Comprehension
Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to sustainable development, with adverse impact on the environment, human health, food security, economic activity, natural resources and physical infrastructure. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the effects of climate change have already been observed, and scientific findings indicate that precautionary and prompt action is necessary. Vulnerability to climate change is not just a function of geography or dependence on natural resources; it also has social, economic and political dimensions which influence how climate change affects different groups. Poor people rarely have insurance to cover loss of property due to natural calamines i.e. drought, floods, super cyclones etc. The poor communities are already struggling to cope with the existing challenges of poverty and climate variability and climate change could push many beyond their ability to cope or even survive. It is vital that these communities are helped to adapt to the changing dynamics of nature. Adaptation is a process through which societies make themselves better able to cope with an uncertain future. Adapting to climate change entails taking the right measures to reduce the negative effect of climate change (or exploit the positive ones) by making the appropriate adjustments and changes. These range from technological options such as increased sea defences or flood proof houses on stilts to behavioural change at the individual level, such as reducing water use in times of drought. Other strategies include early warning systems for extreme events, better water management, improved risk management, various insurance options and biodiversity conservation. Because of the speed at which climate change is happening due to global temperature rise, it is urgent that the vulnerability of developing countries to climate change is reduced and their capacity to adapt is increased and national adaptation plans are implemented. Communities must build their resilience, including adopting appropriate technologies while making the most of traditional knowledge, and diversifying their livelihoods to cope with current and future climate stress. Local coping strategies and knowledge need to be used in synergy with government and local interventions. The need of adaptation interventions depends on national circumstances. There is a large body of knowledge and experience within local communities on coping with climatic variability and extreme weather events. Local communities have always aimed to adapt to variations in their climate. Local coping strategies are an important element of planning for adaptation. Traditional knowledge can help to provide efficient, appropriate and time tested ways of advising and enabling adaptation to climate change in communities who are feeling the effects of climate changes due to global warming.
Question: 1
To address the challenge of Climate Change, Developing countries urgently require:
To address the challenge of Climate Change, Developing countries urgently require:
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Implementation of National Adaptation Plans
- Adoption of short term plans
- Adoption of technological solutions
- Imposition of Climate Change tax
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The Correct Option is A
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The correct option is (A): Implementation of National Adaptation Plans
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This question asks what developing countries urgently need to do to address the challenge of climate change, based on the passage. Let's look at what each option claims and check it against the passage.
- Implementation of National Adaptation Plans: The passage states directly that it is urgent that the vulnerability of developing countries to climate change is reduced, their capacity to adapt is increased, and national adaptation plans are implemented. This is an explicit, direct statement from the passage, and it matches the urgency described.
- Adoption of short term plans: The passage never asks for short term plans. In fact, it stresses long term resilience building, diversifying livelihoods, and ongoing adaptation, which are the opposite of a short term fix.
- Adoption of technological solutions: Technological options like sea defences and flood proof houses are mentioned, but only as one item in a longer list that also includes behavioural change, early warning systems, water management, and traditional knowledge. Picking out only the technological piece narrows the passage's broader recommendation down to something it never singles out as the urgent need.
- Imposition of Climate Change tax: No tax of any kind is mentioned anywhere in the passage. This option is not supported by the text at all.
Only the first option is stated plainly in the passage as the urgent requirement for developing countries, so it is the one the passage actually supports.
Therefore, the correct answer is Implementation of National Adaptation Plans.
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Question: 2
Given below are the factors of vulnerability of poor people to climate changes. Select the option that contains the correct answer.
(1) Their dependence on natural resources
(2) Geographical attributes
(3) Lack of financial resources
(4) Lack of Traditional knowledge
Given below are the factors of vulnerability of poor people to climate changes. Select the option that contains the correct answer.
(1) Their dependence on natural resources
(2) Geographical attributes
(3) Lack of financial resources
(4) Lack of Traditional knowledge
(1) Their dependence on natural resources
(2) Geographical attributes
(3) Lack of financial resources
(4) Lack of Traditional knowledge
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- (2), (3) and (4)
- (1), (2), (3) and (4)
- (3) only
- (1), (2) and (3)
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The Correct Option is D
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The correct option is (D) :(1), (2) and (3).
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The question lists four possible factors of poor people's vulnerability to climate change and asks us to pick the combination the passage actually supports: (1) dependence on natural resources, (2) geographical attributes, (3) lack of financial resources, and (4) lack of traditional knowledge. Let's check each factor against the passage before checking the answer options.
- (2), (3) and (4): this drops factor (1), dependence on natural resources, even though the passage names it directly as a source of vulnerability, so this combination is incomplete.
- (1), (2), (3) and (4): this includes factor (4), lack of traditional knowledge. The passage actually treats traditional knowledge as a resource that helps communities adapt, not as something whose absence causes vulnerability, so including (4) makes this option too broad.
- (3) only: this leaves out (1) and (2), both of which the passage names directly as sources of vulnerability alongside the financial angle, so picking only (3) is far too narrow.
