CAT2021 || Daily Target Quiz || RC- Indirect Questions || 29.03.2021

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Anand Limaye of Indian Printing Works in Mumbai is a book printer and publisher. Every year during the festival season, he gets very busy with Diwali Anks, the bumper-size magazines published in Marathi during Diwali, featuring literary writings and ads in equal measure. “This year, instead of 19 Diwali Anks, we have printed 11,” Limaye said.

The factories are running again post-lockdown. Printing equipment is the lifeblood of any printing factory. These machines are expensive and need regular running and maintenance. That they were unable to do this during the lockdown was the biggest problem faced by the printers when things came to a standstill.

Although the machines are running again, the printing numbers have seen a dip. For example, more than a hundred Diwali Anks have opted out of printed publication because of reduced advertisements and the logistical problem of how to get copies to readers.

Limaye said, “Had there been an issue like Zee UtsavNatyancha with one lakh copies, backed by ads on TV, the Diwali Ank market would have seen an uptick.” Usually, the Marathi Diwali Ank reader visits the stall and picks up other magazines too. This Marathi reader is now in save-your-money mode.

To combat the situation, leading publishers mooted the idea of selling five leading issues at a combined sum of Rs 1,000, plus one free Storytel gift card. The scheme evoked overwhelming response.

The traditional mecca for print in Mumbai, Shah & Nahar, in Lower Parel, is eerily quiet. Roopesh Sawant of Superlekha, a Mumbai-based printer, says, “After seven months, we are seeing 25%-30% of pre-Covid levels. Promotions are at an all-time low.”

Faheem Agboatwala of the BMPA, a premier print association based in Mumbai, said, “Commercial printing is going to go through a sea change and there will be permanent damage to several areas of the print business. I had hoped people would realise this sooner or later. It’s a pity that print still hasn’t got industry status in our country.”

Since printing is essentially ink-on-paper, a cursory look at the demand for paper since March gives us a fair idea of how book printers are doing. Deepak Mittal, a paper trader in Bengaluru, said, “Shrinkage of demand has been swift, in a way that has never been experienced by the industry. The writing and printing segment has been the worst-affected owing to its reliance on the education sector, which contributes close to 60% of the demand.” With schools and colleges, barring Classes 10 and 12, unlikely to reopen in this academic year, the situation is grim.

“To add to the problem, commercial and promotional printing, like diaries, calendars, brochures, catalogues, etc have been badly impacted, as a lot of companies have either cancelled their requirements for this year or gone digital,” Mittal said. “The big daddy of diaries, LIC, has called off printing diaries this year, and many other government departments and companies have followed in their footsteps.”

Source: https://scroll.in/article/978968/as-book-publishing-shrinks-during-the-pandemic-how-are-indias-printing-presses-coping

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Anand Limaye of Indian Printing Works in Mumbai is a book printer and publisher. Every year during the festival season, he gets very busy with Diwali Anks, the bumper-size magazines published in Marathi during Diwali, featuring literary writings and ads in equal measure. “This year, instead of 19 Diwali Anks, we have printed 11,” Limaye said.

The factories are running again post-lockdown. Printing equipment is the lifeblood of any printing factory. These machines are expensive and need regular running and maintenance. That they were unable to do this during the lockdown was the biggest problem faced by the printers when things came to a standstill.

Although the machines are running again, the printing numbers have seen a dip. For example, more than a hundred Diwali Anks have opted out of printed publication because of reduced advertisements and the logistical problem of how to get copies to readers.

Limaye said, “Had there been an issue like Zee UtsavNatyancha with one lakh copies, backed by ads on TV, the Diwali Ank market would have seen an uptick.” Usually, the Marathi Diwali Ank reader visits the stall and picks up other magazines too. This Marathi reader is now in save-your-money mode.

To combat the situation, leading publishers mooted the idea of selling five leading issues at a combined sum of Rs 1,000, plus one free Storytel gift card. The scheme evoked overwhelming response.

The traditional mecca for print in Mumbai, Shah & Nahar, in Lower Parel, is eerily quiet. Roopesh Sawant of Superlekha, a Mumbai-based printer, says, “After seven months, we are seeing 25%-30% of pre-Covid levels. Promotions are at an all-time low.”

Faheem Agboatwala of the BMPA, a premier print association based in Mumbai, said, “Commercial printing is going to go through a sea change and there will be permanent damage to several areas of the print business. I had hoped people would realise this sooner or later. It’s a pity that print still hasn’t got industry status in our country.”

