A research team examined a long-term owl roost. Owls prey on small mammals and the excreted remains of those meals that accumulated over the time, provide us an insight into the composition and structure of small mammals over the past 'millennia. The research suggested that when the Earth went through a period of rapid warming about 13,000 years ago, the small mammal community was stable and resilient. But, from the last quarter of the nineteenth century, human-made changes to the environment had caused an enormous drop in biomass and energy flow. This dramatic decline in energy flow means modern ecosystems are not adapting as easily as they did in the past. On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Global warming is a frequently occurring natural phenomenon. 2. The impending global warming will not adversely affect small mammals. 3. Humans are responsible for the loss of the Earth's natural resilience. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?
3 only
Important Questions from Cause and Effect
Temperatures have risen nearly five times as rapidly on the Western Antarctic Peninsula than the global average over the past five decades. Researchers have now found that melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, Impacting an entire seafloor ecosystem. They Believe increased levels of suspended sediment in water to be the cause of the dwindling biodiversity in the coastal region.
On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been Made :
1. Regions of glaciers warm faster than other regions due to global warming.
2. Global warming can lead to seafloor sedimentation in some areas.
3. Melting glaciers can reduce marine biodiversity in some areas.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
Food varieties extinction is happening all over the world --- and it is happening fast. For example, of the 7,000 apple varieties that were grown during the nineteenth century, fewer than o hundred remain. In the Philippines, thousands of varieties of rice once thrived; now only up to a hundred are grown there. In China, 90 percent of the wheat varieties cultivated just a century ago have disappeared. Farmers in the past painstakingly bred and developed crops well suited to the peculiarities of their local climate and environment. In the recent past, our heavy dependence on a few high yielding varieties and technology-driven production and distribution of food is causing the dwindling of diversity in food crops. If some mutating crop disease or future climate change decimates the few crop plants we have come to depend on to feed our growing population, we might desperately need some of those varieties we have let go extinct.
On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made :
1. Humans have been the main reason for the large scale extinction of plant species.
2. Consumption of food mainly from locally cultivated crops ensures crop diversity.
3. The present style of production and distribution of food will finally lead to the problem of food scarcity in the near future.
4. Our food security may depend on our ability to preserve the locally cultivated varieties of crops.
Which of the above assumptions are valid ?
Given below is a statement followed by two possible reasons numbered I and II. Read the statement carefully and decide which of the two explain(s) the event/observation/information given in the statement.
Statement:
Price of tomatoes has been steadily rising in the last two weeks and has crossed ₹200 per kg in most parts of the country.Reasons:
(I) Farmers have reported a new unknown insect infestation in tomato crops, which has affected the crop output of tomatoes in many states across the country.
(II) Heavy flooding in many states during the monsoon season has destroyed many standing vegetable crops, leading to shortages in supplies.In this question, two statements, I and II, have been given. These statements maybe independent causes, or effects of independent causes or a common cause. One of the statements maybe the effect of the other statement. Read both the statements and select the correct answer.
I. Citizens of city X have multiplied their wealth by investing in government schemes in the past two years.
II. City X has seen a recent rise in the number of luxury cars.Given below is a cause followed by three effects numbered I, II and III. Read the cause carefully and decide which of the three can be a/the possible effect(s).
Cause – A major train accident occurred at Katpadi Junction last night, where seven bogies of G.T. Express derailed and fell across the tracks.
Effect I – Many trains on the Katpadi - Chennai route are running several hours late today.
Effect II – Long queues were seen at the railway ticket booking counters in Bangalore.
Effect III – Railways has decided to run two holiday special trains between Kolkata and Patna from October to December 2023.
