Question : Arrange the following in the chronological order
(I) Creation of Pakistan
(II) First five-year plan of India.
(III) Establishment of People’s Republic of China.
Option 1: (II),(I),(III)
Option 2: (III),(II),(I)
Option 3: (I), (III), (II)
Option 4: (I), (II), (III)
Correct Answer: (I), (III), (II)
Solution : Arrange the following in the chronological order
(I) Creation of Pakistan
(III) Establishment of People’s Republic of China
(II) First five-year plan of India.
Hence option C is correct.
Question : Marco Polo is known for
Option 1: Discovering Greenland
Option 2: Travelling to China, India and Asia
Option 3: Travelling around the Cape of Good Hope
Option 4: Discovering Canada
Correct Answer: Travelling to China, India and Asia
Solution : The correct option is Travelling to China, India and Asia.
The Venetian explorer Marco Polo is well-known for his extended voyages in Asia, including China and India, during the 13th century. Marco Polo's expedition is notably well-known for his time at the court of Kublai Khan, China's Mongol ruler, and his descriptions of the Silk Road and the wealth of the East. During the Middle Ages, his works had a significant impact on European understanding and interest in Asia.
Question : Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
Who would win in a fight, a lion or a tiger? Well, if size has anything to do with the matter, the tiger would win. That's because tigers are the largest of all cat species. They grow up to eleven feet long and weigh as much as 670 lbs This makes tigers the third largest land carnivore. The only larger land carnivores are polar bears and brown bears respectively. Tigers are not only large, but they are also fast. They can sprint as fast as 40 miles per hour for short distances and leap as far as 30 feet horizontally. This makes for an extremely dangerous pounce. You might not think that such large, fast, and ferocious creatures need help to survive, but they do. The tiger is an endangered species.
Despite all of the tiger's strengths, the future of the species is uncertain. Tigers face a very high risk of extinction. It is estimated that at the start of the 20th century, there were over 100,000 tigers living in the wild. By the turn of the century, the number of tigers outside of captivity dwindled to just over 3,000. Interestingly, the most serious threats that tigers face come from a much smaller species, one with an average weight of around 140lbs That species is Homo sapiens, better known as humans. Humans threaten tigers in primarily two ways: hunting and destroying habitat.
Tigers are hunted for many reasons. People have long valued the famous striped skins. Though trading tiger skins is now illegal in most parts of the world, tiger pelts are worth around 10,000 on the black-market. Though the fur would be incentive enough for most poachers, other parts of the tiger can also fetch a pretty penny. Some people in China and other Asian cultures believe that various tiger parts have healing properties. Traditional Chinese medicine calls for the use of tiger bones, amongst other parts, in some prescriptions.
Question:
From the passage which animal can be called the largest land carnivore?
Option 1: Tiger
Option 2: Brown Bear
Option 3: Polar bear
Option 4: Lion
Correct Answer: Polar bear
Solution : The correct option is 3 i.e 'Polar bear'
Explanation:
Let's examine the following statement:
This makes tigers the third largest land carnivore. The only larger land carnivores are polar bears and brown bears respectively.
From the above satement it can be said that the Polar bear is the largest land carnivore.
Question : Comprehension:
In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.
India will host an international summit on Buddhism here on April 20 and 21. Delegates from 30 countries will participate, a notable exception (1) ________ China. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is also unlikely to attend the two-day conclave. The maiden conference being organised by the Union Culture Ministry and the International Buddhist Confederation will discuss (2) ________ global issues through a Buddhist perspective. Over 170 delegates from countries such as Mexico, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Japan and 150 from India will participate in the summit to be held in the national capital. The delegates (3) ________ prominent scholars, monks, diplomats, and members of Buddhist organisations across the globe. The largest number of delegates are from Sri Lanka (20) and Vietnam (30). Abhijit Haldar, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation, said that while no delegate had been confirmed from China, there would be two participants from Taiwan. “The invitations (4) ________ sent to various Buddhist institutions and not to governments,” Mr. Haldar added. He also mentioned that the Dalai Lama (5) ________ not attend the event due to health issues.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank number 3.