Since printing is essentially ink-on-paper, a cursory look at the demand for paper since March gives us a fair idea of how book printers are doing. Deepak Mittal, a paper trader in Bengaluru, said, “Shrinkage of demand has been swift, in a way that has never been experienced by the industry. The writing and printing segment has been the worst-affected owing to its reliance on the education sector, which contributes close to 60% of the demand.” With schools and colleges, barring Classes 10 and 12, unlikely to reopen in this academic year, the situation is grim.

“To add to the problem, commercial and promotional printing, like diaries, calendars, brochures, catalogues, etc have been badly impacted, as a lot of companies have either cancelled their requirements for this year or gone digital,” Mittal said. “The big daddy of diaries, LIC, has called off printing diaries this year, and many other government departments and companies have followed in their footsteps.”

Source: https://scroll.in/article/978968/as-book-publishing-shrinks-during-the-pandemic-how-are-indias-printing-presses-coping

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Anand Limaye of Indian Printing Works in Mumbai is a book printer and publisher. Every year during the festival season, he gets very busy with Diwali Anks, the bumper-size magazines published in Marathi during Diwali, featuring literary writings and ads in equal measure. “This year, instead of 19 Diwali Anks, we have printed 11,” Limaye said.

The factories are running again post-lockdown. Printing equipment is the lifeblood of any printing factory. These machines are expensive and need regular running and maintenance. That they were unable to do this during the lockdown was the biggest problem faced by the printers when things came to a standstill.

Although the machines are running again, the printing numbers have seen a dip. For example, more than a hundred Diwali Anks have opted out of printed publication because of reduced advertisements and the logistical problem of how to get copies to readers.

Limaye said, “Had there been an issue like Zee UtsavNatyancha with one lakh copies, backed by ads on TV, the Diwali Ank market would have seen an uptick.” Usually, the Marathi Diwali Ank reader visits the stall and picks up other magazines too. This Marathi reader is now in save-your-money mode.

To combat the situation, leading publishers mooted the idea of selling five leading issues at a combined sum of Rs 1,000, plus one free Storytel gift card. The scheme evoked overwhelming response.

The traditional mecca for print in Mumbai, Shah & Nahar, in Lower Parel, is eerily quiet. Roopesh Sawant of Superlekha, a Mumbai-based printer, says, “After seven months, we are seeing 25%-30% of pre-Covid levels. Promotions are at an all-time low.”

Faheem Agboatwala of the BMPA, a premier print association based in Mumbai, said, “Commercial printing is going to go through a sea change and there will be permanent damage to several areas of the print business. I had hoped people would realise this sooner or later. It’s a pity that print still hasn’t got industry status in our country.”

Since printing is essentially ink-on-paper, a cursory look at the demand for paper since March gives us a fair idea of how book printers are doing. Deepak Mittal, a paper trader in Bengaluru, said, “Shrinkage of demand has been swift, in a way that has never been experienced by the industry. The writing and printing segment has been the worst-affected owing to its reliance on the education sector, which contributes close to 60% of the demand.” With schools and colleges, barring Classes 10 and 12, unlikely to reopen in this academic year, the situation is grim.

“To add to the problem, commercial and promotional printing, like diaries, calendars, brochures, catalogues, etc have been badly impacted, as a lot of companies have either cancelled their requirements for this year or gone digital,” Mittal said. “The big daddy of diaries, LIC, has called off printing diaries this year, and many other government departments and companies have followed in their footsteps.”

Source: https://scroll.in/article/978968/as-book-publishing-shrinks-during-the-pandemic-how-are-indias-printing-presses-coping

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. Certain words are printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

Anand Limaye of Indian Printing Works in Mumbai is a book printer and publisher. Every year during the festival season, he gets very busy with Diwali Anks, the bumper-size magazines published in Marathi during Diwali, featuring literary writings and ads in equal measure. “This year, instead of 19 Diwali Anks, we have printed 11,” Limaye said.

The factories are running again post-lockdown. Printing equipment is the lifeblood of any printing factory. These machines are expensive and need regular running and maintenance. That they were unable to do this during the lockdown was the biggest problem faced by the printers when things came to a standstill.

Although the machines are running again, the printing numbers have seen a dip. For example, more than a hundred Diwali Anks have opted out of printed publication because of reduced advertisements and the logistical problem of how to get copies to readers.

