SBI PO English Sectional Mock Test 04

1. Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below. The river dolphin is almost blind. Living in muddy water where light barely penetrates, it finds its way and its food by sending out clicks and listening to the echoes. For centuries, fishermen on India's great rivers regarded the animal with a mixture of affection and indifference; it surfaced beside their boats, breathed noisily and vanished again. Today, the same animal has become a measure of the health of the rivers themselves. Because dolphins sit at the top of the river's food chain, their numbers reflect what is happening below them. When fish stocks decline, when dams break a river into isolated stretches, or when sand mining destroys the deep pools in which dolphins rest, the population begins to shrink. A river that can support a healthy group of dolphins, by contrast, is usually one in which fish, water flow and riverbed are in reasonable condition. Scientists therefore describe the dolphin as an indicator species: watching it is a way of watching the river. Protecting such an animal is not straightforward. Dolphins often drown after becoming entangled in fishing nets, yet the fishermen who use those nets depend on the river for their living and cannot simply be told to stop. Some of the most effective conservation programmes have therefore worked with fishing communities rather than against them. Fishermen have been trained to release trapped dolphins, paid to report sightings and encouraged to avoid certain stretches during the breeding season. In several places, former hunters of the animal have become its most vigilant guardians. Counting dolphins is itself a challenge, since they surface only briefly and at unpredictable spots. Surveys now combine teams of observers in boats with underwater microphones that record the animals' clicks. The results have been mixed: numbers appear to be stable or rising in some protected stretches but continue to fall where pollution and heavy boat traffic persist. The lesson, conservationists argue, is that the dolphin cannot be saved in isolation. It survives only where the river as a whole is allowed to function.

   Q1.How does the river dolphin find its way and its food, according to the passage?

   • A.By relying on its sharp eyesight.
   • B.By sending out clicks and listening to the echoes.
   • C.By staying close to the riverbank.
   • D.By surfacing frequently to look around.
   • E.By following fishing boats closely.

2. Q2.Why do scientists call the river dolphin an 'indicator species'?

   • A.It warns other animals of approaching danger.
   • B.It is the most common animal in Indian rivers.
   • C.Its population reflects the overall condition of the river.
   • D.It indicates the direction of the river's flow.
   • E.It helps fishermen locate large shoals of fish.

3. Q3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a cause of decline in dolphin numbers?

   • A.Competition with sea dolphins for food.
   • B.Falling fish stocks.
   • C.Drowning after entanglement in fishing nets.
   • D.Sand mining that destroys deep pools.
   • E.Dams that break the river into isolated stretches.

Start the test to answer these. Correct answers and explanations are shown after you submit.