You said:

PASSAGE

The environment comprises all the physical social and cultural factors and conditions
influencing the existence or the development of an organism. Due to indiscriminate
industrialization man has created a state of decadence. He has continuously tampered “with
nature which has resulted in the threat to the sustenance of mankind. Although attempts have
been made to restore nature to its previous state of purity and serenity the e orts have not been
whole-hearted. Earth is the home we all share and would pass on to our future generations as
their legacy. But if they inherit the present state of the world they would be unable to sustain
themselves. Man has steadily improved the technologies and other means necessary for higher
production of wealth and for the availability of devices that could give more physical and mental
pleasures. The industrial revolution led to a drastic escalation of earth s surface temperature.
Man exploited nature for his benefits without any foresight as to what the implications of his
actions would be. Indiscriminate industrialization resulted in urban migration as the rural poor
settled in cities in search of opportunities. Cities already facing a population crisis could not
accommodate the migrants and this led to the development of slums. This has resulted in
increased pressure on the available resources and further degradation of the environment.

ANSWER
**Why would the future generations find it di icult to live on the earth?**

**Answer:** Because they have inherited an overexploited environment

**Explanation:** The passage emphasizes that future generations will inherit a degraded
environment due to human actions, making sustenance challenging.

**Concern presented in the passage is**

**Answer:** exploitation of nature

**Explanation:** The passage critiques humanity’s reckless exploitation of nature without

foresight, highlighting this as the core concern.

**Implication means**

**Answer:** consequences

**Explanation:** The term "implications" in the passage refers to the long-term

*consequences* of exploiting nature.

**A state of decadence has come about because of**

**Answer:** indiscriminate industrialization

**Explanation:** The passage directly links "indiscriminate industrialization" to environmental

decadence.
**Industrialization has resulted in**

**Answer:** population crisis; development of slums; Migration of people to the cities

**Explanation:** The passage connects industrialization to urban migration, population strain,

and slum development as interconnected outcomes.

PASSAGE

Floods are second only to fire as the most common of all natural disasters. They occur almost
everywhere in the world, resulting in widespread damage and even death. Consequently,
scientists have long tried to perfect their ability to predict floods. So far, the best that scientists
can do is to recognize the potential for flooding in certain conditions. There are a number of
conditions, from deep snow on the ground to human error, that cause flooding. When deep
snow melts it creates a large amount of water. Although deep snow alone rarely causes floods,
when it occurs together with heavy rain and sudden warmer weather it can lead to serious
flooding. If there is a fast snow melt on top of frozen or very wet ground, flooding is more likely to
occur than when the ground is not frozen. Frozen ground or ground that is very wet and already
saturated with water cannot absorb the additional water created by the melting snow. Melting
snow also contributes to high water levels in rivers and streams. Whenever rivers are already at
their full capacity of water, heavy rains will result in the rivers overflowing and flooding the
surrounding land. Rivers that are covered in ice can also lead to flooding. When ice begins to
melt, the surface of the ice cracks and breaks into large pieces. These pieces of ice move and
float down the river. They can form a dam in the river, causing the water behind the dam to rise
and flood the land upstream. If the dam breaks suddenly, then the large amount of water held
behind the dam can flood the areas downstream too. Broken ice dams are not the only dam
problems that can cause flooding. When a large human-made dam breaks or fails to hold the
water collected behind it, the results can be devastating. Dams contain such huge amounts of
water behind them that when sudden breaks occur, the destructive force of the water is like a
great tidal wave. Unleashed dam waters can travel tens of kilometres, cover the ground in
metres of mud and debris, and drown and crush every thing and creature in their path. Although
scientists cannot always predict exactly when floods will occur, they do know a great deal about
when floods are likely, or probably, going to occur. Deep snow, ice-covered rivers, and weak
dams are all strong conditions for potential flooding. Hopefully, this knowledge of why floods
happen can help us reduce the damage they cause.

ANSWER
**Deep snow accompanied by which of the following condition causes flooding?**

**Answer:** sudden warm temperatures combined with heavy rains causes flooding

**Explanation:** The passage explicitly states that deep snow alone rarely causes flooding, but
when combined with heavy rain and sudden warmer weather, it leads to serious flooding.