Limaye said, “Had there been an issue like Zee UtsavNatyancha with one lakh copies, backed by ads on TV, the Diwali Ank market would have seen an uptick.” Usually, the Marathi Diwali Ank reader visits the stall and picks up other magazines too. This Marathi reader is now in save-your-money mode.

To combat the situation, leading publishers mooted the idea of selling five leading issues at a combined sum of Rs 1,000, plus one free Storytel gift card. The scheme evoked overwhelming response.

The traditional mecca for print in Mumbai, Shah & Nahar, in Lower Parel, is eerily quiet. Roopesh Sawant of Superlekha, a Mumbai-based printer, says, “After seven months, we are seeing 25%-30% of pre-Covid levels. Promotions are at an all-time low.”

Faheem Agboatwala of the BMPA, a premier print association based in Mumbai, said, “Commercial printing is going to go through a sea change and there will be permanent damage to several areas of the print business. I had hoped people would realise this sooner or later. It’s a pity that print still hasn’t got industry status in our country.”

Since printing is essentially ink-on-paper, a cursory look at the demand for paper since March gives us a fair idea of how book printers are doing. Deepak Mittal, a paper trader in Bengaluru, said, “Shrinkage of demand has been swift, in a way that has never been experienced by the industry. The writing and printing segment has been the worst-affected owing to its reliance on the education sector, which contributes close to 60% of the demand.” With schools and colleges, barring Classes 10 and 12, unlikely to reopen in this academic year, the situation is grim.

“To add to the problem, commercial and promotional printing, like diaries, calendars, brochures, catalogues, etc have been badly impacted, as a lot of companies have either cancelled their requirements for this year or gone digital,” Mittal said. “The big daddy of diaries, LIC, has called off printing diaries this year, and many other government departments and companies have followed in their footsteps.”

Source: https://scroll.in/article/978968/as-book-publishing-shrinks-during-the-pandemic-how-are-indias-printing-presses-coping

Direction: Read the given passage and answer the following questions

Researchers have stumbled upon a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down some forms of plastic. The finding could provide a much-needed recycling (a) solution for toxic materials. Polyurethane (PU) is a kind of plastic used for items like sports shoes, mechanical parts and synthetic fibers, like Spandex. It is hard to recycle because it is thermosetting, meaning it does not melt when heated up. Where other plastic can be processed and turned into new items, a lot of PU waste ends up in landfill. Once there, it releases toxic chemicals including carcinogens, the chemicals that can lead to cancer.

A team of scientists have now found a bacterium which attacks chemical bonds that keep the material together. The bacteria take the building blocks for PU and use them as a source of energy. The plastic-eating advances (b) was first found to have evolved at a waste site where PU was being dumped.This is not the first example of nature adapting in response to our unsustainable addiction to plastic. In 2018, a different team of scientists discovered an enzyme capable of breaking down PET, the material used to make plastic bottles. This accidental breakthrough was made when looking at organisms that had evolved at a waste dump in Japan. While trying to work out how the process had occurred, they inadvertently changed something that made the molecule even better at breaking down the bottles.

Despite these breakthroughs, it is important to ensure that advances of this kind don’t encourage an increase in plastic use - as most forms are still notoriously difficult to destroy. Already, Europe produces 60 million tonnes of plastic every year, but worryingly only around 30 per cent of this is eventually recycled.Although these kinds of microorganism (c) could lead to a more sustainable future, they aren’t the silver bullet for our plastic problem. The problem of billions of tons of plastic waste, that are already in landfills or even in the ocean, will surely not be solved by bioremediation. Thus, it is now important to assess which plastic compounds are biodegradable.

It is conceivable that the industry will use more degradable precursors in the production (d) of plastics in the future, taking into consideration scientific knowledge of the degradability by microorganisms.However, a fundamental switch to new plastic compounds in the future will only be achievable through changes in governance and legislation.

Direction: Read the given passage and answer the following questions

Researchers have stumbled upon a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down some forms of plastic. The finding could provide a much-needed recycling (a) solution for toxic materials. Polyurethane (PU) is a kind of plastic used for items like sports shoes, mechanical parts and synthetic fibers, like Spandex. It is hard to recycle because it is thermosetting, meaning it does not melt when heated up. Where other plastic can be processed and turned into new items, a lot of PU waste ends up in landfill. Once there, it releases toxic chemicals including carcinogens, the chemicals that can lead to cancer.

