“Indolence” means laziness or avoidance of activity. Select the animal pairing that <i>least</i> matches the trait given in the same way “Indolence : Beaver” is a mismatch (beavers are proverbial for industry).

Introduction / Context:
The stem shows a deliberate mismatch between a trait and an animal stereotypically associated with the opposite trait. “Indolence : Beaver” is incongruent because beavers are idiomatically linked to industry (“busy as a beaver”). We must select the option that similarly mismatches trait-to-animal stereotypes.

Given Data / Assumptions:
Standard cultural stereotypes: peacocks ↔ elegance, cows ↔ passivity/gentleness, hyenas ↔ “laughing” (jovial sound), ants ↔ diligence, lambs ↔ meekness/gentleness, not ferocity.

Concept / Approach:
Find the most jarring mismatch. “Ferocity : Lamb” directly opposes the lamb’s common image (meek, harmless). Other options either align (Elegance–Peacock, Passivity–Cow, Diligence–Ant) or are at least not contradictory (Joviality–Hyena plays on the “laughing” association). Thus the strongest mismatch is “Ferocity : Lamb.”

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Common idioms—“gentle as a lamb”—support the choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
They mostly align or are not strongly contradictory.

Common Pitfalls:
Over-interpreting “joviality–hyena” beyond its giggling sound association; it is not a contradiction, just a playful link.

Final Answer:
Ferocity : Lamb