**A broken human-made dam is compared to what?**

**Answer:** a tidal wave

**Explanation:** The passage describes the destructive force of water from a broken dam as
"like a great tidal wave."

**Why does saturated ground contribute to flooding problems?**

**Answer:** the ground cannot absorb more moisture

**Explanation:** Saturated ground (already full of water) cannot absorb additional moisture
from melting snow or rain, leading to runo and flooding.

**How far can dam water travel when it is unleashed from a broken dam?**

**Answer:** tens of kilometres

**Explanation:** The passage specifies that unleashed dam waters can travel "tens of
kilometres."

**Which of the following are included as causes for floods in the reading passage?**

**Answer:** melting snow

**Explanation:** Melting snow is repeatedly cited as a key contributor to flooding, especially

when combined with other factors like heavy rain or frozen ground. Other options (droughts,
large lakes, poorly built roads) are not mentioned.

PASSAGE

Garbage is a great environment hazard. It comes from various sources—used paper, ti in

packing’s, plastic bags, ice-cream wrappers, bottle caps, fallen leaves from trees and many
more. Garbage makes the premises ugly, unkempt and breeds diseases. A lot of trash that is
thrown away contain material that can be recycled and reused such as paper, metals and glass
which can be sent to the nearest recycling centre or disposed of to the junk dealer. It also
contains organic matter such as leaves which can enrich soil fertility. A compost pit can be
made at a convenient location where the refuse can be placed with layers of soil and an
occasional sprinkling of water. This would help decomposition to make valuable fertilizer. This
would also prevent pollution that is usually caused by burning such organic waste

ANSWERS

**Garbage can create havoc to the mankind by**

**Answer:** only c (spreading several diseases)

**Explanation:** The passage explicitly states that garbage "breeds diseases." There is no
mention of foul smells or slowing vehicles, so only option c is correct.
**Garbage originates from**

**Answer:** used paper, ti in packings, plastic bags and fallen leaves from trees

**Explanation:** The passage lists these items directly as sources of garbage. Other options (e-
waste, hospitals, building materials) are not referenced.

**Which of these is correct with reference to a compost pit?**

**Answer:** all a, b, c

**Explanation:** The passage confirms that compost pits involve layering refuse with soil and
water (a), create fertilizer (b), and prevent pollution (c).

**What happens to the disposed material at the recycling centre?**

**Answer:** It is recycled for reuse

**Explanation:** The passage states that materials like paper and metals are "recycled and
reused" at recycling centers.

**Fallen leaves from trees are useful because they**

**Answer:** enrich soil fertility

**Explanation:** The passage directly links fallen leaves to enriching soil fertility through
composting.

PASSAGE

Hazardous waste is any waste material that is dangerous to human health or that degrades the
environment. Hazardous wastes include substances that are toxic, chemically active, corrosive,
or flammable. Many di erent types of materials are hazardous, and there are many possible
sources of hazardous wastes. Most households, for example, have substances that could
become hazardous wastes if not stored and disposed of properly. These include cleaning
chemicals such as drain cleaners and lawn chemicals such as herbicides. Other common
sources of hazardous wastes include automotive chemicals such as motor oil and brake fluid,
batteries, medical wastes, paints, dry cleaning chemicals, and agricultural chemicals such as
fertilizers and pesticides. Exposure to hazardous wastes may cause illness or even death in
people or other organisms. The chemical wastes at Love Canal, for example, caused high rates
of cancer in children and higher-than-normal numbers of miscarriages and birth defects.
Fetuses, infants, and young children are more susceptible to damage by hazardous wastes
because they are growing rapidly. Therefore, for their size, they tend to take in more of the toxic
chemicals. However, it is important to realize that just one person with cancer is not enough to
suspect contamination by hazardous wastes. Cancer occurs fairly often and has many possible
causes. Contamination is suggested by more than the normal number of cancers in a particular
area. This is called a cancer cluster. The presence of a cancer cluster was how groundwater
contamination was discovered in Woburn, Massachusetts. High rates of childhood leukemia
and certain other illnesses were diagnosed in children in this community. As a result of concern
by parents, well water was analyzed and shown to have high levels of a toxic chemical called
trichloroethylene. Two other chemicals that are especially toxic to humans are lead and
mercury. Lead was once a common ingredient in gasoline and paint, but it was banned for these
uses after it was shown to damage the human nervous system, especially in young children.
Mercury is produced naturally in volcanic eruptions. Other sources of mercury are batteries,
electronics, and the burning of coal. Like exposure to lead, exposure to mercury damages the
human nervous system.

