Read the given passage and answer the six questions that follow.
On a chilly winter evening, nothing warms you up better than a cup of hot cocoa. Chocolate was first consumed in liquid form by the Olmec people of northwestern Central America around 1500 BCE. It was even enjoyed by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma, and the Aztec word for it (xocolatl, pronounced shoh-kwah-tl) evolved into the English word Chocolate.
But the Aztecs didn’t serve their cocoa hot. And since sugar had not yet arrived from Europe, back then, the drink was often flavoured with peppers and spices. It may not have been quite as indulgent as today’s version, but it was more palatable if you believed, as the Aztecs did, that chocolate was a gift from the Gods and had healing properties.
After the Spanish arrived in the Americas in the 1500s, liquid chocolate made its way across the pond, where wealthy Europeans added sugar and drank it warm. In Chocolate: History, Culture and Heritage, author Bertram Gordon says hot chocolate became ‘‘the beverage of the aristocracy,’’ as sugar was still a luxury.
Soon enough, though, hot choclate caught on with the masses. Chocolate houses — a cross between cafes and casinos — started popping up around 17th-century Europe. In these lively places, hot chocolate was poured from gilded pots into elegant cups (for a posh experience, one can still find it today at the famed Parisian tearoom Angelina’s, which is also in New York City). But by the end of the 18th century, chocolate houses had mostly died off, partly because the cost of chocolate was much higher than that of coffee or tea.
Taking a tour of international cups of cocoa, Italians serve it like a thick pudding. Colombians serve it with a dollop of soft cheese while Mexicans punch it up with vanilla, chilli powder and cinnamon. And Filipinos serve it with mango chunks.
Which of the following varieties of coffee is the most sold in the world?
- Coffea Canephora
- Coffea Arabica
- Coffea Eugenioides
- A blend of Coffea Canephora and Coffea Arabica
The Correct Option is B
Approach Solution - 1
Approach Solution -2
Coffea Arabica is the most sold variety of coffee worldwide.
Context: Coffea Arabica is the most popular and widely consumed variety of coffee across the globe. Known for its smooth flavor and aromatic qualities, Arabica coffee beans make up the majority of global coffee production and sales.
Characteristics of Coffea Arabica: Arabica coffee beans are generally considered to have a milder taste compared to other coffee varieties, such as Robusta. They are known for their delicate, fruity, and slightly acidic flavor profile, making them a favorite among coffee enthusiasts worldwide.
Global Popularity: Coffea Arabica is responsible for approximately 60-70% of the world's coffee production. It is grown primarily in higher altitudes in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica, where the climate conditions are ideal for its cultivation.
Final Thought: Due to its superior taste and popularity, Coffea Arabica remains the most sold and consumed coffee variety globally, shaping coffee culture in many countries.
Which of the following species of coffee has more than two copies of each chromosome?
- Arabica
- Robusta
- Coffea Eugenioides
- A blend of Arabica and Robusta
The Correct Option is A
Approach Solution - 1
The question asks which species of coffee has more than two copies of each chromosome. This relates to the concept of polyploidy in biology, where an organism has more than two paired (homologous) sets of chromosomes. Arabica coffee is known to have this characteristic.
Arabica (Coffea arabica) is an allotetraploid, meaning it has four sets of chromosomes, which is more than the diploid number found in species like Coffea eugenioides and Robusta (Coffea canephora). Coffea eugenioides and Robusta typically have two copies of each chromosome (diploid).
Therefore, the correct answer is Arabica, which is a polyploid coffee species.
Approach Solution -2
Coffea Arabica is polyploid, meaning it has more than two copies of each chromosome.
Context: Coffea Arabica, the most popular variety of coffee, is polyploid, which means it has multiple sets of chromosomes. Unlike most organisms that are diploid (with two copies of each chromosome), polyploid organisms have more than two sets, which can influence their genetic diversity and characteristics.
Polyploidy in Coffea Arabica: Coffea Arabica is a hybrid species, resulting from the interbreeding of two other coffee species: Coffea canephora (Robusta) and Coffea eugenioides. As a result of this hybridization, Arabica coffee has four sets of chromosomes instead of the typical two, making it a tetraploid species.
