] would be a rather weak conclusion. [c] is much more preferable conclusion, as it clearly summarizes the author’s entire argument.