UPSC Prelims 2019 · CSAT
Question 4: Reading Comprehension
On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made :
- 1.Large scale soil erosion is a major reason for widespread food insecurity in the world.
- 2.Soil erosion is mainly anthropogenic.
- 3.Sustainable management of soils helps in combating climate change.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
Only assumption 3 rests on the passage: soil traps large amounts of carbon dioxide as organic carbon and keeps it out of the air, so managing soil sustainably helps limit climate change. The passage gives the scale of yearly soil loss and calls it alarming, but it does not link erosion to widespread hunger or say what causes erosion, so assumptions 1 and 2 go beyond the text.
- 1. Erosion is called alarming for food producers, but widespread hunger is not claimed.
- 2. The causes of erosion are not discussed.
- 3. Soil locks carbon away from the atmosphere, so protecting it helps against climate change.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (a), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 2.
What you needed to know: The causes of erosion are not discussed.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 3.
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) Wrong: the passage names neither the cause of erosion nor erosion as a major driver of food insecurity.
- (b) Right: soil holds carbon, so sustainable soil management supports climate action.
- (c) Wrong: assumption 2, mainly human-caused, is not stated.
- (d) Wrong: assumptions 1 and 2 are unsupported.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2019, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.