Test: Discursive Passages - 2 - Humanities/Arts MCQ

Direction: Read the passage given below.
1. Although pollution of land, sea, and air has been well documented, the latest and the least recognised version is the swelling tide of noise which is engulfing urban as well as rural areas. This has long-term implications on the ecology, health, and productivity of a fast developing country like India.

2. Unlike other pollutants, noise lacks visibility, seldom registering on the consciousness, except as a trifling irritant to be dismissed at will and therefore less likely to be perceived as a threat. Available data indicate that noise does pose a threat to health and is known to have caused a number of complications. Declining productivity among workers in certain industries has been directly correlated with noise levels, particularly those under constant exposure to the menace.

3. The first-ever survey of the impact of noise on health, conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, has established that noise not only impairs the physical and psychological functioning of the human organism but also causes nausea, vomiting, pain, hypertension, and a lot of other complications, including cardio-vascular complaints.
4. A study by Post Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, in Chennai, confirms such conclusions. In 50 percent of industries, it was found that workmen exposed to higher intensities of noise in occupational capacities, were often irritated, short-tempered, and impatient and more likely to resort to agitation and disrupt production. This was true of units in heavy industrial pockets in and around the four metropolitan centres.

5. Recreational noise, another ugly facet, is becoming more widespread in cities and towns.
Loudspeakers are turned at full volume during marriages, festivals, jagrans, musical programmes, particularly at night, without the least consideration for others. Even at 50 dB, sound can awaken a person from a deep slumber. As experiments have shown, loudspeakers with output from 60 to 80 dB cause the pupils of a slumbering person to dilate, with increasing intake of oxygen, resulting in palpitation. The effect is more pronounced in narrow lanes. TV sets are played at full volume at prime time, invariably disturbing neighbours. Noise making seems to have become the latest status symbol, be it an election campaign or slogan shouting or advertising ownership of a TV set.

Q. In what way can creating noise be considered a status symbol?

Direction: Read the passage given below.
1. Although pollution of land, sea, and air has been well documented, the latest and the least recognised version is the swelling tide of noise which is engulfing urban as well as rural areas. This has long-term implications on the ecology, health, and productivity of a fast developing country like India.

2. Unlike other pollutants, noise lacks visibility, seldom registering on the consciousness, except as a trifling irritant to be dismissed at will and therefore less likely to be perceived as a threat. Available data indicate that noise does pose a threat to health and is known to have caused a number of complications. Declining productivity among workers in certain industries has been directly correlated with noise levels, particularly those under constant exposure to the menace.

3. The first-ever survey of the impact of noise on health, conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, has established that noise not only impairs the physical and psychological functioning of the human organism but also causes nausea, vomiting, pain, hypertension, and a lot of other complications, including cardio-vascular complaints.
4. A study by Post Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, in Chennai, confirms such conclusions. In 50 percent of industries, it was found that workmen exposed to higher intensities of noise in occupational capacities, were often irritated, short-tempered, and impatient and more likely to resort to agitation and disrupt production. This was true of units in heavy industrial pockets in and around the four metropolitan centres.

5. Recreational noise, another ugly facet, is becoming more widespread in cities and towns.
Loudspeakers are turned at full volume during marriages, festivals, jagrans, musical programmes, particularly at night, without the least consideration for others. Even at 50 dB, sound can awaken a person from a deep slumber. As experiments have shown, loudspeakers with output from 60 to 80 dB cause the pupils of a slumbering person to dilate, with increasing intake of oxygen, resulting in palpitation. The effect is more pronounced in narrow lanes. TV sets are played at full volume at prime time, invariably disturbing neighbours. Noise making seems to have become the latest status symbol, be it an election campaign or slogan shouting or advertising ownership of a TV set.

Q. Invariably in paragraph 5 means

Direction: Read the passage given below.
1. Although pollution of land, sea, and air has been well documented, the latest and the least recognised version is the swelling tide of noise which is engulfing urban as well as rural areas. This has long-term implications on the ecology, health, and productivity of a fast developing country like India.

