SBI PO 2021 PYQs

Question 1

Directions: Ques No: 1-10
Read the passage given and answer the following questions. Some words are highlighted for you. Please pay attention.
When the atoll's managers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Island Conservation, were planning to conduct a rat eradication project, UC Santa Barbara community ecologist Hillary Young and her research group saw it as an unusual opportunity. They had already been visiting Palmyra regularly to track another non-native species, the coconut palm, to see whether it was spreading invasively in the area, potentially impacting the nesting seabird population and changing the island's soil composition. They had plots where they were monitoring trees in various stages of
growth
and survival; how would the vegetation respond to the eradication of the island's main seed and seedling eater?
"Prior to the eradication, most of the understory of Palmyra was either bare ground, sandy soil or coral rubble or covered in a carpet of ferns," said Ana Millerter Kuile, a graduate student researcher in the Young Group and lead author of a study that appears in the journal
Biotropica
.
The rats _______quick to eat seeds and young plants coming out of the ground, and they frequented the canopy as well, often nesting in the coconut palms and eating coconuts.
Eradication
of the rats, which was conducted in 2011, did in fact result in a
resurgence
of vegetation in Palmyra. And not only that. The Asian tiger mosquito was wiped out, while two species of land crab emerged, adding to the atoll's biodiversity.
But rarely is ecology easily untangled. In the years that followed eradication, Palmyra's understory did indeed fill with juvenile trees as seeds that hit the ground was allowed to take root. Only they were often not the Pisonia or other native trees that would have been the more ideal forests for the native seabirds and animals of Palmyra.
Continuing their restoration of the island, Palmyra's managers were working to remove the vast majority of the island's millions of coconut palms to give local species a chance to dominate, a project that is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anticipating the indirect downstream effects, such as
potential
shifts in ecology toward other invasive species, could become part of a more holistic island rodent eradication effort, Millerter Kuile said.

From the given options choose the correct synonym for the highlighted word'resurgence'as used in the passage.

Accepted Answer

The word 'resurgence' means a revival or increase after a period of little activity. 'Upsurge' directly means a sudden and powerful increase, making it the correct synonym.

Question 2

Directions: Ques No: 1-7 Read the passage given below and then answer the questions given below the passage. Some words may be highlighted for your attention. Pay careful attention. Since 2011, the world’s steelmakers have been feeling the heat. Prices for the metal have halved due to flatlining demand and rising exports from China, which now smelts 50% of the global output. Profits at steel firms around the world have fallen into a sea of red ink, shuttering plants and laying off workers. New measures designed to raise the price of carbon in the EU to help the bloc meet its climate-change targets, voted on by the European Parliament on February 15th, threaten to increase the pressure. The industry is a heavy user of carbon; responsible for 5% of global emissions. Some steel firms have responded by calling for carbon tariffs to prevent the measures undermining their international competitiveness. How do border taxes on carbon emissions work? And are they a good idea? The reforms the European Parliament passed this week are an attempt to increase the price of carbon by cutting the emissions allowances granted to firms. The measures include the EU’s first border tax on carbon, levied on cement imports. Steel firms, also heavy users of carbon, say their exclusion from this scheme is unfair. This week Lakshmi Mittal, the CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker, offered his support for the tax. Similar proposals in America are also being mooted. This month a group of Republicans—including two former treasury secretaries, James Baker and George Shultz—proposed a similar levy on imports at the border, as well as for domestic production. Their plan includes a carbon tax on imports of up to 40 f o r e a c h t o n n e p r o d u c e d b y t h e i r m a n u f a c t u r e , w h i c h w o u l d i n c r e a s e o v e r t i m e . T h e i n c o m e f r o m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e n b e d i s t r i b u t e d t o A m e r i c a n h o u s e h o l d s o n a q u a r t e r l y b a s i s t o m a k e u p f o r h i g h e r c o n s u m e r p r i c e s . P r o p o n e n t s o f s u c h p o l i c i e s s a y t h a t t h e y r e m o v e t h e d i s t o r t i o n s c a u s e d b y c a r b o n t a x e s . U n d e r t h e E U ’ s r e f o r m s , s t e e l m a k e r s i n E u r o p e w o u l d p a y u p t o € 30 ( 40 for each tonne produced by their manufacture, which would increase over time. The income from the levy would then be distributed to American households on a quarterly basis to make up for higher consumer prices. Proponents of such policies say that they remove the distortions caused by carbon taxes. Under the EU’s reforms, steelmakers in Europe would pay up to €30 ( 40 f ore a c h t o nn e p ro d u ce d b y t h e i r man u f a c t u re , w hi c h w o u l d in cre a seo v er t im e . T h e in co m e f ro m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e nb e d i s t r ib u t e d t o A m er i c anh o u se h o l d so na q u a r t er l y ba s i s t o mak e u p f or hi g h erco n s u m er p r i ces . P ro p o n e n t so f s u c h p o l i c i ess a y t ha tt h eyre m o v e t h e d i s t or t i o n sc a u se d b yc a r b o n t a x es . U n d er t h e E U ’ sre f or m s , s t ee l mak ers in E u ro p e w o u l d p a y u pt o €30 ( 32) to emit a tonne of carbon, but foreign producers selling in the EU would not have to pay a cent. This harms the cost competitiveness of European producers. It also encourages firms to move production outside the bloc rather than prompt them to use cleaner methods. Taxing imports on their embodied carbon—where this has not already happened in their country of origin—would level the playing field between different systems, they say. It would also give an incentive to countries without controls on emissions to introduce their own carbon taxes, in order to grab a share of the revenues. Economists say the idea works in theory. But many think it would be much more difficult in practice. One big problem is the difficulty of calculating the embodied carbon in imports. This is not easy even for simple sheets of steel; for items made of several bits of metal from different sources, it is hellishly complex. Disputes over this could produce reams of litigation at the WTO between various systems. But the reason why trade economists are so squeamish about carbon tariffs is the fear that they could cause a tariff war. The EU and America are already in a politically driven tit-for-tat over steel duties with China; they have risen in some cases to over 500%. Rather than prod countries to tighten their own regulations, new carbon tariffs could make that battle more vicious . Worse still, lobby groups could easily pervert the charges into a form of quiet protectionism. Donald Trump’s presidency has already rattled free-traders’ nerves. Why risk giving the protectionists another opening? How can raising carbon prices affect the steel industry?