Implications of Polyploidy: The polyploid nature of Coffea Arabica contributes to its genetic stability and may influence its resilience, flavor profile, and adaptability to different growing conditions. Polyploid species often have increased genetic variation, which can result in greater biodiversity and improved characteristics in crops.
Final Thought: The polyploid nature of Coffea Arabica plays a crucial role in its widespread cultivation and popularity, offering benefits in terms of genetic diversity and coffee quality.
Which of the following statements is true about Coffea Arabica?
- Hybridization is the main source of its genetic variation.
- It has only two copies of each chromosome.
- It displays the phenomenon of polyploidy.
- It is easily interbred with other species.
The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
To determine the correct statement about Coffea Arabica, let's analyze the provided options based on what is generally known about its characteristics:
- Hybridization is the main source of its genetic variation. Hybridization can lead to genetic variation, but it's not the most significant factor for Coffea Arabica. This coffee species generally has less genetic diversity compared to other species.
- It has only two copies of each chromosome. This describes a diploid organism, but Coffea Arabica is not diploid.
- It displays the phenomenon of polyploidy. Coffea Arabica is known to exhibit polyploidy. It is a tetraploid species, meaning it has four sets of chromosomes, which is a direct result of polyploidy.
- It is easily interbred with other species. Coffea Arabica is generally not easily interbred with other coffee species due to reproductive barriers.
Based on this analysis, the statement "It displays the phenomenon of polyploidy." is true about Coffea Arabica.
Approach Solution -2
Coffea Arabica displays the phenomenon of polyploidy.
Context: Coffea Arabica is known for exhibiting the phenomenon of polyploidy, which refers to the presence of more than two sets of chromosomes in an organism. This characteristic sets Coffea Arabica apart from many other coffee species and contributes to its unique genetic makeup.
Polyploidy in Coffea Arabica: Coffea Arabica is a tetraploid species, meaning it has four sets of chromosomes, compared to the typical two sets found in diploid species. This is the result of a natural hybridization event between two other coffee species, Coffea canephora (Robusta) and Coffea eugenioides.
Significance of Polyploidy: Polyploidy in Coffea Arabica enhances its genetic diversity and stability, which can improve its adaptability to different growing conditions. Additionally, polyploidy can contribute to desirable traits such as increased size and resilience, which makes Arabica coffee a preferred variety for many consumers.
Final Thought: The polyploid nature of Coffea Arabica is a key factor in its cultivation and widespread popularity, influencing both its genetic characteristics and its suitability for global coffee production.
Which of the following species of coffee developed only in the last 50,000 years?
- Coffea Canephora
- Coffea Eugenioides
- Arabica
- Robusta
The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
The origin of various coffee species can be complex, but Coffea Arabica is known to be a relatively recent hybrid. It is a cross between Coffea Canephora (commonly known as Robusta) and Coffea Eugenioides. This natural hybridization is believed to have occurred only within the last 50,000 years. In contrast, other coffee species like Robusta and Eugenioides have ancient lineages that stretch back much further.
Approach Solution -2
Coffea Arabica developed as a hybrid in the last 50,000 years.
Context: Coffea Arabica, the most widely consumed coffee species, developed as a hybrid relatively recently in geological terms. This hybridization occurred within the last 50,000 years and has contributed to its unique characteristics and widespread popularity.
Hybridization of Coffea Arabica: Coffea Arabica is the result of the interbreeding between two species: Coffea canephora (Robusta) and Coffea eugenioides. This hybridization process occurred naturally and led to the development of a new species with enhanced traits, such as improved flavor and higher resilience compared to its parent species.
Significance of Hybridization: The hybrid nature of Coffea Arabica gives it a distinct genetic profile, which not only makes it more adaptable to different environmental conditions but also contributes to the smooth, aromatic flavor that is favored by coffee drinkers worldwide. The hybridization also played a role in its dominance in coffee markets globally.
Final Thought: The hybridization of Coffea Arabica within the last 50,000 years has played a significant role in its development, leading to the emergence of a coffee species that is both genetically unique and commercially valuable.
