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Directions (1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below them. Certain words are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
In the month of July, the Amazon has lost 519 square miles (1,345 square kilometers) of rainforest. That’s an area more than twice the size of Tokyo. It’s a record for the most deforestation in the Amazon in a single month, The Guardian reported. Data from Brazilian satellites indicates that about three football fields’ worth of Amazonian trees are falling every minute. The total area of deforestation is up 39% from July 2018.
As the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon plays a crucial role in keeping our planet’s carbon-dioxide levels in check. Plants and trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air in their process of photosynthesis. This is why the Amazon, which covers 2.1 million square miles, is often referred to as the “lungs of the planet.” It’s also the reason that the Amazon’s health is so important in the face of climate change. What’s more, at least 400 indigenous tribes live in the rainforest, and their cultures and livelihoods are intimately linked with the state of the Amazon.
Brazil controls a lion’s share of the Amazon. However, its president, Jair Bolsonaro, has indicated that protecting the rainforest is not one of his top priorities – Bolsonaro supports development projects like a highway and hydroelectric dam in the Amazon.
What’s more, between January and May of this year, the Brazilian government lowered the number of fines it levied for illegal deforestation and mining(down 34% from the same period in 2018) and decreased its monitoring of illegal activity in the rainforest. Seizures of illegally harvested timber have also dropped: Under the previous administration, 883,000 cubic feet of illegal timber was seized in 2018. As of May 15, Bolsonaro’s government agencies had only seized 1,410 cubic feet, Pacific Standard reported.
In the past 50 years, roughly 20% of the Amazon – about 300,000 square miles – has plummeted in Brazil, according to the Intercept. Bolsonaro’s administration has worked to loosen protections on natural land reserves. One of his first policy changes was to transfer the authority to certify indigenous lands as protected areas from Brazil’s FUNAI (the National Indian Foundation) to its Ministry of Agriculture. The change has since been reversed, however, due to protests and pushback from native communities. If another 20% of the Amazon were to disappear, that could trigger a feedback loop known as a dieback, in which the forest dries out and burns. Once this dieback starts, the forest would be “beyond the reach of any subsequent human intervention or regret,” according to the Intercept. That would cause the Amazon to devolve into a savannah-like landscape.
This tipping point would not only lead to the end of the Amazon as we know it; the process would also cause up to 140 billion tons of stored carbon to get released into the atmosphere, causing an uptick in global temperatures. Last year, he threatened to withdraw Brazil from the Paris climate agreement. He also believes that an excess of protected land has hampered Brazil’s economic development. “There is no point sugar-coating it. Bolsonaro is the worst thing that could happen for the environment,” Paulo Artaxo, a climate-change researcher at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, told Science prior to Bolsonaro’s election.
During his campaign, Bolsonaro promised to dilute existing environmental protections on Amazonian land and to open up indigenous reserves to industry. In February, Bolsonaro’s administration announced an umbrella project called Barão do Rio Branco, which includes the construction of a hydroelectric dam, a bridge over the Amazon River, and an extension to an existing highway through 300 miles of rainforest.
In March, Bolsonaro’s administration started opening swaths of indigenous lands to mining projects. The Brazilian president has also announced plans to remove environmental protections from a chunk of forested land south of Rio de Janeiro in order to created “a Cancún of Brazil,” The Guardian reported.
When Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research released the satellite data about the country’s deforestation, Bolsonaro said the results were “a lie,” Reuters reported. “With all the devastation you accuse us of doing and having done in the past, the Amazon would be extinguished already,” the Brazilian president said. But Marcelino Da Silva, a member of Brazil’s indigenous Apurinã tribe, told the Intercept that he is indeed seeing giant chunks of the Amazon vanish. “We know what happens when the state does nothing,” Da Silva said. “We know how quickly the forest can disappear.”
Q1. Why is Amazon known as the “lungs of the planet” as per the passage?
(a) In the face of climate change the rains that occur in Amazon are the only option for irrigation in Brazil.
(b) Amazon is the world’s largest rainforests which plays an important role in maintaining the planet’s carbon dioxide levels in check.
(c) Amazon is the home of about 400 tribes and their cultures and livelihoods are closely linked with forests.
(d) Both (b) and (c)
(e) None of these
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Q2. Why is it necessary to stop the devastation of Amazon forests as per the passage?
