Question : Comprehension:
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
The strain, Tropical Race 4 (TR4), was first identified in Taiwan, and has jumped from Asia to the Middle East and Africa, reaching as far as Latin America. Scientists are describing it as the equivalent of Covid-19 in bananas. As the coronavirus disease outbreak rages on, 'fusarium wilt TR4', a novel fungus strain that has devastated plantations across the globe this year, is setting up new hotspots and threatening output in India, the world's largest producer of bananas. It cripples plantations by first attacking the leaves, which turn yellow from their trailing edges before wilting away. There is no effective remedy yet.
"One could say it is the Covid-19 of the plant world. Hotspots have been found in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which we are trying to contain," said S. Uma, the director of National Research Centre for Bananas (NRCB), Trichy.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, TR4 is one of the 'the most destructive of all plant diseases'. As with Covid-19, there is no treatment yet. So, scientists recommend biosecurity measures including 'plant quarantine' to slow its spread. The spreading disease has jeopardised the $26 billion global banana trade.

A healthy snack, banana is the world's most globally exported fruit, according to the FAO. That's a reason for worry as the disease is breaching borders through imports.

India produces 27 million tonnes of bananas annually and grows about 100 varieties. TR4 has infected the most commonly sold variety, the one you mostly likely have for breakfast: Grand Nain a curvy yellow fruit.

Inability to contain TR4 could jolt farm incomes and push up banana prices. One medium banana (126 gms) provides about 110 calories, 0 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams sugar (naturally occurring), 3 grams fibre and 450 mg potassium and trace quantities of vitamin C and B6, according to the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition.

Most of India's bananas are consumed domestically. Equador, the largest exporter, is currently the epicentre and scientists haven't been able to ascertain how TR4 entered India. Fusarium wilt is not new. It entirely wiped out Gros Michel, the dominant export variety of bananas in 1950s. It was in response to this that a new resistant variety, Grand Nain, came up. That has now fallen to TR4. The challenge is to now identify or develop new resistant varieties. That's the only way to manage it, according to Uma, until an effective agent is found.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is advocating a set of measures, known as 'biopriming'. It has asked farmers whose plantations have been affected to abandon them. They must grow rice for a year or two before returning to banana. "That way the chain is broken," said R Selvarajan, a scientist with the NRCB.

Question:
The main theme of the passage is:

Option 1: the measures for containing the banana disease

Option 2: the nutritious value of bananas

Option 3: the impact of disease on banana plantations

Option 4: the outbreak of a COVID-19-like disease in bananas

Question : Comprehension:
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
The strain, Tropical Race 4 (TR4), was first identified in Taiwan and has jumped from Asia to the Middle East and Africa, reaching as far as Latin America. Scientists are describing it as the equivalent of Covid-19 in bananas. As the coronavirus disease outbreak rages on, 'fusarium wilt TR4', a novel fungus strain that has devastated plantations across the globe this year, is setting up new hotspots and threatening output in India, the world's largest producer of bananas. It cripples plantations by first attacking the leaves, which turn yellow from their trailing edges before wilting away. There is no effective remedy yet.
"One could say it is the Covid-19 of the plant world. Hotspots have been found in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which we are trying to contain," said S. Uma, the director of  National Research Centre for Bananas (NRCB), Trichy.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, TR4 is one of the 'the most destructive of all plant diseases'. As with Covid-19, there is no treatment yet. So, scientists recommend biosecurity measures including 'plant quarantine' to slow its spread. The spreading disease has jeopardised the $26 billion global banana trade.

A healthy snack, banana is the world's most globally exported fruit, according to the FAO. That's a reason for worry as the disease is breaching borders through imports.

India produces 27 million tonnes of bananas annually and grows about 100 varieties. TR4 has infected the most commonly sold variety, the one you mostly likely have for breakfast: Grand Nain a curvy yellow fruit.

 inability to contain TR4 could jolt farm incomes and push up banana prices. One medium banana (126 gms) provides about 110 calories, 0 gram  fat, 1 gram  protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams  sugar (naturally occurring), 3 grams fibre 450 mg  potassium and trace quantities of vitamin C and B6, according to the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition.

Most of India's bananas are consumed domestically. Equador, the largest exporter, is currently the epicentre and scientists haven't been able to ascertain how TR4 entered India. Fusarium wilt is not new. It entirely wiped out Gros Michel, the dominant export variety of bananas in  1950s. It was in response to this that a new resistant variety, Grand Nain, came up. That has now fallen to TR4. The challenge is to now identify or develop new resistant varieties. That's the only way to manage it, according to Uma, until an effective agent is found.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is advocating a set of measures, known as 'biopriming'. It has asked farmers whose plantations have been affected to abandon them. They must grow rice for a year or two before returning to banana. "That way the chain is broken," said R Selvarajan, a scientist with the NRCB.

Question:
'Biopriming', a measure suggested by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, requires:

Option 1: identifying hotspots and quarantining them

Option 2: trimming the diseased banana plants

Option 3: quarantining banana plants

Option 4: abandoning banana plantations and growing rice for a year

Question : Comprehension:
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
The strain, Tropical Race 4 (TR4), was first identified in Taiwan. and has jumped from Asia to the Middle East and Africa, reaching as far as Latin America. Scientists are describing it as the equivalent of Covid-19 in bananas. As the coronavirus disease outbreak rages on, 'fusarium wilt TR4', a novel fungus strain that has devastated plantations across the globe this year, is setting up new hotspots and threatening output in India, the world's largest producer of bananas. It cripples plantations by first attacking the leaves, which turn yellow from their trailing edges before wilting away. There is no effective remedy yet.
"One could say it is the Covid-19 of the plant world. Hotspots have been found in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which we are trying to contain," said S. Uma, the director of  National Research Centre for Bananas (NRCB), Trichy.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, TR4 is one of the 'the most destructive of all plant diseases'. As with Covid-19, there is no treatment yet. So, scientists recommend biosecurity measures including 'plant quarantine' to slow its spread. The spreading disease has jeopardised the $26 billion global banana trade.

