Answer: Python Puzzler #580

The answer is C. The program prints:

apple
What the program prints
Checked by running the program for real.

Why?

Python counts list positions from 0, so position 1 is the second item.

Trace table

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

positionnegative positionitem
0-4carrot
1-3apple
2-2mango
3-1melon

The code again

basket = ["carrot", "apple", "mango", "melon"]
print(basket[1])

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