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Comprehension

Directions ; In this section, there is a passage that has some blank spaces, each with four words or group of words. Select whichever word or group of words you consider the most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. 

Most of our food comes from agriculture, so we tend to believe that it is  ______ (1) of natural biota. This is not true. In nature,  _______ (2) plants and animals ______ (3) to the rigours of natural selection. Only the fittest survive. _______ (4) wild populations have numerous traits for competitiveness, resistance to parasites, ________ (5) to adverse conditions,_______ (6) other aspects of vigour. In contrast, populations grown for many _______ (7) under the pampered conditions of agriculture tend to lose these traits, because they  _______ (8) for production, not resilience. For example, a  high-producing plant _______ (9) lacks resistance to drought is ________ (10) and the resistance to drought is ignored. Also, in the process of breeding plants for maximum production, all genetic variation is eliminated. 

What would come in blank space (7)?

This question was previously asked in
NDA-II 2024 (GAT) Official Paper (Held On: 01 Sept, 2024)
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  1. eras 
  2. epochs  
  3. periods 
  4. generations 

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4 : generations 
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Detailed Solution

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The correct answer is 'generations'.
 
Key Points
  • The passage discusses how traits are passed down over time in agriculture.
  • The word should refer to a specific duration in which traits are transmitted through reproduction.
  • "Generations" fits well here as it specifies the duration over which traits are selected and passed down in agriculture.
  • Other options ("Eras", "Epochs", "Periods") are too broad and do not specifically refer to the reproductive cycle.
Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 4'.
 
Complete Passage: Most of our food comes from agriculture, so we tend to believe that it is independent of natural biota. This is not true. In nature, both plants and animals are continuously subjected to the rigours of natural selection. Only the fittest survive. Consequently, wild populations have numerous traits for competitiveness, resistance to parasites, tolerance to adverse conditions, and other aspects of vigour. In contrast, populations grown for many generations under the pampered conditions of agriculture tend to lose these traits, because they  _______ (8) for production, not resilience. For example, a  high-producing plant _______ (9) lacks resistance to drought is ________ (10) and the resistance to drought is ignored. Also, in the process of breeding plants for maximum production, all genetic variation is eliminated. 
 
Additional Information
  • Eras (युग): "Eras" means a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic, which is too broad for this context.
  • Epochs (युग): "Epochs" means a particular period of time in history or a person's life, again too broad for discussing reproductive cycles in agriculture.
  • Periods (अवधियाँ): "Periods" is somewhat appropriate but not as specific as "Generations", which refers to the reproductive cycles.
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