UPSC Prelims 2018 CSAT Paper II · Q56 of 58 Comprehension easy

Passage

Passage—8 Monoculture carries great risks. A single disease or pest can wipe out swathes of the world's food production, an alarming prospect given that its growing and wealthier population will eat 70% more by 2050. The risks are magnified by the changing climate. As the planet warms and monsoon rains intensify, farmlands in Asia will flood. North America will suffer more intense droughts, and crop diseases will spread to new latitudes.

Which of the following is the most logical, rational and crucial message given by the passage?

  1. (a) Preserving crop genetic diversity is an insurance against the effects of climate change. ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) Despite great risks, monoculture is the only way to ensure food security in the world.
  3. (c) More and more genetically modified crops only can save the world from impending shortages of food.
  4. (d) Asia and North America will be worst sufferers from climate change and the consequent shortage of food.

Why the answer is (a)

• The passage opens by stating that monoculture carries great risks because a single disease or pest can wipe out large portions of food production.

• It highlights that these risks are magnified by climate change, which causes floods in Asia, droughts in North America, and the spread of crop diseases to new latitudes.

• The logical implication of the danger posed by growing a single crop variety (monoculture) is the need for variety to prevent total crop failure.

• Therefore, preserving crop genetic diversity acts as a necessary buffer or insurance against the specific threats of pests and climate-induced disease spread mentioned in the text.

• Option (a) is the only choice that addresses the core problem of monoculture vulnerability without introducing unsupported claims about GM crops or regional exclusivity.

Why the other options are wrong

(b) Despite great risks, monoculture is the only way to ensure food security in the world.
The passage explicitly states that monoculture carries great risks and can lead to the wipeout of food production, contradicting the claim that it is the only way to ensure food security.
(c) More and more genetically modified crops only can save the world from impending shortages…
The passage does not mention genetically modified crops or claim that they are the sole solution to food shortages.
(d) Asia and North America will be worst sufferers from climate change and the consequent…
While the passage mentions specific impacts in Asia and North America, it does not state that these regions will be the 'worst' sufferers compared to other parts of the world.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2018, held on 3 June 2018. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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