**The hazardous waste problem discovered in Woburn, Massachusetts, involved contamination

of**

**Answer:** groundwater

**Explanation:** The passage specifies that well water (groundwater) contamination with
trichloroethylene was identified in Woburn due to a cancer cluster.

**Hazardous wastes include substances that are a. toxic. B. corrosive. C. flammable.**

**Answer:** all a, b, c

**Explanation:** The passage explicitly lists toxic, corrosive, and flammable substances as
types of hazardous waste.

**Hazardous items commonly found in households does not include**

**Answer:** paper

**Explanation:** The passage lists batteries, medical wastes, and paints as household
hazardous items but does not categorize paper as hazardous.

**Which age group is generally most susceptible to the ill e ects of hazardous chemicals?**

**Answer:** infants

**Explanation:** The passage highlights fetuses, infants, and young children as most
susceptible due to rapid growth and higher intake of toxins relative to their size.

**A cancer cluster is where there are**

**Answer:** more than the normal number of cancers in a particular area

**Explanation:** The passage defines a cancer cluster as an area with "more than the normal
number of cancers," indicating contamination.

PASSAGE

Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to sustainable

development, with adverse impacts on the environment, human health, food security,
economic activity, natural resources and physical infrastructure. Global climate varies naturally.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the e ects of climate
change have already been observed, and scientific findings indicate that precautionary and
prompt action is necessary. Vulnerability to climate change is not just a function of geography or
dependence on natural resources; it also has social, economic and political dimensions which
influence how climate change a ects di erent groups. Poor people rarely have insurance to
cover loss of property due to natural calamities i.e. drought, floods, super cyclones etc. The
poor communities are already struggling to cope with the existing challenges of poverty and
climate variability and climate change could push many beyond their ability to cope or even
survive. It is vital that these communities are helped to adapt to the changing dynamics of
nature. Adaptation is a process through which societies make themselves better able to cope
with an uncertain future. Adapting to climate change entails taking the right measures to reduce
the negative e ects of climate change (or exploit the positive ones) by making the appropriate
adjustments and changes. These range from technological options such as increased sea
defences or flood - proof houses on stilts to behavioural change at the individual level, such as
reducing water use in times of drought. Other strategies include early warning systems for
extreme events, better water management, improved risk management, various insurance
options and biodiversity conservation. Because of the speed at which climate change is
happening due to global temperature rise, it is urgent that the vulnerability of developing
countries to climate change is reduced and their capacity to adapt is increased and national
adaptation plans are implemented. Adapting to climate change will entail adjustments and
changes at every level from community to national and international. Communities must build
their resilience, including adopting appropriate technologies while making the most of
traditional knowledge, and diversifying their livelihoods to cope with current and future climate
stress. Local coping strategies and knowledge need to be used in synergy with government and
local interventions. The need of adaptation interventions depends on national circumstances.
There is a large body of knowledge and experience within local communities on coping with
climatic variability and extreme weather events. Local communities have always aimed to adapt
to variations in their climate. To do so, they have made preparations based on their resources
and their knowledge accumulated through experience of past weather patterns. This includes
times when they have also been forced to react to and recover from extreme events, such as
floods, drought and hurricanes. Local coping strategies are an important element of planning
for adaptation. Climate change is leading communities to experience climatic extremes more
frequently, as well as new climate conditions and extremes. Traditional knowledge can help to
provide e icient, appropriate and time - tested ways of advising and enabling adaptation to
climate change in communities who are feeling the e ects of climate changes due to global
warming.

**1. Factors of vulnerability of poor people to climate change:**

**Answer:** a, b, c (dependence on natural resources, geographical attributes, lack of

financial resources)

**Explanation:** The passage explicitly states that vulnerability includes dependence on

natural resources (a), geography (b), and socio-economic factors like lack of financial resources
(c). Lack of traditional knowledge (d) is not listed as a vulnerability factor.

**2. To address the challenge of climate change, developing countries urgently require:**
**Answer:** Implementation of national adaptation policy at their level

**Explanation:** The passage emphasizes the urgency of reducing vulnerability through

"national adaptation plans," aligning with this option.

**3. The traditional knowledge should be used through:**

**Answer:** Synergy between government and local interventions

**Explanation:** The passage specifies that local coping strategies must be used "in synergy
with government and local interventions."