Accepted Answer

Raising carbon prices directly increases operational costs for carbon-intensive industries like steel. This reduces profit margins, potentially leading to plant closures and job losses due to increased expenses.

Question 3

Directions: Read the sentence to find out whether there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (5). Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.As per the present market scenario, we have only/(A)two options in front of us- either importing the raw materials from abroad/(B)or taking care of the entire production in our country. Although,/(C)the second option seems most sustainable, and the board of directors is concentrating on that./(D)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part D. The phrase 'most sustainable' is a superlative. Superlatives should be preceded by the definite article 'the'. Therefore, it should be 'the most sustainable'.

Question 4

Directions: Ques No: 1-7
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Some words may be highlighted. Pay attention.
Coal mines were the beating heart of Britain's industrial revolution. Their sooty, energy-dense output gave life to new-fangled factories and shipyards, fuelling the nation's march towards modernity. They helped shape a carbon-intensive economy and paved the way for a global dependence on fossil fuels, and in doing so, fired the starting pistol on the climate crisis that today confronts us all.
But what if, in a serendipitous circle of history, our
extractive
past could be repurposed for a greener, cleaner future? What if the vast maze of coal mines beneath our feet, now filled with naturally warm water, could help decarbonise the UK's – and the world's – herculean heating needs?
That was the question Adam Black, a renewable energy enthusiast employed by one of Britain's largest bottling firms, Lanchester Wines, asked himself a decade ago. "I had about 400,000 sq ft of warehouse that needed heating and it was right over four layers of mine workings, which had naturally flooded over time. I felt we could use this mine water for heating", he recollects.
With the help of a few geothermal experts from Iceland, Black sunk a borehole into the
murky
depths of the old High Main coal seam in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Warmed by natural geological processes, the water they pumped to the surface was a pleasant 15C (59F). With a little supplemental warmth from an electric heat pump – "a bit like a fridge in reverse" – it was perfect for keeping the company's warehouse, and the millions of wine bottles within, at the right temperature. "Nowadays we're heating a couple of warehouses, a distribution depot, a local bakery, and soon a nearby car showroom too!", says Black.
He's not the only one excited by the energy potential of mine water. The UK Coal Authority, which is responsible for the country's disused pits, has big plans for the coming decade. Its geologists believe one-quarter of British homes currently sit on a coalfield, stretching across Wales, central Scotland, northern England, and the Midlands. An estimated 2 billion cubic metres of warm water occupy the old mine shafts and these flooded shafts contain around 2.2 million GWh of heat, with the potential to store more. Researchers suggest that this makes mine water one of the UK's largest underused clean energy sources. Accordingly, to help meet the country's sweeping carbon-reduction target, the Coal Authority is exploring the feasibility of some 70 mine water heating projects across the country.
Yet, while there's mounting evidence of mine water's energy potential, the idea isn't without issue. Retrofitting houses with the means to tap into a geothermal district heating network isn't cheap and new builds aren't often sited next to
derelict
collieries. Further, there are technical hurdles like stability concerns around abandoned mine shafts which were simply left to collapse. The capital costs are much higher with mine water geothermal, though under the right conditions the energy generated can be cheaper than that from conventional sources.
Adam Black at Lanchester Wines hopes that the costs will fall as the technology develops and uptake increases, "and if the energy authorities do their bit with regulation".
Beyond doubt is that the resource is there and waiting: A labyrinth of warrens once laden with men and machinery, now flooded with naturally warm water, ready to be tapped.

Choose the most appropriate antonym for the word‘murky’.

Accepted Answer

The word 'murky' means dark and gloomy. Therefore, its most appropriate antonym is 'bright', which means full of light.

Question 5

Directions: English Language
Direction (1- 4)-:
Two sentences with one blank in each, followed by  five alternatives, are given. Choose that option as the answer which can fill both the blanks of both the  sentences.

A) After supper, Longarm stepped out onto the sidewalk and  took a ____________ on his cheroot.B) Anyone living an active lifestyle is bound to ____________ a  muscle eventually.

Accepted Answer

The word 'pull' fits both contexts: 'pull on a cheroot' means to take a drag, and 'pull a muscle' is a common idiom for muscle injury.

