CBSE Class 7 English Reading Comprehension Biodiesel and Keoladeo Park Worksheet Set 04

Questions

Passage 1: Biodiesel

Daniel Blackburn has been trying to popularise vegetable oil as a fuel for cars in Britain. He points out that vegetable oil is a clean fuel whereas diesel emits pollutants that are harmful to health and contribute to global warming.
A diesel engine requires modification if it is to run on cooking oil. Blackburn spent 550 pounds to make his car's engine compatible with vegetable oil, but he feels it is money well spent. In 2003 he drove across Britain to persuade people to fill their cars with vegetable oil instead of diesel, and many people in Britain, especially in Wales, took his advice.
Some have switched to biodiesel, as its use does not require modification of the engine. It is a safe alternative fuel to replace petroleum diesel. It is a clean-burning fuel with high lubricity. It can be used by itself or mixed with petrol or diesel in any proportion. It acts like petroleum diesel but produces less air pollution, comes from renewable sources, is biodegradable and is safer for the environment. It can be made from vegetable oils, animal fats or even restaurant kitchens.
With global warming becoming a cause for concern and petroleum reserves declining, governments all over the world are stepping up research in biodiesel. In Germany there are over a thousand petrol pumps providing biodiesel. In France all diesel sold contains a certain percentage of biodiesel.
In India, biodiesel may eventually come mainly from the Jatropha plant (Ratanjyot). The plant produces a large amount of oil-bearing seeds. The oil obtained by crushing these seeds cannot be used for cooking, so it is ideal for conversion into biodiesel. Jatropha grows in all sorts of soil, even in wastelands and the arid regions of Rajasthan. Trial runs with biodiesel obtained from Jatropha have shown good results in that state.

Passage 2: Keoladeo National Park

A park created by a Maharaja, the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, is 176 km from Delhi and 55 km west of Agra and the Taj Mahal. Two kilometres from Bharatpur town, the royal family of Bharatpur developed the area in the late 19th century.
The Maharaja constructed small dams for water conservation and diverted water from a nearby irrigation canal, and soon thousands of water birds descended. Wanting to celebrate his success, he invited dignitaries of British and Princely India to shoot waterfowl.
The first recorded shoot was by Lord Curzon in 1902. In 1956 the shooting reserve became a sanctuary, but shooting continued until 1964, after which hunting was banned.
The ecosystem at the park continues to be fragile due to pressures of tourism and the need for water from surrounding villages. This 29 sq km freshwater shallow swamp, with kadam, babul and ficus trees, has rich aquatic vegetation, 50 species of fishes, five species of amphibians, 28 species of reptiles and more than 366 species of birds.
Migratory birds start arriving in October for wintering. Wetlands help maintain the fresh water flow within river systems. According to a report by Wetlands International, one third of the world's wetlands are located in Asia.