**4. The main focus of the passage is on:**

**Answer:** Adaptation to climate change

**Explanation:** The passage centers on adaptation strategies, resilience-building, and

adjustments to cope with climate change.

**5. Adaptation as a process enables societies to cope with:**

**Answer:** a, b, c (an uncertain future, negative impacts, positive impacts)

**Explanation:** The passage states that adaptation involves adjustments to address both
negative e ects and exploit positive ones, all within an uncertain future.

---

**Final Answers:**

1. **a, b, c**

2. **Implementation of national adaptation policy at their level**

3. **Synergy between government and local interventions**

4. **Adaptation to climate change**

5. **a, b, c**

PASSAGE

The catastrophic monsoon floods in Kerala and parts of Karnataka have revived the debate on
whether political expediency trumped science. Seven years ago, the Western Ghats Ecology
Expert Panel issued recommendations for the preservation of the fragile western peninsular
region. Madhav Gadgil, who chaired the Union Environment Ministry’s WGEEP, has said the
recent havoc in Kerala is a consequence of short-sighted policymaking, and warned that Goa
may also be in the line of nature’s fury. The State governments that are mainly responsible for
the Western Ghats — Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra — must go back to
the drawing table with the reports of both the Gadgil Committee and the Kasturirangan
Committee, which was set up to examine the WGEEP report. The task before them is to initiate
correctives to environmental policy decisions. This is not going to be easy, given the need to
balance human development pressures with stronger protection of the Western Ghats ecology.
The issue of allowing extractive industries such as quarrying and mining to operate is arguably
the most contentious. A way out could be to create the regulatory framework that was proposed
by the Gadgil panel, in the form of an apex Western Ghats Ecology Authority and the State-level
units, under the Environment (Protection) Act, and to adopt the zoning system that it proposed.
This can keep incompatible activities out of the Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs). At issue in
the Western Ghats — spread over 1,29,037 sq km according to the WGEEP estimate and
1,64,280 sq km as per the Kasturirangan panel — is the calculation of what constitutes the
sensitive core and what activities can be carried out there. The entire system is globally
acknowledged as a biodiversity hotspot. But population estimates for the sensitive zones vary
greatly, based on interpretations of the ESZs. In Kerala, for instance, one expert assessment
says 39 lakh households are in the ESZs outlined by the WGEEP, but the figure drops sharply to
four lakh households for a smaller area of zones identified by the Kasturirangan panel. The goal
has to be sustainable development for the Ghats as a whole. The role of big hydroelectric dams,
built during an era of rising power demand and deficits, must now be considered afresh and
proposals for new ones dropped. Other low-impact forms of green energy led by solar power are
available. A moratorium on quarrying and mining in the identified sensitive zones, in Kerala and
also other States, is necessary to assess their environmental impact. Kerala’s Finance Minister,
Thomas Isaac, has acknowledged the need to review decisions a ecting the environment, in the
wake of the floods. Public consultation on the expert reports that includes people’s
representatives will find greater resonance now, and help chart a sustainable path ahead.

The balance between development and preservation should be there in order to develop the
area properly.
**1. Which among the following is the view of the Finance Minister of Kerala regarding the e orts
towards development of the Western Ghats Area?**

**Answer:** The state should engage public in the process of consultation regarding the
blueprint of the development of Western Ghats Area

**Explanation:** The passage states that Kerala’s Finance Minister acknowledged the need for
public consultation on expert reports, including people’s representatives, to chart a sustainable
path.

**2. According to the passage, the states a ected by the floods should do which among the
following to prevent such incidents in the future?**

**Answer:** The states should plan properly so that they can implement the
recommendations of the expert panels regarding the preservation of the Western Ghats
Area

**Explanation:** The passage emphasizes revisiting the Gadgil and Kasturirangan Committee
reports to initiate environmental policy correctives, aligning with this option.
**3. Which among the following should be the objective of all concerned regarding the
development of the Western Ghats Area?**

**Answer:** The Western Ghats Area should be preserved properly so that there is
sustainable development of the area

**Explanation:** The passage explicitly states that the goal must be "sustainable development
for the Ghats as a whole," making this the correct choice.

**4. Which among the following has been attributed by the experts as a reason of the recent
floods in Kerala and Karnataka?**

**Answer:** The political decision-making strategy has always taken the upper hand as
compared to the real interests of the environment

**Explanation:** The passage attributes the floods to "short-sighted policymaking" where

political expediency overruled scientific recommendations.