Question 6

Directions: English Language
Direction (1 - 6) -:
In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately.
This Tuesday, analysing the panic buying of toilet paper rolls, a professor started a provocative Twitter thread. He points out that
(1)
by fear of the spreading pandemic, shoppers have been mobbing stores worldwide. They’re stockpiling canned goods, flour, sugar, bottled water, hand sanitizer—and even toilet paper.
The professor believes desperate buyers aren’t crazy. “The economics of toilet paper
(2)
is the same as bank runs,” he tweeted. A bank run occurs when depositors of a bank withdraw cash because they believe it might collapse. Until the FDIC started guaranteeing bank deposits in 1933, it made
(3)
for nervous savers to pull their money out when they saw their neighbors doing the same. Likewise, people are stockpiling toilet paper because others are
(4)
up too, depleting supplies.
He argues that panic buying can be a bit more rational. There is nothing inherent in markets that can prevent this.
How does this news of an Australian man
(5)
a knife for toilet paper sound? And that too just to score the last roll on the shelf at a Woolworths Supermarket in Sydney. The incident leaves us with an important question - what should be done to
(6)
toilet paper shortage-sparked violence?

Find out the appropriate word in each case.

Accepted Answer

The question asks for an appropriate word. Without context, 'Spurred' (प्रेरित किया गया) is the most versatile and generally positive option among the choices, implying encouragement or activation.

Question 7

Directions: Ques No: 1-10
Read the passage given and answer the following questions. Some words are highlighted for you. Please pay attention.
When the atoll's managers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Island Conservation, were planning to conduct a rat eradication project, UC Santa Barbara community ecologist Hillary Young and her research group saw it as an unusual opportunity. They had already been visiting Palmyra regularly to track another non-native species, the coconut palm, to see whether it was spreading invasively in the area, potentially impacting the nesting seabird population and changing the island's soil composition. They had plots where they were monitoring trees in various stages of
growth
and survival; how would the vegetation respond to the eradication of the island's main seed and seedling eater?
"Prior to the eradication, most of the understory of Palmyra was either bare ground, sandy soil or coral rubble or covered in a carpet of ferns," said Ana Millerter Kuile, a graduate student researcher in the Young Group and lead author of a study that appears in the journal
Biotropica
.
The rats _______quick to eat seeds and young plants coming out of the ground, and they frequented the canopy as well, often nesting in the coconut palms and eating coconuts.
Eradication
of the rats, which was conducted in 2011, did in fact result in a
resurgence
of vegetation in Palmyra. And not only that. The Asian tiger mosquito was wiped out, while two species of land crab emerged, adding to the atoll's biodiversity.
But rarely is ecology easily untangled. In the years that followed eradication, Palmyra's understory did indeed fill with juvenile trees as seeds that hit the ground was allowed to take root. Only they were often not the Pisonia or other native trees that would have been the more ideal forests for the native seabirds and animals of Palmyra.
Continuing their restoration of the island, Palmyra's managers were working to remove the vast majority of the island's millions of coconut palms to give local species a chance to dominate, a project that is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anticipating the indirect downstream effects, such as
potential
shifts in ecology toward other invasive species, could become part of a more holistic island rodent eradication effort, Millerter Kuile said.

What will fit in the blank taken from the passage. "The rats _______quick to eat seeds and young plants coming out of the ground, and they frequented the canopy as well, often nesting in the coconut palms and eating coconuts."

Accepted Answer

The sentence requires a past tense plural verb to agree with the plural subject 'rats'. 'Were' is the correct past tense plural form of 'to be'.

Question 8

Directions: Ques No: 1-7 Read the passage given below and then answer the questions given below the passage. Some words may be highlighted for your attention. Pay careful attention. Since 2011, the world’s steelmakers have been feeling the heat. Prices for the metal have halved due to flatlining demand and rising exports from China, which now smelts 50% of the global output. Profits at steel firms around the world have fallen into a sea of red ink, shuttering plants and laying off workers. New measures designed to raise the price of carbon in the EU to help the bloc meet its climate-change targets, voted on by the European Parliament on February 15th, threaten to increase the pressure. The industry is a heavy user of carbon; responsible for 5% of global emissions. Some steel firms have responded by calling for carbon tariffs to prevent the measures undermining their international competitiveness. How do border taxes on carbon emissions work? And are they a good idea? The reforms the European Parliament passed this week are an attempt to increase the price of carbon by cutting the emissions allowances granted to firms. The measures include the EU’s first border tax on carbon, levied on cement imports. Steel firms, also heavy users of carbon, say their exclusion from this scheme is unfair. This week Lakshmi Mittal, the CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker, offered his support for the tax. Similar proposals in America are also being mooted. This month a group of Republicans—including two former treasury secretaries, James Baker and George Shultz—proposed a similar levy on imports at the border, as well as for domestic production. Their plan includes a carbon tax on imports of up to 40 f o r e a c h t o n n e p r o d u c e d b y t h e i r m a n u f a c t u r e , w h i c h w o u l d i n c r e a s e o v e r t i m e . T h e i n c o m e f r o m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e n b e d i s t r i b u t e d t o A m e r i c a n h o u s e h o l d s o n a q u a r t e r l y b a s i s t o m a k e u p f o r h i g h e r c o n s u m e r p r i c e s . P r o p o n e n t s o f s u c h p o l i c i e s s a y t h a t t h e y r e m o v e t h e d i s t o r t i o n s c a u s e d b y c a r b o n t a x e s . U n d e r t h e E U ’ s r e f o r m s , s t e e l m a k e r s i n E u r o p e w o u l d p a y u p t o € 30 ( 40 for each tonne produced by their manufacture, which would increase over time. The income from the levy would then be distributed to American households on a quarterly basis to make up for higher consumer prices. Proponents of such policies say that they remove the distortions caused by carbon taxes. Under the EU’s reforms, steelmakers in Europe would pay up to €30 ( 40 f ore a c h t o nn e p ro d u ce d b y t h e i r man u f a c t u re , w hi c h w o u l d in cre a seo v er t im e . T h e in co m e f ro m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e nb e d i s t r ib u t e d t o A m er i c anh o u se h o l d so na q u a r t er l y ba s i s t o mak e u p f or hi g h erco n s u m er p r i ces . P ro p o n e n t so f s u c h p o l i c i ess a y t ha tt h eyre m o v e t h e d i s t or t i o n sc a u se d b yc a r b o n t a x es . U n d er t h e E U ’ sre f or m s , s t ee l mak ers in E u ro p e w o u l d p a y u pt o €30 ( 32) to emit a tonne of carbon, but foreign producers selling in the EU would not have to pay a cent. This harms the cost competitiveness of European producers. It also encourages firms to move production outside the bloc rather than prompt them to use cleaner methods. Taxing imports on their embodied carbon—where this has not already happened in their country of origin—would level the playing field between different systems, they say. It would also give an incentive to countries without controls on emissions to introduce their own carbon taxes, in order to grab a share of the revenues. Economists say the idea works in theory. But many think it would be much more difficult in practice. One big problem is the difficulty of calculating the embodied carbon in imports. This is not easy even for simple sheets of steel; for items made of several bits of metal from different sources, it is hellishly complex. Disputes over this could produce reams of litigation at the WTO between various systems. But the reason why trade economists are so squeamish about carbon tariffs is the fear that they could cause a tariff war. The EU and America are already in a politically driven tit-for-tat over steel duties with China; they have risen in some cases to over 500%. Rather than prod countries to tighten their own regulations, new carbon tariffs could make that battle more vicious . Worse still, lobby groups could easily pervert the charges into a form of quiet protectionism. Donald Trump’s presidency has already rattled free-traders’ nerves. Why risk giving the protectionists another opening? Why do carbon taxes cause firms to move production outside the bloc?

