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.
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission has begun its 680 million kilometer journey to the Red Planet. The Soviet Union, US and Europe have earlier succeeded in launching their space-crafts to Mars. The Chinese failed in their attempt to put into orbit a spaceship to Mars two years ago.
Mars has two moons Phobos and Deimos, and is the fourth planet in terms of distance from the Sun. It is the seventh in terms of size and a Martian year takes 687 Earth days, while a Martian day is longer than a terrestrial one by just 37 minutes. Till 1609, Mars was an enigma and its confounding movements left early astronomers confused. It was Johannes Kepler, the German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer who found that the planet moved with a predictable motion. He said “Mars alone enables us to penetrate the secrets of astronomy which otherwise would remain hidden from us.” Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch mathematician and astronomer made the first accurate drawings of Mars surface markings way back in 1659 depicting what is now known as syrtis major- a dark spot.
The planet has, for long; been associated with war – all civilizations treated Mars as a symbol for warring characteristics. While the ancient Babylonians called Mars -Nergal, the god of war, In India, the planet is associated with Kartikkeya, the Hindu god of war, the Greeks called Mars Ares, the son of Zeus who delighted in combat and violence. The Romans however treated Mars as they called him, as the most important of gods after Jupiter, the month of March was named after him. Mars is said to be the father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of the Roman empire, twins whose mother Rhea Silvia was sentenced to death for violating her vow of celibacy. The abandoned twins were suckled by a she-wolf Lupa and by a wood-pecker Picus till a shepherd Faustulus discovered them and brought them up along with his wife Acca Larentia.
There is very little of the earth that we do not know about. While the depths of the sea still remain unexplored, much else has been revealed to mankind due to exploration.
Despite what the ‘sons of the soil’ state, man is a nomad. All modern humans spread out from Africa. Climatic conditions coupled with food decide our complexion and physical features. About 1350 the world population stood at 370 Million, a hundred and fifty years later, Christopher Columbus had discovered America which stands heavily populated today. In time, the world cannot contain all of the human civilization.
By March 2012, the world population had exceeded 7 billion and by 2050, this number is likely to exponentially rise to about 11 billion. With increasing fertility, better health facilities, fewer wars, increasing life-expectancies this number could be much higher in the not so distant future. With average temperature of -55 degrees Celsius which may reach a high of 20 degrees Celsius and a low of -153 degree Celsius at the Poles – Martian temperature is reasonably similar to the Earth’s temperature which is -60 degree Celsius at the poles. A major portion of Mars atmosphere is carbon dioxide, with some amount of Argon, a colorless, odourless inert gas which constitutes 1% of the Earth’s atmosphere. Some methane, like Earth is found in Mars’ atmosphere. Mars had copious amounts of oxygen a few million years ago, but lost it for some yet unknown reasons. Ice and water have both been found on the surface of Mars.
Citizens of Mother Earth will be encumbered with the responsibility of providing accommodation for all its citizens, at which time the world will simply not be enough. Space is the final frontier and the human civilization’s tryst with it is well underway. Many new worlds will be discovered- some suitable for human habitation, others not. Mars is certainly one of the planets where humans may eventually reside – its proximity to the earth ensures it. The Indian Mars Orbiter Mission will take about 300 days and is likely to land on Mars on November 30, 2014.
With a European, Vasco da Gama discovering the sea-route to India in 1498 the Dutch, Portuguese, England, France and the Spanish monopolized most of the new world for nearly three centuries. With the Indian experience of having been under the foreign yoke, it is important to stay in the space-race. There has never been a parallel in history when India took such bold measures to reach out. India has traditionally been inward looking and this boldness is refreshing and in tune with the mood of the people to leave a giant imprint on the world as we know it. If human settlements in Mars ever occur, an Indian settlement is assured thanks to India’s firm resolve on embarking on this mission. The Indian diaspora could well spill over into new worlds outside our own.
Q.1. Mars is said to be the father of __________________
(1) Prosperity and fertility
(2) France and the Spanish monopolized
(3) Kartikkeya, the Hindu god of war
(4) Romulus and Remus, the founders of the Roman empire
(5) Phobos and Deimos
Q.2. Which of the following statement/s is/are NOT TRUE in context to the passage?
(1) If human settlements in Mars ever occur, an Indian settlement is assured thanks to India’s firm resolve on embarking on this mission.
(2) With a European, Vasco da Gama discovering the sea-route to India in 1498 the Dutch, Portuguese, England, France and the Spanish monopolized most of the new world for nearly three centuries.
(3) Citizens of Mother Earth will be encumbered with the responsibility of providing accommodation for all its citizens, at which time the world will simply be enough.
(4) Mars had copious amounts of oxygen a few million years ago, but lost it for some yet unknown reasons.
(5) By March 2012, the world population had exceeded 7 billion and by 2050, this number is likely to exponentially rise to about 11 billion.
EXPLANATION- Answer lies in the 7th paragraph.
Q.3. What did Johannes Kepler, an astronomer and astrologer say about Mars?
(1) Mars surface markings way back in 1659 depicting what is now known as syrtis major- a dark spot.
(2) A major portion of Mars atmosphere is carbon dioxide, with some amount of Argon, a colorless, odourless inert gas which constitutes 1% of the Earth’s atmosphere.
(3) Mars alone enables us to penetrate the secrets of astronomy which otherwise would remain hidden from us.
(4) Some methane, like Earth is found in Mars’ atmosphere.
(5) India’s Mars Orbiter Mission has begun its 680 million kilometer journey to the Red Planet.
EXPLANATION- Answer lies in the 2nd paragraph.
Q.4. Which of the following statement/s is/are TRUE in context to the passage?
(A) Ice and water have not been found on the surface of Mars.
(B) Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch mathematician and astronomer made the first accurate drawings of Mars surface markings way back in 1659 depicting what is now known as syrtis major- a dark spot.
(C) Christopher Columbus had discovered America which stands heavily populated today.
(1) Only A
(2) Only B
(3) Only C
(4) Only B and C
(5) All A, B and C
Q.5. Which of the planet is the Mars in terms of distance from the Sun?
(1) Seventh planet
(2) Fourth planet
(3) Third planet
(4) Fifth planet
(5) Ninth planet
EXPLANATION- Answer lies in the 2nd paragraph.
Q.6. Which of the following is possibly the most appropriate TITLE for the passage?
(1) Human civilization
(2) Surface of Mars
(3) Better health facilities on Mars
(4) Booking a plot on Mars
(5) Life on Mars
Q.7-8. Choose the word/group of words is most SIMILAR in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Q.7. FERTILITY
(1) Productivity (2) Aridity (3) Access (4) Increase (5) Dormant
Q.8. PENETRATE
(1) Manage (2) Guessed (3) Surrender (4) Complete (5) Go through
Q.9-10. Choose the word/group of words is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
Q.9. COMBAT
(1) Conflict (2) Engage (3) Agreement (4) Unable (5) Fight
Q.10. ABANDONED
(1) Cosmopolitan (2) Tendency (3) Left (4) Adopted (5) Forage
ANSWER
1. (4) 2. (3) 3. (3) 4. (4) 5. (2) 6. (4) 7. (1) 8. (5) 9. (3) 10. (4)
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MAHENDRA GURU