Q20easy
On 21st June, the Sun
(a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
(b) does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle
(c) shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
(d) shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn
Answer: (a)
Q21moderatePartial Truth
Which one of the following groups of plants was domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the 'Old World'?
(a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
(b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
(c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
(d) Rubber, coffee and wheat
Answer: (a)
Trap: Partial Truth
Option (b) includes cotton, which was domesticated independently in both Old and New Worlds (India had indigenous cotton). Coffee originated in Ethiopia (Old World). Wheat originated in Fertile Crescent (Old World). Sugarcane originated in Southeast Asia (Old World). Tobacco, cocoa, and rubber are all New World.
Q23moderate
Consider the following pairs:
Famous place — River
1. Pandharpur : Chandrabhaga
2. Tiruchirappalli : Cauvery
3. Hampi : Malaprabha
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)
Q33hardCommon Misconception
Consider the following States:
1. Chhattisgarh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Maharashtra
4. Odisha
With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?
(a) 2-3-1-4
(b) 2-3-4-1
(c) 3-2-4-1
(d) 3-2-1-4
Answer: (c)
Trap: Common Misconception
Students may assume Madhya Pradesh has the highest forest cover percentage because it has the largest forest area in absolute terms. But percentage-wise, Chhattisgarh (~41%) leads, followed by Odisha (~33%), Madhya Pradesh (~25%), and Maharashtra (~16%). The absolute vs percentage distinction is the trap.
Q36moderateSimilar Sounding
Consider the following pairs:
Sea — Bordering country
1. Adriatic Sea : Albania
2. Black Sea : Croatia
3. Caspian Sea : Kazakhstan
4. Mediterranean Sea : Morocco
5. Red Sea : Syria
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Answer: (b)
Trap: Similar Sounding
Pair 2 is a trap: Croatia borders the Adriatic Sea, NOT the Black Sea. Students may confuse because both are in the broader European region. Pair 5: Syria does NOT border the Red Sea; it borders the Mediterranean. Red Sea is bordered by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti.
Q37easy
Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?
(a) China
(b) India
(c) Myanmar
(d) Vietnam
Answer: (b)
Q38hardDistractor Pairing
Consider the following pairs:
Glacier — River
1. Bandarpunch : Yamuna
2. Bara Shigri : Chenab
3. Milam : Mandakini
4. Siachen : Nubra
5. Zemu : Manas
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1, 2 and 4
(b) 1, 3 and 4
(c) 2 and 5
(d) 3 and 5
Answer: (a)
Trap: Distractor Pairing
Pair 3: Milam Glacier feeds the Gori Ganga (a tributary of Kali river), NOT Mandakini. Mandakini originates from Chorabari Glacier. Pair 5: Zemu Glacier feeds the Teesta river (in Sikkim), NOT Manas. These wrong pairings exploit confusion between Himalayan glacier-river connections.
Q42easy
What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?
(a) Recently discovered uranium deposits
(b) Tropical rain forests
(c) Underground cave systems
(d) Water reservoirs
Answer: (d)
Q44moderateSimilar Sounding
Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?
(a) Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth's surface.
(b) Clouds reflect back the Earth's radiation.
(c) The Earth's surface would have low temperature on cloudy nights.
(d) Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.
Answer: (b)
Trap: Similar Sounding
Option (a) is the main trap. Students may confuse absorption with reflection. Clouds reflect (not absorb) the outgoing terrestrial radiation back to Earth, keeping the surface warm. This prevents the surface from cooling enough to reach dew point. Absorption would mean the energy is retained by clouds, not sent back.
Q83moderatePartial Truth
With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in the last five years, consider the following statements:
1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (a)
Trap: Partial Truth
Statement 2 is wrong: Oilseeds have much more area than jowar. Statement 4 is wrong: Sugarcane area has not steadily decreased (it has been relatively stable or increased). Students may think jowar (traditional crop) has large area or that sugarcane is declining.