Question:

According to the author, the justification for refusal to let him eat two cones was plausibly

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Look at the “secret justification” the author mentions at the end of the third paragraph and recall what “pedagogical” means.
Updated On: Nov 4, 2026
  • dietetic.
  • didactic.
  • dialectic.
  • diatonic.
  • diastolic
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Find the justification the author finds plausible.
The author says that mathematics, economy, dietetics and hygiene did not justify the refusal. The stated reason (a boy watching two cones might stumble) was “pathetic, and obviously mendacious”. Then he adds: “I dimly sensed that there was another secret justification, cruelly pedagogical”. Later he explains it: the elders wanted to teach children not to show excess.

Step 2: Match “pedagogical” with an option.
“Pedagogical” means related to teaching. The word with the same sense is “didactic”, which means intended to teach, especially a moral lesson. So (2) fits.

Step 3: Eliminate.
(1) Dietetic (relating to diet) is explicitly ruled out by the author.
(3) Dialectic relates to logical argument, not to teaching a lesson through discipline.
(4) Diatonic is a musical term, and (5) diastolic relates to the heart. Neither is relevant.

Final Answer:
The correct option is (2): didactic.
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