Answer: Python Puzzler #2702

The answer is A. The program prints:

pear

This answer was checked by running the program for real.

Why?

Python counts list positions from 0, so position 5 is the sixth item.

Trace table

A trace table follows the program step by step. Here’s this one:

positionnegative positionitem
0-6plum
1-5grape
2-4melon
3-3mango
4-2apple
5-1pear

The code again

basket = ["plum", "grape", "melon", "mango", "apple", "pear"]
print(basket[5])

Try it: change one number in the program and predict the new output before you run it.