Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows. The Ganges…
2023
Read the passage given below and answer the question that follows.
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 less 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.
Which option best reflects the passage’s stated reason that the Brahmaputra is highly suitable for dolphin conservation?
Answer: B. it is less degraded by pollution — ConceptIn passage-based questions, choose the option that best preserves the author’s stated causal link. A close paraphrase may use a narrower everyday term,…
- A.
it is a big river
- B.
it is less degraded by pollution
- C.
it is perennial
- D.
More than one of the above
- E.
None of the above
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
In passage-based questions, choose the option that best preserves the author’s stated causal link. A close paraphrase may use a narrower everyday term, but it must still represent the passage’s reason better than the alternatives.
Application
The passage directly compares the two rivers and says that the Brahmaputra is less degraded; the connector “therefore” links that condition with the river’s importance for the subspecies. Among the offered values, “it is less degraded by pollution” is the closest expression of that lower-degradation reason.
Contrast
“It is a big river” describes physical scale, which the passage does not present as the reason in this comparison.
“It is perennial” describes continuity of flow, which the passage does not present as the stated reason.
“More than one of the above” would require at least two listed reasons to receive direct textual support; the causal sentence supplies one.
“None of the above” is weaker because the lower-degradation value is a reasonable match for the passage’s stated cause.
Result
The best-supported offered value is “it is less degraded by pollution.”