Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some questions. With the prevailing weather likely to cause an outbreak of rice blast disease, the Agriculture Department has issued advisory to farmers in the district to take prompt measures if symptoms of the disease manifest in the samba paddy crop. Given the experience over the past few years, when the blast disease adversely affected yield, the department advised farmers to opt for disease resistant varieties and avoid cultivation of highly susceptible varieties such as improved white Ponni and BPT-5204 (Andhra Ponni). However, a large number of farmers have raised Andhra Ponni as the variety is in good demand among traders and fetches a better price than others. “Rice blast is a common but important fungal disease of rice. The disease is caused by the fungus, pyricularia oryzae, which attacks the rice crop at all stages. The symptoms can be seen on leaves, nodes, neck of panicle, and on grains,” said the Joint Director of Agriculture, in an advisory. On the leaves, the lesions start as small watersoaked bluish green fl ecks and soon enlarge and form characteristic spindle-shaped or eye-shaped spots with grey centre and dark brown margin (leaf blast). The elongated spots join together as the disease progresses, and large areas of the leaves dry up and wither. Similar spots also form on the sheath. Severely infected nursery and fi eld present a burnt appearance. Subsequently, node blast and neck (panicle) blast occur. The disease causes heavy economical loss to rice farmers and the symptoms normally occur during the winter months of December and January. Blastinfected grains become poorly fi lled and chaffy. Dark spots may be formed on the grains also and reduce the quality of the grain, said the joint director of Agriculture.
Application of excessive doses of nitrogenous fertilizers, intermittent drizzle, cloudy weather, high relative humidity, long dew periods and low night temperature make situation conducive for the disease. Spraying pseudomonas fl uorescens (5 gm/litre three times from 45 days at an interval of 10 days) will control the disease. Chemical control involves spraying of Tricyclazole (200 grams an acre), or a combination of Tricyclazole and Mancozeb (400 grams an acre), or Azoxystrobin (200 ml and acre). The fungicides should be sprayed before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. in the afternoon, said the department advisory. The joint director, however, said the advisory had been issued as a precautionary measure so that farmers could initiate the control measures immediately when symptoms appear on their fi eld. Otherwise, the disease can spread quickly. So far, there has been no report of the disease outbreak in the district.
Q.1. On the leaves, the lesions ________and form characteristic spindle-shaped or eyeshaped spots with grey centre and dark brown margin.
(A) decrease as small water-soaked bluish green fl ecks and then enlarge.
(B) ends as big water-soaked bluish green fl ecks and soon enlarge.
(C) begins as small water-soaked bluish green fl ecks and soon enlarge.
(1) Only A
(2) Only B
(3) Only C
(4) All A, B and C
(5) None of them
Q.2. As per the department advisory, what time is suitable for the spray of the fungicides?
(1) The fungicides should be sprayed before 11 p.m. or after 3 a.m. in the afternoon
(2) The fungicides should be sprayed after 11 a.m. or after 3 a.m. in the afternoon
(3) The fungicides should be sprayed before 11 p.m. or after 3 p.m. in the afternoon
(4) The fungicides should be sprayed before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. in the afternoon
(5) The fungicides should be sprayed after 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. in the afternoon
Q.3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
(A) With the prevailing weather likely to cause an outbreak of rice blast disease, the Agriculture Department has issued advisory to farmers.
(B) if symptoms of the disease manifest in the samba paddy crop, the breeding department will issue advisory to farmers.
(C) when the blast disease adversely affected yield, the department advised farmers to opt for diseaseresistant varieties.
(1) Only A
(2) Both A and C
(3) Only B
(4) Both B and C
(5) All A, B and C
Q.4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
(A) a large number of farmers have raised Andhra Ponni as the variety
(B) the variety is in good demand among traders and fetches a better price than others.
(C) Rice blast is a common but important fungal disease of rice
(1) Only A
(2) Both A and C
(3) Only B
(4) Both B and C
(5) All A, B and C
Q.5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
(A) Rise blast disease is caused by the chaffy, pyricularia oryzae.
(B) Pyricularia oryzae attacks the rice crop at all stages.
(C) The symptoms can be seen on leaves, nodes, neck of panicle, and on grains.
(1) Only A
(2) Both A and C
(3) Only B
(4) Both B and C
(5) All A, B and C
Q.6. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
(A) The elongated spots disperse together as the disease progresses, and large areas of the leaves dry up and wither
(B) Severely infected nursery and fi eld present a burnt appearance
(C) Fresh grains become poorly fi lled and chaffy
(1) Only A
(2) Both A and C
(3) Only B
(4) Both B and C
(5) All A, B and C
Q.7. Choose the word most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold, as used in the passage. CONDUCIVE
(1) Contributive
(2) Promotive
(3) Accessory
(4) Hindering
(5) None of them
Q.8. Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to the word printed in bold, as used in the passage. PREVAILING
(1) Individual
(2) Peculiar
(3) Customary
(4) Limited
(5) None of them
Q.9. Choose the word most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold, as used in the passage. OUTBREAK
(1) Obedience
(2) Commencement
(3) Epidemic
(4) Tumult
(5) None of them
Q.10. Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
SUBSEQUENTLY
(1) Earlier
(2) former
(3) latterly
(4) prior
(5) None of them
ANSWERS: Answer-1-(3)
Answer-2-(4)
Answer-3-(2)
Answer-4-(5)
Answer-5-(5)
Answer-6-(1)
Answer-7-(2)
Answer-8-(4)
Answer-9-(1)
Answer-10-(3)
