SBI PO-Prelims Questions and answers

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      Directions (11-20) : Read the following passage and answer the given questions. Certain words or phrases are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
      Stocks of grain and other foods are high, with another bumper harvest due in the northern hemisphere this year. The number of hungry people has been falling too, by 167 million in the past decade, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), chiefly thanks to progress in China and India. Yet that leaves nearly 800 million, a third of which are in Africa. The UN reckons that one measure, “prevalence of undernourishment" has dropped from 18.6% of the world population in 1990-92 to 10.9% now. That broadly meets a target the world set itself in 2000, in the Millennium Development Goals. But international bodies such as the G7 are worried about the coming decades. The world's population will exceed nine billion in 2050, with most of the growth in developing countries. The United States Department of Agriculture reckons that the number of hungry (“food insecure") people in sub-Saharan Africa will rise by a third. The FAO reckons that food production will need to increase by 70%. Worries abound. Crop Yields are flat. And many trends are negative: new crop diseases, urbanisation, desertification, salinisation and soil erosion, which outstrips renewal even in developed countries.
      That does not mean disaster is looming. Agricultural productivity is often shockingly low in "traditional" farming practices. That leaves plenty of room for improvement. But in most kinds of agriculture, scarce water can be used more sensibly. A study by Britain's Institution of Mechanical Engineers estimated that 550 billion litres are wasted annually in crop production. Eliminating waste, for example by drip-feed irrigation, could raise food production by 60% or more. Phosphorus (a finite resource, unlike water) is wasted too:only a fifth of the phosphorus mined actually ends up in food. Climate change will indeed hurt some farmers but helps others (so, perhaps, does more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere). Genetically Modified [GM] crops (such as drought-resistant rice, heat-resistant maize or blight-resistant wheat) have huge potential. Technology is only part of the solution. The food chain lacks resilience to other forms of disruption too, from political strife to consumer panics. Panics about contamination (real or imagined), for example, can send food flying off the shelves. A new report by Lloyds of London insurance market highlights the need for more innovation to help farmers and food manufacturers deal with adverse weather and other potential risks.
      The Gulf countries have long been preoccupied by the question of how to feed their people. The region's population is expected to grow by 40% between 2010 and 2030. Some gulf countries import as much as 10% of their food. Their governments have been unsure of the best way to keep everyone fed- and content. Qatar reportedly declared that it would produce 70% of its food at home by 2023, by adopting new technologies of desalination and hydroponics. Adding a layer of the hydroponic sand under the topsoil stops water from reaching away, making it easier to grow crops in and climates or in water-scarce lands. Agricultural entrepreneurs reckon that such innovation could allow the country to grow more of its own food. That idea was soon dropped. Saudi Arabia, with the busiest farm sector among the six countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council, scaled back wheat grown by irrigation because it was draining non-renewable aquifers. Heavy reliance on imports is problematic when countries such as Argentina suddenly restrict their exports in response to rising prices. Buying farmland in countries such as Sudan. Tanzania and Pakistan is another Gulf ploy. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the top ten investors in land abroad. according to Land Matrix, a body that tracks such deals. But this has drawbacks, too. Getting big projects off the ground in places that lack infrastructure is tricky. Many of the region's rulers are now considering investing in food companies abroad, often in more developed countries. The UAE's Al Dahra Agriculture, which works closely with the government and owns land abroad, recently bought eight farm companies in Serbia for $400m. It has also invested in an Indian rice producer. In addition, countries like Saudi Arabia are looking at ways of keeping strategic food reserves. Gulf rulers may end up following a mixture of such strategies to fill their peoples' stomachs. They should at least be commended for grappling with the problem, says a regional food expert. Poorer and hungrier Arab countries, like Egypt and Yemen, are far less Willing to address it.
      11). Why has the author mentioned the example of Qatar in the passage?

      (A) To illustrate how increased dependence on foreign food imports backfires.

      (B) It demonstrates the tremendous impact climate change has on agriculture which is going unnoticed.

      (C) To show that some countries are innovative and making tremendous efforts to improve agriculture.

      A). Only (A)
      B). Only (B)
      C). Only (C)
      D). Both (A) and (B)
      E). All (A), (B) and (C)
      12). Which 0f the following is the Same in meaning as the word Flat as used in the passage ?
      A). Categorical
      B). Totally
      C). Unvarying
      D). Pre-determined
      E). All the given options
      13). Which of the following can be said about agriculture in Gulf countries ?

      (A) Though genetically modified such food has proven more nutritious.

      (B) Some countries are highly dependent on food imports.

      (C) It is a tricky issue to address and needs a variety of remedies.

      A). Only (A)
      B). Only (B)
      C). Only (C)
      D). Both (A) and (B)
      E). All (A), (B) and (C)
      14). Which of the following is the Opposite of the word Dropped as used in the passage ?
      A). Upheld
      B). Sustained
      C). Supported
      D). Backed
      E). All the given options
      15). Which of the following is/are (a) theme(s) of the passage ?
      A). Factors impacting food production
      B). Food security in gulf countries
      C). Challenges to agricultural productivity even in developed countries
      D). Wastage of water resources
      E). All the given options are themes


      16). Which of the following best describes the author's view of the global food situation?
      A). The world has been successful to an extent in addressing the issue of hunger.
      B). There is a food crisis imminent in the coming decades.
      C). Countries cannot rely solely on imports to meet their food needs.
      D). Technology can be harnessed to address the issue of food security.
      E). All the given options
      17). Which of the following is/are the argument(s) in favour of investing in agriculture abroad ?

      (A) It is a means to boost food security in countries which invest.

      (B) Agriculture at home is too costly in terms of scarce natural resources.

      (C) It will help countries which do so to address discontent at home.

      A). Only (A)
      B). Only (B)
      C). All (A), (B) and (C)
      D). Both (B) and (C)
      E). Both (A) and (C)
      18). Which of the following is the Opposite of the word Potential as used in the passage ?
      A). Inept
      B). Unthinkable
      C). Impending
      D). Incapable
      E). None of the given options
      19). Which of the following is not true in the context of the passage ?
      A). Gulf countries are rich on account of vast soil reserves and food needs are easily met through imports.
      B). China and India have made Strides in addressing food security.
      C). Drip-feed irrigation is an efficient means of irrigation.
      D). The population is growing in gulf countries.
      E). All the given options are true in the context of the passage.
      20). Which of the following is the Same in meaning as the word Tracks as used in the passage?
      A). Paths
      B). Monitors
      C). Prints
      D). Captures
      E). None of the given options
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      Total Pages : 10