Answer: Python Puzzler #2850

The answer is D. The program prints:

plum

This answer was checked by running the program for real.

Why?

Python counts list positions from 0, so position 3 is the fourth item.

Trace table

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

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

The code again

basket = ["pear", "apple", "grape", "plum", "mango", "melon"]
print(basket[3])

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