**5. Which among the following is the main issue pointed out in the passage in the
implementation of the expert panel reports in various states?**

**Answer:** The balance between development and preservation should be there in order
to develop the area properly

**Explanation:** The passage highlights the challenge of balancing human development

pressures with ecological protection as the core issue in implementing expert reports.

---

**Final Answers:**

1. **The state should engage public in the process of consultation...**

2. **...implement the recommendations of the expert panels...**

3. **...sustainable development of the area.**

4. **...political decision-making...upper hand...**

5. **...balance between development and preservation...**

PASSAGE

The oceans are so vast and deep that until fairly recently, it was widely assumed that no matter
how much trash and chemicals humans dumped into them, the e ects would be negligible.
Proponents of dumping in the oceans even had a catchphrase: "The solution to pollution is
dilution." Today, we need look no further than the New Jersey-size dead zone that forms each
summer in the Mississippi River Delta, or the thousand-mile-wide swath of decomposing plastic
in the northern Pacific Ocean to see that this "dilution" policy has helped place a once
flourishing ocean ecosystem on the brink of collapse. There is evidence that the oceans have
su ered at the hands of mankind for millennia, as far back as Roman times. But recent studies
show that degradation, particularly of shoreline areas, has accelerated dramatically in the past
three centuries as industrial discharge and runo from farms and coastal cities has increased.
Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants that are outside the norm for a given
ecosystem. Common man-made pollutants that reach the ocean include pesticides,
herbicides, chemical fertilizers, detergents, oil, sewage, plastics, and other solids. Many of
these pollutants collect at the ocean's depths, where they are consumed by small marine
organisms and introduced into the global food chain. Scientists are even discovering that
pharmaceuticals ingested by humans but not fully processed by our bodies are eventually
ending up in the fish we eat. Many ocean pollutants are released into the environment far
upstream from coastlines. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end
up in local streams, rivers, and groundwater and are eventually deposited in estuaries, bays,
and deltas. These excess nutrients can spawn massive blooms of algae that rob the water of
oxygen, leaving areas where little or no marine life can exist. Scientists have counted some 400
such dead zones around the world. Solid wastes like bags, foam, and other items dumped into
the oceans from land or by ships at sea are frequently consumed, with often fatal e ects, by
marine mammals, fish, and birds that mistake it for food. Discarded fishing nets drift for years,
ensnaring fish and mammals. In certain regions, ocean currents corral trillions of decomposing
plastic items and other trash into gigantic, swirling garbage patches. Pollution is not always
physical. In large bodies of water, sound waves can carry undiminished for miles. The increased
presence of loud or persistent sounds from ships, sonar devices, oil rigs, and even from natural
sources like earthquakes can disrupt the migration, communication, hunting, and reproduction
patterns of many marine animals, particularly aquatic mammals like whales and dolphins.

By increasing contaminants from one to the next trophic level

**1. Common man-made pollutants that reach the ocean do not include?**

**Answer:** Organic fertilizers

**Explanation:** The passage lists "chemical fertilizers" as pollutants, not *organic* fertilizers.

**2. Which of the following statement/s is/are not true?**

**Answer:** Only I and II

- **I. False**: Pollution is *not* always physical (e.g., sound pollution).

- **II. False**: Plastics are "frequently consumed" by marine animals, not rarely.

- **III. True**: Earthquakes (natural sound sources) disrupt marine life.

**3. Which of the following is/are true?**

**Answer:** Only II and III

- **II. True**: Oceans have su ered since Roman times.

- **III. True**: Solid wastes cause fatal e ects on marine life.

**4. Reason for shoreline degradation?**

**Answer:** Only I and II

- **I and II**: Industrial waste and coastal runo are explicitly cited as causes.

