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NDA 2017 GAT · English · Reading Comprehension · easy

NDA 2017 GAT English: Why Bees Matter to Farmers

Most farmers think of rain, soil and seed when they plan a harvest, yet a large share of the crops in their fields depends on an insect no one sows. Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, and without that transfer many plants cannot form fruit or seed. Apples, almonds, mustard, sunflowers and many vegetables yield far more produce when bees visit them than when they are left alone. Fields near wild habitat, with hedgerows and patches of untilled flowers, usually receive more visits, and the fruit is often larger and more evenly shaped. The difficulty is that bee numbers have been falling, partly because of habitat loss and partly because of pesticides sprayed while crops are in bloom. Some growers now rent hives for the flowering season, but this is costly and cannot fully replace the services of wild bees. Protecting flowering margins and spraying in the evening, when bees are not foraging, are cheaper steps that help both the insects and the farmer's income.

Question 1

Single correct option

Which of the following best expresses the central idea of the passage?
  1. A. Pesticides are the only cause of bee decline
  2. B. Bees contribute greatly to crop yields, and protecting them is practical for farmers
  3. C. Farmers should stop growing fruit and grow only mustard
  4. D. Hired hives are better than wild bees
Show answer and solution

Answer: (B) Bees contribute greatly to crop yields, and protecting them is practical for farmers

The passage links pollination to better yield, notes the decline in bees and ends with inexpensive protective steps. Pesticides are only one of two causes, nothing suggests abandoning fruit crops, and rented hives are said not to replace wild bees fully. The main idea must cover the whole passage, not one detail, so reject options that are too narrow, too broad or that overstate what the author claims.

Question 2

Single correct option

According to the passage, fields close to wild habitat generally
  1. A. have fewer flowering plants
  2. B. get more bee visits and may produce larger, better-shaped fruit
  3. C. need hired hives every season
  4. D. are sprayed more often with pesticides
Show answer and solution

Answer: (B) get more bee visits and may produce larger, better-shaped fruit

The text says such fields, with hedgerows and untilled flowers, usually receive more visits and the fruit is often larger and more evenly shaped. The other options reverse or invent relationships that are not stated in the passage. Always return to the passage and match each option against the exact lines, because options that sound reasonable but are not stated are the usual traps in NDA comprehension questions.

Question 3

Single correct option

Why does the passage recommend spraying in the evening?
  1. A. Pesticides work better at night
  2. B. Bees are not out gathering food at that time, so they are less exposed
  3. C. Flowers close in the evening and need no protection
  4. D. Evening spraying is cheaper than daytime spraying
Show answer and solution

Answer: (B) Bees are not out gathering food at that time, so they are less exposed

The passage links the suggestion to the fact that bees are not foraging in the evening, so they are less likely to meet the pesticide. It makes no claim about effectiveness of the spray or flowers closing, and cost is mentioned only for protecting margins. An inference must follow directly from what the author says; avoid options that need outside knowledge or stretch the author's words beyond their plain meaning.

Question 4

Single correct option

Which of the following is given in the passage as a reason for the fall in bee numbers?
  1. A. Heavy rainfall during harvest
  2. B. Loss of habitat together with spraying of crops in bloom
  3. C. Rental of hives by growers
  4. D. Planting of hedgerows near fields
Show answer and solution

Answer: (B) Loss of habitat together with spraying of crops in bloom

The text names habitat loss and pesticides sprayed while crops flower. Renting hives is a response to the problem, not a cause, and hedgerows are said to attract bees. Rain is never mentioned as a cause. Always return to the passage and match each option against the exact lines, because options that sound reasonable but are not stated are the usual traps in NDA comprehension questions.

Question 5

Single correct option

The word 'foraging' in the passage most nearly means
  1. A. building nests
  2. B. sleeping
  3. C. guarding the hive
  4. D. searching for food
Show answer and solution

Answer: (D) searching for food

Foraging means roaming in search of food or provisions. Bees visit flowers for nectar and pollen, which fits the sentence about the evening when they are not out. Nest-building and guarding are different hive activities, and sleeping is the opposite of being active. Read the whole sentence around the word and test each option by substituting it back; the dictionary meaning alone can mislead when the context points elsewhere.
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Original question written in the NDA 2017 GAT pattern and checked twice for the correct answer. Not an official question paper. How we write and check questions · Corrections policy · Report a mistake