Comprehension For SBI PO Set

Comprehension For SBI PO Set – 48

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels, and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.

The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry’s future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually by driven down.

However, battery-powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed ones but with more electric arid hybrid vehicles on the road, there is greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by automobiles. However , if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal-fired power plants, the electric car wouldn’t really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant’s energy production causing them to produce more power and thus more pollution, unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel-burning power stations and only 12% by the clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal-fired power stations to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.

Other factors making the rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal-fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car, and the energy lost by the faculty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted, and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.

Electric cars may still survive since the car’s emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account for 54 per cent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 per cent of carbon monoxide and 28% of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero, and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So even when the power plants burn dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil-burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

The goal should be to make more electric cars with greater incentives for consumers and producers, as well as feeding grids with more power from renewable resources-as per the objectives stated in the numerous plans on climate change. And till this goal is achieved, the debate whether controlling emission at a few power plants is more convenient than controlling emission at millions of tailpipes is, would continue.

1. Why does the author fear that electric cars may eventually not be very eco-friendly?

(a) The exhaust of these cars emit as much pollutants as the oil-fuelled cars.

(b) Electric cars though have lesser quantity of other emissions the sulphur emissions will rise substantially, thus harming the environment

(c) The electricity for charging the batteries of these cars comes from power plants using pollution-causing fossil fuels.

(d) Only (a) and (c)

(e) None of these

2. What according to the author , needs to be done in order do make the electric cars more eco-friendly?

(a) Encouraging power plants to generate electricity using eco-friendly methods.

(b) Setting certain emission standards for electric cars as is done for the oil-consuming cars.

(d) Making provisions for easy availability of recharging sockets at all the places.

(e) None of these

3. Which of the following suggestions does the author make in order to popularize the electric cars?

(a) Discontinue the use of fuel-s-powered cars completely.

(b) Optimise the benefits of using electric cars to both consumers as well as producers.

(e) None of these

4. Why according to the author are electric cars not a popular option among the people?

(A) The recharging points are not easily available everywhere

(B) Effective marketing of the eco-friendly cars has been lacking

(a) Only (a) and (c)

(b) Only (b) and (c)

(d) All A, B and C

(e) None of these

5. Why according to the author, may the electric cars survive despite all their current deficiencies?

(A) Electric cars will be subsided and thus would prove to be cost-efficient to the buyers.

(B) An increasing number of grids are shifting to alternate forms of energy production

(D) Pollution caused by the electric cars is far less as compared to the fossil fuel-driven cars.

(a) Only (A) (b) Only (c) and (D)

(d) Only (A) and (B)

(e) None of these

6. Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the given passage?

(a) The failure of the power grids

(b) The rise and fall of cars using fossil fuels.

(d) The growing popularity of the electric cars.

(e) Why eco-friendliness of electric casr is a fiction at present.

7. Which of the following can be inferred the from the given passage?

(a) Electric cars may completely replace the fossil fuel-powered cars one day.

(b) Electric cars have brought about a drastic improvement in the pollution levels at present

(d) All (a), (b) and (c) are true

(e) None of these

8. Which of the following is NOT TRUE in the context of the given passage?

(a) Nearly three-fourths of the total energy generated for powering electric cars is wasted.

(b) The interest in electric cars increased during last year when most of the power grids shifted to clean sources of fuel.

(d) There would not be any noticeable improvement in the pollution level if the oil-burning cars are shifted to electric cars at present

(e) None of these

9. Why, according to the author, is the efficiency of the electric cars low even before they actually hit the roads?

(A) A lot of energy is lost during the transit of electricity from the grid to the recharge point.

(B) The manufacturing cost of the electric cars is much higher than that of the other cars.

(a) Only (A) and (C)

(b) Only (B) and (C)

(d) Only (A) and (B)

(e) None of these

Directions(Q.10-12):Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

10. PICTURE

(a) Situation

(b) Photograph

(d) Art Work

(e) Idea

11. FEEDING

(a) Eating

(b) Supplying

(d) Encouraging

(e) Nourishing

12. SURGE

(a) Alteration

(b) Modification

(d) Increase

(e) Evolution

Directions (Q.13-15): Choose the word/group of words which is most OPPOSITE in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

13. SLIGHTLY

(a) Adequately

(b) Miserly

(d) Remotely

(e) Substantially

14. SWITCHING

(a) Prolonging

(b) Withdrawing

(d) Exchanging

(e) Alternating

15. INCENTIVES

(a)Deterrents

(b) Preventions

(d) Prohibitions

(e) Liability

Answer key:

1. (c) 2. (a) 3. (e) 4. (b) 5. (e) 6. (e) 7. (e) 8. (b) 9. (e) 10. (a) 11. (b) 12. (d) 13. (e) 14. (c) 15. (a)

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Comprehension For SBI PO Set – 48