UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 30)

1. It represents the information in the quantum form.

2. It can be either a 1 or 0.

3. It is easy to build and requires small refrigerators to operate correctly.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 2

Consider the following statements about transfats:

1. They inflame the inner lining of blood vessels.

2. They decrease the tendency of blood to clot.

3. It can be of natural origin which is produced in the gut of ruminant animals and found in milk and meat.

4. The trans-fats in human diet are now mostly derived from industrial processes.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements about warming of the Arctic region:

1. Temperatures in the Arctic Circle have been rising more slowly than those in the rest of the planet.

2. Warming at the top of the Earth raises sea levels worldwide.

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 4

With reference to Leptospirosis, consider the following statements:

1. It is a pathogenic disease.

2. The common symptoms include fever, rash, body aches, and vomiting.

3. It cannot be treated.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 5

With reference to the flex-fuel vehicle, consider the following statements:

1. A flex-fuel vehicle has an internal combustion engine (ICE) which can run on more than one type of fuel or a mixture of these fuels.

2. Flex fuel vehicles have improved acceleration performance when operating on higher ethanol blends.

3. The use of ethanol blending sharply lowers harmful pollutants.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (a)

FYI:

— International Business Machines (IBM) has designed a new quantum computing chip, “Eagle” has 127 so-called “qubits,” which can represent information in quantum form. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The classical computers work using “bits” that must be either a 1 or 0, but qubits can be both a 1 and a 0 simultaneously. Quantum computers are much faster than classical computers. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The qubits are exceedingly hard to build and require huge cryogenic refrigerators to operate correctly. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

2. (c)

FYI:

— Trans fats can be of natural origin, produced in the gut of ruminant animals and found in milk and meat sourced from them. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The trans-fats in human diet are now mostly derived from industrial processes, which partially hydrogenate liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Effects of Trans fats

— The fraction of blood cholesterol that protects blood vessels (HDL cholesterol) is decreased.

— They increase the tendency of blood to clot, through activation and aggregation of platelets. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— They inflame the inner lining of blood vessels. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— There is also an enhanced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

— Involvement of the coronary arteries leads to heart attacks. Similarly, there is an increased risk of stroke and
paralysis when blood vessels supplying blood to the brain are affected.

— The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 50,00,000 lives are lost due to premature deaths from coronary heart disease which are attributable to consumption of trans-fats.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

3. (b)

FYI:

— As humans warm the planet, the once reliably frigid and frozen Arctic is becoming wetter and stormier, with shifts in its climate and seasons that are forcing local communities, wildlife and ecosystems to adapt, scientists said in an annual assessment of the region.

— Temperatures in the Arctic Circle have been rising much more quickly than those in the rest of the planet, transforming the region’s climate into one defined less by sea ice, snow and permafrost and more by open water, rain and green landscapes. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Warming at the top of the Earth raises sea levels worldwide, changes the way heat and water circulate in the oceans, and might even influence extreme weather events like heat waves and rainstorms, scientists say. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Rising temperatures have helped plants, shrubs and grasses grow in parts of the Arctic tundra, and 2022 saw levels of green vegetation that were the fourth highest since 2000, particularly in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, northern Quebec and central Siberia.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

4. (a)

FYI:

— Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease usually affects animals and can spread to human beings if they are travelling through waterlogged areas. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Leptospira is a bacteria which is present in the excreta and urine of animals can infect human beings if they are exposed to it – they can be exposed if they are wading through contaminated water, if there is a cut in the skin which has been exposed to the bacteria.

— The common symptoms of leptospirosis include fever, rash, body ache, and vomiting. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— If leptospirosis is left untreated, it can cause kidney damage and even prove to be fatal. This can be treated with antibiotics. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

5. (c)

FYI:

— The Hycross flex-fuel prototype uses the same 2-litre Atkinson Cycle petrol engine and electric motor as the standard Hycross hybrid. Toyota claims the prototype can run on petrol with more than the 20% ethanol blending mandated in India, and that its performance will be comparable to the standard Hycross hybrid even with ethanol-blended petrol.

— Flex-fuel technology, a flex-fuel vehicle typically has an internal combustion engine (ICE), but unlike a regular petrol vehicle, it can run on more than one type of fuel, or a mixture of these fuels. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The most common versions use a blend of petrol and ethanol or methanol. Flex-fuel vehicles such as the prototype Hycross can run on blends of ethanol that are far higher than the current standard 20% mix (E20).

— Most components in a flex fuel vehicle are the same as those in petrol-only cars. But some special ethanol-compatible components are required to adjust to the different chemical properties and energy content in ethanol/ methanol, such as modifications to the fuel pump and fuel injection system.

— The use of ethanol blending sharply lowers harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur, and carbon and nitrogen oxides. Blending will also help cut oil imports to fuel vehicles. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Many flex fuel vehicles have improved acceleration performance when operating on higher ethanol blends. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— According to a NITI Aayog report, in 2019-20, more than 90% of the ethanol produced in the country came from sugarcane, which is also a politically important crop in states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Key Components of a Flex Fuel Car

— The National Biofuel Policy 2018 calls for a 20% blending target by 2025. Countries such as Brazil can be flexible on the degree of the mix based on crude prices, varying it when energy prices rise, as they did after the Ukraine war — provided that the vehicular fleet is equipped to adjust to this varying fuel mix.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 30)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 29)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 29)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 29)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 29)

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