Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
Renewable energy is energy that is congregated from renewable resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Renewable energy often provides energy in four important areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation, and rural (off-grid) energy services.
Based on REN21’s 2017 report, renewables contributed 19.3% to humans’ global energy consumption and 24.5% to their generation of electricity in 2015 and 2016, respectively. This energy consumption is divided as 8.9% coming from traditional biomass, 4.2% as heat energy (modern biomass, geothermal and solar heat), 3.9% hydroelectricity and 2.2% is electricity from wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Worldwide investments in renewable technologies constituted to more than US$286 billion in 2015, with countries such as China and the United States heavily investing in wind, hydro, solar and biofuels. Globally, there are an estimated 7.7 million jobs associated with the renewable energy industries, with solar photovoltaics being the largest renewable employer. As of 2015 worldwide, more than half of all new electricity capacity installed was renewable.
Renewable energy resources prevail over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency is resulting in significant energy security, climate change mitigation, and economic benefits. The results of a recent review of the literature deduced that as greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters begin to be held liable for damages resulting from GHG emissions resulting in climate change, a high value for liability mitigation would provide powerful incentives for deployment of renewable energy technologies. In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources such as solar power and wind power. At the national level, at least 30 nations around the world already have renewable energy contributing more than 20 percent of energy supply. National renewable energy markets are projected to continue to grow strongly in the coming decade and beyond. Some places and at least two countries, Iceland and Norway generate all their electricity using renewable energy already, and many other countries have the set a goal to reach 100% renewable energy in the future. For example, in Denmark the government decided to switch the total energy supply (electricity, mobility and heating/cooling) to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
While many renewable energy projects are large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to rural and remote areas and developing countries, where energy is often crucial in human development. Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity. As most of renewables provide electricity, renewable energy deployment is often applied in conjunction with further electrification, which has several benefits: Electricity can be converted to heat (where necessary generating higher temperatures than fossil fuels), can be converted into mechanical energy with high efficiency and is clean at the point of consumption. In addition to that electrification with renewable energy is much more efficient and therefore leads to a significant reduction in primary energy requirements; because most renewables don’t have a steam cycle with high losses (fossil power plants usually have losses of 40 to 65%). Renewable energy systems are rapidly becoming more efficient and cheaper. Their share of total energy consumption is increasing. Growth in consumption of coal and oil could end by 2020 due to increased uptake of renewables and natural gas.
Renewable energy resources and significant opportunities for energy efficiency exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and technological diversification of energy sources, would result in significant energy security and economic benefits. It would also reduce environmental pollution such as air pollution caused by burning of fossil fuels and improve public health, reduce premature mortalities due to pollution and save associated health costs that amount to several hundred billion dollars annually only in the United States. Renewable energy sources, that derive their energy from the sun, either directly or indirectly, such as hydro and wind, are expected to be capable of supplying humanity energy for almost another 1 billion years, at which point the predicted increase in heat from the sun is expected to make the surface of the earth too hot for liquid water to exist.
Q1. According to the passage what are the important areas where Renewables contribute in energy?
(a)Electricity generation
(b)Transportation
(c)Off-grid energy services
(d) air and water heating/cooling
(e)All of these
Q2. Which of the following sentence (s) is not true in the context to the passage?
(a)Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources, which are artificially replenished on a human timescale.
(b)There are an estimated 7.7 million jobs associated with the renewable energy industries.
(c)Worldwide investments in renewable technologies amounted to less than US$286 billion in 2015.
(d)Both (a) and (c)
(e) None of these.
Q3. As mentioned in the passage how Renewable energy resources are different from the other energy resources?
(a)Renewable energy resources are less efficient than other energy resources.
(b)Renewable energy resources are easy to find whereas there is scarcity of other resources.
(c)Renewable energy resources exist over large geographical areas, whereas the other energy sources are concentrated in a limited number of countries.
(d)Both (a) and (c)
(e) None of these.
Q4. Who has said that “renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity”?
