Small Courage
Written by Studio AM.
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When we picture courage, we usually imagine something loud: a soldier charging forward, a firefighter running into a burning building, a stranger leaping into a river. These moments are real, and they deserve our admiration, but they are also rare. Most of us will live our whole lives and never once be asked to perform such a feat. The danger of this dramatic picture is that it can quietly convince us that courage is not for ordinary days, that it belongs to other, braver people in other, harder situations.
Yet there is a quieter kind of courage, and it is the kind the world actually runs on. It is the courage to admit, out loud, that you were wrong. It is the courage to ask a question that might make you look foolish in front of people you want to impress, or to say no when everyone around you is saying yes.
These acts win no medals and draw no crowds, and no one will ever make a film about them. But they are practiced daily, by anyone willing to try, and over the long span of a lifetime they may shape a person far more deeply than a single dramatic moment ever could.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the main idea of this essay?
The answer is B: Quiet, everyday courage matters as much as dramatic courage
The essay contrasts loud heroism with a 'quieter kind of courage' practiced daily that can shape a person more deeply.
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Question 2 of 4
Which of these does the author give as an example of quiet courage?
The answer is C: Admitting you were wrong
The author lists 'the courage to admit you were wrong' as an example of everyday quiet courage.
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Question 3 of 4
Why does the author say the loud picture of courage can be a 'danger'?
The answer is B: It limits courage to heroic acts
The author warns that focusing only on dramatic acts may make courage seem unrelated to ordinary life. The examples of admitting a mistake, asking a question, and saying no challenge that idea.
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Question 4 of 4
In the essay, "admiration" most nearly means:
The answer is D: respect and approval
The author says dramatic acts of courage "deserve our admiration" (our respect) before turning to the quieter courage that wins no medals.
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