Reading comprehension – mindfulness passage: what is the main benefit of the “mindful citizen” exercise described by the author?

Introduction / Context:
The question is based on the same passage about mindfulness, community, and healing. The author introduces a specific activity called the “mindful citizen” exercise. This exercise requires participants to create a story about who they are as individuals within communities, and the passage explains how it affects their attitudes toward society and themselves. The exam asks you to identify the central benefit attributed to this exercise.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The passage states that:
- Through the “mindful citizen” exercise, participants articulate who they are as individuals who are also part of communities.
- This process helps them move beyond cynicism, complacency, and despair.
- Instead, it infuses them with a sense of purpose.
- The larger aim is to promote a sense of common humanity and social justice.

Concept / Approach:
The key phrase here is the sentence describing the emotional and motivational effect: the exercise helps us move beyond negative states and gives us a sense of purpose. The question asks what the exercise helps us in, so the correct answer should capture this positive transformation. The wrong options simply restate the negative states that the exercise is meant to overcome.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Find the sentence mentioning the “mindful citizen” exercise and its effects. Step 2: Notice that three negative qualities are listed: cynicism, complacency, and despair. Step 3: Observe that the exercise helps us move beyond those qualities and instead gives us a sense of purpose. Step 4: Choose the answer that directly describes this positive outcome, not the negative states.

Verification / Alternative check:
Ask yourself: If I summarise the effect of the exercise in one short phrase, what would it be? A concise summary is that it helps participants discover or deepen their sense of purpose as mindful citizens engaged in social justice. Option d expresses exactly this idea, which confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a) “To be cynical” is the opposite of what the passage says. The exercise is specifically meant to help people move beyond cynicism.
Option b) “Live in despair” also contradicts the text, which clearly states that the exercise helps them move beyond despair.
Option c) “Be complacent” is again one of the negative attitudes that the exercise helps to overcome, not a goal that it encourages.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes just pick a word they remember from the passage, such as “cynicism” or “despair”, without reading the full sentence that describes moving beyond these states. It is crucial to read the entire statement, paying attention to verbs like “move beyond” and “instead infusing”, which reverse the negative terms that come before them.

Final Answer:
It gives us a renewed sense of purpose in life.