General Knowledge

The earthquake on 8 October 2005, known as the Kashmir earthquake, was caused by tectonic dislocation along the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates. This is a classic example of an earthquake resulting from tectonic activity, not volcanic activity or flooding.

The Ancient Palace 'Bam' refers to the Arg-e Bam, which is a large fortress located in Bam, Iran. It is a well-known historical site and the largest adobe building in the world.

Mana Pools National Park is located in Zimbabwe, known for its wildlife and the Zambezi River. Therefore, option C is correct.

The novel 'Aangan' was written by Khadija Mastoor, a renowned Urdu novelist. She is well-known for this work, which is considered a classic in Urdu literature.

Rohtas Fort is historically known to have 14 gates, which were strategically built for defense and access control. This is a well-documented fact about the fort's architecture.

The International Geophysical Year (IGY) was a worldwide scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It was an international cooperative effort involving 67 countries to study Earth sciences and related phenomena. The question's date range (1st July to 31st December 1957) is incorrect as the IGY spanned 18 months, ending in December 1958, not 1957. However, the correct event for the given period is indeed the International Geophysical Year, making option A the correct answer.

Karun-3 Dam is located in Iran. It is one of the major hydroelectric dams on the Karun River in the southwestern part of the country.

The book "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" is authored by Yuval Noah Harari, making option B correct. The other authors listed have written different notable works but not this book.

Europe is the only continent among the options that does not have a desert. Asia and Africa both have large deserts such as the Gobi and Sahara, respectively. Therefore, Europe is the correct answer.

The book 'Aab-e-Hayat' was written by Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad, a prominent Urdu writer and scholar. This work is well-known in Urdu literature, confirming option D as correct.