(Prelims) IAS General Studies – 2000 (Part 2)

16. Match List I (Power generation plant) with List II (Feed material) and select the correct answer :
            List I                                         List II
A. Ws Gowthami Solvents Oil           1. Rice husk
Limited, Andhra Pradesh
B. M/s K.M. Sugar Mills, Uttar           2. Slaughter-house
Pradesh waste
C. M/s Satia Paper Mills, Punjab       3. Distillery spent wash
D. M/s Al Kabeer Exports                 4. Black liquor
Limited, Andhra Pradesh
       A      B     C      D            A    B     C     D
(a) 3       1      2      4      (b)   3    1      4     2
(c) 1       3      4      2      (d)   1    3      2     4

Ans: c

• In industrial chemistry, black liquor is the waste product from the kraft process when digesting pulpwood into paper pulp removing lignin, hemicelluloses and other extractives from the wood to free the cellulose fibers. (The kraft process or kraft pulping or sulfate process is a process for conversion of wood into wood pulp consisting of almost pure cellulose fibers.)
• Distillery spent wash is the unwanted residual liquid waste generated during alcohol production and pollution caused by it is one of the most critical environmental issue.

17. At which one of the cities labelled as A, B, C and D on the given map of Europe was the historic treaty between NATO and Warsaw Pact countries signed in 1998 ?

(a) A        (b) B       (c) C             (d) D

18. In a certain code, MARCH is written as OCTEJ, how is RETURN written in that code ?
(a) TFUVSM                 (b) QGSTQM
(c) TGVWTP                 (d) TGRVSO

Ans: c

• Shift alphabets 2 positions rightward

19. The given map refers to the kingdom of

(a) Akbar at the time of capture of Khandesh in 1601
(b) Akbar at the time of his death in 1605
(c) Aurangzeb at the time of capture of Hyderabad
(d) Aurangzeb at the time of his death in 1707

20. The sensation of fatigue in the muscles after prolonged strenuous physical work is caused by
(a) a decrease in the supply of oxygen
(b) minor wear and tear of muscle fibres
(c) the depletion of glucose
(d) the accumulation of lactic acid

Ans: d

• As our bodies perform strenuous exercise, we begin to breathe faster as we attempt to shuttle more oxygen to our working muscles. The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning with oxygen. Some circumstances, however, require energy production faster than our bodies can adequately deliver oxygen. In those cases, the working muscles generate energy anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a substance called pyruvate through a series of steps. When the body has plenty of oxygen, pyruvate is shuttled to an aerobic pathway to be further broken down for more energy. But when oxygen is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called lactate, which allows glucose breakdown–and thus energy production–to continue. The working muscle cells can continue this type of anaerobic energy production at high rates for one to three minutes, during which time lactate can accumulate to high levels.
• A side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle cells, along with disruptions of other metabolites. The same metabolic pathways that permit the breakdown of glucose to energy perform poorly in this acidic environment.
• Contrary to popular opinion, lactate or, as it is often called, lactic acid buildup is not responsible for the muscle soreness felt in the days following strenuous exercise. Rather, the production of lactate and other metabolites during extreme exertion results in the burning sensation often felt in active muscles, though which exact metabolites are involved remains unclear. This often painful sensation also gets us to stop overworking the body, thus forcing a recovery period in which the body clears the lactate and other metabolites.

21. Consider the following events
1. Reign of Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara.
2. Construction of Qutab Minar.
3. Arrival of Portugese in India.
4. Death of Fruz Tughlaq.
The correct chronological sequence of these events is
(a) 2, 4, 3, 1           (b) 2, 4, 1, 3
(c) 4, 2, 1, 3           (d) 4, 2, 3, 1

Ans: a

• Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529.
• Death of Fruz Tughlaq: September 20, 1388, Delhi
• Arrival of Portugese in India: 1498
• Construction of Qutab Minar: 1193

22. A, B, C, D, E and F not necessarily in that order are sitting in six chairs regularly placed around a round table. It is observed that A is between D and F C is opposite D D and E are not on neighbouring chairs Which one of the following must be true ?
(a) A is opposite B
(b) D is opposite E
(c) C and B are neighbours
(d) B and E are neighbours

Ans: d

• Arrangement: Clockwise: A – F – C – E – B – D

23. The given map shows locations of airports labelled as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. What is the correct sequence of the airports in which the hijacked Indian Airlines place IC-814 landed after its initial take off from Katmandu in December 1999 ?

(a) 3, 1, 2, 4                  (b) 2, 4, 1, 3
(c) 5, 4, 2, 3                  (d) 5, 1, 3, 2

24. Consider the following statements :
The Ministerial Meeting of WTO held in December 1999 was unsuccessful because it attempted to link trade with
1. labour related issues.                  2. environment related issues.
3. terrorism related issues.              4. debt related issues.
Which of these statements are correct ?
(a) 1, 3 and 4                 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3                     (d) 2 and 4

Ans: b

• The WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 was a meeting of the World Trade Organization, convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington, USA, over the course of three days, beginning November 30, 1999. A week before the meeting, delegates admitted failure to agree on the agenda and the presence of deep disagreements with developing countries. Intended as the launch of a new round of multilateral trade negotiations that would have been called “The Millennium Round”, the negotiations were marred by poor organization and controversial management of large street protests against globalization.
• Developing country representatives became resentful and uncooperative on being excluded from talks as the United States and the European Union attempted to cement a mutual deal on agriculture. The negotiations collapsed and were reconvened at Doha, Qatar, in November 2001.
• Working Group on Trade and Labour Standards was set up to help create a labour standards working group within the WTO or a body operated jointly by a number of international organisations to look at the issues. Opinions differed, with a number of developing countries opposing the creation of either type of body. Similar disagreement was on environmental issues.

25. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer
        List I (Artist)                      List II (Medium of music delivery)
A. Balamurali Krishna                  1. Hindustani vocal
B. Mita Pandit                              2. Ghatam
C. Kanyakumari                          3. Sitar
D. Nikhil Bannerjee                      4. Violin
                                                    5. Carnatic vocal
     A       B     C      D        A     B     C      D
(a) 5       1       2      3    (b) 4     3      1      5
(c) 3       1       5      2    (d) 5     4      1      3

Ans: a

• The Ghatam  is a percussion instrument used in the Carnatic music of South India. Its variant is played in Punjab and is known as gharha as is a part of Punjabi folk traditions. Its analogue in Rajasthan is known as the madga and pani mataqa

26. Aluminium surfaces are often ‘anodized’. This means the deposition of a layer of
(a) chromium oxide            (b) aluminium oxide
(c) nickel oxide                  (d) zinc oxide

Ans: b

• Anodizing is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts.
• The process is called anodizing because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electrical circuit. Anodizing decreases corrosion and wear resistance, and provides better adhesion for paint primers and glues than does bare metal. Anodic films can also be used for a number of cosmetic effects, either with thick porous coatings that can absorb dyes or with thin transparent coatings that add interference effects to reflected light.
• Anodic films are most commonly applied to protect aluminium alloys, although processes also exist for titanium, zinc, magnesium, niobium, zirconium, hafnium, and tantalum.
• When aluminum is exposed to oxygen, a layer of aluminum oxide is formed on the surface of the metal.  Anodizing effectively increases the thickness of this aluminum oxide layer, which makes it more resistant to corrosion.
• Galvanizing is a process by which a layer of zinc is applied to a ferrous metal to prevent corrosion.  The process most-commonly refers to hot-dip galvanizing, where a piece of steel is dipped into a bath of molten zinc.  The zinc adheres to the steel and immediately reacts with oxygen in the air to form a very strong zinc oxide layer, which prevents corrosion of the steel below.  The zinc and steel form a metallurgical bond so the coating will not flake off.

27. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer
        List I                                 List II
A. Iqta                                 1. Marathas
B. Jagir                                2. Delhi Sultans
C. Amaram                          3. Mughals
D. Mokasa                          4. Vijayanagara
     A     B     C     D        A      B    C     D
(a) 3      2     1      4  (b)  2       3     4     1
(c) 2      3     1      4  (d)  3       2     4     1

Ans: b

• The Nayakar System during Vijayanagar Kingdom: Under this system military chiefs were assigned certin land called Amaram.
• Chauth was a regular tax or tribute imposed, from early 18th century, by the Maratha Empire in India. It was an annual tax nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce. 25% of Chauth, called babti, went to the chhatrapati and he also had discretionary grant making authority over the nadgaunda proceeds which amounted to 3% of the total collection. 6% of the chauth collections was granted to the panch sachiv, the officer in charge of the royal secretariat and was called the sahotra grant. Two-thirds of the collections however remained with the Maratha sardars who collected the taxes and they used it for maintaining their troops for the chhatrapati. This part of the levy was called mokasa.

28. Consider the following statements about the ‘Roaring Forties’ :
1. They blow uninterrupted in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
2. They blow with great strength and constancy.
3. Their direction is generally from North-West to East in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. Overcast skies, rain and raw weather are generally associated with them.
Which of these statements are correct ?
(a) 1, 2 and 3       (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4       (d) 1, 2 and 4

Ans: d

• The Roaring Forties , the Southern Ocean winds, are strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 50 degrees.The strong west-to-east air currents are caused by the combination of air being displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole and the Earth’s rotation, and there are few landmasses to serve as windbreaks. . Similar but stronger conditions occur in more southerly latitudes and are referred to as the Furious Fifties and Shrieking or Screaming Sixties.
• The Roaring Forties bring wild winds, wet weather and cold temperatures to Tasmania and southern Australia  in winter.
• Hot air rises at the Equator and is pushed towards the poles by cooler air travelling towards the Equator (an atmospheric circulation feature known as the Hadley Cell). At about 30 degrees from the equator, the outward-travelling air sinks to lower altitudes, and continues toward the poles closer to the ground (the Ferrel Cell), then rises up again from about 60 degrees as the air joins the Polar vortex. This travel in the 30 to 60 degree zone combines with the rotation of the earth to move the air currents from west to east, creating westerly winds. The latitude ranges for the Roaring Forties and similar winds are not consistent, shifting towards the South Pole in the southern summer, and towards the Equator in the southern winter.
• In sailing, the clipper route was the traditional route sailed by clipper ships between Europe and the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. The route ran from west to east through the Southern Ocean, in order to make use of the strong westerly winds of the Roaring Forties.

  

29. In a class there are 18 boys who are over 160 cm tall. If these boys constitute three-fourths of the boys and the total number of boys is two-third of the number of students in the class, then what is the number of girls in the class ?
(a) 6               (b) 12             (c) 18             (d) 24

Ans: c

• Total = x
• (2x/3) (3/4) = 18 => x/3 = 12

30. A college student desires to get elected to the Municipal Council of his city. The validity of his nomination would depend on the important condition, among others, that
(a) he obtains permission from the Principal of his college
(b) he is a member of a political party
(c) his name figures in the Voters List
(d) he files a declaration owing allegiance to the Constitution of India

Ans: c

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