UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on Phage therapy, Lithium and more (Week 60)

1. The lithium Triangle comprises Argentina along with Brazil and Ecuador.

2. India and Argentina have signed for the first ever lithium exploration and mining project.

3. India is the third highest producer of lithium.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 2

With reference to the wind shear, consider the following statements:

1. Wind shear is derived if the wind speed and its direction are different at different altitudes.

2. It causes air currents to spin and create a horizontal tube of air.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Phage therapy, consider the following statements:

1. It uses bacterial viruses to treat bacterial infections.

2. It treats people suffering from chronic or antibiotic-resistant infections.

3. Phages are living biological entities that do not consist of DNA or RNA.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 4

Banni grassland, Chhari Dhand wetland, Flamingo City and Naliya grassland were recently in news. These grasslands are located in:

(a) Maharashtra

(b) Odisha

(c) Karnataka

(d) Gujarat

QUESTION 5

Consider the following:

1. Auto Lane Change

2. Navigating interchanges

3. Stop Sign Control

4. Autopark

How many of the above features are included in Tesla’s ‘Traffic-Aware Cruise Control’?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) None

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (a)

FYI:

— India presently imports all of the lithium it requires. The domestic exploration effort extends beyond J&K exploration to include work to extract lithium from brine lakes in Rajasthan and Gujarat, as well as mica belts in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— India and Argentina have inked the first lithium exploration and mining deal by a government company in India. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia form the “Lithium Triangle” and account for more than half of the world’s total lithium resources. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— This strategic decision not only promotes bilateral ties between India and Argentina, but it also contributes to the long-term development of the mining sector by providing a stable and diverse supply chain for important and strategic minerals required by various industries.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: pib.gov.in)

2. (c)

FYI:

— A deadly tornado hit the US state of Iowa, killing at least five people. The US National Weather Service described one of the tornadoes as “potentially historic” — due to it possibly being on the ground for the longest distance on record.

How does a tornado form?

— Tornadoes form in very specific weather conditions. It usually starts with a kind of rotating thunderstorm called a supercell. A supercell can bring lightning, strong winds, hail and flash floods.

— If the wind speed and direction differ at different elevations, you can obtain “wind shear.” Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Wind shears are usually harmless, although they can cause air currents to spin, resulting in a horizontal tube of air. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— A storm may occasionally pull up that tube of air, causing it to become vertical. When this occurs, it is known as a mesocyclone.

— That is still not a tornado. A tornado cannot form unless there is spinning air near the ground. The stronger the tube of air rotates, the closer it can go to the ground and the more probable it is to become a tornado.

— Once it’s vertical, the tornado becomes darker. It picks up dust, debris and anything else that gets in its way.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

3. (b)

FYI:

— Phage therapy is a treatment for people suffering from chronic or antibiotic-resistant infections. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Phage treatment is the method of treating bacterial illnesses with bacterial viruses (phages). Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Phage treatment is increasingly being studied as an alternative to antibiotics.

— Phages are non-living biological organisms made up of DNA or RNA contained in a protein capsid. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

4. (d)

FYI:

— According to Birdlife worldwide research, 422 wetlands, grasslands, and forests in India are of worldwide importance to hundreds of species of migratory birds that travel along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF).

— Central Asian Flyway Situation Analysis, 2023, a baseline report prepared by Birdlife International and published on January 30, is on the agenda of the 14th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which began in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

— The report stated that “the Central Asian Flyway, one of the world’s nine great flyways used by migratory birds to travel between their breeding and non-breeding grounds, is still the most neglected in terms of knowledge and conservation action”.

— The report stated that 605 species of migratory birds from 84 families, including waterbirds, raptors, landbirds and seabirds, use CAF that covers Eurasia between the Arctic and the Indian Ocean.

— The 422 Indian sites include 54 in Assam, 38 in Uttar Pradesh, 33 in Karnataka, 29 each in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, 27 in Arunachal Pradesh and 19 each in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

— The list of 19 sites in Gujarat includes Banni grassland, Chhari Dhand wetland, Flamingo City, and Naliya grassland in Kutch, Bhal area abutting Anand, Ahmedabad, Botad, and Bhavnagar districts, Charakala Saltworks in Devbhumi Dwarka, Marine National Park, Khijadia Bird Sanctuary in Jamnagar, Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary and Thol Wildlife Sanctuary in Ahmedabad, Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Blackbuck National Park and saltworks in Bhavnagar, Wild Ass Sanctuary in in Surendranagar, wetlands of Kheda and Gosabara-Mokarsagar wetland complex in Porbandar.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

5. (d)

FYI:

— Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reported to have won tentative approval for introducing Full Self-Driving (FSD) in China, clearing key administrative roadblocks in Beijing after meeting with top government officials.

— FSD is the most autonomous version of what’s called advanced driver assistance system or ADAS, a feature that enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel and that most vehicle makers are now beginning to offer as standard in their premium models.

— Autopilot includes what Tesla calls ‘Traffic-Aware Cruise Control’:

— Autosteer: It assists in steering within a marked lane, and uses traffic-aware cruise control.

— Autopilot: It actively guides the vehicle from a highway’s on-ramp to off-ramp.

— It includes suggesting lane changes, navigating interchanges, automatically engaging the turn signal and taking the correct exit; ‘Auto Lane Change’, Autopark, ‘Summon’ feature and Stop Sign Control.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 60)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 60)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 59)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 59)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 59)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.