The big-named runners took off at a sprinter’s speed, but James began at his own pace and kept that same pace lap after lap around the track. In short time, the leaders began to drop out from exhaustion and James began to slowly catch up and pass the leaders before the finish line. He won the Olympic gold medal by a nose. The paradox in the passage can best be stated

a
Winners start fast
b
The best things come as a surprise
c
Where you start is where you end
d
Slow and steady wins in the end

Where you start is where you end

Explanation:

The paradox of this passage can be best stated as that where you start is where you end because everyone in that race that started to run for something ended up at the same place where they started.

Everyone started to run very fast and soon they were very tired and the one who started slowly won the race but the winner and the ones who did not win ended up in the same place.

free time is when all my homework and chores have been done for the day and i am "free" to do things that i enjoy doing.

usually i spend time watching television. as my favorite tv shows come on at specific times, i make sure that i finish my homework and chores well before the shows. otherwise i will have to miss them. mostly i manage to watch the shows but sometimes extra homework or chores may cause me to miss a show or two, but it is rare. anyhow if i know that i am definitely not able to catch a show in time, i will just set the video recorder to tape the show sothe evening when the weather is fine, i sometimes go for a stroll around the neighborhood with my friends. this is the time when most the neighbors have come home from work or school. we say hello to those whom we know. they are mostly friendly people and they acknowledge our greetings. once in a while we come upon unfriendly neighbors but we just ignore them and carry on. that i can watch it later.

anyone who was dealing with communism in soviet union in his time had an ideal picture of equality, freedom, the struggle of the working class for a better future, the success of the aristocracy's overthrow and the emancipation of subjugation.   however, anyone who would go to soviet union to see the functioning of the communist system, would be convinced that it was about sad people, about everyday bad life, about the brutal attitude of communist leaders, about ill obsession to completely exterminate every thought on aristocracy. thus, orwell wanted to show all the absurdity, the brutality of the system, the unbearable rule of suspicious morality, the ignorant people who try to play professionally.

the answers are: b. and e.