Passage No 115

Comprehension Test for SBI Clerk Pre, IBPS Clerk Pre and IBPS RRB
Exams.
Passage No. 115
Directions: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:
The oceans are so vast and deep that until fairly recently, it was widely assumed that no matter how
much trash and chemicals humans dumped into them, the effects would be negligible. Proponents of
dumping in the oceans even had a catchphrase: "The solution to pollution is dilution."
Today, we need look no further than the New Jersey-size dead zone that forms each summer in the
Mississippi River Delta, or the thousand-mile-wide swath of decomposing plastic in the northern Pacific
Ocean to see that this "dilution" policy has helped place a once flourishing ocean ecosystem on the brink
of collapse.
There is evidence that the oceans have suffered at the hands of mankind for millennia, as far back as
Roman times. But recent studies show that degradation, particularly of shoreline areas, has accelerated
dramatically in the past three centuries as industrial discharge and runoff from farms and coastal cities
has increased.
Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants that are outside the norm for a given ecosystem.
Common man-made pollutants that reach the ocean include pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers,
detergents, oil, sewage, plastics, and other solids. Many of these pollutants collect at the ocean's
depths, where they are consumed by small marine organisms and introduced into the global food chain.
Scientists are even discovering that pharmaceuticals ingested by humans but not fully processed by our
bodies are eventually ending up in the fish we eat.
Many ocean pollutants are released into the environment far upstream from coastlines. Nitrogen-rich
fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end up in local streams, rivers, and groundwater and
are eventually deposited in estuaries, bays, and deltas. These excess nutrients can spawn massive
blooms of algae that rob the water of oxygen, leaving areas where little or no marine life can exist.
Scientists have counted some 400 such dead zones around the world.
Solid wastes like bags, foam, and other items dumped into the oceans from land or by ships at sea are
frequently consumed, with often fatal effects, by marine mammals, fish, and birds that mistake it for
food. Discarded fishing nets drift for years, ensnaring fish and mammals. In certain regions, ocean
currents corral trillions of decomposing plastic items and other trash into gigantic, swirling garbage
patches.
Pollution is not always physical. In large bodies of water, sound waves can carry undiminished for miles.
The increased presence of loud or persistent sounds from ships, sonar devices, oil rigs, and even from
natural sources like earthquakes can disrupt the migration, communication, hunting, and reproduction
patterns of many marine animals, particularly aquatic mammals like whales and dolphins.
Questions:
1. Which of the following is the reason for degradation of shore lines of oceans as per
the passage?
I. Industrial waste
II. Migration from coastal cities
III. Hunting of Aquatic animals
A. Only I B. Only I and II C. Only III D. Only II and III

E. Only I, II and III
2. Which of the following statement/s is/are not true in the context of passage?
I. Marine pollution is the resultant of physical pollution only.
II. Plastic bags, foams etc. are rarely consumed by aquatic animals.
III. The earthquakes can disturb lifestyle and behavior pattern of aquatic mammals.
A. Only I and III B. Only III C. Only II and III D. Only I and II
E. None of these
3. Which of the following is/are a source of solid waste?

A. Pesticides B. Plastics C. Organic fertilizers D. Only (A.) and (B.)
E. Only (B.) and (C.)
4. As per the passage, how do nitrogen-rich fertilizers contribute to marine

pollution?
A. By releasing chemicals in the water.
B. By absorbing all the oxygen from water, making it near impossible for any marine life to dwell.
C. By raising nitrogen levels in the sea.
D. All of the above.
E. None of the above.
5. Which of the following is/are true as per the passage?

I. Dilution is the key to control pollution.
II. Pollution can make changes in the hunting, migration and communication pattern of dolphins.
III. Solid wastes have fatal effects on marine animals.
A. Only I B. Only II C. Only II and III D. All of the above

E. Either I or III
Correct Answers:
1 2 3 4 5
B D D B C
Explanations:
1. Refer to
There is evidence that the oceans have suffered at the hands of mankind for millennia, as far
back as Roman times. But recent studies show that degradation, particularly of shoreline areas,
has accelerated dramatically in the past three centuries as industrial discharge and runoff from
farms and coastal cities has increased.
Statement I and II can clearly inferred from the highlighted text.
Statement III is not mentioned anywhere in the passage and is is incorrect.
Hence option B is correct.
2. Refer to:
Pollution is not always physical. In large bodies of water, sound waves can carry undiminished for
miles.
The highlighted text shows that sound waves can also cause pollution. So statement I is not true.
Refer to:
Solid wastes like bags, foam, and other items dumped into the oceans from land or by ships at
sea are frequently consumed, with often fatal effects, by marine mammals, fish, and birds that
mistake it for food.
This shows that such solid wastes are frequently consumed by marine animals. Thus, statement II
is not true.
Refer to
...earthquakes can disrupt the migration, communication, hunting, and reproduction patterns of
many marine animals, particularly aquatic mammals...
This shows that statement III is true.
Hence, statements I and II are untrue.
Option D is correct.
3. Refer to:
Common man-made pollutants that reach the ocean include pesticides, herbicides, chemical
fertilizers, detergents, oil, sewage, plastics, and other solids.
This shows that only pesticides and plastics are the sources of pollution in ocean and organic
fertilizers are not one of the reasons, it will not be considered as a solid waste.
Hence option D is correct.
4. Refer to
Nitrogen-rich fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end up in local streams, rivers,
and groundwater and are eventually deposited in estuaries, bays, and deltas. These excess
nutrients can spawn massive blooms of algae that rob the water of oxygen, leaving areas where
little or no marine life can exist.
As per the highlighted text, only option B is true.

Hence option B is correct.
5. Refer to
...“The oceans are so vast and deep that until fairly recently, it was widely assumed that no
matter how much trash and chemicals humans dumped into them, the effects would be
negligible. Proponents of dumping in the oceans even had a catchphrase: "The solution to
pollution is dilution."
This line was said by people who thought dumping waste in the oceans would have no negative
impact on the environment. This is shown to be an incorrect way of thinking and is wrong.
Hence, I is not true.
Refer to
The increased presence of loud or persistent sounds from ships, sonar devices, oil rigs, and even
from natural sources like earthquakes can disrupt the migration, communication, hunting, and
reproduction patterns of many marine animals, particularly aquatic mammals like whales
and dolphins.
Thus statement II is also true, as sound pollution is also a form of pollution.
Refer to
Solid wastes like bags, foam, and other items dumped into the oceans from land or by ships at
sea are frequently consumed, with often fatal effects, by marine mammals, fish, and birds that
mistake it for food.
This proves that such wastes adversely affect marine animals.
Thus, Only statements II and III are true.
Option C is correct.

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Comprehension Test for SBI Clerk Pre, IBPS Clerk Pre and IBPS RRB

A. Only I B. Only I and II C. Only III D. Only II and III

3. Which of the following is/are a source of solid waste?

4. As per the passage, how do nitrogen-rich fertilizers contribute to marine

5. Which of the following is/are true as per the passage?

A. Only I B. Only II C. Only II and III D. All of the above

Statement I and II can clearly inferred from the highlighted text.

Statement III is not mentioned anywhere in the passage and is is incorrect.

Hence option B is correct.

This shows that statement III is true.

Hence, statements I and II are untrue.

Hence option D is correct.

As per the highlighted text, only option B is true.

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