Question

Angry as he was, Rikki-tikki was very frightened as he saw the size of the big cobra.

—“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,”
Rudyard Kipling

Which statement is the best paraphrase of the central idea of this passage?

Rikki-tikki was too angry to be scared of Nag.
Even though Rikki-tikki was angry, he was scared by the sight of a big cobra.
Rikki-tikki felt better about his chances when he saw Nag curl himself up.
Even though Rikki-tikki was angry, his eyes glittered when he thought about Nag.

Answer 1

Even though Rikki-tikki was angry, he was scared by the sight of a big cobra.

Step-by-step explanation:

It says "angry as he was," meaning he was angry, and then how frightened he was to see that the cobra was giant.