IASbaba’s 60 Day Plan- Prelims Test 2018 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & CURRENT AFFAIRS [Day 37]

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Hello Friends, 

Welcome to Day-37.

Importance of Self – Tracking: Learning from Last Year

Last year, aspirants used to comment their answers in the comment box on daily basis. There were huge participation in discussion. Putting answers in comment box has been very effective to self-track yourself after updating the score. In the end, you can cross check your performance through Disqus profile.

It was highly effective in the last edition of 60 Days that propelled aspirants to monitor their performance and learn through discussion. Let you solve these questions with full honesty and write your result in the comment box. Interact with peers to know your mistakes.

The importance of this initiative stands time-bound and aggressive reverse engineering to learn the concepts. Many of you must be busy with your own strategy but let us tell you honestly that in the last two months, it is very important to revise and consolidate your learning. Just reading won’t suffice.

So, take out few hours from your schedule and make it a revision exercise.

How can you make the best use of it?

Be honest to your effort and do not start competing with XYZ aspirants here just for the sake of marks. It is more important for you to introspect and check your learning than focusing on others. Try to answer the questions in 20 minutes only. 

Do not get into negative feeling that I don’t have enough knowledge to answer these questions. Feel like you are taking the real exam. What would be your response then?

The same will be replicated in UPSC exam. Here, you get marks only and nothing else matters. So, make effort to know the answers to all questions. Do not cheat 😛

DETAILED MICRO ANALYSIS MATRIX SAMPLE– is given here. You can download this and do an assessment for yourself.  DOWNLOAD

• You can copy paste the same format/modify as per your need in Google Spreadsheet and update it on daily basis.
• Feedback talks about daily test results.
• Follow-up talks about daily target achieved from sources and the number of revisions to do/done and dates. Sources column is to ensure that aspirants do not run behind various sources and follow the same throughout.

Are you ready? Let’s start!

[Day 37]: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

Q.1) Fission reactors can be divided roughly into two classes, depending on the energy of the neutrons that sustain the fission chain reaction: thermal reactors and fast neutron reactors. Consider the following statements.

1. Thermal reactors (the most common type of nuclear reactor) use slowed or thermal neutrons to keep up the fission of their fuel.
2. Fast neutron reactors use fast neutrons to cause fission in their fuel.
3. Breeder reactors operate with thermal neutrons.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. All the above

Q.2) Consider the following statements.

1. The Nuclear Fuel Complex manufactures fuel assemblies for pressurized heavy water reactors only.
2. Heavy Water Board not only produces heavy water but also undertakes the task of boron enrichment.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None

Q.3) Consider the following statements about The Indian Nuclear Power Programme.

1. In the first stage of the programme, natural uranium fueled pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWR) produce electricity while generating plutonium-239 as by-product.
2. The Stage II Fast Breeder Reactors are designed to “breed” more fuel than they consume.
3. The Stage III reactor or an Advanced nuclear power system involves a self-sustaining series of thorium-232-uranium-233 fueled reactors.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. All the above

Q.4) Consider the following statements about applications of Nuclear science in agriculture.

1. Nitrogen-15 is used to assess soil quality.
2. Carbon-13 is used to know about how efficiently the crops use the nutrients.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None

Q.5) Consider the following statements.

1. Moderators slow down neutrons.
2. Moderators are composed of chemical elements such as boron, silver, indium and cadmium.
3. Control Rods absorb neutrons.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. All the above

Q.6) Which of the following are the types of energy that can be harnessed from sea/ocean?

1. Tidal energy
2. Marine current power
3. Ocean thermal energy
4. Osmotic power

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. All the above

Q.7) Which of the following best describes ‘Uranium enrichment’?

1. Increasing the concentration of U-235 isotope in the fuel.
2. Increasing the concentration of U-238 isotope in the fuel
3. Increasing the concentration of thorium in the fuel.
4. All the above

Q.8) In recent times, there is a rise in the exploration works of the shale gas. Which of the following statements are correct regarding ‘Shale Gas’?

1. It is predominantly Methane trapped in Shale rock formations.
2. The source of formation of shale gas is somewhere else and it travels through the permeable shale rocks and gets trapped in the pores.
3. Hydraulic Fracturing is the technique used for extraction of Shale gas.

Which of the above statements are correct?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 3
4. All of the above

Q.9) Consider the following statements regarding hydrogen fuel cells:

1. It is a clean energy device which converts chemical energy into electrical energy.
2. The byproduct of hydrogen fuel cell is Carbon dioxide.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.10) Lithium air battery is set to revolutionalise the feasibility and efficiency of electric vehicles. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Lithium air battery?

1. It produces much more energy as compared to Lithium ion battery.
2. In this process, Lithium reacts with oxygen to produce energy.
3. One exhausted, lithium air battery cannot be recharged.

Select the code from following:

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 3
4. All of the above

Q.11) China has built the first solar powered Highway in the World. Which of the following statements regarding the Highway are correct?

