In Just a Few Years, Drones have Transformed From a Hobbyist Affair to GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

In just a few years, drones have transformed from a hobbyist affair to an all-together cultural wonder. This small wonder can, however, cause a lot of havoc. On January 21, flights in and out of an airport near New York were suspended temporarily because of drone sightings. Heathrow, London’s biggest airport, had to be shut briefly for the same reason a few days earlier. Close drone encounters are being increasingly reported by airline pilots. On December 15, a Boeing 737 plane managed to land safely after its wing was severely damaged in a collision with a drone. Along with that, drones are being misused in assassination attempts, to attack military bases, and to smuggle goods across countries and drugs into prisons.

All such incidents have increased the concern of the authorities. They find that the threat from attacks by rogue drones is continuously escalating in the absence of proper methods to control these drones. Signal jamming, the most popular method, if used in areas such as the airport, is prone to damaging other sensitive radio and navigation equipment, and the instruments on aircraft. Firing bullets or lasers to bring down a drone can be dangerous near a commercial airport or in public areas. Measures such as educating the drone pilots, imposing tough penalties, and installing features to prevent entry into restricted areas have helped to some extent but have not provided a comprehensive solution. Therefore, better technology is required to combat such rogue drones.

The bright side is that technology is improving. Recently, a big Spanish company announced that it has completed extensive testing of an anti-drone system called ARMS in “dangerous” places. It uses a sensitive radar to identify a drone and then uses infrared cameras to con}rm the type of the identified drone. It further determines the type of signals being used by the drone. This process of identification allows ARMS to attempt a carefully targeted form of jamming. This system can thus disable either a single drone or a swarm of them, without affecting any other electronic equipment nearby. Such systems can also be made portable so that they can be used at special events. It can be expected that they will become increasingly sophisticated, and in a few years, we will have complete control over the small wonder.

“In Just a Few Years, Drones have Transformed From a Hobbyist Affair to” is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates must have a solid grip in English GMAT reading comprehension. There are 4 multiple-choice questions in the above GMAT Reading Comprehension passages. GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions are delineated to evaluate candidates’ abilities to analyze and be conceptual for the answers. Candidates can brace up and take preparation by answering GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. What is the Main Point of the passage?

1. To discuss the various issues being faced because of the use of drones.
2. To establish that it is dif}cult to control the drones.
3. To identify the reasons that drones are posing security challenges.
4. To discuss the progress being made in the technology to control drones.
5. To discuss the drawbacks of drones and the measures to control them.

2. What is the purpose of the second paragraph?

1. To discuss the methods being used to control the drones.
2. To explain why it is dif}cult to control drones at airport.
3. To discuss the problems being faced for controlling the drones at airport.
4. To discuss the ef}ciency of methods being used to control drones at airport.
5. To discuss the measures to control drones and issues with them

3. Which of the following is an advantage of using ARMS? Mark as Guessed

1. Ability to disable a drone.
2. Ability to identify a drone and disable it without affecting other equipment.
3. Ability to disable just one drone at a time.
4. Ability to enter into restricted areas
5. Anti-jam design

4. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage? Mark as Guessed

1. Drones are being misused to smuggle goods across countries, in assassination attempts and to attack military bases.
2. Signal jamming is one of the most popular and effective methods to control drones.
3. Use of bullets and lasers to bring down drones in public areas can be dangerous.
4. ARMS has been tested for use in dangerous places.
5. ARMS can be made portable for use in special events.

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