Accepted Answer

Carbon taxes apply only to domestic producers, creating a cost disadvantage. Foreign producers avoid these taxes, allowing them to sell at lower prices or higher margins, incentivizing domestic firms to relocate production.

Question 9

Read the sentence below to find out if there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error the answer is (5). (Ignore errors in punctuation if any).Three men were arrested for alleged(A)/ impersonating civic body officials(B)/ and extorting money from shopkeepers(C)/in east Delhi’s Mansarovar Park, the police said on Sunday.(D)/. No Error.(E)

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). The word 'alleged' is an adjective and should modify a noun. Here, it should be 'allegedly' (an adverb) to modify the verb 'impersonating'.

Question 10

Directions: Ques No: 1-7
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Some words may be highlighted. Pay attention.
Coal mines were the beating heart of Britain's industrial revolution. Their sooty, energy-dense output gave life to new-fangled factories and shipyards, fuelling the nation's march towards modernity. They helped shape a carbon-intensive economy and paved the way for a global dependence on fossil fuels, and in doing so, fired the starting pistol on the climate crisis that today confronts us all.
But what if, in a serendipitous circle of history, our
extractive
past could be repurposed for a greener, cleaner future? What if the vast maze of coal mines beneath our feet, now filled with naturally warm water, could help decarbonise the UK's – and the world's – herculean heating needs?
That was the question Adam Black, a renewable energy enthusiast employed by one of Britain's largest bottling firms, Lanchester Wines, asked himself a decade ago. "I had about 400,000 sq ft of warehouse that needed heating and it was right over four layers of mine workings, which had naturally flooded over time. I felt we could use this mine water for heating", he recollects.
With the help of a few geothermal experts from Iceland, Black sunk a borehole into the
murky
depths of the old High Main coal seam in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Warmed by natural geological processes, the water they pumped to the surface was a pleasant 15C (59F). With a little supplemental warmth from an electric heat pump – "a bit like a fridge in reverse" – it was perfect for keeping the company's warehouse, and the millions of wine bottles within, at the right temperature. "Nowadays we're heating a couple of warehouses, a distribution depot, a local bakery, and soon a nearby car showroom too!", says Black.
He's not the only one excited by the energy potential of mine water. The UK Coal Authority, which is responsible for the country's disused pits, has big plans for the coming decade. Its geologists believe one-quarter of British homes currently sit on a coalfield, stretching across Wales, central Scotland, northern England, and the Midlands. An estimated 2 billion cubic metres of warm water occupy the old mine shafts and these flooded shafts contain around 2.2 million GWh of heat, with the potential to store more. Researchers suggest that this makes mine water one of the UK's largest underused clean energy sources. Accordingly, to help meet the country's sweeping carbon-reduction target, the Coal Authority is exploring the feasibility of some 70 mine water heating projects across the country.
Yet, while there's mounting evidence of mine water's energy potential, the idea isn't without issue. Retrofitting houses with the means to tap into a geothermal district heating network isn't cheap and new builds aren't often sited next to
derelict
collieries. Further, there are technical hurdles like stability concerns around abandoned mine shafts which were simply left to collapse. The capital costs are much higher with mine water geothermal, though under the right conditions the energy generated can be cheaper than that from conventional sources.
Adam Black at Lanchester Wines hopes that the costs will fall as the technology develops and uptake increases, "and if the energy authorities do their bit with regulation".
Beyond doubt is that the resource is there and waiting: A labyrinth of warrens once laden with men and machinery, now flooded with naturally warm water, ready to be tapped.

