Question

Read the passage given below:

1.	Mango (Mangifera indica) is Asia's most popular fruit and it has gained popularity around the world. It has long been a component of culture and religion as a useful and tasty fruit. In addition to taste, it has many good qualities thus making it to be called as 'King of Fruits'. Major mango-growing states in India include Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are the leading states in mango production.
2.	Mango is grown in an area of 5.58 million hectares of area in the world. India is the largest producer of mangoes with 46.02 and 45.88 percent of the total world area and production, respectively. However, India being the major shareholder in terms of mango production, exports only 0.52% of its total production indicating the huge gap in exporting of mangoes. Peru exports about 46%, Thailand 24%, Mexico 18% and Brazil 11% of their total mango production. These countries are the bigger challenges for Indian mango exports. Hence, efforts are needed to evolve cheap transportation mechanism, increase the trade agreements with major importing countries and enhance the productivity.
3.	The top importing country is United States of America, however, India exports only two percent of its total exports to the USA. The USA, European countries, the UK, Malaysia and Russia can be the other hotspots where India can target to export the mangoes. The critical issue for exporting to the USA is transportation cost (due to sea route distance) and limited shelf life of mango, while for Europe transportation costs as well as competition by African countries are the major hurdles.

The following chart shows the major export destinations of Indian mangoes in 2019-20:

Table: Major export destinations of Indian mangoes in 2019-20:

S. No.	Country	Percentage
1.	U.S.A.	2
2.	Kuwait	2
3.	Saudi Arabia	3
4.	Qatar	6
5.	Bangladesh	6
6.	Oman	7
7.	U.K.	9
8.	Nepal	24
9.	United Arab Emirates	33
10.	Bahrain	2
11.	Others	6

(Adapted for academic usage.)

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above:

(i) Complete the following analogy appropriately, based on your understanding of Para  (1)
We can say that for becoming the king of jungle, Lion has to be the strongest, bravest and the fiercest. Similarly, Mango is known as the king as the king of fruits because.

(ii) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of Para (2):  (1)
The statement that, India is the largest producer of Mangoes with 45.88 percent of the total world production can be attributed to Indian orchardists, is a/an ______ (fact/ opinion) because it is a/an ______ (subjective judgement/objective detail)

(iii) Justify the following in about 40 words:  (2)
India being the major shareholder 41 terms of mango production, exports only 0.52% of its total production.

(iv) Based on the table, which three countries were at par with each other in terms of mango import from India in 2019-20?  (1)

(v) The top mango importing country is the U.S.A., however, India exports only two percent of its total exports to the U.S.A. State any one inference that can be drawn from this.  (1)

(vi) In the given sentence taken from para-2, select the option that correctly replaces the underlined word, with its most likely antonym.  (1)
These countries are the bigger challenges for Indian mango exports.

1. enigmas
2. solutions
3. provocations
4. disputes

(vii) Why is India described as the largest producer of mangoes in the world? (Answer in about 40 words.)  (2)

(viii) Which of the following is the main takeaway from the study mentioned in the passage?  (1)

1. India needs to produce more mangoes so that more can be exported.
2. The UAE imported most mangoes from India in 2019-20.
3. India is the largest producer of mangoes and by putting in more efforts, has the potential to be the largest exporter too.
4. More study is needed to find ways to increase the export of mangoes from India.

Answer 1

(i) In addition to taste it has many good qualities.

(ii) The statement that, India is the largest producer of Mangoes with 45.88 percent of the total world production can be attributed to Indian orchardists, is a fact because it is an objective detail.

(iii) India is a big producer of mangos, but exports are limited. This highlights the need for cost-effective transportation, trade agreements, and increased productivity.

(iv) USA, Kuwait and Bahrain

(v) That means that rest of its major imports are drawn from other countries.

(vi) B. solutions

(vii) Mango cultivation in India covers 5.58 million hectares, accounting for 46.02% of global land area and 45.88% of overall production.

(viii) India is the largest producer of mangoes and by putting in more efforts, has the potential to be the largest exporter too.
Explanation:
India is the largest producer of mangoes and by putting in more efforts, it has the potential to be the largest exporter too.