English Quiz IBPS Clerk Mains: 22nd December

English Quiz for IBPS Clerk Mains 22nd December

Directions (1-8): Read the following passage and answer the following questions. Some words are given in bold to help while answering the questions.

The UN climate ministerial has failed to live up to civil society expectations.
The two principal mechanisms that were supposed to make emission reductions happen — a market for carbon credits and the transfer of funds from the rich to poor countries — have not worked.
A protracted UN climate meet at Madrid yielded little by way of concrete commitments on emission reductions — despite mounting pressure on governments the world over to act fast. The two principal mechanisms that were supposed to make emission reductions happen — namely, a market for carbon credits and the transfer of funds from the rich to poor countries — have not worked.

While the delegates managed to kick the can down the road to the next ministerial at Glasgow, to be held a year later, they would surely know that public pressure would bear down on them harder than ever when they convene again. The reasons for this change in public mood, represented by a surge in protests across the developed world, are not hard to seek. While the nasty effects of global warming are increasingly being felt and realised — from Arctic melt to thunderstorms and hurricanes, and more so the imminent migration of populations from low lying regions and islands that may disappear below the sea — the recent UN and IPCC reports have also set alarm bells ringing.

The United Nations ‘Emissions Gap’ report brought out this year says that, since the world has consistently faltered on its emission reduction targets over the last two decades, the future targets will have to be really ramped up (7.6 per cent emission reduction annually till 2030) for the temperature rise to be restricted to 1.5 degrees centigrade vis-a-vis pre-industrial levels. The report observes that “based on today’s commitments, emissions are on track to reach 56 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, over twice what they should be.”

While the science looks grim, the fact is that some pragmatic nitty-gritties need to be recognised to move ahead. Carbon markets cannot work unless the commitments to emission reduction improve, with the US too joining the league. When the world’s second largest emitter, accounting for 15 per cent of total emissions, walks out on the Paris accord, the rest of the world cannot be expected to do all the heavy-lifting. The onus is expected to rest on EU28, China (the biggest emitter, accounting for 27 per cent of all emissions), Japan, Russia and India. India has rightly said in Madrid that the developed world must fulfil its annual commitment towards providing $100 billion in climate finance, besides meeting their emission reduction goals for which the cut-off year is 2020, with respect to 2005, before expecting emerging economies to do more.

India has succeeded in reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP, its renewable energy capacity now accounting for about 22 per cent of its power capacity, against the goal of touching 40 per cent by 2030. The shift to EVs will make a difference. However, the elephant in the room is forest degradation, which adds to the carbon concentration in the atmosphere, contributing to at least 15 per cent of all emissions globally. Sustainable living has to become a citizen’s credo as well.

Q1. What were the principle mechanisms to help in curbing carbon emissions?
(a) A market for the carbon credits
(b) Transferring of funds from the rich to the poor ones
(c) Creating a pressure on governments
(d) Both (a) and (b)
(e) None of these

Q2. What are the responsible reasons for a protests surge across the world?
(a) Horrible effects of global warming
(b) Thunderstorms and hurricanes
(c) Melting of Arctic region
(d)Migration of people from low lands
(e) All of the above

Q3. What are the facts to be taken into consideration to regulate carbon emissions?
(a) Improvement in commitments towards reduction in emissions
(b) The remaining world cannot bring changes while the largest emitter has left the Paris accord.
(c) Developed world should be fulfilling its annual commitment
(d) All (a), (b), and (c)
(e) None of these

Q4. What is termed as ‘elephant in the room’ and why?
(a) Forest degradation increasing concentration of the carbon in the atmosphere.
(b) India’s success in carbon emission reduction
(c) Emerging economies being responsible for the pollution
(d) All (a), (b), and (c)
(e) None of these

Q5. What the idiom kick the can down the road means?
(a) To postpone a decision or action
(b) To keep yourself updated
(c) To enhance one’s skills
(d) To eliminate the garbage from surroundings
(e) None of these

Q6. Which of the following is the most opposite in meaning with Convene highlighted in the passage?
(a) Organization
(b) Beneficial
(c) Absconding
(d) Summon
(e) None of these

Directions (7-8): Which of the following words is most similar in meaning with the given word highlighted in the passage?

Q7. Faltered
(a) Fixed
(b) Compelled
(c) Fluctuated
(d) Colonization
(e) None of these

Q8. Grim
(a) Threatening
(b) Friendly
(c) Accommodation
(d) Imminent
(e) Extravagant

Directions: (9-15): In each of the following questions, a sentence is given with a blank with five options. Choose the option that fits in the blank without changing it’s intended meaning.