Which of the following types of variability is not very high for Coffea Arabica?
- Variability at the structural level
- Variability at the chromosomal level
- Variability at the level of deletions and insertions
- Variability at the DNA level
The Correct Option is D
Approach Solution - 1
To determine which type of variability is not very high for Coffea Arabica, we analyze the options provided:
- Variability at the structural level: This refers to the variations in the overall morphology and physical structure of the plant.
- Variability at the chromosomal level: This involves changes and differences in the number or structure of chromosomes, which can lead to significant genetic diversity.
- Variability at the level of deletions and insertions: These are specific types of mutations that can lead to genetic changes, typically high in many organisms.
- Variability at the DNA level: This refers to variations in the DNA sequence itself, which can impact a large number of genes and phenotypes.
The correct answer is Variability at the DNA level. Generally, Coffea Arabica exhibits relatively low DNA-level variability compared to other types of variations mentioned, which affects its adaptability and resilience.
Approach Solution -2
Coffea Arabica has low variability at the DNA level.
Context: Coffea Arabica, although a hybrid species, exhibits relatively low genetic variability compared to other coffee species. This is due to its polyploid nature, where the four sets of chromosomes result in less genetic diversity at the DNA level.
Genetic Characteristics of Coffea Arabica: As a tetraploid species, Coffea Arabica has a more stable genetic structure compared to diploid species like Coffea canephora (Robusta). While this stability is beneficial for maintaining consistent traits, it also means that there is less genetic variation within the species, which can make it more vulnerable to disease and environmental changes.
Implications of Low Variability: The low genetic variability in Coffea Arabica limits the potential for rapid adaptation to changing environmental conditions or new threats. However, it also ensures that the high-quality traits associated with Arabica coffee, such as its smooth flavor and aroma, are preserved across generations.
Final Thought: While the low genetic variability in Coffea Arabica provides consistency in flavor and quality, it also presents challenges in terms of resilience and adaptability. This characteristic is an important factor in the cultivation and breeding of Arabica coffee.
Choose the statement that is factually incorrect from the options given below.
- It is possible to roast the beans of a single species of coffee.
- Two species of coffee can be blended to make a brew.
- Due to its genetic make-up, novel mutations do not occur in the species Coffea Arabica.
- Variations in disease resistance can be seen in the Arabica coffee plant.
The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
To identify the factually incorrect statement from the given options, let's analyze each one based on general botanical and genetic knowledge related to coffee plants, specifically Coffea Arabica, a widely cultivated species of coffee:
- 1. It is possible to roast the beans of a single species of coffee: This statement is true as coffee beans from a single species, such as Coffea Arabica or Coffea Robusta, can indeed be roasted alone to produce coffee.
- 2. Two species of coffee can be blended to make a brew: This is a factual statement. Blending different species, such as Arabica and Robusta, is common to create varied flavors and strengths in coffee brews.
- 3. Due to its genetic make-up, novel mutations do not occur in the species Coffea Arabica: This is an incorrect statement. Mutations can occur in any species, including Coffea Arabica, due to genetic variation and environmental influences. Therefore, novel mutations can indeed occur in this species.
- 4. Variations in disease resistance can be seen in the Arabica coffee plant: This statement is correct as different strains of Coffea Arabica can show variations in resilience against diseases, influenced by genetic diversity and breeding.
Thus, the statement that is factually incorrect is: Due to its genetic make-up, novel mutations do not occur in the species Coffea Arabica.
Approach Solution -2
Novel mutations do occur in Coffea Arabica, despite its genetic make-up.
Context: Although Coffea Arabica has relatively low genetic variability due to its polyploid nature, novel mutations can still occur. These mutations contribute to small changes in its genetic make-up, which may influence various traits such as disease resistance, yield, and flavor characteristics.
Mutations in Coffea Arabica: Mutations are random genetic changes that can happen over time, even in species with low variability. In Coffea Arabica, these mutations can lead to new variations in traits, some of which may offer advantages, such as improved resistance to pests or environmental stresses.
