UPSC Prelims 2011·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

Passage- Ill In spring, polar bear mothers emerge from dens with three month old cubs. The mother bear has fasted for as long as eight months but that does not stop the young from demanding full access to her remaining reserves. If there are triplets, the most persistent stands to gain an extra meal and it may have the meal at the expense of others. The smallest of the litter forfeits many meals to stronger siblings. Females are protective of their cubs but tend to ignore family rivalry over food. In 21 years of photographing polar bears, I've only once seen the smallest of triplets survive till autumn. Mother bear

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. Atakes sides over cubs
  2. Blets the cubs fend for themselvesCorrect
  3. Cfeeds only their favourites
  4. Dsee that all cubs get an equal share

Explanation

The passage states, "Females are protective of their cubs but tend to ignore family rivalry over food." This directly implies that while the mother protects her cubs generally, she does not intervene when they compete for food. Instead, she lets them resolve the food competition among themselves, which means the cubs "fend for themselves" in this specific context. A) takes sides over cubs: Incorrect. The passage says she "tend to ignore family rivalry over food," not take sides. B) lets the cubs fend for themselves: Correct. By ignoring the rivalry over food, she allows the stronger or more persistent cubs to get more, and the weaker ones to get less, effectively letting them sort it out themselves. C) feeds only their favourites: Incorrect. The passage indicates that persistence and strength determine who gets food, not the mother's favoritism. She ignores the rivalry. D) see that all cubs get an equal share: Incorrect. The passage clearly states that the most persistent gains an extra meal at the expense of others, and the smallest forfeits many meals, showing an unequal distribution that the mother ignores.
Reading Comprehension: Passage- Ill In spring, polar bear mothers emerge from dens with three month old cubs. The mother bear has fasted for as
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