Q9. Mr. Mehta dealt with defiant queries raised in the court on the government’s ___________ hesitation.
(a) Baffle
(b) Tumult
(c) Perceived
(d) Adage
(e) Exculpate

Q10. The Sunni Waqf Board is said to have raised no objection to the ____________ of the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site.
(a) Incriminate
(b) Acquisition
(c) Contractual
(d) Absurd
(e) Endured

Q11. A study of India’s civil liberties record will only _________ its status as a republican democracy.
(a) Detracting
(b) Destroying
(c) Desiccate
(d) Diminishing
(e) Deviation

Q12. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was introduced in 2019 after long ________________by the Joint Select Committee of Members of Parliament.
(a) Membership
(b) Betrayal
(c) Communities
(d) Struggle
(e) Deliberation

Q13. Sometimes ideas can sound good, but when it comes to implementation they need to be tested for __________________ and, importantly, timing.
(a) Feasibility
(b) Starting
(c) Authentic
(d) Propaganda
(e) Strategized

Q14. The Prime Minister, who has _____________ himself as a digital first leader, issued a Twitter appeal to people in Assam on the CAA, but they did not get it as they had no net.
(a) Portrayal
(b) Fashioned
(c) Demonstration
(d) Display
(e) Demoralized

Q15. The ____________________ against the proposed car shed has brought to the fore the long-standing ‘development versus environment’ debate.
(a) Cruel
(b) Divisive
(c) Agitation
(d) Entangled
(e) Stubborn

Solution:

S1. Ans. (d)
Sol. Refer to the first paragraph, the hint can be drawn from the lines, ‘The two principal mechanisms that were supposed to make emission reductions happen — namely, a market for carbon credits and the transfer of funds from the rich to poor countries — have not worked.

S2. Ans. (e)
Sol. Refer to the lines of second paragraph, the hint can be drawn from the lines, While the nasty effects of global warming are increasingly being felt and realised — from Arctic melt to thunderstorms and hurricanes, and more so the imminent migration of populations from low lying regions and islands that may disappear below the sea — the recent UN and IPCC reports have also set alarm bells ringing.
Hence, option (e)[all of the above; (a), (b), (c), and (d)] is the right answer choice.

S3. Ans. (d)
Sol. Refer to the last paragraph of the given passage, the hint can be drawn from the lines, ‘Carbon markets cannot work unless the commitments to emission reduction improve, with the US too joining the league. When the world’s second largest emitter, accounting for 15 per cent of total emissions, walks out on the Paris accord, the rest of the world cannot be expected to do all the heavy-lifting.’
Hence, option (d)[All (a), (b), (c)] is the right answer choice.

S4. Ans. (a)
Sol. Refer to the last paragraph, the hint can be drawn from the lines, However, the elephant in the room is forest degradation, which adds to the carbon concentration in the atmosphere, contributing to at least 15 per cent of all emissions globally.
Hence, option (a) is the right answer choice.

S5. Ans. (a)
Sol. To kick the can down the road means to postpone a decision or action or Procrastinate. Hence, option (a) is the right answer choice.

S6. Ans. (d)
Sol. convene means come or bring together for a meeting or activity; assemble.
Summon is the most opposite in meaning with the word CONVENE. Hence, option (d) is the right answer choice.

S7. Ans. (c)
Sol. Faltered means lose strength or momentum. Fluctuated is the most similar in meaning with the given word. hence, option (c) is the right answer choice.

S8. Ans. (a)
Sol. Grim means very serious or gloomy. Threatening is the most similar in meaning with the given word. Hence, option (a) is the right answer choice.

S9. Ans. (c)
Sol. The right answer choice is option (c)

S10. Ans. (b)
Sol. The right answer choice is option (b)

S11. Ans. (c)
Sol. Desiccate fits in the blank without changing its intended meaning. Hence, option (c) is the right answer choice.

S12. Ans. (e)
Sol. Deliberation fits in the blank without changing its intended meaning. Hence, option (e) is the right answer choice.

S13. Ans. (a)
Sol. Feasibility fits in the blank without changing its intended meaning. Hence, option (a) is the right answer choice.

S14. Ans. (b)
Sol. Fashioned fits in the blank without changing its intended meaning. Hence, option (b) is the right answer choice.

S15. Ans. (c)
Sol. Agitation fits in the blank without changing its intended meaning. Hence, option (c) is the right answer choice.