Reading Comprehension

Which word in the passage is the opposite of ‘keep’?

Directions: Read the passage given below carefully and answer the question that follows.

On a stormy night, a traveller reached an inn. Finding the door locked as it was late in the night, he knocked at the door. The gate-keeper replied, “I have lost the key and the door cannot be opened unless you have a silver key with you.” The traveller understood that the silver key meant a silver coin. He slipped it through the hole and the door was opened. When the traveller entered inside he said, “I have left my box outside, please bring it.” As the gate-keeper went outside, the traveller closed the door behind him. The traveller repeated what the gate-keeper did to him by asking for a silver coin to re-open the door. The dishonest man had to return the silver coin by slipping it again through the hole. The traveller got his silver coin back. In life, dishonesty meets dishonesty.

Why was the man demanding a silver coin?

Directions: Read the passage given below carefully and answer the question that follows.

On a stormy night, a traveller reached an inn. Finding the door locked as it was late in the night, he knocked at the door. The gate-keeper replied, “I have lost the key and the door cannot be opened unless you have a silver key with you.” The traveller understood that the silver key meant a silver coin. He slipped it through the hole and the door was opened. When the traveller entered inside he said, “I have left my box outside, please bring it.” As the gate-keeper went outside, the traveller closed the door behind him. The traveller repeated what the gate-keeper did to him by asking for a silver coin to re-open the door. The dishonest man had to return the silver coin by slipping it again through the hole. The traveller got his silver coin back. In life, dishonesty meets dishonesty.

Why was the door locked?

Directions: Read the passage given below carefully and answer the question that follows.

On a stormy night, a traveller reached an inn. Finding the door locked as it was late in the night, he knocked at the door. The gate-keeper replied, “I have lost the key and the door cannot be opened unless you have a silver key with you.” The traveller understood that the silver key meant a silver coin. He slipped it through the hole and the door was opened. When the traveller entered inside he said, “I have left my box outside, please bring it.” As the gate-keeper went outside, the traveller closed the door behind him. The traveller repeated what the gate-keeper did to him by asking for a silver coin to re-open the door. The dishonest man had to return the silver coin by slipping it again through the hole. The traveller got his silver coin back. In life, dishonesty meets dishonesty.

The bee's life was saved by

Directions: Read the passage given below carefully and answer the question that follows.

A bee fell into a river with a flow, unluckily. The river had strong waves of water in it. A dove was sitting on a branch of a tree. Its eyes fell upon the bee and saw that it was in a sorry state. Taking pity on the bee, it at once plucked a broad leaf and threw it near the bee. The bee climbed on the leaf, dried its wings and flew away. It was full of thankfulness for the good-natured and bighearted dove. After a few days, the bee noticed a cruel hunter trying to shoot the dove. The dove's life was in danger. Realising the serious situation, it flew directly to the hunter's hand, sat lightly on it and stung him just as he was about to shoot. The hunter missed the aim. He cried out in pain. The dove flew away. The bee had returned the help of the dove. Do unto others as you wish to be done to you.

Why did the dove save the bee?

Directions: Read the passage given below carefully and answer the question that follows.

A bee fell into a river with a flow, unluckily. The river had strong waves of water in it. A dove was sitting on a branch of a tree. Its eyes fell upon the bee and saw that it was in a sorry state. Taking pity on the bee, it at once plucked a broad leaf and threw it near the bee. The bee climbed on the leaf, dried its wings and flew away. It was full of thankfulness for the good-natured and bighearted dove. After a few days, the bee noticed a cruel hunter trying to shoot the dove. The dove's life was in danger. Realising the serious situation, it flew directly to the hunter's hand, sat lightly on it and stung him just as he was about to shoot. The hunter missed the aim. He cried out in pain. The dove flew away. The bee had returned the help of the dove. Do unto others as you wish to be done to you.

How was the silver coin exchanged?

Directions: Read the passage given below carefully and answer the question that follows.

