UPSC Prelims 2015 · CSAT

Question 2: Reading Comprehension

Passage beginning “By 2050, the Earth’s population will likely…” — Passage – 2 · as printed by UPSC

Which one of the following statements best sums up the above passage ?

aThe population of the world is growing very fast.

bFood security is a perennial problem only in developing countries.

cThe world does not have enough resources to meet the impending food scarcity.

dFood security is increasingly a collective challenge.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).

A summing-up statement must capture the whole thrust of the passage, not one detail. The passage starts from a rising population and then lists what experts propose: better crop varieties, efficient farming, less waste, reclaiming nutrients and water from waste, better storage in poor countries and less meat in rich ones. Poor and rich nations both have a part to play, so feeding the world is a shared task. Population growth is only the starting fact, and scarcity is not declared inevitable. For 'best sums up', pick the option covering both the problem and the shared remedies.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Wrong: true as a starting fact but only one detail, not the message of the passage.
(b) Wrong: the passage gives tasks to rich and poor nations alike, so it is not limited to developing countries.
(c) Wrong: the passage suggests ways to meet the need; it does not say resources are insufficient.
(d) Right: feeding a larger population needs action by farmers, cities, and poor and rich countries together.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2015, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.