(a)The present United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
(b)Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
(c)UNEP head Erik Solheim
(d)A Norwegian socialist politician Kristin Halvorsen
(e) None of these
Q5. What is/are the advantage/s of electrification with renewable energy?
(a)Electricity can be converted to heat generating higher temperatures than fossil fuels
(b)Electricity can be converted into mechanical energy with high efficiency
(c)Electricity can be converted into chemical energy with high efficiency
(d)Both (a) and (b)
(e) None of these.
Q6. According to the passage what could be the favorable outcomes of the Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency?
(a)Reduction in environmental pollution such as air pollution caused by burning of fossil fuels
(b)Reduction in premature mortalities due to pollution
(c)Would result in significant energy security
(d)All (a) (b) and (c)
(e) None of these.
Q7. Find out the word from the given options which is similar in meaning to the word given in bold in the passage.
Replenished
(a)Segregated
(b)Restocked
(c)Dispersed
(d)Isolated
(e)Disassociated
Q8. Find out the word from the given options which is similar in meaning to the word given in bold in the passage.
Constituted
(a)Incapable
(b)Inept
(c)Comprise
(d)Unorganized
(e)Barbaric
Q9. Find out the word from the given options which is opposite in meaning to the word given in bold in the passage.
Prevail
(a)Occur
(b)Extinct
(c)Nourish
(d)Feed
(e)Develop
Q10. Find out the word from the given options which is opposite in meaning to the word given in bold in the passage.
Deduced
(a)Conclude
(b)Inferred
(c)Immersed
(d)Commence
(e)Rooted
Solutions
S1. Ans. (e)
Sol. Option (e) can be traced from the very 1st paragraph of the passage where it is given as “Renewable energy often provides energy in four important areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation, and rural (off-grid) energy services.”
S2. Ans. (d)
Sol. Option (d) is the correct answer choice. Replace ‘artificially’ by ‘naturally’ and ‘less’ by ‘more’ to make options (a) and (c) true in context to the passage respectively.
S3. Ans. (c)
Sol. Option (c) is the correct answer choice. Option (c) can be traced from the very first line of the 3rd paragraph.
S4. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is the correct answer choice. Option (b) can be traced from the second line of the 4th paragraph where it is given as “Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity.”
S5. Ans. (d)
Sol. Both the Option (a) and (b) are correct. Option (a) and (b) can be traced from the 4th paragraph where it is given as “As most of renewables provide electricity, renewable energy deployment is often applied in conjunction with further electrification, which has several benefits: Electricity can be converted to heat (where necessary generating higher temperatures than fossil fuels), can be converted into mechanical energy with high efficiency and is clean at the point of consumption.”
S6. Ans. (d)
Sol. Option (d) is the correct answer choice. All the Options (a) (b) and (c) can be traced from very last paragraph where it is given as “Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and technological diversification of energy sources, would result in significant energy security and economic benefits. It would also reduce environmental pollution such as air pollution caused by burning of fossil fuels and improve public health, reduce premature mortalities due to pollution”
S7. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is the correct answer choice.
Replenished – restore (a stock or supply) to a former level or condition.
Restocked means replenish (a store) with fresh stock or supplies.
Segregated means set apart from the rest or from each other; isolate or divide.
Dispersed- distribute or spread over a wide area
Isolated means far away from other places, buildings, or people; remote
Disassociated means disconnected.
S8. Ans. (c)
Sol. Constituted- be (a part) of a whole
Inept means having or showing no skill; clumsy.
Barbaric means savagely cruel or uncivilized and uncultured.
Hence option (c) is the answer.
S9. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is the most suitable choice.
Prevail- be widespread or current in a particular area or at a particular time
Extinct- no longer in existence
Hence, it is the only option which is most nearly opposite to the given word.
Nourish means provide with the food or other substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition.
S10. Ans. (d)
Sol. Option (d) is the most apt choice.
Deduced- arrive at (a fact or a conclusion) by reasoning; draw as a logical conclusion.
Immersed means involve oneself deeply in a particular activity.
Commence – begin
Option (a) and (b) are the synonyms of the given word.
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