2. Unlike other pollutants, noise lacks visibility, seldom registering on the consciousness, except as a trifling irritant to be dismissed at will and therefore less likely to be perceived as a threat. Available data indicate that noise does pose a threat to health and is known to have caused a number of complications. Declining productivity among workers in certain industries has been directly correlated with noise levels, particularly those under constant exposure to the menace.

3. The first-ever survey of the impact of noise on health, conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, has established that noise not only impairs the physical and psychological functioning of the human organism but also causes nausea, vomiting, pain, hypertension, and a lot of other complications, including cardio-vascular complaints.
4. A study by Post Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, in Chennai, confirms such conclusions. In 50 percent of industries, it was found that workmen exposed to higher intensities of noise in occupational capacities, were often irritated, short-tempered, and impatient and more likely to resort to agitation and disrupt production. This was true of units in heavy industrial pockets in and around the four metropolitan centres.

5. Recreational noise, another ugly facet, is becoming more widespread in cities and towns.
Loudspeakers are turned at full volume during marriages, festivals, jagrans, musical programmes, particularly at night, without the least consideration for others. Even at 50 dB, sound can awaken a person from a deep slumber. As experiments have shown, loudspeakers with output from 60 to 80 dB cause the pupils of a slumbering person to dilate, with increasing intake of oxygen, resulting in palpitation. The effect is more pronounced in narrow lanes. TV sets are played at full volume at prime time, invariably disturbing neighbours. Noise making seems to have become the latest status symbol, be it an election campaign or slogan shouting or advertising ownership of a TV set.

Q. Engulfing in paragraph 1 means

Direction: Read the passage given below.

1. The Hangul deer or the Kashmiri stag is a species of red deer. The Hangul is one of the most famous animals of Jammu and Kashmir. It inhabits the dense forests of the state. Striking in appearance, the Hangul derives its name from ‘han’ which is the local name for the horse chestnut tree, the fruit of which the deer feed on.

2. Scientifically known as Cervuselaphus hanglu, Hangul is the only surviving race of the red deer family of Europe in the sub – continent. The Hangul deer’s coat is brown with slight speckles and each of its antlers consists of five points.

3. Much at home in the forest, the deer can be seen in the lower valleys of Dachigam National Park on the foothills of the Zabarwan range on the outskirts of Srinagar for most parts of the year, though a greater number of their species can be seen from October to March. Normally found in small groups of two to eighteen, Hanguls use the forests of the Dachigam Valley as an important feeding ground and move to the higher slopes to graze. Individual stags are more likely to be seen feeding on the hill slopes. They move about quite a lot from one area to another in their search for good forage. Hanguls eat various plants such as Fraximushockeri, Jasminum humile, Hemerocallisfulva and perennial herbs, depending on the season.

4. In March and April, the stags shed their antlers and begin moving up the mountains to the alpine meadows and pine forests of Upper Dachigam between 2500 to 3500 metres. They return to the lower valley in September, by when a new set of antlers begin to grow. The natural predators that attack Hanguls are leopards and Himalayan black bears.

5. In the past, Jammu and Kashmir had a large and vibrant population of Hangul deer. However, hunting and loss of habitat from deforestation and the building of dams has significantly curbed the wild population of Hangul deer. During the 1940s, their number was believed to be around 3,000 – 5,000. As per the latest census in 2008, only 160 are left. A captive breeding centre is planned to be commissioned at Shikargah, Tral in south Kashmir, for the captive breeding of Hangul, which will be eventually released in the wild.

6. In the last few years, the government has spent crores of rupees on different projects related to the conservation of Hangul in Jammu and Kashmir. A Habitat Research Study has been initiated in Kashmir in which satellite collaring of Hangul will be used in order to understand their movement patterns and habitat, both in and outside the Dachigam National Park. In addition, a massive improvement in conducting the census programme of Hangul has been undertaken whereby satellite telemetry and field cameras of high definition are being placed in the Park. Besides, an important research programme has been launched to study the relic population of Hangul outside Dachigam National Park in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India.

