Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given beside.
The second-largest colony of emperor penguins in the world appears to be collapsing, after rough seas drowned all of its babies three winters in a row.
The Halley Bay colony once accounted for 5 to 9% of the global emperor penguin population, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAC), which reported the catastrophe. That amounted to about 15,000 to 24,000 adult breeding pairs. But in 2016, the sea-ice platform on which the colony was raising its babies collapsed during rough weather, throwing infant penguins unable to swim into the frigid water. In 2017 and 2018, the rough weather pattern repeated itself.
The birds arrive at the site from their summer sea jaunts each April to breed; for the resulting chicks to survive, the site has to remain stable throughout the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, which lasts until December.
By 2018, a handful of adults — a "few hundred," or about 2 percent of the original population — turned up at the Halley Bay site, the researchers reported. The remaining colony appeared in disarray, with adults moving closer to the ice edge than is typical, and was difficult to count scattered among the roughened chunks of ice.
The good news is that at least some of the colony appears to have moved, rather than died out. The Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony 34 miles (55 kilometers) to the south has significantly swelled in numbers since the devastation of Halley Bay, the BAC reported. That colony, which had hit a low of just 1,280 pairs in the 2015 season, swelled in each succeeding year. In 2016, it reached 5,315 pairs. In 2017, there were 11,117 pairs. And by 2018, a full 14,612 pairs set up camp at the site.
Question for Reading Comprehension Passage: 87
Try yourself:Which of the following is an antonym of “frigid” in the context of passage?
Explanation
Frigid means very cold in temperature.
So, opposite of it is “Hot”.
Hence option D is correct.
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Question for Reading Comprehension Passage: 87
Try yourself:Which of the following is a synonym of “disarray” in the context of passage?
Explanation
Disarray means a state of disorganization.
Hotchpotch also mean the same.
Thus, option A is correct.
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Question for Reading Comprehension Passage: 87
Try yourself:“Halley Bay” colony and “Dawson-Lambton Glacier” colony are related to which of the following?
Explanation
Refer to:
The Halley Bay colony once accounted for 5 to 9% of the global emperor penguin population,
The Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony 34 miles (55 kilometers) to the south has significantly swelled in numbers
Clearly, option B is correct.
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Question for Reading Comprehension Passage: 87
Try yourself:Where do emperor penguins breed?
Explanation
Refer to:
But in 2016, the sea-ice platform on which the colony was raising its babies collapsed during rough weather.
From the underlined part above it's clear that the penguins breed on sea-ice platform.
Hence option D is correct.
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Question for Reading Comprehension Passage: 87
Try yourself:Which of the following is false in the context of the passage?
I. The Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony died due to collapse of rough sea.
II. The penguin birds breed during April every year.
III. Halley Bay colony reached 5315 pairs in 2016.
Explanation
Refer:
Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony 34 miles (55 kilometers) to the south has significantly swelled in numbers since the devastation of Halley Bay, the BAC reported.
Thus statement I is false as the colony is swelled rather than died.
Refer:
The birds arrive at the site from their summer sea jaunts each April to breed.
Thus statement II is true.
Refer:
Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony 34 miles (55 kilometers) to the south has significantly swelled in numbers since the devastation of Halley Bay, the BAC reported. That colony, which had hit a low of just 1,280 pairs in the 2015 season, swelled in each succeeding year. In 2016, it reached 5,315 pairs.
Clearly, the statement taken as reference confirms that it's Dawson-Lambton colony and not Halley Bay that reached 5315 pairs in 2016. Thus statement III is false.
Hence option C is correct.
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Question for Reading Comprehension Passage: 87
Try yourself:What was/were the main reason/reasons behind devastation of Halley Bay colony?
I. Killing of infant babies by predators.
II. Drowning of infant penguins into frigid water.
III. The rough weather pattern that caused the collapse of sea-ice platform on which the penguin babies were bred.
Explanation
Refer to:
the sea-ice platform on which the colony was raising its babies collapsed during rough weather, throwing infant penguins unable to swim into the frigid water. In 2017 and 2018, the rough weather pattern repeated itself.
The underlined parts above validate that it's the weather that actually caused the devastation of the colony. Hence, statement III is true.
Statement I is nowhere mentioned in the passage and statement II is the effect of the cause described above. Clearly, statement II is not the main reason for the devastation of the colony.
Hence option B is correct.
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Question for Reading Comprehension Passage: 87
Try yourself:Which of the following is/are true?
I. The Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony has increased after devastation of Halley Bay colony.
II. The infant penguins at Halley bay colony died of drowning into cold water.
III. The birds came at the site in the month of April and last upto December.
Explanation
Refer:
The Dawson-Lambton Glacier colony 34 miles (55 kilometers) to the south has significantly swelled in numbers since the devastation of Halley Bay, the BAC reported.
Thus statement I is true.
Refer:
But in 2016, the sea-ice platform on which the colony was raising its babies collapsed during rough weather, throwing infant penguins unable to swim into the frigid water.
Thus statement II is true.
Refer:
The birds arrive at the site from their summer sea jaunts each April to breed; for the resulting chicks to survive, the site has to remain stable throughout the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, which lasts until December.
Thus statement III is true.
Hence option E is correct.
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