English Comprehension PYQs

**Directions: Read the given passage carefully to answer the following questions.

Each question will have five alternatives as its answer. Choose the correct option as your answer.**

In recent years, minimalism has emerged as a guiding philosophy, advocating for a simplified and intentional approach to life. Sudha Murty, a prominent writer and philanthropist, recently addressed a gathering dominated by children and young adults, urging them to embrace a minimalist lifestyle. This concept, gaining traction, especially in developed nations, aims to unburden individuals from unnecessary baggage, fostering a more peaceful and contented existence. At its core, minimalism encourages making intelligent choices about what to keep and what to eliminate, with decluttering serving as its cornerstone. Bedrooms, often the most cluttered spaces in many homes, can significantly impact occupants' well-being and sleep habits. Advocates of minimalism suggest opting for minimalist bedrooms with streamlined wardrobes, creating environments conducive to focus and relaxation. Toys, too, occupy considerable space in modern households. Minimalism suggests decluttering by either eliminating unused items or donating them to orphanages, promoting a more purposeful use of living space. The philosophy extends beyond physical possessions, calling for a modification of lifestyle, a shift in mindset, and a reduction in unnecessary comforts. It emphasizes satisfying needs over succumbing to greed, prompting individuals to scrutinize each purchase for its absolute necessity.

Minimalism provides tangible benefits, including a more economical use of money and resources, decluttered living spaces, reduced waste generation, and a lower environmental impact. Fewer possessions translate to fewer distractions and increased happiness within the home. The philosophy encourages the use of convertible or multipurpose furniture, promoting a more efficient and versatile use of space. The kitchen, often prone to becoming a dumping ground for unnecessary items, is another target for minimalism. Advocates recommend buying only essential, locally sourced food items to minimise carbon emissions from transportation. Emphasizing nutrient-dense, environmentally friendly food choices, the philosophy suggests a mindful approach to consumption. In the digital age, minimalism extends to academics, researchers, and readers, urging them to replace printed books with digital versions. This not only saves space but also reduces the pressure on forests by decreasing paper consumption. The philosophy encourages the purchase of durable, reusable products, discouraging reliance on single-use items. It even suggests carrying reusable utensils during travel to minimise pollution from disposable items.

Consumerism, deeply entrenched in modern society, often leads to impulsive and unnecessary purchases. Minimalist living advises individuals to ________ spending, avoid falling into the consumerist trap set by supermarkets and shopping malls, and focus on intentional, essential purchases. The philosophy advocates for a holistic approach, encouraging individuals to declutter not only their physical spaces but also their thoughts, memories, and practices. In conclusion, minimalism is more than a trend; it is a way of life that promises dividends when embraced intentionally. Sudha Murty's call for a minimalist lifestyle resonates with the growing desire for simplicity and purpose in an increasingly complex world. By deliberately simplifying and decluttering various aspects of life, individuals can experience the tangible benefits of minimalism, leading to a more fulfilling and mindful existence.

**Directions: Read the given passage carefully to answer the following questions.

Each question will have five alternatives as its answer. Choose the correct option as your answer.**

In recent years, minimalism has emerged as a guiding philosophy, advocating for a simplified and intentional approach to life. Sudha Murty, a prominent writer and philanthropist, recently addressed a gathering dominated by children and young adults, urging them to embrace a minimalist lifestyle. This concept, gaining traction, especially in developed nations, aims to unburden individuals from unnecessary baggage, fostering a more peaceful and contented existence. At its core, minimalism encourages making intelligent choices about what to keep and what to eliminate, with decluttering serving as its cornerstone. Bedrooms, often the most cluttered spaces in many homes, can significantly impact occupants' well-being and sleep habits. Advocates of minimalism suggest opting for minimalist bedrooms with streamlined wardrobes, creating environments conducive to focus and relaxation. Toys, too, occupy considerable space in modern households. Minimalism suggests decluttering by either eliminating unused items or donating them to orphanages, promoting a more purposeful use of living space. The philosophy extends beyond physical possessions, calling for a modification of lifestyle, a shift in mindset, and a reduction in unnecessary comforts. It emphasizes satisfying needs over succumbing to greed, prompting individuals to scrutinize each purchase for its absolute necessity.