A healthy snack, banana is the world's most globally exported fruit, according to the FAO. That's a reason for worry as the disease is breaching borders through imports.

India produces 27 million tonnes of bananas annually and grows about 100 varieties. TR4 has infected the most commonly sold variety, the one you mostly likely have for breakfast: Grand Nain a curvy yellow fruit. inability to contain TR4 could jolt farm incomes and push up banana prices. One medium banana (126 gms) provides about 110 calories, 0 gram  fat, 1 gram  protein, 28 grams  carbohydrate, 15 grams of sugar (naturally occurring), 3 grams of fibre 450 mg  potassium and trace quantities of vitamin C and B6, according to the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition.

Most of India's bananas are consumed domestically. Equador, the largest exporter, is currently the epicentre and scientists haven't been able to ascertain how TR4 entered India. Fusarium wilt is not new. It entirely wiped out Gros Michel, the dominant export variety of bananas in 1950s. It was in response to this that a new resistant variety, Grand Nain, came up. That has now fallen to TR4. The challenge is to now identify or develop new resistant varieties. That's the only way to manage it, according to Uma, until an effective agent is found.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is advocating a set of measures, known as 'biopriming'. It has asked farmers whose plantations have been affected to abandon them. They must grow rice for a year or two before returning to banana. "That way the chain is broken," said R Selvarajan, a scientist with the NRCB.

Question:
The calorific value of a medium-sized banana is 110 and it is richest in:

Option 1: fibre

Option 2: carbohydrate

Option 3: protein

Option 4: potassium

Question : Comprehension:
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
The strain, Tropical Race 4 (TR4), was first identified in Taiwan. and has jumped from Asia to the Middle East and Africa, reaching as far as Latin America. Scientists are describing it as the equivalent of Covid-19 in bananas. As the coronavirus disease outbreak rages on, 'fusarium wilt TR4', a novel fungus strain that has devastated plantations across the globe this year, is setting up new hotspots and threatening output in India, the world's largest producer of bananas. It cripples plantations by first attacking the leaves, which turn yellow from their trailing edges before wilting away. There is no effective remedy yet.
"One could say it is the Covid-19 of the plant world. Hotspots have been found in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which we are trying to contain," said S. Uma, the director of  National Research Centre for Bananas (NRCB), Trichy.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, TR4 is one of the 'the most destructive of all plant diseases'. As with Covid-19, there is no treatment yet. So, scientists recommend biosecurity measures including 'plant quarantine' to slow its spread. The spreading disease has jeopardised the $26 billion global banana trade.

According to the FAO, a healthy snack, banana is the world's most globally exported fruit. That's a reason for worry as the disease is breaching borders through imports.

India produces 27 million tonnes of bananas annually and grows about 100 varieties. TR4 has infected the most commonly sold variety, the one you mostly likely have for breakfast: Grand Nain a curvy yellow fruit.

inability to contain TR4 could jolt farm incomes and push up banana prices. One medium banana (126 gms) provides about 110 calories, 0 gram fat, 1 gram of protein, 28 grams  carbohydrate, 15 grams  sugar (naturally occurring), 3 grams of fibre 450 mg  potassium, and trace quantities of vitamin C and B6, according to the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition.

Most of India's bananas are consumed domestically. Equador, the largest exporter, is currently the epicentre and scientists haven't been able to ascertain how TR4 entered India. Fusarium wilt is not new. It entirely wiped out Gros Michel, the dominant export variety of bananas in  1950s. It was in response to this that a new resistant variety, Grand Nain, came up. That has now fallen to TR4. The challenge is to identify now or develop new resistant varieties. That's the only way to manage it, according to Uma, until an effective agent is found.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research advocates a set of measures, known as 'biopriming'. It has asked farmers whose plantations have been affected to abandon them. They must grow rice for a year or two before returning to banana. "That way the chain is broken," said R Selvarajan, a scientist with the NRCB.

Question:
Which place is the current epicentre of TR4?

Option 1: India

Option 2: Taiwan

Option 3: Middle East

Option 4: Equador

Question : Comprehension:

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.

New York City is on 'high alert' after reporting 100 cases of a rare inflammatory disease apparently tied to COVID-19 in children. The city recently began reporting rising cases of paediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome, an illness that officials say is similar to toxic shock or Kawasaki disease, with symptoms including a fever and abdominal pain and which 'appears to be linked to an immune response to COVID-19,' The New York Times reports.

City Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a press briefing on Thursday, said, "We are now on high alert in addressing the syndrome after the number of confirmed cases of paediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome in the city has reached 100." "Among those cases, 55 children have tested positive for COVID-19 or the antibodies", de Blasio said, "and one child has died." Two other children have also died from the illness in New York State, according to the Times. De Blasio had reported 82 cases of the syndrome in the city.

These developments continue to be 'really troubling' after it was previously thought that "children seemed to have very little effect from this disease," de Blasio said. He urged parents to call their doctor immediately if a child had a persistent fever, a rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, and especially a combination of these symptoms.

Question:

It was previously thought that 'children seemed to have very little effect from this disease'. 'This disease' refers to:

Option 1: inflammation of organs

Option 2: COVID- 19

Option 3: Kawasaki disease

Option 4: a multi-organ disease