1   Examples of ancient stepwells can be found all over the world. FALSE

The first sentence in the second paragraph begins with the adjective phrase, "Unique to this region", which refers to the subject of the sentence, stepwells. Thus, stepwells are not found in other parts of the world.
In one sense, this is an easy question because getting the right just depends on knowing the meaning of unique and its grammatical role in the sentence. However, it may also a little difficult because if the single word unique is missed, you might think that the information is not given.

Knowledge or skills required:

• vocabulary (in this case, knowing the meaning of unique )

• close reading of every word of the text

​

2   Stepwells had a range of functions, in addition to those related to water collection. TRUE

This is an easy question. The second paragraph tells us that stepwells "were places of gathering, of leisure and relaxation, and of worship". Elsewhere in the text we learn that stepwells were places for artistic expression.

Knowledge or skills required:

• identifying the parts of the text that talk about the functions of something

3   The few existing stepwells in Delhi are more attractive than those found elsewhere. NOT GIVEN

The existence of a few surviving stepwells in Delhi is mentioned in the second paragraph, but there is no mention at all about their attractiveness.

Knowledge or skills required:

• recognizing when something is mentioned without further elaboration

4   It took workers many years to build the stone steps characteristic of stepwells. NOT GIVEN

Although we might imagine that some stepwells, which have hundreds of steps and which descend up to 11 stories, must have taken many years to build, there is no information at all in the text to support this reasonable supposition. Probably, no one knows for sure how long they took to build.

Knowledge or skills required

• avoiding reading into a text suppositions that, although reasonable, are not supported by the text and may be untrue given the lack of evidence

5   The number of steps above the water level in a stepwell altered during the course of a year. TRUE

This information is contained in the third paragraph, where we learn that the water level receded 'following the rains' (i.e., the rainy season), and that people had to descend more levels, and hence more steps, in order to get access to the water. To answer this question correctly, it is helpful to know the meaning of recede and that the rains refers to the Indian rainy season. If not, the correct answer can still be reasonably guessed from the last sentence in the thrid paragraph.

Knowledge or skills required

• vocabulary (knowing that 'the rains' refers to a season)

• connecting information in one sentence with that in another sentence.

​

6   Which part of some stepwells provided shade for people? PAVILIONS

You many not know that a pavilion is a kind of open-sided structure built for relaxing or entertaining outdoors, but the text tells us that they "sheltered visitors from the relentless heat". In other words, they provided shade for people. Thus, pavilions is the correct answer. 

Knowledge or skills required:

• ability to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words

7   What type of serious climatic event, which took place in southern Rajasthan, is mentioned in the article? DROUGHT

The answer is given in the last sentence of the fifth paragraph, "southern Rajasthan suffered an eight-year drought between 1996 and 2004". Getting the right answer here depends on knowing that a drought is a serious climatic event in which there is little or no rain for a long period. A clue is provided in the previous sentence, which mentions dry spells, where spell here means a period of time. It also helps to apply scanning skills. Searching for capital letters will help you quickly locate Rajasthan in the text.

Knowledge or skills required:

• vocabulary knowledge ('drought', 'spell')

• scanning for names

8   Who are frequent visitors to stepwells nowadays? TOURISTS

The answer is located in the final paragraph, which begins with the word today— a synonym here for nowadays. In this paragraph it says, "tourists flock to wells . . ." It is helpful to know that flock here is verb meaning to move in large numbers, just like a flock of birds. In other words, large numbers of tourists visit the wells nowadays.

Knowledge or skills required:

• identifying changes in time-frame (in this case, historical to present)

• understanding the meaning of unfamiliar words from context

​

9   Rani Ki Vav. . . Excellent condition, despite the EARTHQUAKE of 2001.

Rani Ki Vav is written in italics and thus easy to find. The number 2001 is also easy to find. Thus, the answer can easily be located in the final sentence in the paragraph on Rani Ki Vav, provided you have enough common sense to know that large earthquakes often damage ancient structures.

Knowledge or skills required:

• scanning to quickly locate keywords

• recognizing paraphrased information

10  Surya Kund. . .Steps on the FOUR SIDES produce a geometric pattern.

Having located the paragraph on Surya Kund, read until you see the words geometrical formation. Understand that this means roughly the same thing as geometric pattern and then read the whole sentence carefully again to see that it is the steps on four sides that produce this pattern.

Knowledge or skills required: 

• scanning to quickly locate keywords

• having located the relevant paragraph, close reading for specific information

• recognizing paraphrased information

11  . . . Looks more like a TANK than a well. 

Also in the Surya Kund paragraph, find the sentence that says "it actually resembles a tank . . . rather than a well". Understand that the question paraphrases this information

Knowledge or skills required: 

• scanning to quickly locate keywords

• having located the relevant paragraph, close reading for specific information

• recognizing paraphrased information

12  Chang Baori. . . Has VERANDAS which provide a view to the steps. 

As in the previous questions, the topic of the paragraph, Chang Baori, is written in italics, so it's easy to find. Read closely until you find a paraphrase of view to the steps. It's in the last sentence, which tells us that "verandas which are supported by ornate pillars overlook the steps." Thus, even if you don't know what a veranda is exactly, you can still recognise that it is a part of Chang Baori's structure that provides a view to the steps.

Knowledge or skills required: 

• scanning to quickly locate keywords

• close reading for specific information (in this case, paraphrased information)

• recognizing the function of unknown words in a sentence

13  Neemrana Ki Baori . . . Has two UNDERWATER levels.

Having easily located the paragraph on Neemrana Ki Baori, read closely. In the sentence that says "with the last two being underwater', recognize that two refers to storeys earlier in the sentence and that storey here is a another word for level. 

Knowledge or skills required: 

• scanning to quickly locate keywords

• close reading for specific information

• vocabulary knowledge (storey = level)

• recognizing the referents of numbers

​