**5. How do nitrogen-rich fertilizers contribute to pollution?**

**Answer:** By absorbing all the oxygen from water...

**Explanation:** Excess nitrogen causes algal blooms that deplete oxygen, creating dead
zones.

---

**Final Answers:**

1. **Organic fertilizers**

2. **Only I and II**

3. **Only II and III**

4. **Only I and II**

5. **By absorbing all the oxygen from water...**

PASSAGE

Just a century ago it would have been hard to imagine that human beings could significantly
pollute the oceans. Human beings constitute the greatest threat to the oceans since the
development of the nuclear industry. Nuclear power has become a major source of the world’s
electric energy. But nuclear power plants also produce a great amount of nuclear waste which
remains hazardous for thousands of years. For the purpose of disposal, nuclear wastes are of
two categories: Low Level Waste (LLW), which includes several substances used in connection
with nuclear reactors and High Level Waste (HLW) which consists primarily of spent fuel from
nuclear reactors and weapons. Currently, there is no permanent method of disposal for HLW.
All the HLW that has been produced so far is being stored near the reactor sites in swimming
pools or in dry casks. These storage pools are not designed to store the waste for an indefinite
period of time. As high level nuclear waste presents a tremendous storage problem, dumping it
into the ocean was considered as the most cost-e ective solution. Even though dumping of
highly radioactive wastes at sea was banned worldwide for more than three decades, it still
continues. Russia has been dumping highly radioactive materials in the Arctic Sea. Until the
London Dumping Convention in 1983, the Atlantic Ocean was a favourite dumping ground for
nuclear nations like Great Britain, Germany, Japan, France, Switzerland and Sweden. The
dumping of nuclear wastes not only goes against international practice, but is also a violation of
international treaties. Dumping of the wastes is regulated by the 1972 Convention on the
Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (the 1972 London
Convention). The Convention outlawed the disposal of high-level wastes at sea. It required the
nations disposing of low-level radioactive wastes to do so in ocean basins at depths greater
than 12,000 feet. But the depths at which the actual dumping took place was within the range of
200 to 1,000 feet, which is a clear violation of the convention. Although the dumping of any
radioactive waste at sea has been prohibited by law since 1994, the status of sub-seabed
disposal has been ambiguous. If a resolution is made to extend the definition of “dumping” to
include “any deliberate disposal or storage of wastes or other matter in the sea-bed and the
subsoil thereof” and accepted by the convention, sub-seabed disposal will be prohibited, and
the decision may not be appealed for twenty five years. If it is so, then sub-seabed disposal will
be subjected to regulation and subsequent banning by the London Dumping Convention. Article
III, section 1(a) of the convention defines dumping as “any deliberate disposal at sea of wastes
or other matter from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures at sea.” On the
contrary, United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), reveals that the seabed,
ocean floor and subsoil is beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. The seabed area is beyond
the territorial jurisdiction of any nation and is open to use by all in accordance with commonly
acceptable rules. Even though UNCLOS may not directly prohibit sub-seabed disposal, there
are other provisions such as “to protect and preserve the marine environment” which will put a
legal binding on the member states while undertaking the disposal. Clifton Curtis, a political
adviser to Greenpeace International, who has fought against sub-seabed disposal method
since 1978 favours land-based disposal as a better option.

**1. Human beings are the greatest threats to oceans because**

**Answer:** they pollute oceans by dumping nuclear waste

**Explanation:** The passage explicitly states that human activities, particularly nuclear waste
dumping, pose the greatest threat to oceans.

**2. Nuclear nations practised dumping high-level nuclear waste into the ocean because**

**Answer:** it was the most cost-e ective solution

**Explanation:** The passage highlights that ocean dumping was chosen as the "most cost-
e ective solution" for disposing of high-level nuclear waste.

**3. The nuclear waste produced by nuclear power plants is dreaded as**

**Answer:** it remains hazardous for thousands of years

**Explanation:** The passage emphasizes that high-level nuclear waste "remains hazardous for
thousands of years," making it a long-term environmental threat.

**4. The status of sub-seabed disposal has been ambiguous because**

**Answer:** the definition of “dumping” does not include sub-seabed

**Explanation:** The ambiguity arises because the 1972 London Convention’s definition of
"dumping" did not explicitly cover sub-seabed disposal.

**5. The London Dumping Convention is important because**

**Answer:** it outlawed the disposal of high-level nuclear wastes at sea

**Explanation:** The passage clarifies that the Convention "outlawed the disposal of high-level
wastes at sea," marking its significance.

---

**Final Answers:**

1. **they pollute oceans by dumping nuclear waste**

2. **it was the most cost-e ective solution**

3. **it remains hazardous for thousands of years**

4. **the definition of “dumping” does not include sub-seabed**

5. **it outlawed the disposal of high-level nuclear wastes at sea**