Read the passage given below and answer the following questions: Coral reefs…
2023
Read the passage given below and answer the following questions:
Coral reefs are the most biologically diverse ecosystems of the ocean. As divers know, thousands of beautiful fish, mollusks and urchins are among the amazing marine life that live among coral reefs. In fact, the corals themselves are also marine animals. Almost a thousand coral species currently exist in fantastic shapes ranging from mushrooms to moose antlers, cabbages, tabletops, wire strands and fluted pillars. With the majority of humankind living in coastal regions, many people depend on living coral reefs for food and protection from storms and erosion, as well as the additional benefits of medical research, tourism and natural beauty. Coral reefs contribute about 25 percent of the total fish catch in developing countries, providing food for one billion people in Asia alone. Unfortunately, human activities, including those associated with global warming are threatening these animals. Increasing sea temperatures stress corals and cause damage. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working to develop and test conservation strategies to better protect coral reefs while also working to stop global warming, the root cause of their destruction.
Which of the following are true about coral reefs?
A. Presently nearly 1000 coral species exist
B. Coral reefs are non-living
C. Fish, molluscs and urchins live among coral reefs
D. Cabbages grow on coral reefs
E. Because of their beauty they attract tourists
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer: D. A, C and E only — ConceptIn passage-based statement questions, judge each statement only against the passage’s explicit meaning. Separate literal claims from comparisons,…
- A.
A, B and C only
- B.
C, D and E only
- C.
A, B and D only
- D.
A, C and E only
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
In passage-based statement questions, judge each statement only against the passage’s explicit meaning. Separate literal claims from comparisons, examples, and reasonable context-bound inferences.
A statement is supported when the passage states it directly or conveys the same idea without changing its scope. One unsupported statement makes a combination unacceptable; for a previous-year question, the official final key settles the examination’s intended reading when wording permits a close inference.
Application
Statement A: The passage says that almost a thousand coral species currently exist, so ‘nearly 1000’ preserves both the number and the present-time scope.
Statement B: The passage calls coral reefs ecosystems, refers to ‘living coral reefs,’ and identifies the corals that build them as marine animals. This description does not support the non-living claim.
Statement C: The passage explicitly places fish, mollusks, and urchins among the marine life that live among coral reefs.
Statement D: ‘Cabbages’ appears in a list of shapes used to describe corals; the passage does not say that cabbage plants grow on reefs.
Statement E: The passage lists tourism and natural beauty together among the additional benefits of coral reefs. The examination’s intended reading treats this as support for the inference that their beauty attracts tourists; the NTA final answer key confirms that reading.
Contrast
A, B and C only includes the non-living claim, which conflicts with the passage’s descriptions of living reefs and animal corals.
C, D and E only treats ‘cabbages’ as plants, although the word is used as a comparison for coral shapes.
A, B and D only contains both the non-living claim and the literal-cabbage reading, neither of which matches the passage.
A, C and E only contains the two explicit statements and the exam-intended inference retained by the official key.
Cross-check
Statements A and C follow directly from separate clauses; B and D are contradicted by the passage’s wording. Statement E is the close inference intended by the source examination, and NTA’s final key for Question ID 2274276751 selects the response whose value is A, C and E only. Therefore, the result is A, C and E only.