Impact of Mutations: While the genetic stability of Coffea Arabica ensures consistency in its high-quality coffee production, the occurrence of novel mutations can introduce beneficial traits or unexpected challenges. These mutations may allow for the development of new coffee varieties, or in some cases, lead to unforeseen vulnerabilities.
Final Thought: Despite its low genetic variability, Coffea Arabica is not immune to novel mutations, which can play an important role in the evolution of the species, affecting everything from disease resistance to flavor profiles and growth characteristics.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
- Shown below are letters ‘e’ taken from four popular logos, arranged in a sequence. Which of the options is the correct sequence?
- UCEED - 2026
- English Language Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Shown below are four options, each showing consecutive frames representing the movement of a pendulum of an old-style wall clock for an animation movie. Which is the correct option?
- UCEED - 2026
- English Language Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Acrucial moderating factor in how people experience comparisons is self-esteem. Individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to interpret upward comparison as informative rather than threatening. They are more resilient in the face of others’ success and more likely to believe they can reach their own goals. In contrast, people with low self-esteem are more prone to interpret comparison as judgment, reinforcing negative self-views and triggering feelings of inadequacy.
This dynamic creates a self-reinforcing loop. People with high self-esteem are less vulnerable to upward comparison, which intensifies those doubts. Those with a secure sense of self are more likely to use comparison as a learning tool. The same external stimulus—a colleague’s achievements, a friend’s popularity—can have radically different effects depending on internal stability.
Self-esteem also influences how people choose their comparison targets. Research has found that individuals often engage in “selective comparison,” seeking out those who confirm their existing beliefs about themselves. This can become a subtle form of self-sabotage. Someone who feels unworthy may subconsciously seek out targets that reinforce that sense, perpetuating a narrative of inferiority. One of the most promising antidotes to social comparison is temporal comparison—evaluating oneself not against others, but against one’s own past. This method has been shown to increase motivation and satisfaction, especially when individuals can see concrete progress. Temporal comparison activates the same reward circuits as social comparison but avoids the threat systems associated with social ranking. It also reinforces agency: individuals focus on what they can control and improve rather than what others control. In therapeutic and coaching settings, temporal comparison is used to help clients build self-efficacy and track growth over time.
Moreover, people who focus on self-improvement rather than social dominance are less likely to fall into cycles of envy or self-pity. They can still use others as inspiration, but they do so without attaching their self-worth to the outcome. This is not to say they never compare—but that they focus on learning, rather than judgment. The most skilful approach to comparison may lie in eliminating it, but in reframing it as feedback. When we interpret comparison as information rather than a verdict, we can ask, “What can I learn from this?” This shift turns comparison into a growth tool. Teachers mentor their students, not as rivals. Psychologists emphasize that the key variable here is mindset.
A fixed mindset sees comparison as a threat. If someone else is better, it means we are worse. A growth mindset sees comparison as a map. If someone else has reached a certain level, it means the path exists. This reframing is not just a cognitive trick. It changes the emotional tone of comparison, making it more likely to inspire than to wound. Reframing also requires emotional regulation—the ability to notice an initial pang of envy or shame without reacting impulsively. With practice, individuals can learn to pause, reflect, and reinterpret their emotional responses. Over time, this builds resilience and self-trust, allowing comparison to become a learning tool rather than a cage.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
When people who are talking don’t share the same culture, knowledge, values, and assumptions, mutual understanding can be especially difficult. Such understanding is possible through the negotiation of meaning. To negotiate meaning with someone, you have to become aware of and respect both the differences in your backgrounds and when these differences are important. You need enough diversity of cultural and personal experience to be aware that divergent world views exist and what they might be like. You also need the flexibility in world view, and a generous tolerance for mistakes, as well as a talent for finding the right metaphor to communicate the relevant parts of unshared experiences or to highlight the shared experiences while demphasizing the others. Metaphorical imagination is a crucial skill in creating rapport and in communicating the nature of unshared experience. This skill consists, in large measure, of the ability to bend your world view and adjust the way you categorize your experiences. Problems of mutual understanding are not exotic; they arise in all extended conversations where understanding is important.