- (1), (2) and (3): the passage says vulnerability to climate change is not just a function of geography or dependence on natural resources, which confirms (1) and (2) as real factors, and it describes poor people lacking insurance to cover losses from droughts, floods and cyclones, which points to (3), a lack of financial resources. Traditional knowledge, factor (4), is left out correctly since the passage frames it as a strength communities draw on, not a cause of their vulnerability.
Only the combination of dependence on natural resources, geographical attributes, and lack of financial resources matches what the passage describes as making poor communities vulnerable.
Therefore, the correct answer is (1), (2) and (3).
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Question: 3
Which of the following is against the idea portrayed in the passage ?
Which of the following is against the idea portrayed in the passage ?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Co-ordination between regional and national efforts is necessary.
- The process of Adaptation to climate change does not take into account the factor of prevailing national circumstances.
- Social dimensions of climate change also need to be appreciated.
- Combining Traditional Knowledge with appropriate technology is the need of the hour.
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The Correct Option is B
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The correct option is (B) : The process of Adaptation to climate change does not take into account the factor of prevailing national circumstances..
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This question asks us to find the one statement that goes against the idea in the passage, meaning the other three should all agree with the passage while the correct answer contradicts it. Let's test each option.
- Co-ordination between regional and national efforts is necessary: this agrees with the passage, which says local coping strategies and knowledge need to be used in synergy with government and local interventions, so coordination across levels is exactly what the passage recommends.
- The process of Adaptation to climate change does not take into account the factor of prevailing national circumstances: this directly contradicts the passage, which states that the need of adaptation interventions depends on national circumstances. Since the passage says national circumstances are taken into account, a statement claiming they are ignored goes against the passage's idea.
- Social dimensions of climate change also need to be appreciated: this agrees with the passage, which lists social, economic and political dimensions as influencing how climate change affects different groups.
- Combining Traditional Knowledge with appropriate technology is the need of the hour: this agrees with the passage, which says communities must build resilience by adopting appropriate technologies while making the most of traditional knowledge.
Three of the four options restate ideas the passage supports, while only the second option states the reverse of what the passage says about national circumstances.
Therefore, the correct answer is The process of Adaptation to climate change does not take into account the factor of prevailing national circumstances.
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Question: 4
The Traditional Knowledge should be used through
The Traditional Knowledge should be used through
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Improvement in national circumstances
- Synergy between Government and local interventions
- Imposition of Climate Change Tax.
- Its dissemination
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The Correct Option is B
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The correct option is (B) : Synergy between Government and local interventions.
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The question asks how the passage says Traditional Knowledge should be used. Let's check each option against the text.
- Improvement in national circumstances: the passage never says traditional knowledge should be used to improve national circumstances. National circumstances are mentioned separately, as something that determines what adaptation interventions are needed, not as a channel for using traditional knowledge.
- Synergy between Government and local interventions: the passage states this directly, that local coping strategies and knowledge need to be used in synergy with government and local interventions. This is an exact match for how traditional knowledge is meant to be used.
- Imposition of Climate Change Tax: no tax is mentioned anywhere in the passage, so this has no support at all.
- Its dissemination: the passage talks about using traditional knowledge together with government action, not simply spreading or publicising it on its own, so this option misses the actual mechanism described.
Only the second option matches the passage's own words about how local coping strategies and traditional knowledge are meant to be used.
Therefore, the correct answer is Synergy between Government and local interventions.
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Question: 5
What is the meaning of the word 'Resilience‘ occurring in the passage ?
What is the meaning of the word 'Resilience‘ occurring in the passage ?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Toughness
- Fragility
- Flexibility
- Vulnerability
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The Correct Option is C
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The correct option is (C) : Flexibility.
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The question asks for the meaning of the word Resilience as it is used in the passage. To answer this, we need to look at how the passage actually uses the word, not just its dictionary definition in isolation. Let's check each option.
- Toughness: toughness suggests simply enduring hardship without changing. The passage's use of resilience is tied to communities adopting new technologies, using traditional knowledge, and diversifying their livelihoods, which is about adjusting and responding to change, not just enduring it unchanged.
- Fragility: this is close to the opposite of what the passage means. Fragility describes something easily broken or harmed, while the passage is describing communities actively building themselves up to cope with stress.
- Flexibility: the passage says communities must build their resilience, including adopting appropriate technologies while making the most of traditional knowledge, and diversifying their livelihoods to cope with current and future climate stress. This is a description of adjusting to changing conditions through multiple different means, which is what flexibility captures, the capacity to bend and adapt rather than stay rigid in the face of stress.
- Vulnerability: vulnerability is the opposite idea to resilience in this passage. The whole passage is concerned with reducing vulnerability by building resilience, so equating the two words would contradict the passage's own contrast between them.
Given how the passage links resilience to adopting new technologies, drawing on traditional knowledge, and diversifying livelihoods, the sense being conveyed is one of adapting and adjusting rather than simply holding firm or being weak.
Therefore, the correct answer is Flexibility.
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Top CLAT Questions
- In the realm of contemporary literature, the interplay between character and setting is a nuanced dance that shapes the narrative’s essence. The setting, often described with painstaking detail, becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes a character, influencing the plot and character development.