On a stormy night, a traveller reached an inn. Finding the door locked as it was late in the night, he knocked at the door. The gate-keeper replied, “I have lost the key and the door cannot be opened unless you have a silver key with you.” The traveller understood that the silver key meant a silver coin. He slipped it through the hole and the door was opened. When the traveller entered inside he said, “I have left my box outside, please bring it.” As the gate-keeper went outside, the traveller closed the door behind him. The traveller repeated what the gate-keeper did to him by asking for a silver coin to re-open the door. The dishonest man had to return the silver coin by slipping it again through the hole. The traveller got his silver coin back. In life, dishonesty meets dishonesty.

Which of the following can be the most appropriate title for the given passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

What, according to the author, needs to be done in order to make electric cars more eco-friendly?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

Why, according to the author, are electric cars not a popular option among the people?

A. The recharging points are not easily available everywhere. B. Effective marketing of the eco-friendly cars has been lacking. C. Lack of appreciation among the people for the need of unpolluted air.

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

Why, according to the author, is the efficiency of electric cars low even before they actually hit the road?

A. A lot of energy is lost during the transit of electricity from the grid to the recharge point. B. The manufacturing cost of electric cars is much higher than that of the other cars. C. The batteries and the motors of electric cars are still relatively new and waste a lot of power.

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

Which of the following is/are the suggestion(s) that the author makes in order to popularise electric cars?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

Which of the following is NOT TRUE in context of the given passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

Directions: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

FEEDING

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

Which of the following can be inferred from the given passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.

Directions: Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

PICTURE

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.

As the price of gasoline spiked to record highs in 2007 and 2008, interest in alternatives to fossil fuels and electric transportation in particular, also spiked. It raised, however, many questions about the true environmental impact of electric cars.
The electric car is being upheld as an ethical, green, nifty and cheap alternative to the carbon dioxide-emitting automobiles clogging city roads around the world today. Though electric cars are not a popular choice, the industry's future plans are riding high on the hope that on improving certain factors, (which are currently deficient) such as, effective marketing, a growing public awareness of the need for clean air and the increase in demand, the prices would eventually be driven down.
However, battery powered vehicles may still fail to completely replace liquid fuel-fed–ones but with more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, there is a greater scope for a makeover in the way environment is impacted by the automobiles. However, if the power to charge the battery-operated vehicle is to be sourced from grids using conventional coal–fired power plants, the electric car wouldn't really be all that green. These would actually cause an increase in demand on the power plant's energy production causing them to produce more power and thus, more pollution unless greener ways of energy production are used. But as of now, the bulk of the electricity used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles is generated by fossil fuel burning power stations and only 12% by clean methods. Also, the amount of energy used by coal fired power stations   to create the electricity to recharge electric vehicles makes them half as efficient as diesel cars. Recent studies indicate that carbon emissions may reduce only by an insignificant level even if there is a sudden surge in demand for electric cars.
Other factors making rechargeable cars less efficient include the amount of electricity lost in the journey between the coal fired power stations which generate it and the point where it recharges the car and the energy lost by the faulty first-generation batteries and motors. The researchers calculated that of the energy burned in a power station, only a quarter reaches an electric car after leakages and losses along the supply chain, giving the vehicle an energy efficiency score of 24%. This amounts to more than 75% energy loss much before the car is even put on ignition. A modern diesel engine, by contrast, achieves 45% efficiency. This suggests that if fossil fuels are to be burned, it is much more efficient to do it within the engine of a vehicle rather than at a power station and then try to send it via the National Grid, where a lot of energy is wasted and finally to store it in a battery which in itself might leak power.
Electric cars may still survive since the car's emissions would be far less polluting than those that run on fossil fuels. With very minor emissions of sulphur caused when the batteries charge and discharge, when compared to current emissions standards, electric cars are zero emissions. The gasoline engine by comparison does not fare as well. Gasoline and diesel fuel burned in internal combustion engines for transportation account of 54 percent of nitrites of oxygen, 89 percent of carbon monoxide and 28 percent of carbon dioxide pollution produced. Switching to electric vehicles drops those percentages to zero and only slightly increases sulphur emissions. So, even when the power plants hum dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than an oil burning car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.