Daily Current Affair Quiz: 21st January 2020
1. Which of the following statements are true?
1. Hyperloop transportation system is a transportation system where a pod-like vehicle is propelled through a near-vacuum tube connecting cities at speeds matching that of an aircraft.
2. In hyperloop transportation, custom-designed capsules or pods are expected to zip smoothly through continuous steel tubes which are held at partial vacuum.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: c
Justification:
- The hyperloop concept is a brainchild of Tesla founder Elon Musk.
- In hyperloop transportation, custom-designed capsules or pods are expected to zip smoothly through continuous steel tubes which are held at partial vacuum.
- The pod which sandwiches the passenger compartment between an air compressor upfront and a battery compartment in the rear is supported by air caster skis at the bottom.
- The skis float on a thin layer of air provided under high pressure, eliminating rolling resistance and allowing for movement of the pods at high speeds.
- These capsules are expected to be driverless with estimated speeds of 1,000 km/h. Linear induction motors that are placed along the tube control the speed of the pod. Electronically-assisted acceleration and braking determines the speed of the capsule.
2. Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’?
(a) Andaman and Nicobar
(b) Nicobar and Sumatra
(c) Maldives and Lakshadweep
(d) Sumatra and Java
Ans: a
Justification:
- The Ten Degree Channel is a channel that separates the Andaman and Nicobar in the Bay of Bengal.
- The two sets of islands together form the Indian Union Territory (UT) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This channel is 150 km wide.
- It is said that when Western Trade wind was used by Arabians they crossed through this channel in fifteenth Century.
- It is so named as it lies on the 10-degree line of latitude, north of the equator.
3. Which of the following statements are true?
1. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) is a corporation run by the Ministry of Railways (India)
2.DFCC has been registered as a company under the Companies Act 1956.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: c
Justification:
- The DFCCIL is a corporation run by the Ministry of Railways (India) to undertake planning & development, mobilisation of financial resources and construction, maintenance and operation of the Dedicated Freight Corridors.
- DFCC has been registered as a company under the Companies Act 1956 on 30 October 2006.
4. Which of the following statements are true?
1. Irrawaddy dolphins are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
2. It is found only in the Irrawaddy River.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: a
Justification:
- Irrawaddy dolphins can grow to a length of 2.3 m and attain a weight of 130 kg.
- This species is closely related to the killer whale, a much larger, oceanic dolphin that can grow to 8m and weigh in excess of 6 tones.
- Although the species gets its common name from the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, where it also lives, it was first described in 1866 from a specimen found in the Vishakapatnam harbour in present day Andhra Pradesh on India’s east coast.
- Its range extends from the Bay of Bengal to New Guinea and the Philippines.
- Besides the Irrawaddy River, it is also found in India’s Ganges, and Southeast Asia’s Mekong River.
5. If a wetland of international importance is brought under the ‘Montreux Record’, what does it imply?
(a) Changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur in the wetland as a result of human interference.
(b) The country in which the wetland is located should enact a law to prohibit any human activity within five kilo metres from the edge of the wetland
(c) The survival of the wetland depends on the cultural practices and traditions of certain communities living in its vicinity and therefore the cultural diversity therein should not be destroyed
(d) It is given the status of ‘World Heritage Site’
Ans: a
Justification:
- The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