(I) At least 400 tribes live in the Amazon and their cultures and livelihoods are linked with the forests.
(II) 2.1 million square miles Amazon forests play a crucial role in maintaining the carbon dioxide levels of planet in the check.
(III) The economic development in the forests are the main source of income for the people living in the tribal area of the forests.
(a) Only (II)
(b) Both (I) and (II)
(c) Both (II) and (III)
(d) All of these
(e) None of these
Q3. Which of the following decisions of the administration have been attributed to the increase in deforestation in the Brazilian forests?
(I) Lowering of fines levied for the illegal deforestation and mining.
(II) Decrease in the monitoring of illegal activity in the forests.
(III) Increase in the seizures of illegally harvested timbers.
(a) Only (I)
(b) Only (II)
(c) Both (I) and (III)
(d) Both (I) and (II)
(e) All of these
Q4. As per the passage what was the decision of Bolsonaro’s administration?
(I) The authority to certify indigenous lands as protected areas was transferred to Brazil’s FUNAI which was then reversed back to Ministry of Agriculture after the protests.
(II) The protection of the forests and natural reserves by the administration was loosen.
(III) The seizure of illegal timber has increased since 2018.
(a) Only (II)
(b) Only (III)
(c) Both (II) and (III)
(d) Both (I) and (II)
(e) None of these
Q5. What can be the definition of “dieback” as per the given passage?
(a) The suicidal tendencies of the tribal people after the disappearance of their livelihoods.
(b) The removal of unwanted trees and plants from the forests.
(c) The drying out and burning of the forests in a loop after excess of deforestation.
(d) The drying out of the water which leads to the extinction of wild animals.
(e) None of these
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Q6. As per the given passage the Brazilian president announced which of the following plans?
(I) The removal of environmental protections from the forested land south of Rio de Janeiro.
(II) Opening of indigenous lands to the industry and development of the umbrella project “Barão do Rio Branco”.
(III) To develop Amazon into a savannah-like landscape.
(a) Only (III)
(b) Only (I)
(c) Both (I) and (III)
(d) Both (I) and (II)
(e) All of these
Q7. Which of the following sentences can depict the exact meaning of the phrase “a lion’s share” as mentioned in the passage?
(I) Brazil controls a largest portion of the Amazon.
(II) Brazil controls a major share of the Amazon.
(III) Brazil controls the maximum population of lions that exist in the Amazon.
(a) Only (III)
(b) Only (I)
(c) Both (I) and (III)
(d) Both (I) and (II)
(e) All of these
Directions (8): Which of the following are the SYNONYMS of the given words as used in the passage?
Q8. Indigenous
(a) Meticulous
(b) Unwary
(c) Native
(d) Regard
(e) None of the above
Directions (9-10): Which of the following are the ANTONYMS of the given words as used in the passage?
Q9. Devolve
(a) Sophisticated
(b) Penurious
(c) Unstinting
(d) Retain
(e) None of these
Q10. Plummeted
(a) Accessed
(b) Maneuvered
(c)Spiked
(d) Plunged
(e) None of these
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Directions (11-15): In each question below, a word is given followed by four pairs. Choose the pair which states either the synonyms or the antonyms or a synonym and an antonym of the given word. If none of the four pairs are correct then choose “None of these” as your answer choice.
Q11. Eloquence
(a) Delight, Calamity
(b) Diminutive, Giant
(c) Destroy, Obliterate
(d) Stammering, Fluency
(e) None of these
Q12. Fallacy
(a) Delusion, Mistake
(b) Construct, Produce
(c) Frail, Robust
(d) Strife, Quarrel
(e) None of these
Q13. Guile
(a) Stuff, Satiate
(b) Deceit, Honesty
(c) Retard, Prevent
(d) Hatred, Benevolence
(e) None of these
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Q14. Heretic
(a) Peril, Danger
(b) Frightful, Shocking
(c) Religious, Secularist
(d) Debilitate, Strengthen
(e) None of these
Q15. Incongruous
(a) Hurdle, Assistant
(b) Inefficient, Dextrous
(c) Impending, Brewing
(d) Inappropriate, Compatible
(e) None of these
Solutions
S1. Ans. (b)
Sol. As per the lines given in second paragraph “as the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon plays a crucial role in keeping our planet’s carbon-dioxide levels in check. Plants and trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air in their process of photosynthesis. This is why the Amazon, which covers 2.1 million square miles, is often referred to as the “lungs of the planet.”” Only option (b) is correct answer choice.