Consider, for instance, the barren expanse of the desert in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. The arid landscape mirrors the sense of isolation felt by the protagonist, Gogol, as he navigates his identity crisis in a foreign land. The relentless sun and vast sands are not mere descriptions; they are the silent witnesses to his inner turmoil.
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[Extracted, with edits, from “Justice and the Two Ideas of India”, by G. Mohan Gopal, Frontline] - Everything she wanted was here, at Carignano, in Kasauli. Here, on the ridge of the mountain, in this quiet house. It was the place, and the time of life, that she had wanted and prepared for all her life-as she realized on the first day at Carignano, with a great, cool flowering of relief - and at last she had it. She wanted no one and nothing else. Whatever else came, or happened here, would be an unwelcome intrusion and distraction. This she tried to convey to the plodding postman with a cold and piercing stare from the height of the ridge onto his honest bull back. Unfortunately, he did not look up at her on the hilltop but stared stolidly down at the dust piling onto his shoes as he plodded on. A bullock-man, an oafish ox, she thought bitterly. She stepped backwards into the garden and the wind suddenly billowed up and threw the pine branches about as though to curtain her. She was grey, tall and thin and her silk sari made a sweeping, shivering sound and she fancied she could merge with the pine trees and be mistaken for one. To be a tree, no more and no less, was all she was prepared to undertake.
What pleased and satisfied her so, here at Carignano, was its barrenness. This was the chief virtue of all Kasauli of course-its starkness. It had rocks, it had pines, it had light and air. In every direction there was a sweeping view - to the north, of the mountains, to the south, of the plains. Occasionally an eagle swam through this clear unobstructed mass of light and air, that was all. And Carignano, her home on the ridge, had no more than that. Why should it? The sun shone on its white walls. Its windows were open the ones facing north opened on to the blue waves of the Himalayas flowing out and up to the line of ice and snow sketched upon the sky, while those that faced south looked down the plunging cliff to the plain stretching out, flat and sere to the blurred horizon.
Yes, there were some apricot trees close to the house. There were clumps of iris that had finished blooming. There was the kitchen with a wing of smoke lifting out of its chimney and a stack of wood outside its door. But these were incidental, almost unimportant.
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The 19th century ushered in a new era of literary giants. Jane Austen’s novels, such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, provide incisive social commentary through the lens of wit and romance. Austen’s heroines, like Elizabeth Bennet and Elinor Dashwood, remain beloved literary figures known for their intelligence and resilience. The Romantic era brought forth poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who celebrated * 8 UG the beauty of nature and the emotional intensity of the individual. Wordsworth’s ‘‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’’ and Coleridge’s ‘‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’’ are testament to the power of the written words to evoke profound emotions and imagery. Moving towards 20th century, English literature continued to evolve. Virginia Woolf’s ground-breaking novel Mrs. Dalloway explored the inner thoughts and lives of its characters with a modernist narrative style. Dystopian visions, as seen in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four provided stark warnings about the dangers of totalitarianism and the erosion of individual freedom.
Today, English literature is a global phenomenon, transcending borders and languages. Indian authors like Arundhati Roy, with her novel The God of Small Things, have won prestigious international literary awards. The book not only explores intricate family dynamics but also delves into the broader socio-political landscape of India. In summary, English literature is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the written word. It encompasses an array of authors, themes, and styles that continue to captivate and inspire readers across the world. - On the evening of the 10th, General Dyer arrived at Amritsar, and the Deputy-Commissioner handed over the civil power to him. He issued a proclamation by word of mouth that no meetings should be held. Two days later, after there had been no sort of riot, nor murder, General Dyer heard that a meeting was to be held at the Jallianwala Bagh. He proceeded there with about fifty troops, half British, half Indian, and a certain number of Ghurkas, armed with their kukris. The Jallianwala Bagh is an open space, half a mile square, which has one entry wide enough for three persons. The troops got in and lined up on a mound of debris. The walls, seven feet high, and the surrounding houses enclosed the people. There were, too, three alleys through which the people might have been able to pass. Within thirty seconds of the troops getting in, General Dyer gave orders to fire, and the crowd of people, estimated at anything from 5,000 to 20,000, who were sitting on the ground peacefully listening to the mob oratory, were fired on. The result of the troops’ fire into the mass of people we do not know. But we do know that Dyer’s own estimate of the casualties resulting from ten minutes continual individual firing, was 400 to 500 killed and 1,500 wounded. The people were not able to escape. They were people who had not offered any violence and who had not been warned. These people were shot down. After ten minutes, the ammunition was exhausted and the troops marched off, and they left 1,500 wounded there. There were men lying there for two days, dying of thirst, eating the ground, bleeding to death and nobody to look after them. Those who lived nearby came and carried away some of the wounded from the heap of dead and dying, but the unfortunate country people died there miserably of their wounds. This is what is done in 1919 in British India…
Centuries hence you will find Indian children brought up to this spot, just as they visit now the Cawnpore Well, and you can imagine the feelings of these Indians for generations over this terrible business.
[Col. Wedgwood, MP, speaking in the British Parliament, 22 December 1919]
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