A team of scientists have now found a bacterium which attacks chemical bonds that keep the material together. The bacteria take the building blocks for PU and use them as a source of energy. The plastic-eating advances (b) was first found to have evolved at a waste site where PU was being dumped.This is not the first example of nature adapting in response to our unsustainable addiction to plastic. In 2018, a different team of scientists discovered an enzyme capable of breaking down PET, the material used to make plastic bottles. This accidental breakthrough was made when looking at organisms that had evolved at a waste dump in Japan. While trying to work out how the process had occurred, they inadvertently changed something that made the molecule even better at breaking down the bottles.

Despite these breakthroughs, it is important to ensure that advances of this kind don’t encourage an increase in plastic use - as most forms are still notoriously difficult to destroy. Already, Europe produces 60 million tonnes of plastic every year, but worryingly only around 30 per cent of this is eventually recycled.Although these kinds of microorganism (c) could lead to a more sustainable future, they aren’t the silver bullet for our plastic problem. The problem of billions of tons of plastic waste, that are already in landfills or even in the ocean, will surely not be solved by bioremediation. Thus, it is now important to assess which plastic compounds are biodegradable.

It is conceivable that the industry will use more degradable precursors in the production (d) of plastics in the future, taking into consideration scientific knowledge of the degradability by microorganisms.However, a fundamental switch to new plastic compounds in the future will only be achievable through changes in governance and legislation.

Direction: Read the given passage and answer the following questions

Researchers have stumbled upon a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down some forms of plastic. The finding could provide a much-needed recycling (a) solution for toxic materials. Polyurethane (PU) is a kind of plastic used for items like sports shoes, mechanical parts and synthetic fibers, like Spandex. It is hard to recycle because it is thermosetting, meaning it does not melt when heated up. Where other plastic can be processed and turned into new items, a lot of PU waste ends up in landfill. Once there, it releases toxic chemicals including carcinogens, the chemicals that can lead to cancer.

A team of scientists have now found a bacterium which attacks chemical bonds that keep the material together. The bacteria take the building blocks for PU and use them as a source of energy. The plastic-eating advances (b) was first found to have evolved at a waste site where PU was being dumped.This is not the first example of nature adapting in response to our unsustainable addiction to plastic. In 2018, a different team of scientists discovered an enzyme capable of breaking down PET, the material used to make plastic bottles. This accidental breakthrough was made when looking at organisms that had evolved at a waste dump in Japan. While trying to work out how the process had occurred, they inadvertently changed something that made the molecule even better at breaking down the bottles.

Despite these breakthroughs, it is important to ensure that advances of this kind don’t encourage an increase in plastic use - as most forms are still notoriously difficult to destroy. Already, Europe produces 60 million tonnes of plastic every year, but worryingly only around 30 per cent of this is eventually recycled.Although these kinds of microorganism (c) could lead to a more sustainable future, they aren’t the silver bullet for our plastic problem. The problem of billions of tons of plastic waste, that are already in landfills or even in the ocean, will surely not be solved by bioremediation. Thus, it is now important to assess which plastic compounds are biodegradable.

It is conceivable that the industry will use more degradable precursors in the production (d) of plastics in the future, taking into consideration scientific knowledge of the degradability by microorganisms.However, a fundamental switch to new plastic compounds in the future will only be achievable through changes in governance and legislation.

Direction: Read the given passage and answer the following questions

Researchers have stumbled upon a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down some forms of plastic. The finding could provide a much-needed recycling (a) solution for toxic materials. Polyurethane (PU) is a kind of plastic used for items like sports shoes, mechanical parts and synthetic fibers, like Spandex. It is hard to recycle because it is thermosetting, meaning it does not melt when heated up. Where other plastic can be processed and turned into new items, a lot of PU waste ends up in landfill. Once there, it releases toxic chemicals including carcinogens, the chemicals that can lead to cancer.

A team of scientists have now found a bacterium which attacks chemical bonds that keep the material together. The bacteria take the building blocks for PU and use them as a source of energy. The plastic-eating advances (b) was first found to have evolved at a waste site where PU was being dumped.This is not the first example of nature adapting in response to our unsustainable addiction to plastic. In 2018, a different team of scientists discovered an enzyme capable of breaking down PET, the material used to make plastic bottles. This accidental breakthrough was made when looking at organisms that had evolved at a waste dump in Japan. While trying to work out how the process had occurred, they inadvertently changed something that made the molecule even better at breaking down the bottles.

