The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Based on the provided image, the correct answer is the third option:
“Circumstances may not be in our control, but our response to them, or whether it’s positive or negative, makes the real, or ultimate, difference.”
Explanation
This answer is the most logical point of agreement because it directly encapsulates the central theme of Passage 1 and represents a foundational concept that a second passage on a similar topic would almost certainly share.
Passage 1, titled “Cultivating a ‘Cruising Attitude’ with Positive Thinking,” uses the metaphor of an airplane flight to describe life. The author explicitly states that while a flight can be smooth, it often encounters uncontrollable external factors like “thunderstorms, clouds, and engine trouble.” These elements represent life’s unpredictable challenges and circumstances that are outside of our influence. The passage then argues that the key to navigating this “daily turbulence” is not changing the external events but rather adopting an internal mindset of “strong positive thinking.” This is precisely what the correct answer describes: we cannot control the circumstances (the storm), but we can control our response (maintaining a “cruising attitude”).
While Passage 2 is not visible, the question asks for a point of likely agreement. The other options are too specific. For example, options about past passions or journaling are narrow techniques that may or may not be mentioned in both texts. The option about needing more scientific studies introduces a completely different topic.
In contrast, the chosen answer presents a broad, philosophical principle that is the bedrock of most discussions about positive thinking, resilience, or mental fortitude. It is a general truth that serves as a common ground for authors exploring how to manage life’s difficulties. Therefore, it is the most plausible statement that the authors of both Passage 1 and a related Passage 2 would mutually endorse