Choose the synonym for the word‘derelict’.

Accepted Answer

The word 'derelict' means in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect, or abandoned. Therefore, 'abandoned' is the correct synonym.

Question 11

Directions: English Language
Direction (1- 4)-:
Two sentences with one blank in each, followed by  five alternatives, are given. Choose that option as the answer which can fill both the blanks of both the  sentences.

A) She spoke with total resignation and ________ defeat as she looked up at me.B) No one has ever heard him ________ a groan or a word of complaint.

Accepted Answer

The verb 'utter' means to make a sound or speak words. It fits both sentences perfectly, describing speaking with defeat and making a groan or complaint.

Question 12

Directions: Ques No: 1-10
Read the passage given and answer the following questions. Some words are highlighted for you. Please pay attention.
When the atoll's managers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Island Conservation, were planning to conduct a rat eradication project, UC Santa Barbara community ecologist Hillary Young and her research group saw it as an unusual opportunity. They had already been visiting Palmyra regularly to track another non-native species, the coconut palm, to see whether it was spreading invasively in the area, potentially impacting the nesting seabird population and changing the island's soil composition. They had plots where they were monitoring trees in various stages of
growth
and survival; how would the vegetation respond to the eradication of the island's main seed and seedling eater?
"Prior to the eradication, most of the understory of Palmyra was either bare ground, sandy soil or coral rubble or covered in a carpet of ferns," said Ana Millerter Kuile, a graduate student researcher in the Young Group and lead author of a study that appears in the journal
Biotropica
.
The rats _______quick to eat seeds and young plants coming out of the ground, and they frequented the canopy as well, often nesting in the coconut palms and eating coconuts.
Eradication
of the rats, which was conducted in 2011, did in fact result in a
resurgence
of vegetation in Palmyra. And not only that. The Asian tiger mosquito was wiped out, while two species of land crab emerged, adding to the atoll's biodiversity.
But rarely is ecology easily untangled. In the years that followed eradication, Palmyra's understory did indeed fill with juvenile trees as seeds that hit the ground was allowed to take root. Only they were often not the Pisonia or other native trees that would have been the more ideal forests for the native seabirds and animals of Palmyra.
Continuing their restoration of the island, Palmyra's managers were working to remove the vast majority of the island's millions of coconut palms to give local species a chance to dominate, a project that is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anticipating the indirect downstream effects, such as
potential
shifts in ecology toward other invasive species, could become part of a more holistic island rodent eradication effort, Millerter Kuile said.

Who said this, "most of the understory of Palmyra was either bare ground, sandy soil or coral rubble or covered in a carpet of ferns"?

Accepted Answer

The quote describes the understory of Palmyra. This specific observation was made and attributed to Ana Millerter Kuile, a researcher known for her work on ecological descriptions.

Question 13

Directions: Ques No: 1-7 Read the passage given below and then answer the questions given below the passage. Some words may be highlighted for your attention. Pay careful attention. Since 2011, the world’s steelmakers have been feeling the heat. Prices for the metal have halved due to flatlining demand and rising exports from China, which now smelts 50% of the global output. Profits at steel firms around the world have fallen into a sea of red ink, shuttering plants and laying off workers. New measures designed to raise the price of carbon in the EU to help the bloc meet its climate-change targets, voted on by the European Parliament on February 15th, threaten to increase the pressure. The industry is a heavy user of carbon; responsible for 5% of global emissions. Some steel firms have responded by calling for carbon tariffs to prevent the measures undermining their international competitiveness. How do border taxes on carbon emissions work? And are they a good idea? The reforms the European Parliament passed this week are an attempt to increase the price of carbon by cutting the emissions allowances granted to firms. The measures include the EU’s first border tax on carbon, levied on cement imports. Steel firms, also heavy users of carbon, say their exclusion from this scheme is unfair. This week Lakshmi Mittal, the CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker, offered his support for the tax. Similar proposals in America are also being mooted. This month a group of Republicans—including two former treasury secretaries, James Baker and George Shultz—proposed a similar levy on imports at the border, as well as for domestic production. Their plan includes a carbon tax on imports of up to 40 f o r e a c h t o n n e p r o d u c e d b y t h e i r m a n u f a c t u r e , w h i c h w o u l d i n c r e a s e o v e r t i m e . T h e i n c o m e f r o m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e n b e d i s t r i b u t e d t o A m e r i c a n h o u s e h o l d s o n a q u a r t e r l y b a s i s t o m a k e u p f o r h i g h e r c o n s u m e r p r i c e s . P r o p o n e n t s o f s u c h p o l i c i e s s a y t h a t t h e y r e m o v e t h e d i s t o r t i o n s c a u s e d b y c a r b o n t a x e s . U n d e r t h e E U ’ s r e f o r m s , s t e e l m a k e r s i n E u r o p e w o u l d p a y u p t o € 30 ( 40 for each tonne produced by their manufacture, which would increase over time. The income from the levy would then be distributed to American households on a quarterly basis to make up for higher consumer prices. Proponents of such policies say that they remove the distortions caused by carbon taxes. Under the EU’s reforms, steelmakers in Europe would pay up to €30 ( 40 f ore a c h t o nn e p ro d u ce d b y t h e i r man u f a c t u re , w hi c h w o u l d in cre a seo v er t im e . T h e in co m e f ro m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e nb e d i s t r ib u t e d t o A m er i c anh o u se h o l d so na q u a r t er l y ba s i s t o mak e u p f or hi g h erco n s u m er p r i ces . P ro p o n e n t so f s u c h p o l i c i ess a y t ha tt h eyre m o v e t h e d i s t or t i o n sc a u se d b yc a r b o n t a x es . U n d er t h e E U ’ sre f or m s , s t ee l mak ers in E u ro p e w o u l d p a y u pt o €30 ( 32) to emit a tonne of carbon, but foreign producers selling in the EU would not have to pay a cent. This harms the cost competitiveness of European producers. It also encourages firms to move production outside the bloc rather than prompt them to use cleaner methods. Taxing imports on their embodied carbon—where this has not already happened in their country of origin—would level the playing field between different systems, they say. It would also give an incentive to countries without controls on emissions to introduce their own carbon taxes, in order to grab a share of the revenues. Economists say the idea works in theory. But many think it would be much more difficult in practice. One big problem is the difficulty of calculating the embodied carbon in imports. This is not easy even for simple sheets of steel; for items made of several bits of metal from different sources, it is hellishly complex. Disputes over this could produce reams of litigation at the WTO between various systems. But the reason why trade economists are so squeamish about carbon tariffs is the fear that they could cause a tariff war. The EU and America are already in a politically driven tit-for-tat over steel duties with China; they have risen in some cases to over 500%. Rather than prod countries to tighten their own regulations, new carbon tariffs could make that battle more vicious . Worse still, lobby groups could easily pervert the charges into a form of quiet protectionism. Donald Trump’s presidency has already rattled free-traders’ nerves. Why risk giving the protectionists another opening? 'One big problem is the difficulty of calculating the embodied carbon in imports.' Which option can be called an inference from this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The sentence states difficulty in calculating embodied carbon. Option 1 logically extends this, implying carbon's omnipresence makes quantification hard for taxation purposes.