7. The strict enforcement of wildlife acts and the setting up of new initiatives are anticipated to replenish this highly endangered species.

Q. What is the local name for the horse chestnut tree, which gives the Hangul deer its name?

Direction: Read the passage given below.

1. The Hangul deer or the Kashmiri stag is a species of red deer. The Hangul is one of the most famous animals of Jammu and Kashmir. It inhabits the dense forests of the state. Striking in appearance, the Hangul derives its name from ‘han’ which is the local name for the horse chestnut tree, the fruit of which the deer feed on.

2. Scientifically known as Cervuselaphus hanglu, Hangul is the only surviving race of the red deer family of Europe in the sub – continent. The Hangul deer’s coat is brown with slight speckles and each of its antlers consists of five points.

3. Much at home in the forest, the deer can be seen in the lower valleys of Dachigam National Park on the foothills of the Zabarwan range on the outskirts of Srinagar for most parts of the year, though a greater number of their species can be seen from October to March. Normally found in small groups of two to eighteen, Hanguls use the forests of the Dachigam Valley as an important feeding ground and move to the higher slopes to graze. Individual stags are more likely to be seen feeding on the hill slopes. They move about quite a lot from one area to another in their search for good forage. Hanguls eat various plants such as Fraximushockeri, Jasminum humile, Hemerocallisfulva and perennial herbs, depending on the season.

4. In March and April, the stags shed their antlers and begin moving up the mountains to the alpine meadows and pine forests of Upper Dachigam between 2500 to 3500 metres. They return to the lower valley in September, by when a new set of antlers begin to grow. The natural predators that attack Hanguls are leopards and Himalayan black bears.

5. In the past, Jammu and Kashmir had a large and vibrant population of Hangul deer. However, hunting and loss of habitat from deforestation and the building of dams has significantly curbed the wild population of Hangul deer. During the 1940s, their number was believed to be around 3,000 – 5,000. As per the latest census in 2008, only 160 are left. A captive breeding centre is planned to be commissioned at Shikargah, Tral in south Kashmir, for the captive breeding of Hangul, which will be eventually released in the wild.

6. In the last few years, the government has spent crores of rupees on different projects related to the conservation of Hangul in Jammu and Kashmir. A Habitat Research Study has been initiated in Kashmir in which satellite collaring of Hangul will be used in order to understand their movement patterns and habitat, both in and outside the Dachigam National Park. In addition, a massive improvement in conducting the census programme of Hangul has been undertaken whereby satellite telemetry and field cameras of high definition are being placed in the Park. Besides, an important research programme has been launched to study the relic population of Hangul outside Dachigam National Park in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India.

7. The strict enforcement of wildlife acts and the setting up of new initiatives are anticipated to replenish this highly endangered species.

Q. Which national park in Jammu and Kashmir is mentioned as an important habitat for the Hangul deer?

Direction: Read the passage given below.

1. The Hangul deer or the Kashmiri stag is a species of red deer. The Hangul is one of the most famous animals of Jammu and Kashmir. It inhabits the dense forests of the state. Striking in appearance, the Hangul derives its name from ‘han’ which is the local name for the horse chestnut tree, the fruit of which the deer feed on.

2. Scientifically known as Cervuselaphus hanglu, Hangul is the only surviving race of the red deer family of Europe in the sub – continent. The Hangul deer’s coat is brown with slight speckles and each of its antlers consists of five points.

3. Much at home in the forest, the deer can be seen in the lower valleys of Dachigam National Park on the foothills of the Zabarwan range on the outskirts of Srinagar for most parts of the year, though a greater number of their species can be seen from October to March. Normally found in small groups of two to eighteen, Hanguls use the forests of the Dachigam Valley as an important feeding ground and move to the higher slopes to graze. Individual stags are more likely to be seen feeding on the hill slopes. They move about quite a lot from one area to another in their search for good forage. Hanguls eat various plants such as Fraximushockeri, Jasminum humile, Hemerocallisfulva and perennial herbs, depending on the season.

