UPSC Prelims 2016 · CSAT

Question 43: Reading Comprehension

Passage beginning “Understanding of the role of biodiversity…” — Passage-3 · as printed by UPSC

Which among the following is the most critical inference that can be made from the above passage ?

aBiodiversity sustains the ability of nature to recycle water

bWe cannot get potable water without the existence of living organisms

cPlants, animals and microorganisms continuously interact among themselves

dLiving organisms could not have come into existence without hydrological cycle

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).

The passage says water and biodiversity depend on each other: vegetation and soil drive the movement of water, and organisms cleanse it as it passes through, so drinking water is a service the living world provides. The most critical inference is that biodiversity sustains nature's ability to recycle water. The claim that life could not exist without the water cycle reverses the emphasis, and the claim that no potable water exists without organisms is too absolute.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Right: vegetation, soil and organisms move and cleanse water.
(b) Too absolute: the passage says organisms cleanse water at least in part.
(c) True in general but not the inference drawn here.
(d) Reverses the dependence; the passage does not discuss how life began.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.