Answer: Python Puzzler #2801

The answer is C. The program prints:

pear

This answer was checked by running the program for real.

Why?

A negative position counts from the end: -1 is the last item, -2 the one before it. So -2 means item number 2 from the end.

Trace table

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

positionnegative positionitem
0-6banana
1-5grape
2-4mango
3-3melon
4-2pear
5-1carrot

The code again

basket = ["banana", "grape", "mango", "melon", "pear", "carrot"]
print(basket[-2])

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