Page 16 - English Grammar - IX-X

the size of the asteroid. The larger it is, the greater is the intensity of disaster it will
cause on the planet.

(4) Astronomers have already catalogued many of these dangerously large objects lurking
in Earth’s backyard. The bad news is that we are sitting ducks for asteroid target
practice. The Earth gets hit by many smaller asteroids very often which do not cause
much damage, yet an asteroid of a diameter of 1 kilometre or more is capable of
causing mass extinction and we will not be able to do much about it. The good thing
is that possibilities of such a catastrophe in near future are very slim.

(5) According to NASA astronomers, there are no Near-Earth Objects (NEO) on a collision
course with Earth right now. However, there is no assurance that the situation will
not change dramatically. The uncertainty arises because NEO orbits are chaotic. Even
in a clockwork universe, this makes the behaviour of these rocks uncertain. Suddenly,
a predicted harmless asteroid flyby becomes a catastrophic event.
(6) Fortunately, constant refinement of tools and meticulous observation by a dedicated
team of researchers from NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and other nations
have increased the event prediction time of both fortunate and difficult kinds involving
asteroids and other NEOs.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.
1. The phrase ‘the quality of being exact and accurate’ in the passage refers to which
word among the following? (para 1)
(a) rarely (b) precision (c) celestial (d) collision

2. Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given
quotes.

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
“What is life “India is not, as people keep “The cosmos is “Physical fitness
without a calling it, an underdeveloped all that is, or is the first
little risk?” country, but rather.....a highly ever as, or ever requisite of
–J K Rowling developed one in an advanced will be.” happiness.”
state of decay.” –Carl Sagan –Joseph Pilates
–Shashi Tharoor

(a) Option (i) (b) Option (ii) (c) Option (iii) (d) Option (iv)

3. Which of the following will be the most appropriate title for the passage apart from
the existing one?
(a) The Mystery of Cosmos (b) The Rising Global Issue

(c) The Adverse Effects of Astronomy (d) The Mystery of Black Holes
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