1. It is a 1 km long road built in Jinan.
2. It is made of three layers with transparent concrete on the top, photovoltaic panel in the middle and insulation on the bottom.
3. The electricity generated will be used to power street lights and snow melting system on the road.

Select the code from following:

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 3
4. All of the above

Q.12) Which of the following statements correctly defines cold fusion?

1. It is fusion of two molten metals at room temperature.
2. It refers to a nuclear fusion reaction taking place at cryogenic temperatures.
3. It refers to nuclear fusion reaction taking place at room temperature.
4. It refers to nuclear fusion reaction in the stars.

Q.13) Which of the following statements are correct regarding different generations of bio – fuels?

1. First-generation biofuels are those which are made from feedstocks that can also be consumed as human food.
2. Second-generation fuels are produced from sustainable feedstock but these feedstocks are not normally used for human consumption.
3. Third generation fuels are obtained from algae.

Which of the above statements are correct?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 3
4. All of the above

Q.14) A new concept of Space Based Solar Power (SBSP) is an idea under consideration to generate clean energy. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding SBSP?

1. It is the concept of collecting solar power in outer space and distributing it to Earth.
2. Solar collectors will collect the light in space and beam it back to earth as microwaves.

Select the code from following:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.15) Recently, an India-UK Joint Team won the Newton-Bhabha Fund for a project on –

1. Groundwater Arsenic Research in Ganga River Basin.
2. Tapping huge atomic mineral deposits in Kerala and to meet the energy needs of the country.
3. Mining precious metals trapped in magma on the seabed of the Indian Ocean.
4. Neutrino project in Theni district in Tamil Nadu.

Q.16) Consider the below statements about neutrinos and identify the incorrect statement:

1. Neutrino is a tiny elementary particle, but it is not part of the atom.
2. Neutrino has a very tiny mass, no charge and spin half.
3. Natural neutrinos are harmful as they generate radiation and can cause diseases.
4. Neutrinos come from the sun (solar neutrinos) and other stars, cosmic rays that come from beyond the solar system, and from the Big Bang from which our Universe originated.

Q.17) Recently, scientists have observed a new class of quantum matter created at low temperatures, in which a very large atom contains other ordinary atoms in the space between the nucleus and the electrons. The new state of matter is termed as –

1. Bose Fermion
2. Higgs Boson
3. Rydberg polarons
4. Telluride

Q.18) Consider the following statements about Noble Gases and identify the incorrect statement:

1. All of the elements in Group Zero are noble gases.
2. The list includes helium, neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn).
3. They are called noble gases because they are so majestic that, in general, they don’t react with anything.
4. Among all noble gases, Neon is the most reactive and xenon is very unreactive.

Q.19) Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

   List I                                                                               List II

Neutrino Observatory experiment names                   Countries

1. Daya Bay Reactor                                                     A) China
2. Hyper- Kamiokande                                                 B) Japan
3. NOvA                                                                        C) US
4. JUNO                                                                        D) India

Choose the correct match from below options:

  1-2-3-4

1. A-B-C-D
2. C-A-D-B
3. C-B-A-D
4. A-B-C-A

Q.20) Consider the following statements with regard to Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)

1. AERB is engaged in the development of nuclear power technology, applications of radiation technologies in the fields of agriculture, medicine, industry, and basic research.
2. The safety standards formulated by AERB are at par with those recommended by the international organisations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.21) Nikolaus Otto was famous for his 1876 discovery of –

1. Nuclear fission
2. Modern internal combustion engine
3. Protactinium
4. Bijov, the most powerful laser in the world

Q.22) Which of the following is not a ‘Multilateral Export Control Regime’?

1. Wassenaar Arrangement (WA)
2. Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
3. Australia Group (AG)
4. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Q.23) Consider the following statements about ‘Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF)’

1. It refers to the net increase in physical assets (investment minus disposals) within the measurement period
2. It does not account for the consumption (depreciation) of fixed capital, and also does not include land purchases

Select the correct statement

1. 1 Only
2. 2 Only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.24) Which of the following is/are correctly matched?

              Paintings               State

1. Chitrakathi             Maharashtra
2. Pattachitra             West Bengal
3. Patua                   Jammu & Kashmir

Select the correct code:

1. 1 Only
2. 2 Only
3. 1 and 2
4. 2 and 3

Q.25) ‘IFRS 9’ is associated with

1. Financial Instrument
2. Bear and Bull Markets
3. Mezzanine Financing
4. JICA and LEAP

Q.26) Which of the following is/are associated with ‘Conflict Diamonds’?

1. Kimberly Process
2. Fowler Report
3. Both (a) and (b)
4. Neither (a) nor (b)

Q.27) Consider the following statements about ‘Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR)’

1. It measures a bank’s capital in relation to its risk-weighted assets.
2. Under Basel III, the minimum capital adequacy ratio that banks must maintain is 4%.
3. It promotes financial stability and efficiency in economic systems throughout the world.

Select the correct statements

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 3
4. All of the above

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