Read the following passage carefully and choose appropriate option given below:
Lizard Island is only 30 km off the far north Queensland coast and 250 km north of Cairns, the most northernly city in northeastern Australia. The 1,012 hectare island is spectacularly rugged with vegetation ranging from grassland to rainforest and encompossing pandanus swamp, eucalypt woodland and mangroves. The most recent discoverers of this island were Sir Sydney Williams and another north Queensland businessman, Mr. John Wilson, now a Brisbane share broker. For several years from 1968, they camped on Lizard island for annual fishing holidays and in 1974 after obtaining a Queensland Government lease with other businessmen, built four cabins for guests. In the next step of development in 1978, they raised the number of bungalows to eight, then to fifteen in 1982 and in 1984 ultimately the complex was bought by the Queensland State Government Insurance Office. The island is consistently visited by those who seem to be quite careful about their health. Each has all the facilities expected in such an elegant resort including well-stocked minibar. It is because of this that Australian Prime Ministers for the decade or so have taken heed, as they constantly retreat to this island to rest, relax and lick the wounds of office. Since this island attracts people from all over the world, most of the time it remains packed. One of the island resort's founders, Queensland aviation pioneer, Sir Sydney Williams, affirms that a sturdy Arab Sheikh once came ashore from a chartered luxury yacht and tried to book a suite for the night. When told the place was full he hastily produced a cheque book and offered to buy it.
Lizard Island is situated nearest from:
(A) South Australia
(B) North Australia
(C) Cairns
(D) North Queensland coast
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (D) Only
The passage opens: Lizard Island is "only 30 km off the far north Queensland coast and 250 km north of Cairns". The nearest place named is the north Queensland coast.
(A) South Australia — Incorrect.
- Contradicted: the island lies in the far north, off northeastern Australia.
- South Australia is at the other end of the country.
(B) North Australia — Incorrect.
- Too broad: this is a whole region, not a point to measure from.
- The passage gives the distance from the north Queensland coast.
(C) Cairns — Incorrect.
- Misread: Cairns is 250 km away, much farther than the coast (30 km).
(D) North Queensland coast — Correct.
- At 30 km, it is the nearest point the passage names.
Tip: In this question the options do not follow the order of the statements (Option 1 = (D) Only, Option 2 = (C) Only, Option 3 = (B) Only, Option 4 = (A) Only). NTA often jumbles the options in this way, so after finding the correct statement, read the options carefully and mark the one with the right letter.