When it really counts, meaning is almost never communicated according to the CONDUIT metaphor, that is, where one person transmits a fixed, clear proposition to another by means of expressions in a common language, where both parties have all the relevant common knowledge, assumptions, values, etc. When the chips are down, meaning is negotiated: you slowly figure out what you have in common, what it is safe to talk about, how you can communicate unshared experience or create a shared vision. With enough flexibility in bending your world view and with luck and charity, you may achieve some mutual understanding.
Communication theories based on the CONDUIT metaphor turn from the pathetic to the evil when they are applied indiscriminately on a large scale, say, in government surveillance or computerized files. There, what is most crucial for real understanding is almost never included, and it is assumed that the words in the file have meaning in themselves—disembodied, objective, understandable meaning. When a society lives by the CONDUITmetaphor on a large scale, misunderstanding, persecution, and much worse are the likely products.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
Later, I realized that reviewing the history of nuclear physics served another purpose as well: It gave the lie to the naive belief that the physicists could have come together when nuclear fission was discovered (in Nazi Germany!) and agreed to keep the discovery a secret, thereby sparing humanity such a burden. No. Given the development of nuclear physics up to 1938, development that physicists throughout the world pursued in all innocence of any intention of finding the engine of a new weapon of mass destruction—only one of them, the remarkable Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, took that possibility seriously—the discovery of nuclear fission was inevitable. To stop it, you would have had to stop physics. If German scientists hadn’t made the discovery when they did, French, American, Russian, Italian, or Danish scientists would have done so, almost certainly within days or weeks. They were all working at the same cutting edge, trying to understand the strange results of a simple experiment bombarding uranium with neutrons. Here was no Faustian bargain, as movie directors and other naifs still find it intellectually challenging to imagine. Here was no evil machinery that the noble scientists might hide from the problems and the generals. To the contrary, there was a high insight into how the world works, an energetic reaction, older than the earth, that science had finally devised the instruments and arrangements to coart forth. “Make it seem inevitable,” Louis Pasteur used to advise his students when they prepared to write up their discoveries. But it was. To wish that it might have been ignored or suppressed is barbarous. “Knowledge,” Niels Bohr once noted, “is itself the basis for civilization.” You cannot have the one without the other; the one depends upon the other. Nor can you have only benevolent knowledge; the scientific method doesn’t filter for benevolence. Knowledge has consequences, not always intended, not always comfortable, but always welcome. The earth revolves around the sun, not the sun around the earth. “It is a profound and necessary truth,” Robert Oppenheimer would say, “that the deep things in science are not found because they are useful; they are found because it was possible to find them.”
...Bohr proposed once that the goal of science is not universal truth. Rather, he argued, the modest but relentless goal of science is “the gradual removal of prejudices.” The discovery that the earth revolves around the sun has gradually removed the prejudice that the earth is the center of the universe. The discovery of microbes is gradually removing the prejudice that disease is a punishment from God. The discovery of evolution is gradually removing the prejudice that Homo sapiens is a separate and special creation.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in CUET exam
- Find the ratio of de-Broglie wavelengths of deuteron having energy E and \(\alpha\)-particle having energy 2E :
- CUET (UG) - 2026
- Dual nature of radiation and matter
- Had he ________ the importance of the meeting, he would have made sure to attend.
Rearrange the following parts to form a meaningful and grammatically correct sentence:
P. a healthy diet and regular exercise
Q. are important habits
R. that help maintain good physical and mental health
S. especially in today's busy world- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Sentence Arrangement
- The following solutions were prepared by dissolving 1 g of solute in 1 L of the solution. Arrange the following solutions in decreasing order of their molarity: (A) Glucose (molar mass = 180 g mol$^{-1}$)
(B) NaOH (molar mass = 40 g mol$^{-1}$)
(C) NaCl (molar mass = 58.5 g mol$^{-1}$)
(D) KCl (molar mass = 7(4)5 g mol$^{-1}$)
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Mole concept and Molar Masses
- Which one of the following guides the entry of the pollen tube into the embryo sac?
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Plant Evolution