SSC Stenographer 2026 PYQ — Question 193

SSC Stenographer - 11 Sep 2026 - Shift 1 • English • Q193

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:
Jack Finney's fascinating story, The Third Level, follows Charley, an ordinary thirty-one-year-old clerk who unexpectedly discovers a portal to the past within Grand Central Station. Hurrying home to his wife, Louisa, on a hot summer evening, Charley takes a wrong turn down an unfamiliar, sloping subterranean corridor. Instead of returning to the standard platforms, he emerges onto a mysterious third level. Here, the room is visibly smaller, dim open-flame gaslights flicker, and commuters are dressed in late-nineteenth-century attire. Factual verification occurs when he notices an 1894 edition of The World newspaper that reports on President Cleveland. Seeking a peaceful escape from the intense insecurities, anxieties, and stresses of modern life, Charley attempts to buy two railway tickets to Galesburg, Illinois. However, the ticket clerk rejects his modern currency, warning him that it is not legal tender. Although Charley escapes arrest and later buys vintage bills, he can never locate the entrance to the elusive third level again.
According to the passage, how does Charley confirm that he has arrived in the year 1894?

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

Correct Answer: He reads an old edition of The World newspaper covering President Cleveland.
Explanation:
• According to the passage, factual verification of the time period happens when Charley spots an 1894 edition of The World newspaper reporting on President Cleveland.
• This specific detail confirms directly that he has stepped back into the year 1894.