question_answer

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Since its formation over 4.5 billion years ago, the Earth has been hit many times by asteroids and comets whose orbits bring them into the inner solar system. These objects, collectively known as 'Near Earth Objects' or NEOs, still pose a danger to the Earth today. Depending on the size of the impacting object, such a collision can cause massive damage on local to global scales.

The earth is occasionally hit by craggy remnants of creation known to cross the Earth's path.

These lie in a loose belt between Mars and Jupiter like so much rubble left over from creation.

The first asteroid was too faint to be seen by the naked eye. It was discovered by an Italian monk named Giuseppe Piazzi in Palermo, Sicily. The largest found is about 8 km wide.

Slamming into the Earth at roughly 26 km a second, a large asteroid could explode with the force of a million hydrogen bombs, lifting enough rock and dust to block most sunlight. Cold and darkness could last for months, destroying agriculture, leading to the death of billion or more people from starvation. The dangers posed by these intruders in the inner solar system are not the subject of serious scientific investigation. "The risk is real" said Dr. David Morrison, Chairman of the study undertaken by nearly 100 scientists, of NASA, Dr. Morrison further says that the asteroid threat has dawned on scientists only slowly as it is hard for the layman to comprehend. But the fact, he said, is that mankind lives in a kind of cosmic shooting gallery.

What can be done if one of these surveys finds as asteroid on a collision course with the Earth? Scientists and engineers are looking at ways of using a spacecraft to gently change the orbit of an asteroid.

(i)         Why NEOs are considered a threat?

(ii)        What impact would the explosion of an asteroid have on Earth?

(iii)       Find the synonyms for:

(a) Coarse features

(b) Small remaining portion

(iv)       Why are the dangers posed by asteroids a serious scientific investigation?

(v)        What is meant by 'craggy'? (Para 2)

(vi)       What is meant by 'remnants' (Para 3)

(vii)      Find the word opposite to 'frequently'. (Para.2)

(viii)     Find the word opposite to 'harshly'. (Para 3)

 

Answer:

(i) NEOs are considered a threat because such a collision can cause massive damage on local to global scales.

(ii) The explosion of an asteroid on Earth would result in massive damage to all kinds of lives on

Earth, on a global scale.

(iii)       (a) craggy

(b) remnant

(iv) The dangers posed by asteroids are a serious scientific investigation. An asteroid may come towards the earth sometime in future that investigation and research may help in preventing it from causing any damage.

(v) rough/rocky

(vi) bits and pieces

(vii) occasionally

(viii) gently