On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. Humans have been the main reason for the large scale extinction of plant species. 2. Consumption of food mainly from locally cultivated crops ensures crop diversity. 3. The present style of production and distribution of food will finally lead to the problem of food scarcity in the near future. 4. Our food security may depend on our ability to preserve the locally cultivated varieties of crops. Which of the above assumptions are valid?

Passage

Food varieties extinction is happening all over the world — and it is happening fast. For example, of the 7,000 apple varieties that were grown during the nineteenth century, fewer than a hundred remain. In the Philippines, thousands of varieties of rice once thrived; now only up to a hundred are grown there. In China, 90 percent of the wheat varieties cultivated just a century ago have disappeared. Farmers in the past painstakingly bred and developed crops well suited to the peculiarities of their local climate and environment. In the recent past, our heavy dependence on a few high yielding varieties and technology-driven production and distribution of food is causing the dwindling of diversity in food crops. If some mutating crop disease or future climate change decimates the few crop plants we have come to depend on to feed our growing population, we might desperately need some of those varieties we have let go extinct.

QUESTION

CSAT

Easy

Comprehension

Prelims 2019

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

Humans have been the main reason for the large scale extinction of plant species.
Consumption of food mainly from locally cultivated crops ensures crop diversity.
The present style of production and distribution of food will finally lead to the problem of food scarcity in the near future.
Our food security may depend on our ability to preserve the locally cultivated varieties of crops.

Which of the above assumptions are valid?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect. The passage does mention that human activities, like heavy reliance on high-yielding crop varieties and technology-driven food production, are contributing to the loss of crop diversity. However, it does not explicitly state that humans are the main reason for the extinction of plant species. The passage does not provide definitive evidence that humans are solely or primarily responsible, as there could be other factors at play, such as natural changes, crop diseases, or climate change.

Statement 2 is correct. The passage mentions that in the past, farmers bred and developed crops suited to their local climate and environment, which implies that locally cultivated crops contribute to crop diversity.

Statement 3 is incorrect. While the passage warns about the loss of crop diversity due to current production and distribution methods, it doesn't directly state that this will lead to food scarcity in the near future. It mentions potential risks, like crop diseases or climate change, but it doesn't make an explicit claim about the future scarcity of food.

Statement 4 is correct. The passage highlights that if crop diseases or climate change decimate the few varieties of crops we depend on, the preserved varieties of locally cultivated crops may be crucial for future food security. This implies that preserving these varieties is essential for food security.

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