Q3. Write a précis of the following passage in about one-third of its original length. Do not give it any title.
(passage) Air pollutants have caused great damage to art objects throughout the industrialized world. Some excellent monuments of antiquity have been silently eaten away by pollutants. This can be clearly seen in many works of art like sculptures and carvings on historic buildings and cathedrals. The Taj Mahal, a miracle in marble and a historical monument, is facing grave danger from pollution created by existing foundries, power houses, railway yards and other industrial units. According to some environmentalists, the problem now seems to have been aggravated because of the commissioning of the Mathura Oil Refinery, about 40 km from the priceless monument. Whether the monument is going to be affected by the pollutants emitted from the refinery or not has created a controversy which is now being debated. Many reports on this have appeared in noted newspapers and journals. However, it is to be hoped that certain anti-pollution safeguards built into the refinery will minimise the effect of pollutants on the monument. According to some reports, pollutants from existing foundries, power houses and railway yards are already affecting the Taj Mahal. Black and brown patches are disfiguring the shiny white surface of the Taj. Reports in newspapers also speak of the formation of gypsum, scaling and flaking effects. Sulphur dioxide from the various sources mentioned, mixes with the atmospheric moisture and gets converted into sulphuric acid which settles down on the exterior of the Taj Mahal. The acid reacts with the marble (calcium carbonate) and corrosion and discolouration of the monument is the ultimate result. It looks as though more money will have to be spent on protecting the Taj Mahal from the effects of pollution than it took Shah Jehan to construct it. Perhaps the immediate solution to save the Taj Mahal lies in shifting the foundries and power houses from Agra, and in effectively supervising anti-pollution measures adopted by the refinery. Further, the coal locomotives