Question 14

In the question below, three statements are given which may or may not be grammatically correct. Identify the statement/statements that is/are incorrect.I. Young people in China eats more snacks than people of the same age in other Asian countries.II. He spends a good deal of money on gadgets.III. Without waiting for instructions from the Government, some cable operators in the city had block the news.

Accepted Answer

Statement I has a subject-verb agreement error; 'people' is plural, so 'eat' should be used instead of 'eats'. Statement III has a verb form error; 'had blocked' should be used instead of 'had block'. Statement II is grammatically correct.

Question 15

Directions: Ques No: 1-7
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Some words may be highlighted. Pay attention.
Coal mines were the beating heart of Britain's industrial revolution. Their sooty, energy-dense output gave life to new-fangled factories and shipyards, fuelling the nation's march towards modernity. They helped shape a carbon-intensive economy and paved the way for a global dependence on fossil fuels, and in doing so, fired the starting pistol on the climate crisis that today confronts us all.
But what if, in a serendipitous circle of history, our
extractive
past could be repurposed for a greener, cleaner future? What if the vast maze of coal mines beneath our feet, now filled with naturally warm water, could help decarbonise the UK's – and the world's – herculean heating needs?
That was the question Adam Black, a renewable energy enthusiast employed by one of Britain's largest bottling firms, Lanchester Wines, asked himself a decade ago. "I had about 400,000 sq ft of warehouse that needed heating and it was right over four layers of mine workings, which had naturally flooded over time. I felt we could use this mine water for heating", he recollects.
With the help of a few geothermal experts from Iceland, Black sunk a borehole into the
murky
depths of the old High Main coal seam in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Warmed by natural geological processes, the water they pumped to the surface was a pleasant 15C (59F). With a little supplemental warmth from an electric heat pump – "a bit like a fridge in reverse" – it was perfect for keeping the company's warehouse, and the millions of wine bottles within, at the right temperature. "Nowadays we're heating a couple of warehouses, a distribution depot, a local bakery, and soon a nearby car showroom too!", says Black.
He's not the only one excited by the energy potential of mine water. The UK Coal Authority, which is responsible for the country's disused pits, has big plans for the coming decade. Its geologists believe one-quarter of British homes currently sit on a coalfield, stretching across Wales, central Scotland, northern England, and the Midlands. An estimated 2 billion cubic metres of warm water occupy the old mine shafts and these flooded shafts contain around 2.2 million GWh of heat, with the potential to store more. Researchers suggest that this makes mine water one of the UK's largest underused clean energy sources. Accordingly, to help meet the country's sweeping carbon-reduction target, the Coal Authority is exploring the feasibility of some 70 mine water heating projects across the country.
Yet, while there's mounting evidence of mine water's energy potential, the idea isn't without issue. Retrofitting houses with the means to tap into a geothermal district heating network isn't cheap and new builds aren't often sited next to
derelict
collieries. Further, there are technical hurdles like stability concerns around abandoned mine shafts which were simply left to collapse. The capital costs are much higher with mine water geothermal, though under the right conditions the energy generated can be cheaper than that from conventional sources.
Adam Black at Lanchester Wines hopes that the costs will fall as the technology develops and uptake increases, "and if the energy authorities do their bit with regulation".
Beyond doubt is that the resource is there and waiting: A labyrinth of warrens once laden with men and machinery, now flooded with naturally warm water, ready to be tapped.

Consider the following statements and choose the correct option.(A) Coal mines helped to form a carbon-intensive economy and facilitated global independence on fossil fuels.(B) An estimated 2 billion cubic metres of warm water occupy the old mine shafts and these flooded shafts contain around 2.2 billion GWh of heat, with the potential to store more.(C) Under the right conditions, the energy generated from mine water geothermal can be cheaper than that from conventional sources.

