UPSC Prelims 2017 · CSAT

Question 3: Reading Comprehension

Passage beginning “During the summer in the Arctic Ocean…” — Passage—3 · as printed by UPSC

Which among the following is the most crucial message conveyed by the above passage?

aClimate change has caused Arctic summer to be short but temperature to be high.

bPolar bears can be shifted to South Pole to ensure their survival.

cWithout the presence of polar bears, the food chains in Arctic region will disappear.

dClimate change poses a threat to the survival of polar bears.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).

The passage describes Arctic sea ice melting earlier and refreezing later, with summer ice down by about 30 per cent over three decades. A longer melt season endangers the food web that polar bears sit on top of. The core message is therefore a threat to the polar bears' survival from this warming-driven change. Temperature details are background, moving bears south is never suggested, and the food web is threatened, not already gone.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Short, hot summers are a side detail; the passage is about ice loss and its effect on the food web.
(b) Moving bears to the South Pole is never mentioned; it is an unsupported leap.
(c) Overstated: the passage fears the food web may be undermined by ice loss, not that it vanishes without bears.
(d) Correct: shrinking sea ice threatens the food web topped by polar bears, so their survival is at risk.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.