Option 1: included
Option 2: include
Option 3: including
Option 4: includes
Correct Answer: include
Solution : The most appropriate option is the second option.
Explanation:
The sentence is referring to the delegates participating in the summit. The subject is "delegates" and the verb needs to agree with this plural subject. "Include" is the correct form of the verb in the present tense that matches with the plural subject "delegates".
The meanings of the other options are as follows:
Included: This is the past tense form of the verb "include." It refers to something that was previously included in the past.
Including: This is the present participle form of the verb "include". It indicates an ongoing action or inclusion.
Includes: This is the present tense form of the verb "include" used with a singular subject.
Correct answer: include.
Question : Comprehension:
Read the following passage and answer the questions given after it.
The number of Indian students going abroad for higher studies has increased by 68.79 per cent in the past year, according to data provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Subhas Sarkar. As per the data provided by him in the Lok Sabha, the number of Indians enrolled in foreign varsities increased from 4.44 lakh in 2021 to 7.5 lakh in 2022. He clarified that while the Bureau of Immigration and Ministry of Home Affairs maintain departure and arrival data of Indians, there is no index for capturing the category of Indians going abroad for higher education.
"Purpose of Indians going abroad for higher education is captured manually based either on their verbal disclosure or the type of visa of the destination country produced by them at the time of immigration clearance," Sarkar said.
According to the data provided by the ministry, the number of Indian nationals increased from 4.54 lakh in 2017 to 5.17 lakh in 2018. There was a significant increase in 2019 as well, with 5.86 lakh students flying out of the country. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Indian nationals in foreign varsities saw a drastic dip as only 2.59 lakh students were registered. While the number continued to remain low, it saw a slight increase in 2021 with 4.44 lakh registrations. However, the number has significantly jumped to 7.5 lakh in 2022. The increase in the number of Indian nationals abroad corresponds with the latest immigration reports from some of the popular study-abroad destinations such as the US, UK, and Australia. For the UK, the Immigration Statistics Report states that 127,731 visas were granted to Indian students in September 2022, an increase of 93,470 (+273 per cent) against 34,261 in 2019. Similarly, in the US, the number of Indian students has more than doubled, and the Open Doors Report 2022 has predicted that the number of Indian students heading to America is likely to surpass those from China in 2022-23.
Question:
In 2019, how many Indian students went abroad?
Option 1: 5.17 lakh
Option 2: 4.54 lakh
Option 3: 5.86 lakh
Option 4: 4.44 lakh
Correct Answer: 5.86 lakh
Solution : The correct choice is the third option.
Explanation:
The passage states, "According to the data provided by the ministry, the number of Indian nationals increased from 4.54 lakh in 2017 to 5.17 lakh in 2018. There was a significant increase in 2019 as well, with 5.86 lakh students flying out of the country". The sentence clearly mentions that in 2019, the number of Indian students going abroad for higher studies was 5.86 lakh.
Therefore, in 2019, 5.86 lakh Indian students went abroad.
Question : Statement 1: Pakistan has a higher death rate compared to China.
Statement 2: Limited access to quality education and high dropout rates contribute to lower average years of schooling in Pakistan.
Option 1: Statement 1 is true, Statement 2 is true, and Statement 2 is the correct explanation of Statement 1.
Option 2: Statement 1 is true, Statement 2 is true, but Statement 2 is not the correct explanation of Statement 1.
Option 3: Statement 1 is true, Statement 2 is false.
Option 4: Statement 1 is false, Statement 2 is true.
Correct Answer: Statement 1 is true, Statement 2 is true, but Statement 2 is not the correct explanation of Statement 1.
Solution : The correct answer is (b) Statement 1 is true, Statement 2 is true, but Statement 2 is not the correct explanation of Statement 1.
Statement 1 is true. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, Pakistan generally had a higher death rate compared to China. The death rate refers to the number of deaths per 1,000 population.
