XAT 2022 Question Paper | Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

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Question 2 : Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.

Geologists have been investigating a potential cycle in geological events for a long time. Back in the 1920s and 30s, scientists of the era had suggested that the geological record had a 30-million-year cycle, while in the 1980s and 90s researchers used the best-dated geological events at the time to give them a range of the length between 'pulses' of 26.2 to 30.6 million years. Now, everything seems to be in order - 27.5 million years is right about where we'd expect. A study late last year suggested that this 27.5-million-year mark is when mass extinctions happen, too.

Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?

Explanatory Answer

The paragraph has two key ideas. One, that geological 'pulses' - potential cycles in geological events- are close to 27.5 million years, and two, that the 27.5 million year mark is when mass extinctions happen too. So, option B can be concluded from the passage.
Options A and E are somewhat related and both incorrect. The paragraph only talks about mass extinctions, not the extinction of all species. So, option E is incorrect. That not all species go extinct every 27.5 million years is not the main idea of the paragraph. Option C is incorrect as the paragraph talks of a cycle in geological events, not sporadic disasters. Option D is incorrect as the paragraph does not state that the pulse is an exact period. It just says that pulses are in a specific time range.

The answer is 'Mass extinctions and 'geological pulse' are correlated'

Choice B is the correct answer.