CAT 2023 Question Paper | VARC Slot 3

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Question 23 : The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

Gradually, life for the island's birds is improving. Antarctic prions and white-headed petrels, which also nest in burrows, had managed to cling on in some sites while pests were on the island. Their numbers are now increasing. "It's fantastic and so exciting," Shaw says. As birds return to breed, they also poo. This adds nutrients to the soil, which in turn helps the plants to grow back stronger. Tall plants then help burrowing birds hide from predatory skuas. "It's this wonderful feedback loop," Shaw says. Today, the "pretty paddock" that Houghton first experienced has been transformed. "The tussock is over your head, and you're dodging all these penguin tunnels," she says. The orchids and tiny herb that had been protected by fencing have started turning up all over the place.

Explanatory Answer

The given paragraph describes how, in the absence of pests, birds have returned to breed, plants have started growing back stronger and the ecosystem in general has become transformed for the better in the island. Option B is the best of the given summaries.

Option A is incorrect. According to the paragraph, pests 'were' on the island, but are no longer there.

The paragraph does not say the island has been 'brought under environmental protection'. So, option C is incorrect.

The paragraph does not specifically say the island in question is an Antarctic island. So, option D is incorrect.

The answer is 'In the absence of pests, life on the island is now protected, and there has been a revival of a variety of birds and plants.'

Choice B is the correct answer.