Questions

Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.

Genetic variation is the cornerstone of evolution, without which there can be no natural selection, and so a low genetic diversity decreases the ability of a species to survive and reproduce, explains lead author Yoshan Moodley, Professor at the Department of Zoology, University of Venda in South Africa.

Two centuries ago, the black rhinoceros – which roamed much of sub Saharan Africa – had 64 different genetic lineages; but today only 20 of these lineages remain, says the paper. The species is now restricted to five countries, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Genetically unique populations that once existed in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi and Angola have disappeared. The origins of the 'genetic erosion' coincided with colonial rule in Africa and the popularity of big game hunting. From the second half of the 20th century, however, poaching for horns has dramatically depleted their population and genetic diversity, especially in Kenya and Tanzania.

Sub Sharan Africa has lost how many black rhino genetic lineages in 200 years?

Rearrange the parts of the sentence in correct order.

Most of

P: had urban backgrounds

Q: Ministers of Japan

R: the erstwhile Prime

____ was the first female Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Rearrange the parts of the sentence in correct order.

One year after its official launch,

P­ - while expectations
Q­ - has largely escaped political scrutiny
R­ - have been scaled down, the rhetoric

Improve the bracketed part of the sentence.

It is revealing that the gender divide in cognition levels worsens with rise in age, as girls are often compelled to (drop in) of school for a variety of reasons.

Improve the given sentence if necessary.

This scooter is not efficient as it used to be; instead it is still a very useful machine.

Improve the bracketed part of the sentence.

The (van's doors) are loose.

Rearrange the parts of the sentence in correct order.

P: It affords us a glimpse into acts, events, ideas, characters of the past, thus helping us to know more about those centuries gone by.
Q: It is almost as if such acts and ideas were meant to occur over and over again in different centuries though in a slightly different manner each time.
R: History is a record of past, especially in connection with human race.
S: When we trace history right from its beginning to the recent times, we cannot fail to notice that some events and characters have shown a repetitive quality.