Question

Juan had finally decided to give yoga a try. After all, he had heard so much about it. The senior year had not been all it was hyped to be, and Juan needed to relieve stress before the midterms arrived. In preparation for yoga, Juan read some fitness magazines in the library and watched some video on the Internet. He decided against going to a gym class because he wanted to try something on his own. Juan was ready to make the stiffness of his muscles disappear and to become a relaxed person.
To Juan's dismay, yoga did not turn out to be as simple as people had made it look. The stretching and balancing took a toll on his back. Although Juan thought about asking a professional yoga instructor for advice, he did not want to waste more time before the midterms. He tried his best to relax before he hit the books and tried yoga. Before he knew it, Juan ended up spending more time practicing yoga than studying for his exams. Juan was more stressed out than ever when the mid-term week began.
6
Which of these best describes the irony in Juan's situation?
A.
Juan wants to learn and practice yoga, but he is already good at it.
B.
Juan already knows how to best prepare for his midterm exams.
C.
Juan reads fitness magazines in the library, but they misinform him.
D.
Juan tries so hard to relieve stress that he gets more stressed out.

Answer 1

D

Juan's intention was to reduce stress by practicing yoga, but the opposite happened—he became more stressed. This is situational irony.