Despite these breakthroughs, it is important to ensure that advances of this kind don’t encourage an increase in plastic use - as most forms are still notoriously difficult to destroy. Already, Europe produces 60 million tonnes of plastic every year, but worryingly only around 30 per cent of this is eventually recycled.Although these kinds of microorganism (c) could lead to a more sustainable future, they aren’t the silver bullet for our plastic problem. The problem of billions of tons of plastic waste, that are already in landfills or even in the ocean, will surely not be solved by bioremediation. Thus, it is now important to assess which plastic compounds are biodegradable.

It is conceivable that the industry will use more degradable precursors in the production (d) of plastics in the future, taking into consideration scientific knowledge of the degradability by microorganisms.However, a fundamental switch to new plastic compounds in the future will only be achievable through changes in governance and legislation.

Direction: Read the given passage and answer the following questions

Researchers have stumbled upon a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down some forms of plastic. The finding could provide a much-needed recycling (a) solution for toxic materials. Polyurethane (PU) is a kind of plastic used for items like sports shoes, mechanical parts and synthetic fibers, like Spandex. It is hard to recycle because it is thermosetting, meaning it does not melt when heated up. Where other plastic can be processed and turned into new items, a lot of PU waste ends up in landfill. Once there, it releases toxic chemicals including carcinogens, the chemicals that can lead to cancer.

A team of scientists have now found a bacterium which attacks chemical bonds that keep the material together. The bacteria take the building blocks for PU and use them as a source of energy. The plastic-eating advances (b) was first found to have evolved at a waste site where PU was being dumped.This is not the first example of nature adapting in response to our unsustainable addiction to plastic. In 2018, a different team of scientists discovered an enzyme capable of breaking down PET, the material used to make plastic bottles. This accidental breakthrough was made when looking at organisms that had evolved at a waste dump in Japan. While trying to work out how the process had occurred, they inadvertently changed something that made the molecule even better at breaking down the bottles.

Despite these breakthroughs, it is important to ensure that advances of this kind don’t encourage an increase in plastic use - as most forms are still notoriously difficult to destroy. Already, Europe produces 60 million tonnes of plastic every year, but worryingly only around 30 per cent of this is eventually recycled.Although these kinds of microorganism (c) could lead to a more sustainable future, they aren’t the silver bullet for our plastic problem. The problem of billions of tons of plastic waste, that are already in landfills or even in the ocean, will surely not be solved by bioremediation. Thus, it is now important to assess which plastic compounds are biodegradable.

It is conceivable that the industry will use more degradable precursors in the production (d) of plastics in the future, taking into consideration scientific knowledge of the degradability by microorganisms.However, a fundamental switch to new plastic compounds in the future will only be achievable through changes in governance and legislation.

Direction: Read the given passage and answer the following questions

Researchers have stumbled upon a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down some forms of plastic. The finding could provide a much-needed recycling (a) solution for toxic materials. Polyurethane (PU) is a kind of plastic used for items like sports shoes, mechanical parts and synthetic fibers, like Spandex. It is hard to recycle because it is thermosetting, meaning it does not melt when heated up. Where other plastic can be processed and turned into new items, a lot of PU waste ends up in landfill. Once there, it releases toxic chemicals including carcinogens, the chemicals that can lead to cancer.

A team of scientists have now found a bacterium which attacks chemical bonds that keep the material together. The bacteria take the building blocks for PU and use them as a source of energy. The plastic-eating advances (b) was first found to have evolved at a waste site where PU was being dumped.This is not the first example of nature adapting in response to our unsustainable addiction to plastic. In 2018, a different team of scientists discovered an enzyme capable of breaking down PET, the material used to make plastic bottles. This accidental breakthrough was made when looking at organisms that had evolved at a waste dump in Japan. While trying to work out how the process had occurred, they inadvertently changed something that made the molecule even better at breaking down the bottles.

Despite these breakthroughs, it is important to ensure that advances of this kind don’t encourage an increase in plastic use - as most forms are still notoriously difficult to destroy. Already, Europe produces 60 million tonnes of plastic every year, but worryingly only around 30 per cent of this is eventually recycled.Although these kinds of microorganism (c) could lead to a more sustainable future, they aren’t the silver bullet for our plastic problem. The problem of billions of tons of plastic waste, that are already in landfills or even in the ocean, will surely not be solved by bioremediation. Thus, it is now important to assess which plastic compounds are biodegradable.

It is conceivable that the industry will use more degradable precursors in the production (d) of plastics in the future, taking into consideration scientific knowledge of the degradability by microorganisms.However, a fundamental switch to new plastic compounds in the future will only be achievable through changes in governance and legislation.