CUET English 2025 English Set 1 (4 Questions)

It's a tough time to be a glacier. Scientists expected Venezuela's Humboldt…

CUET English 2025 · English · 4 questions

It's a tough time to be a glacier. Scientists expected Venezuela's Humboldt Glacier to last another decade, but in 2024 it melted into an ice field, shrinking to under two hectares. This marks the loss of the country's last glacier and signals a grim future for others. Scientists warn that glaciers in countries like Germany and Mexico will also disappear as fossil fuel consumption accelerates global warming. Communities depending on glaciers for fresh water face challenges, as glaciers in mountain ranges like the Andes provide vital drinking and irrigation water for millions of people. However, about 80% of global glaciers, excluding polar ice sheets, could survive if countries rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tropical glaciers in regions such as the Andes, East Africa, and Indonesia, however, are unlikely to recover due to higher temperatures. Despite pledges in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, current projections suggest a rise of 3°C, potentially raising sea levels by nearly 10 feet by 2100, threatening island nations like Fiji and the Maldives with destruction. A proposal to protect ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland involves a 62-mile-long removable underwater curtain, but experts like James Kirkham from the International Cryosphere Initiative caution that such measures are distractions from the real issue: halting global heating. Without decisive action, glaciers will continue to melt, and more countries will lose their ice. The urgency of addressing climate change has never been clearer, and the world's glaciers can't afford any more delays.

Question 1

Why might the proposal to build a removable underwater curtain be viewed with skepticism by experts like James Kirkham?

A. The curtain is considered only one of the viable solutions to preserve glaciers.
B. The underwater curtain may not significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
C. It diverts attention from urgently addressing the root cause of glacier melting.
D. It is an irreversible and irrational solution that does not guarantee glacier survival.

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Question 2

Current projections of global warming at 3°C above pre-industrial levels suggest that the human race __________ .

A. is on the brink of disaster and self-destruction
B. has effectively stopped the rise in global temperatures
C. is conscious of the climate threat and has reduced greenhouse gas emissions
D. is strictly adhering to the pledges in the 2015 Paris Agreement

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Question 3

There is hope of survival for a significant number of global glaciers in case _______________.

A. large-scale geoengineering projects are implemented the world over
B. communities depending on glaciers for fresh water and irrigation would wean off their dependency
C. innovative proposals like the 62-mile-long removable underwater curtain are not nipped in the bud
D. collective responsibility is undertaken to rapidly reduce greenhouse emissions globally

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Question 4

What does the writer mean by the statement-- 'It's a tough time to be a glacier'?

A. Glaciers are now fast losing their status of fresh water sources.
B. Only 50% of glaciers are likely to survive with the threat of climate change looming large.
C. Glaciers have to bear the brunt of climate change and face an appalling future.
D. Glaciers are unable to help humanity survive and sustain their needs.

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