Statement 2 is also true. Limited access to quality education and high dropout rates can contribute to lower average years of schooling in Pakistan. Factors such as inadequate infrastructure, socio-economic disparities, cultural norms, and security challenges can hinder educational opportunities and outcomes, leading to limited access to quality education and higher dropout rates in Pakistan.However, Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for the higher death rate in Pakistan compared to China. The higher death rate in Pakistan may be influenced by various factors such as healthcare access, disease prevalence, healthcare infrastructure, socio-economic conditions, and public health interventions. The difference in death rates between the two countries cannot be solely explained by limited access to quality education and high dropout rates in Pakistan.
Therefore, while both statements are true, Statement 2 is not the correct explanation of Statement 1.
Question : Percentage of improved sanitation in different economies was-
Option 1: India-63, Pakistan-85, China-87
Option 2: India-54, Pakistan-98, China-68
Option 3: India-46, Pakistan-75, China-96
Option 4: India-40, Pakistan-64, China-77
Correct Answer: India-40, Pakistan-64, China-77
Solution : Percentage of improved sanitation in different economies was
India-40, Pakistan-64, China-77.
Hence option D is correct.
Question : Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
The Black Drongo also known as the King Crow, is a small Asian bird of the drongo family. Previously, it was seen as a subspecies of the African Fork-tailed Drongo but is now recognised as a full species. It is a common resident breeder in much of tropical southern Asia from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka to southern China and Indonesia. It is a wholly black bird with a distinctive forked tail and measures 28 cm in length.
Feeding on insects, it is commonly found in open agricultural areas and light forest areas throughout its range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or along power or telephone lines.
The species is famous for its aggressive behaviour towards much larger birds, such as crows, and never hesitates to dive-bomb any birds of prey that invade its territory. Smaller birds often nest in the well-guarded vicinity of a nesting Black Drongo.
The Black Drongo has been introduced to some Pacific islands, where it has thrived and become abundant to the point of threatening and causing the extinction of native and endemic bird species there.
Drongos fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast manoeuvres that enable them to capture flying insects. With short legs, they sit upright on thorny bushes, bare perches or electricity wires. They may also perch on grazing animals.
The Black Drongo is found predominantly in open country and usually perches and hunts close to the ground. They are mostly aerial predators of insects but also glean from the ground or off vegetation.
They are found as summer visitors to northeastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan but are mainly resident south from the Indus Valley up to Bangladesh and into India and Sri Lanka.
Question:
What was the impact of trying to introduce the species to the Pacific islands?
Option 1: They decreased in numbers drastically.
Option 2: They returned to the lands of their origin.
Option 3: They proved to be a threat to the local birds.
Option 4: They did not survive in the changed climate conditions.
Correct Answer: They proved to be a threat to the local birds.
Solution : The third option is the correct choice.
The impact of introducing the Black Drongo species to some Pacific islands was that they thrived and became abundant to the point of threatening and causing the extinction of native and endemic bird species there.
The passage states that the Black Drongo has been introduced to these islands, and as a result of its successful establishment and proliferation, it poses a threat to the local bird species.
Question : Statement 1: In 1958, Mao adopted the Great Leap Forward Campaign to transform China into a modern economy.
Statement 2: GLF campaign shifted people to work on their backyards.
Option 1: Statement 1 is true, Statement 2 is true, and Statement 2 is the correct explanation of Statement 1.
Option 2: Statement 1 is true, Statement 2 is true, but Statement 2 is not the correct explanation of Statement 1.
Option 3: Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
Option 4: Statement 1 is false, Statement 2 is true.
Correct Answer: Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
Solution : The correct answer is (c) Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
Statement 1 is true. In 1958, Mao Zedong did adopt the Great Leap Forward Campaign in an attempt to transform China's economy and society.
However, Statement 2 is false. The Great Leap Forward Campaign did not specifically involve shifting people to work on their backyards. Instead, it focused on the establishment of communes and collective farming practices. The campaign aimed to increase agricultural and industrial productivity through the organization of labor and the implementation of large-scale projects.
Therefore, the correct option is (c) Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
Question : What has been a recent trend in India-China relations?
Option 1: Military cooperation
Option 2: Territorial disputes
Option 3: Formation of a trade bloc
Option 4: Cultural exchange programs
Correct Answer: Territorial disputes
Solution : A recent trend in India-China relations has been the increase in territorial disputes, particularly along their shared border.