UPSC Prelims 2014 · CSAT

Question 27: Reading Comprehension

Passage beginning “The Himalayan ecosystem is highly vulnerable to…” — Passage - 1 · as printed by UPSC

Which one of the following statements best implies the need to shift toward contemporary conservation approach ?

aExploitation of natural resources causes a stress on the Himalayan ecosystem.

bClimate change alters precipitation patterns, causes episodes of drought and biotic interference.

cThe rich biodiversity, including endemic diversity, makes the Himalayan region a biodiversity hotspot.

dThe Himalayan biogeographic region should be enabled to adapt to climate change smoothly.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).

The newer conservation approach the author recommends stops concentrating on individual species and sites and instead gives nature more room, so the region can adjust to a changing climate on its own terms. The statement that best shows why this is needed is the one that states the aim: helping the Himalayan region cope with climate change smoothly. The others state pressures, effects or the region's richness, which show why the region matters but not why the approach must change.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Describes a pressure on the ecosystem, not the goal the new approach serves.
(b) Lists effects of climate change; it does not point to the new conservation approach.
(c) Rich biodiversity explains why the region matters, not why the approach must change.
(d) Right. Smooth adaptation is exactly what widening the biogeographic range is meant to allow.

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.