Minimalism provides tangible benefits, including a more economical use of money and resources, decluttered living spaces, reduced waste generation, and a lower environmental impact. Fewer possessions translate to fewer distractions and increased happiness within the home. The philosophy encourages the use of convertible or multipurpose furniture, promoting a more efficient and versatile use of space. The kitchen, often prone to becoming a dumping ground for unnecessary items, is another target for minimalism. Advocates recommend buying only essential, locally sourced food items to minimise carbon emissions from transportation. Emphasizing nutrient-dense, environmentally friendly food choices, the philosophy suggests a mindful approach to consumption. In the digital age, minimalism extends to academics, researchers, and readers, urging them to replace printed books with digital versions. This not only saves space but also reduces the pressure on forests by decreasing paper consumption. The philosophy encourages the purchase of durable, reusable products, discouraging reliance on single-use items. It even suggests carrying reusable utensils during travel to minimise pollution from disposable items.

Consumerism, deeply entrenched in modern society, often leads to impulsive and unnecessary purchases. Minimalist living advises individuals to ________ spending, avoid falling into the consumerist trap set by supermarkets and shopping malls, and focus on intentional, essential purchases. The philosophy advocates for a holistic approach, encouraging individuals to declutter not only their physical spaces but also their thoughts, memories, and practices. In conclusion, minimalism is more than a trend; it is a way of life that promises dividends when embraced intentionally. Sudha Murty's call for a minimalist lifestyle resonates with the growing desire for simplicity and purpose in an increasingly complex world. By deliberately simplifying and decluttering various aspects of life, individuals can experience the tangible benefits of minimalism, leading to a more fulfilling and mindful existence.

**Directions: Read the given passage carefully to answer the following questions.

Each question will have five alternatives as its answer. Choose the correct option as your answer.**

In recent years, minimalism has emerged as a guiding philosophy, advocating for a simplified and intentional approach to life. Sudha Murty, a prominent writer and philanthropist, recently addressed a gathering dominated by children and young adults, urging them to embrace a minimalist lifestyle. This concept, gaining traction, especially in developed nations, aims to unburden individuals from unnecessary baggage, fostering a more peaceful and contented existence. At its core, minimalism encourages making intelligent choices about what to keep and what to eliminate, with decluttering serving as its cornerstone. Bedrooms, often the most cluttered spaces in many homes, can significantly impact occupants' well-being and sleep habits. Advocates of minimalism suggest opting for minimalist bedrooms with streamlined wardrobes, creating environments conducive to focus and relaxation. Toys, too, occupy considerable space in modern households. Minimalism suggests decluttering by either eliminating unused items or donating them to orphanages, promoting a more purposeful use of living space. The philosophy extends beyond physical possessions, calling for a modification of lifestyle, a shift in mindset, and a reduction in unnecessary comforts. It emphasizes satisfying needs over succumbing to greed, prompting individuals to scrutinize each purchase for its absolute necessity.

Minimalism provides tangible benefits, including a more economical use of money and resources, decluttered living spaces, reduced waste generation, and a lower environmental impact. Fewer possessions translate to fewer distractions and increased happiness within the home. The philosophy encourages the use of convertible or multipurpose furniture, promoting a more efficient and versatile use of space. The kitchen, often prone to becoming a dumping ground for unnecessary items, is another target for minimalism. Advocates recommend buying only essential, locally sourced food items to minimise carbon emissions from transportation. Emphasizing nutrient-dense, environmentally friendly food choices, the philosophy suggests a mindful approach to consumption. In the digital age, minimalism extends to academics, researchers, and readers, urging them to replace printed books with digital versions. This not only saves space but also reduces the pressure on forests by decreasing paper consumption. The philosophy encourages the purchase of durable, reusable products, discouraging reliance on single-use items. It even suggests carrying reusable utensils during travel to minimise pollution from disposable items.

Consumerism, deeply entrenched in modern society, often leads to impulsive and unnecessary purchases. Minimalist living advises individuals to ________ spending, avoid falling into the consumerist trap set by supermarkets and shopping malls, and focus on intentional, essential purchases. The philosophy advocates for a holistic approach, encouraging individuals to declutter not only their physical spaces but also their thoughts, memories, and practices. In conclusion, minimalism is more than a trend; it is a way of life that promises dividends when embraced intentionally. Sudha Murty's call for a minimalist lifestyle resonates with the growing desire for simplicity and purpose in an increasingly complex world. By deliberately simplifying and decluttering various aspects of life, individuals can experience the tangible benefits of minimalism, leading to a more fulfilling and mindful existence.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the following question.

In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something broken in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the sea floor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove in a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and acoustic chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behaviour the first example of tool use in this species.

The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became apparent among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go through all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious.

Some species also don't have swim bladders or gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong popular signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as Barred Sandperch, which are favoured by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The sea floor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioural ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumour on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumour’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became unusual that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the sea floor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behaviour," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.