2019 CSAT, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2019 · CSAT

Question 6: Reading Comprehension

Passage - 5 · as printed by UPSC
Passage beginning “Climate change may actually benefit some plants…”

Which one of the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage ?

aFarmers who modernize their methods and diversify their fields will be in an advantageous position in future.
bClimate change will adversely affect the crop diversity.
cShifting major crops to new croplands will lead to a great increase in the total area under cultivation and thus an increase in overall agricultural production.
dClimate change is the most important factor affecting the agricultural economy in the future.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).

The passage says climate change will help some farms and hurt others, that the best croplands for major crops will shift by 2050, and that yields also depend on markets, politics and farming practices. Farmers who modernise their methods and diversify will therefore be better placed, which is the most reasonable inference. The other options claim things the passage never says: loss of crop diversity, a large rise in cultivated area and output, or climate being the single dominant factor.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Right: with shifting croplands and practices mattering, adaptable and diversified farmers are better placed.
  • (b) Wrong: crop diversity is not discussed.
  • (c) Wrong: shifting crops does not imply more area or more total output.
  • (d) Wrong: the passage says climate alone does not decide yields, so 'most important' is unsupported.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2019, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.