Match List-I with List-II and, using the given codes, select the correct answer. List-I (Grassland) a. Steppes b. Prairies c. Welds d. Downs List-II (Country/Continent) 1. United States of America 2. South Africa 3. Russia 4. Australia
- (a)2 1 3 4
- (b)1 4 2 3
- (c)3 1 2 4
- (d)4 2 3 1
Correct — C, '3 1 2 4'. Each temperate grassland carries a distinctive regional name: the Steppes are the vast temperate grasslands of Russia/Central Eurasia (a-3); the Prairies are the grasslands of North America, i.e. the United States and Canada (b-1); the Veld — printed in the booklet as 'Welds' — is the grassland of South Africa (c-2); and the Downs are the grasslands of Australia (d-4). That gives a-3, b-1, c-2, d-4, which reads '3 1 2 4' — option (c).
- (a)2 1 3 4 — Puts Steppes in South Africa and the Veld ('Welds') in Russia — reversed. Steppes belong to Russia/Eurasia and the Veld to South Africa.
- (b)1 4 2 3 — Assigns the Steppes to the USA (that is the Prairies) and the Downs to Russia (the Downs are Australian) — two wrong pairings.
- (d)4 2 3 1 — Every pair is off — it links Steppes to Australia, Prairies to South Africa, Veld to Russia and Downs to the USA.
The world's temperate (mid-latitude) grasslands go by different local names in different continents. Fixing these names to their regions is a recurring map/matching task: Prairies (North America), Pampas (Argentina/Uruguay), Steppes (Russia and Central Asia), Veld (South Africa), Downs (Australia) and Canterbury (New Zealand). They share a semi-arid climate with hot summers, cold winters and grass-dominated vegetation.
The booklet spells the South African 'Veld' as 'Welds', but the intended grassland is clearly the Veld. Solve by anchoring the two easiest pairs first — Prairies = USA and Downs = Australia — which alone eliminates every option except (c).
- Steppes — temperate grassland of Russia / Central Eurasia.
- Prairies — temperate grassland of North America (USA and Canada).
- Veld (booklet 'Welds') — temperate grassland of South Africa.
- Downs — temperate grassland of Australia; Pampas (Argentina) and Canterbury (New Zealand) are the other classic names.
Reading the pairs a-3, b-1, c-2, d-4 gives the code '3 1 2 4' → option (c).
- Swapping Prairies (North America) and Steppes (Eurasia)
- Not recognising 'Welds' as the misspelt Veld of South Africa
MPPSC and UPSC ask this as a List-I/List-II match of grassland names to countries/continents, or as 'the grassland of country X is called ___'. Lock the six standard name-region pairs.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The temperate grassland region of Argentina and Uruguay is known as:
- (a)Pampas
- (b)Steppe
- (c)Prairie
- (d)Downs
Answer(a) Pampas — the temperate grassland of the Rio de la Plata region of South America.
- practice — not a real PYQ
'Canterbury' and 'Downs' are temperate grasslands associated respectively with:
- (a)New Zealand and Australia
- (b)Australia and New Zealand
- (c)South Africa and Australia
- (d)USA and New Zealand
Answer(a) New Zealand and Australia — Canterbury is New Zealand's grassland, the Downs are Australia's.