Accepted Answer

Statement A is incorrect as coal mines led to dependence, not independence. Statement B overestimates the heat potential. Statement C is correct, as mine water geothermal can be cost-effective under optimal conditions.

Question 16

Directions: English Language
Direction (1- 4)-:
Two sentences with one blank in each, followed by  five alternatives, are given. Choose that option as the answer which can fill both the blanks of both the  sentences.

A) For them, the house's main ____________ lay in its quiet country location.B) The three-course menu is varied and good _______________ for money.

Accepted Answer

The word 'merit' fits both blanks perfectly. In A, it means 'advantage' or 'worth'. In B, 'good merit for money' means 'good value for money'.

Question 17

Directions: Ques No: 1-10
Read the passage given and answer the following questions. Some words are highlighted for you. Please pay attention.
When the atoll's managers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Island Conservation, were planning to conduct a rat eradication project, UC Santa Barbara community ecologist Hillary Young and her research group saw it as an unusual opportunity. They had already been visiting Palmyra regularly to track another non-native species, the coconut palm, to see whether it was spreading invasively in the area, potentially impacting the nesting seabird population and changing the island's soil composition. They had plots where they were monitoring trees in various stages of
growth
and survival; how would the vegetation respond to the eradication of the island's main seed and seedling eater?
"Prior to the eradication, most of the understory of Palmyra was either bare ground, sandy soil or coral rubble or covered in a carpet of ferns," said Ana Millerter Kuile, a graduate student researcher in the Young Group and lead author of a study that appears in the journal
Biotropica
.
The rats _______quick to eat seeds and young plants coming out of the ground, and they frequented the canopy as well, often nesting in the coconut palms and eating coconuts.
Eradication
of the rats, which was conducted in 2011, did in fact result in a
resurgence
of vegetation in Palmyra. And not only that. The Asian tiger mosquito was wiped out, while two species of land crab emerged, adding to the atoll's biodiversity.
But rarely is ecology easily untangled. In the years that followed eradication, Palmyra's understory did indeed fill with juvenile trees as seeds that hit the ground was allowed to take root. Only they were often not the Pisonia or other native trees that would have been the more ideal forests for the native seabirds and animals of Palmyra.
Continuing their restoration of the island, Palmyra's managers were working to remove the vast majority of the island's millions of coconut palms to give local species a chance to dominate, a project that is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anticipating the indirect downstream effects, such as
potential
shifts in ecology toward other invasive species, could become part of a more holistic island rodent eradication effort, Millerter Kuile said.

Who is Ana Millerter Kuile?

Accepted Answer

Ana Millerter Kuile is a graduate student, a researcher, and the lead author in the journal Biotropica. All options describe her roles.

Question 18

Directions: Ques No: 1-7 Read the passage given below and then answer the questions given below the passage. Some words may be highlighted for your attention. Pay careful attention. Since 2011, the world’s steelmakers have been feeling the heat. Prices for the metal have halved due to flatlining demand and rising exports from China, which now smelts 50% of the global output. Profits at steel firms around the world have fallen into a sea of red ink, shuttering plants and laying off workers. New measures designed to raise the price of carbon in the EU to help the bloc meet its climate-change targets, voted on by the European Parliament on February 15th, threaten to increase the pressure. The industry is a heavy user of carbon; responsible for 5% of global emissions. Some steel firms have responded by calling for carbon tariffs to prevent the measures undermining their international competitiveness. How do border taxes on carbon emissions work? And are they a good idea? The reforms the European Parliament passed this week are an attempt to increase the price of carbon by cutting the emissions allowances granted to firms. The measures include the EU’s first border tax on carbon, levied on cement imports. Steel firms, also heavy users of carbon, say their exclusion from this scheme is unfair. This week Lakshmi Mittal, the CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker, offered his support for the tax. Similar proposals in America are also being mooted. This month a group of Republicans—including two former treasury secretaries, James Baker and George Shultz—proposed a similar levy on imports at the border, as well as for domestic production. Their plan includes a carbon tax on imports of up to 40 f o r e a c h t o n n e p r o d u c e d b y t h e i r m a n u f a c t u r e , w h i c h w o u l d i n c r e a s e o v e r t i m e . T h e i n c o m e f r o m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e n b e d i s t r i b u t e d t o A m e r i c a n h o u s e h o l d s o n a q u a r t e r l y b a s i s t o m a k e u p f o r h i g h e r c o n s u m e r p r i c e s . P r o p o n e n t s o f s u c h p o l i c i e s s a y t h a t t h e y r e m o v e t h e d i s t o r t i o n s c a u s e d b y c a r b o n t a x e s . U n d e r t h e E U ’ s r e f o r m s , s t e e l m a k e r s i n E u r o p e w o u l d p a y u p t o € 30 ( 40 for each tonne produced by their manufacture, which would increase over time. The income from the levy would then be distributed to American households on a quarterly basis to make up for higher consumer prices. Proponents of such policies say that they remove the distortions caused by carbon taxes. Under the EU’s reforms, steelmakers in Europe would pay up to €30 ( 40 f ore a c h t o nn e p ro d u ce d b y t h e i r man u f a c t u re , w hi c h w o u l d in cre a seo v er t im e . T h e in co m e f ro m t h e l e v y w o u l d t h e nb e d i s t r ib u t e d t o A m er i c anh o u se h o l d so na q u a r t er l y ba s i s t o mak e u p f or hi g h erco n s u m er p r i ces . P ro p o n e n t so f s u c h p o l i c i ess a y t ha tt h eyre m o v e t h e d i s t or t i o n sc a u se d b yc a r b o n t a x es . U n d er t h e E U ’ sre f or m s , s t ee l mak ers in E u ro p e w o u l d p a y u pt o €30 ( 32) to emit a tonne of carbon, but foreign producers selling in the EU would not have to pay a cent. This harms the cost competitiveness of European producers. It also encourages firms to move production outside the bloc rather than prompt them to use cleaner methods. Taxing imports on their embodied carbon—where this has not already happened in their country of origin—would level the playing field between different systems, they say. It would also give an incentive to countries without controls on emissions to introduce their own carbon taxes, in order to grab a share of the revenues. Economists say the idea works in theory. But many think it would be much more difficult in practice. One big problem is the difficulty of calculating the embodied carbon in imports. This is not easy even for simple sheets of steel; for items made of several bits of metal from different sources, it is hellishly complex. Disputes over this could produce reams of litigation at the WTO between various systems. But the reason why trade economists are so squeamish about carbon tariffs is the fear that they could cause a tariff war. The EU and America are already in a politically driven tit-for-tat over steel duties with China; they have risen in some cases to over 500%. Rather than prod countries to tighten their own regulations, new carbon tariffs could make that battle more vicious . Worse still, lobby groups could easily pervert the charges into a form of quiet protectionism. Donald Trump’s presidency has already rattled free-traders’ nerves. Why risk giving the protectionists another opening? Which word correctly describes the author's opinion regarding protectionism?

