2014 CSAT, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2014 · CSAT

Question 13: Reading Comprehension

Passage - 1 · as printed by UPSC
Passage beginning “Climate change poses potentially devastating effects on…”Passage beginning “Climate change poses potentially devastating effects on…”

Consider the following statements : Climate change may force the shifting of locations of the existing crops due to

  1. 1.melting of glaciers.
  2. 2.water availability and temperature suitability at other locations.
  3. 3.poor productivity of crops.
  4. 4.wider adaptability of crop plants.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

a1, 2 and 3
b2 and 3 only
c1 and 4 only
d1, 2, 3 and 4

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).

Moving a crop to another region is tied, in the author's view, to how warm a place becomes and how much water it has. The author also expects uneven responses: some crops will cope with the new conditions and others will do badly, which gives a reason to relocate them. Glacier melt is brought in only as an illustration of changing river flow, and broader adaptability is something research should build, not a reason for moving crops.

  • 1. Glacier melt is cited only as an example of changing water supply, not as the reason for shifting crops.
  • 2. Temperature suitability and water availability are the named reasons.
  • 3. Some crops will not respond well to the new conditions, which is a reason to move them.
  • 4. Wider adaptability is what research aims for; it is not why crops shift.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (a), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 1.

    What you needed to know: Glacier melt is cited only as an example of changing water supply, not as the reason for shifting crops.

Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statements 2, 3 or 4.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Glacier melt is not given as the reason; it only illustrates changing water availability.
  • (b) Right. Water and temperature suitability, and poor performance of some crops, drive the shifts.
  • (c) Glacier melt is not the stated reason, and wider adaptability is a goal, not a cause.
  • (d) Wider adaptability is a goal for research, not a reason for shifting crops, and glacier melt is only an example.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2014, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.