Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:
‘The new line to be constructed was the Indus Valley Railway between Multan and Sukkur, a distance of nearly 300 miles. At the rate of 2000 sleepers per mile, this would require 600,000 sleepers 10 feet by 10 inches by 5 inches (or 3.5 cubic feet a piece), being upwards of 2,000,000 cubic feet. The locomotives would use wood fuel. At the rate of one train daily either way and at one maund per train-mile an annual supply of 219,000 maunds would be demanded. In addition, a large supply of fuel for brick-burning would be required. The sleepers would have to come mainly from the Sind Forests. The fuel from the tamarisk and Jhand forests of Sind and the Punjab. The other new line was the Northern State Railway from Lahore to Multan. It was estimated that 2,200,000 sleepers would be required for its construction.’
E.P. Stebbing, The Forests of India, Vol. II (1923).
Question (i)
Indus Valley Railway was to be constructed between:
(a) Lahore and Karachi
(b) Lahore and Multan
(c) Multan and Sukkur
(d) Lahore and Sukkur
Answer:
From the paragraph,
‘The new line to be constructed was the Indus Valley Railway between Multan and Sukkur, a distance of nearly 300 miles. At the rate of 2000 sleepers per mile, this would require 600,000 sleepers 10 feet by 10 inches by 5 inches (or 3.5 cubic feet a piece), being upwards of 2,000,000 cubic feet.
Answer: (c) Multan and Sukkur
Question (ii)
The distance between Multan and Sukkur was nearly:
(a) 300 miles
(b) 400 miles
(c) 200 miles
(d) 500 miles
Answer:
From the paragraph,
‘The new line to be constructed was the Indus Valley Railway between Multan and Sukkur, a distance of nearly 300 miles . At the rate of 2000 sleepers per mile, this would require 600,000 sleepers 10 feet by 10 inches by 5 inches (or 3.5 cubic feet a piece), being upwards of 2,000,000 cubic feet.
Answer: (a) 300 miles
Question (iii)
What was the size of each sleeper?
(a) 10 feet × 12 × 5 inches
(b) 12 feet × 10 × 5 inches
(c) 10 feet × 10 × 8 inches
(d) 10 feet × 10 × 5 inches
Answer:
From the paragraph,
‘The new line to be constructed was the Indus Valley Railway between Multan and Sukkur, a distance of nearly 300 miles. At the rate of 2000 sleepers per mile, this would require 600,000 sleepers 10 feet by 10 inches by 5 inches (or 3.5 cubic feet a piece) , being upwards of 2,000,000 cubic feet.
Answer: (d) 10 feet × 10 × 5 inches
Question (iv)
Which one was the other new line?
(a) Northern State Railway
(b) Southern State Railway
(c) Western State Railway
(d) Eastern State Railway
Answer:
From the paragraph,
The other new line was the Northern State Railway from Lahore to Multan . It was estimated that 2,200,000 sleepers would be required for its construction.’
Answer: (a) Northern State Railway.