4. In March and April, the stags shed their antlers and begin moving up the mountains to the alpine meadows and pine forests of Upper Dachigam between 2500 to 3500 metres. They return to the lower valley in September, by when a new set of antlers begin to grow. The natural predators that attack Hanguls are leopards and Himalayan black bears.

5. In the past, Jammu and Kashmir had a large and vibrant population of Hangul deer. However, hunting and loss of habitat from deforestation and the building of dams has significantly curbed the wild population of Hangul deer. During the 1940s, their number was believed to be around 3,000 – 5,000. As per the latest census in 2008, only 160 are left. A captive breeding centre is planned to be commissioned at Shikargah, Tral in south Kashmir, for the captive breeding of Hangul, which will be eventually released in the wild.

6. In the last few years, the government has spent crores of rupees on different projects related to the conservation of Hangul in Jammu and Kashmir. A Habitat Research Study has been initiated in Kashmir in which satellite collaring of Hangul will be used in order to understand their movement patterns and habitat, both in and outside the Dachigam National Park. In addition, a massive improvement in conducting the census programme of Hangul has been undertaken whereby satellite telemetry and field cameras of high definition are being placed in the Park. Besides, an important research programme has been launched to study the relic population of Hangul outside Dachigam National Park in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India.

7. The strict enforcement of wildlife acts and the setting up of new initiatives are anticipated to replenish this highly endangered species.

Q. What are the natural predators of the Hangul deer?

Direction: Read the passage given below.

1. The Hangul deer or the Kashmiri stag is a species of red deer. The Hangul is one of the most famous animals of Jammu and Kashmir. It inhabits the dense forests of the state. Striking in appearance, the Hangul derives its name from ‘han’ which is the local name for the horse chestnut tree, the fruit of which the deer feed on.

2. Scientifically known as Cervuselaphus hanglu, Hangul is the only surviving race of the red deer family of Europe in the sub – continent. The Hangul deer’s coat is brown with slight speckles and each of its antlers consists of five points.

3. Much at home in the forest, the deer can be seen in the lower valleys of Dachigam National Park on the foothills of the Zabarwan range on the outskirts of Srinagar for most parts of the year, though a greater number of their species can be seen from October to March. Normally found in small groups of two to eighteen, Hanguls use the forests of the Dachigam Valley as an important feeding ground and move to the higher slopes to graze. Individual stags are more likely to be seen feeding on the hill slopes. They move about quite a lot from one area to another in their search for good forage. Hanguls eat various plants such as Fraximushockeri, Jasminum humile, Hemerocallisfulva and perennial herbs, depending on the season.

4. In March and April, the stags shed their antlers and begin moving up the mountains to the alpine meadows and pine forests of Upper Dachigam between 2500 to 3500 metres. They return to the lower valley in September, by when a new set of antlers begin to grow. The natural predators that attack Hanguls are leopards and Himalayan black bears.

5. In the past, Jammu and Kashmir had a large and vibrant population of Hangul deer. However, hunting and loss of habitat from deforestation and the building of dams has significantly curbed the wild population of Hangul deer. During the 1940s, their number was believed to be around 3,000 – 5,000. As per the latest census in 2008, only 160 are left. A captive breeding centre is planned to be commissioned at Shikargah, Tral in south Kashmir, for the captive breeding of Hangul, which will be eventually released in the wild.

6. In the last few years, the government has spent crores of rupees on different projects related to the conservation of Hangul in Jammu and Kashmir. A Habitat Research Study has been initiated in Kashmir in which satellite collaring of Hangul will be used in order to understand their movement patterns and habitat, both in and outside the Dachigam National Park. In addition, a massive improvement in conducting the census programme of Hangul has been undertaken whereby satellite telemetry and field cameras of high definition are being placed in the Park. Besides, an important research programme has been launched to study the relic population of Hangul outside Dachigam National Park in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India.

7. The strict enforcement of wildlife acts and the setting up of new initiatives are anticipated to replenish this highly endangered species.

Q. What is the current estimated population of Hangul deer based on the latest census in 2008?