S2. Ans. (b)
Sol. The lines in the second paragraph “As the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon plays a crucial role in keeping our planet’s carbon-dioxide levels in check.” prove the statement (II) as true. And the line “at least 400 indigenous tribes live in the rainforest, and their cultures and livelihoods are intimately linked with the state of the Amazon” proves statement (I) to be true. Hence, option (b) is the correct answer choice.
S3. Ans. (d)
Sol. As per the first line of the third paragraph “the Brazilian government lowered the number of fines it levied for illegal deforestation and mining(down 34% from the same period in 2018) and decreased its monitoring of illegal activity in the rainforest. Seizures of illegally harvested timber have also dropped.” Statements (I) and (II) are true whereas statement (III) is false. So, option (d) is correct answer choice.
S4. Ans. (a)
Sol. As per the lines mentioned in the fourth paragraph “Bolsonaro’s administration has worked to loosen protections on natural land reserves. One of his first policy changes was to transfer the authority to certify indigenous lands as protected areas from Brazil’s FUNAI (the National Indian Foundation) to its Ministry of Agriculture.” Statement (II) is only true. Whereas statement (I) is contradicting the given lines. Moreover the lines “Seizures of illegally harvested timber have also dropped: Under the previous administration, 883,000 cubic feet of illegal timber was seized in 2018. As of May 15, Bolsonaro’s government agencies had only seized 1,410 cubic feet, Pacific Standard reported.” Prove the statement (III) to be false. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer choice.
S5. Ans. (c)
Sol. The line in the fourth paragraph “trigger a feedback loop known as a dieback, in which the forest dries out and burns” can be used to define “dieback”. And option (c) can be used to deduce the definition. Hence, option (c) is correct answer choice.
S6. Ans. (d)
Sol. Refer to the second last paragraph, which mentions, “The Brazilian president has also announced plans to remove environmental protections from a chunk of forested land south of Rio de Janeiro in order to created “a Cancún of Brazil,” The Guardian reported”. Also, the lines in the sixth paragraph “During his campaign, Bolsonaro promised to dilute existing environmental protections on Amazonian land and to open up indigenous reserves to industry. In February, Bolsonaro’s administration announced an umbrella project called Barão do Rio Branco” prove the statements (I) and (II) to be true. Hence, option (d) is correct answer choice.
S7. Ans. (d)
Sol. The meaning of the phrase “a lion’s share” means “largest portion of something or the major share of something”. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer choice.
S8. Ans. (c)
Sol. The word “Indigenous” means “originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native”. The word “Native” is synonymous to the given word. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer choice.
Unwary: not alert; easily fooled or surprised
Meticulous: marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details
S9. Ans. (d)
Sol. The word “Devolve” as used in the passage means “pass into (a different state, especially a worse one); degenerate.” And the word “retain” is the antonym of the given word. “Retain” means “keep (something) in place; hold fixed”. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer choice.
Unstinting: not restricting or holding back
Penurious: suffering from a cramping and oppressive lack of resources (such as money)
S10. Ans. (c)
Sol. The word “Spiked” is the antonym of “Plummeted”. “Plummeted” means “to drop sharply and abruptly.” “Spiked” means “an abrupt sharp increase”. Thus, option (c) is correct answer choice.
Maneuvered: an action taken to gain a tactical end
Plunged: to descend or dip suddenly
S11. Ans. (d)
Sol. The term ‘eloquence’ refers to ‘fluent or persuasive speaking or writing’. Stammering and Fluency’ are antonym and synonym of ‘eloquence’ respectively.
S12. Ans. (a)
Sol. The term ‘fallacy’ means ‘a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound arguments’. ‘Delusion and Mistake’ are synonyms of ‘fallacy’.
S13. Ans. (b)
Sol. The term ‘guile’ means ‘sly or cunning intelligence.’ Deceit and Honesty’ and synonym and antonym of ‘guile’ respectively.
S14. Ans. (c)
Sol. The term ‘heretic’ refers to ‘a person believing in or practicing religious heresy’. Religious and Secularist are antonym and synonym respectively of ‘heretic’.
S15. Ans. (d)
Sol. The term ‘Incongruous’ means ‘not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something’. Inappropriate and Compatible are synonym and antonym respectively of ‘incongruous’.
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