Cheatsheet: Reading Comprehension | General Aptitude for GATE - Mechanical Engineering PDF Download

The author’s main purpose in the passage is to discuss different approaches to addressing the problem of national parks being affected by activities outside their boundaries.

• Several methods have been suggested, like federal legislation to give the National Park Service more power over nearby lands.
• Legislation has faced challenges, passing the House but not the Senate.
• Another idea is to involve states in creating federal park management policies, though this has its own limitations.
• Local involvement is crucial but must align with existing federal laws.

The passage highlights the complexity of balancing local and national interests in protecting park ecosystems.

The solution suggests that state efforts have often not been effective in promoting national park wildlife. This is supported by the following points:

• State legislatures have not always dealt with key policy issues, such as protecting park wildlife.
• There is a lack of coordination in planning by state environmental agencies, limiting legislative impact.
• State solutions are limited to adjacent lands, as they lack jurisdiction within the parks themselves.
• Federal laws override state actions if there is a conflict, restricting state influence further.

The phrase external degradation refers to the threats to national parks caused by activities and policies outside their boundaries. This includes:

• State involvement in park management, which can conflict with federal laws.
• Activities such as timber harvesting, ranching, and energy exploration that compete with park wildlife.
• Lack of coordinated planning by state environmental agencies.

These factors highlight the complexity of aligning state and federal policies to protect national parks effectively.

The passage explains potential outcomes if environmental cooperation between federal and state governments does not improve. Here’s why the loss of species is the likely consequence:

• National parks are affected by external activities like timber harvesting and energy exploration, which compete with wildlife.
• Without improved cooperation, these activities could continue unchecked, harming the local ecosystem.
• Current laws don’t adequately protect wildlife from these external pressures.
• Therefore, without better state-federal cooperation, there is a risk of further species loss in national parks.

Solution:

• The passage suggests that Americans generally supported the development of the railroad.
• Railroad promoters, like Henry Varnum Poor, used the railroad as a metaphor for American progress and character.
• Promoters and writers referred to locomotives as "iron horses" to make them less intimidating and more relatable.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson viewed the railroad as a force for domestic harmony, helping to unify the country.