Comprehension

Read the given passage and answer the six questions that follow.
Coffee’s genetic make-up is no trivial concern; 10 million tonnes of the crop were grown and sold in 2022–23. The coffee that we drink comes from two species: Coffea Canephora, which is also known as Robusta and Coffea Arabica, known as Arabica. In many cases, beans from the two species are blended to make a brew. But the beans of single species are also roasted and sold. Overall, Arabica beans represent around 56% of all coffee sold.
The above is an exacting definition of free will. What we commonly mean by free will is that we have a choice in most situations like, who you choose to marry, what profession you pursue or how you react to someone’s aggression. Sounds reasonable. But here’s the catch. Our ability to make that choice too is significantly restricted, dictated by our predispositions.
Most genetic variation in living organisms comes from hybridization with other species. However, this is a relatively rare event for Coffea Arabica because it has more than two copies of each chromosome — a phenomenon called polyploidy. Coffea Canephora has two copies of each chromosome, but Coffea Arabica contains multiple copies. This makes it much more difficult for Arabica to interbreed with other species.
As a result, Coffea Arabica’s main source of single nucleotide variation is mutation, which occurs at a steady rate over time. However, the species is also relatively young, having formed as a hybrid of Robusta and Coffea Eugenioides — another coffee species that is not widely cultivated — within the past 50,000 years. From that single plant, which has basically no variation, you create the whole species, and then the variation is only the novel mutations that have occurred since that event.
Despite this, there is substantial variation in the physical characteristics of the Arabica coffee plant, including different flavour profiles in the beans and variations in disease resistance, says emeritus geneticist Juan Medrano at the UC Davis Coffee Center at the University of California, Davis. “We’re always talking about low variability at the DNA level, but there is variability at the structural level, at the chromosomal level, at the level of deletions … and insertions,” Medrano says.

Question: 1

Cocoa was first introduced by the:

Updated On: Oct 29, 2024
  • American people
  • Olmec people
  • Aztec people
  • Spanish people
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The Olmec people were the first to consume cocoa.
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Question: 2

The Aztec people made their cocoa palatable by:

Updated On: Oct 29, 2024
  • serving it cold
  • adding sugar to the drink
  • spiking it with spices
  • drinking it as a medicine
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The Aztecs added spices to make the cocoa drink more palatable.
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Question: 3

Why did hot chocolate become "the beverage of the aristocracy" in Europe?

Updated On: Oct 29, 2024
  • The essential ingredient was out of reach of the commoners.
  • The Queen had a marked chocolate maker.
  • Only wealthy Europeans could buy it.
  • It was being consumed by the pharma companies.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Sugar, a luxury at the time, made hot chocolate a beverage for the wealthy.
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Question: 4

The Chocolate Houses didn’t survive past the 18th century because:

Updated On: Oct 29, 2024
  • people preferred tea/coffee to hot chocolate
  • it catered to the not-so-elite of society
  • chocolate was costlier than tea or coffee
  • the supply of cocoa dwindled over the years
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Chocolate was more expensive than tea or coffee, leading to the decline of Chocolate Houses.
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Question: 5

Choose the correct statement from the following:

Updated On: Oct 29, 2024
  • Italians serve hot chocolate flavored with spices.
  • Mexicans serve hot chocolate topped with a dollop of cream.
  • Colombians serve hot chocolate topped with a dollop of cheese.
  • Filipinos serve hot chocolate flavored with peppers.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Colombians serve hot chocolate with a dollop of cheese.
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Question: 6

Choose the correct meaning of the underlined expression: "Soon enough, though, hot chocolate caught on with the masses."

Updated On: Oct 29, 2024
  • was readily available in cafes
  • became popular among the commoners
  • hot chocolate did not appeal to people
  • masses got attracted to the rich experience of drinking hot chocolate
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

"Caught on with the masses" means becoming popular among the common people.
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