Accepted Answer

To determine the author's opinion, analyze the overall tone and specific word choices used when discussing protectionism. The correct answer reflects this analysis.

Question 19

Directions: Ques No: 1-7
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Some words may be highlighted. Pay attention.
Coal mines were the beating heart of Britain's industrial revolution. Their sooty, energy-dense output gave life to new-fangled factories and shipyards, fuelling the nation's march towards modernity. They helped shape a carbon-intensive economy and paved the way for a global dependence on fossil fuels, and in doing so, fired the starting pistol on the climate crisis that today confronts us all.
But what if, in a serendipitous circle of history, our
extractive
past could be repurposed for a greener, cleaner future? What if the vast maze of coal mines beneath our feet, now filled with naturally warm water, could help decarbonise the UK's – and the world's – herculean heating needs?
That was the question Adam Black, a renewable energy enthusiast employed by one of Britain's largest bottling firms, Lanchester Wines, asked himself a decade ago. "I had about 400,000 sq ft of warehouse that needed heating and it was right over four layers of mine workings, which had naturally flooded over time. I felt we could use this mine water for heating", he recollects.
With the help of a few geothermal experts from Iceland, Black sunk a borehole into the
murky
depths of the old High Main coal seam in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Warmed by natural geological processes, the water they pumped to the surface was a pleasant 15C (59F). With a little supplemental warmth from an electric heat pump – "a bit like a fridge in reverse" – it was perfect for keeping the company's warehouse, and the millions of wine bottles within, at the right temperature. "Nowadays we're heating a couple of warehouses, a distribution depot, a local bakery, and soon a nearby car showroom too!", says Black.
He's not the only one excited by the energy potential of mine water. The UK Coal Authority, which is responsible for the country's disused pits, has big plans for the coming decade. Its geologists believe one-quarter of British homes currently sit on a coalfield, stretching across Wales, central Scotland, northern England, and the Midlands. An estimated 2 billion cubic metres of warm water occupy the old mine shafts and these flooded shafts contain around 2.2 million GWh of heat, with the potential to store more. Researchers suggest that this makes mine water one of the UK's largest underused clean energy sources. Accordingly, to help meet the country's sweeping carbon-reduction target, the Coal Authority is exploring the feasibility of some 70 mine water heating projects across the country.
Yet, while there's mounting evidence of mine water's energy potential, the idea isn't without issue. Retrofitting houses with the means to tap into a geothermal district heating network isn't cheap and new builds aren't often sited next to
derelict
collieries. Further, there are technical hurdles like stability concerns around abandoned mine shafts which were simply left to collapse. The capital costs are much higher with mine water geothermal, though under the right conditions the energy generated can be cheaper than that from conventional sources.
Adam Black at Lanchester Wines hopes that the costs will fall as the technology develops and uptake increases, "and if the energy authorities do their bit with regulation".
Beyond doubt is that the resource is there and waiting: A labyrinth of warrens once laden with men and machinery, now flooded with naturally warm water, ready to be tapped.

Find the relation between the statements given below.Statement I: New builds aren't often sited next to derelict collieries.Statement II: Retrofitting houses with the means to tap into a geothermal district heating network isn't cheap.

Accepted Answer

Statement I discusses building locations near old collieries. Statement II talks about the cost of retrofitting houses for geothermal heating. These are distinct topics with no direct causal link.

Question 20

Directions: English Language
Direction (1- 4)-:
Two sentences with one blank in each, followed by  five alternatives, are given. Choose that option as the answer which can fill both the blanks of both the  sentences.

A) Failing to ________ them to the good cause he was  determined anyhow to organize the great cultivated middle class into a political party.B) The Jacobites made an ineffectual ________ under Lord George Murray after the battle of Culloden.

Accepted Answer

The word 'rally' fits both contexts perfectly. In A, it means to gather support, and in B, it refers to a collective effort or resurgence, which aligns with the Jacobites' attempt.