Answer: Python Puzzler #752

The answer is D. The program prints:

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

Why?

Python counts list positions from 0, so position 4 is the fifth item.

Trace table

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

positionnegative positionitem
0-5plum
1-4mango
2-3carrot
3-2pear
4-1apple

The code again

basket = ["plum", "mango", "carrot", "pear", "apple"]
print(basket[4])

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