Read the following passage and answer the question: Protection and…
2023
Read the following passage and answer the question:
Protection and conservation of forests and wildlife are essential to maintain the earth's health and environment. Forests play a key role in the maintenance of climate, rain-patterns, water and soil conservation. India has 16 percent of the world's population with only 2.4 percent of its land area. There is much pressure on our natural resources including forests. Due to increasing consumerism and nature-hostile activities, the forest cover is finishing very fast. Thousands of snails, frogs, rats, earthworms, cockroaches and other animals are killed for dissection in schools, colleges and laboratories for experiments. This disturbs the ecological balance. There is mindless destruction of forests for timber, firewood and fuel. Every year there is a loss of about 1.3 lakh hectares of forest area in India because of indiscriminate clearing of forests for cultivation, quarrying and large dams and irrigation projects. Over-grazing has also taken its toll. The result is serious ecological imbalance and environmental degradation. Conservation of forests and wildlife is also important as they make life beautiful and colourful. Their proper protection and conservation also means a continuous and adequate supply of food, fodder, medicines, timber, etc.
The forest cover is depleting fast due to
A. Over-grazing
B. Earthquakes
C. Indiscriminate clearing of forests for various purposes
D. Increasing consumerism
E. Nature-hostile activities
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer: B. A, C, D and E only — ConceptIn literal reading comprehension, each statement must be tested against the passage itself rather than against outside knowledge. For a combination…
- A.
B and C only
- B.
A, C, D and E only
- C.
B, C and D only
- D.
A, D and E only
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
In literal reading comprehension, each statement must be tested against the passage itself rather than against outside knowledge.
For a combination question, a valid set contains every statement explicitly supported by the passage and excludes every unsupported statement.
Application
A — Over-grazing: the passage says that over-grazing has taken its toll, so it is presented as a cause of forest depletion.
B — Earthquakes: the passage does not identify earthquakes as a cause of the decline in forest cover.
C — Indiscriminate clearing: the passage links forest loss to clearing for cultivation, quarrying, dams, and irrigation projects.
D — Increasing consumerism: the passage directly associates increasing consumerism with the rapid depletion of forest cover.
E — Nature-hostile activities: the passage directly associates these activities with the rapid depletion of forest cover.
Cross-check and contrast
B and C only combines one passage-supported cause with earthquakes, which the passage does not list as a cause.
A, C, D and E only contains all four causes explicitly identified in the passage.
B, C and D only includes earthquakes and leaves out two causes that the passage identifies.
A, D and E only contains three stated causes but omits indiscriminate clearing.
Therefore, the supported combination is A, C, D and E only.