Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow. The Ganges…
2023
Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow.
The Ganges river dolphins occur in the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system primarily in India and Bangladesh. They are listed as endangered by the IUCN due to a probable population decline of at least 50% over the last fifty years and projected future population declines. Dolphins have been destroyed in the upper reaches of many rivers, the population has been fragmented by irrigation barrages and dry season habitat is further reduced by diversion of water. In comparison to the Ganges, the Brahmaputra river is lesser degraded and is therefore of great importance for persistence of the subspecies. For this reason, a recent proposal by Oil India Ltd. to initiate seismic exploration using explosives and airguns along the bed of the Brahmaputra river to prospect for oil has potentially disastrous implications for Ganges river dolphins. Behavioural studies on dive time, surfacing interval and acoustic investigations were also carried out in two dolphin hotspots. Dolphins spent an average 107·3 seconds under water and 1·26 seconds above water. Mortality through fisheries bycatch was identified as one of the major threats to the Ganges dolphins in the Brahmaputra. Based on high abundance, potential for protection and possibilities for dolphin ecotourism, eight river sections were identified as potential protected areas and community-based conservation areas.
Dolphin population has been completely wiped out from
Answer: C. the upper reaches of many rivers — ConceptA literal-comprehension question is answered by locating the passage sentence that expresses the same idea as the stem. The answer must come from the…
- A.
the lakes situated in all the regions
- B.
the forests
- C.
the upper reaches of many rivers
- D.
More than one of the above
- E.
None of the above
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
A literal-comprehension question is answered by locating the passage sentence that expresses the same idea as the stem. The answer must come from the passage itself, while choices unsupported by that sentence are excluded.
Application
Identify the stem’s target: the place from which the dolphin population has been completely wiped out.
Locate the passage statement about population loss: “Dolphins have been destroyed in the upper reaches of many rivers.”
Match that location phrase to the offered values: “the upper reaches of many rivers” reproduces the passage’s location.
Contrast
“the lakes situated in all the regions” introduces standing-water habitats that the passage does not use for this loss statement.
“the forests” introduces a terrestrial habitat outside the river-location statement.
“More than one of the above” would require two or more listed locations to be supported.
“None of the above” would require every listed location to lack passage support.
Therefore, the passage-supported answer is “the upper reaches of many rivers”.