CAT 2005 VARC | Previous Year CAT Paper
Previous year paper questions for CAT 2005 VARC
The passage given below is followed by a set of questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.
A game of strategy, as currently conceived in game theory, is a situation in which two or more "players" make choices among available alternatives (moves). The totality of choices determines the outcomes of the game, and it is assumed that the rank order of preferences for the outcomes is different for different players. Thus the "interests" of the players are generally in conflict. Whether these interests are diametrically opposed or only partially opposed depends on the type of game.
Psychologically, most interesting situations arise when the interests of the players are partly coincident and partly opposed, because then one can postulate not only a conflict among the players but also inner conflicts within the players. Each is torn between a tendency to cooperate, so as to promote the common interests, and a tendency to compete, so as to enhance his own individual interests.
Internal conflicts are always psychologically interesting. What we vaguely call "interesting" psychology is in very great measure the psychology of inner conflict. Inner conflict is also held to be an important component of serious literature as distinguished from less serious genres. The classical tragedy, as well as the serious novel, reveals the inner conflict of central figures. The superficial adventure story, on the other hand, depicts only external conflict; that is, the threats to the person with whom the reader (or viewer) identifies stem in these stories exclusively from external obstacles and from the adversaries who create them. On the most primitive level this sort of external conflict is psychologically empty. In the fisticuffs between the protagonists of good and evil, no psychological problems are involved or, at any rate, none are depicted in juvenile representations of conflict.
The detective story, the "adult" analogue of a juvenile adventure tale, has at times been described as a glorification of intellectualized conflict. However, a great deal of the interest in the plots of these stories is sustained by withholding the unraveling of a solution to a problem. The effort of solving the problem is in itself not a conflict if the adversary (the unknown criminal) remains passive, like Nature, whose secrets the scientist supposedly unravels by deduction. If the adversary actively puts obstacles in the detective's path toward the solution, there is genuine conflict. But the conflict is psychologically interesting only to the extent that it contains irrational components such as a tactical error on the criminal's part or the detective's insight into some psychological quirk of the criminal or something of this sort. Conflict conducted in a perfectly rational manner is psychologically no more interesting than a standard Western. For example, Tic-tac-toe, played perfectly by both players, is completely devoid of psychological interest. Chess may be psychologically interesting but only to the extent that it is played not quite rationally. Played completely rationally, chess would not be different from Tic-tac-toe.
In short, a pure conflict of interest (what is called a zero-sum game) although it offers a wealth of interesting conceptual problems, is not interesting psychologically, except to the extent that its conduct departs from rational norms.
According to the passage, internal conflicts are psychologically more interesting than external conflicts because
- A.
internal conflicts, rather than external conflicts, form an important component of serious literature as distinguished from less serious genres.
- B.
only juveniles or very few "adults" actually experience external conflict, while internal conflict is more widely prevalent in society.
- C.
in situations of internal conflict, individuals experience a dilemma in resolving their own preferences for different outcomes.
- D.
there are no threats to the reader (or viewer) in case of external conflicts.
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
Option 1 is eliminated because it states that ‘internal conflicts’ are found in serious literature.
Option 2 states that ‘internal conflict is widely prevalent in society.
Option 4 talks about threat to the reader (which is ridiculous). None of these will address the query why internal conflicts are more interesting than external conflicts.
Answer is derived from: “Psychologically, most interesting situations arise when the interests of the players are partly coincident and partly opposed, because then one can postulate not only a conflict among the players but also inner conflicts within the players. Each is torn between a tendency to cooperate, so as to promote the common interests, and a tendency to compete, so as to enhance his own individual interests.”
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
Which, according to the author, would qualify as interesting psychology?
- A.
A statistician's dilemma over choosing the best method to solve an optimisation problem.
- B.
A chess player's predicament over adopting a defensive strategy against an aggressive opponent.
- C.
A mountaineer's choice of the best path to Mt. Everest from the base camp.
- D.
A finance manager's quandary over the best way of raising money from the market.
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
To be considered ‘interesting psychology’, the passage states that internal conflicts are essential. Bereft of internal conflicts a situation does not qualify to be psychologically interesting. In that case, the only example available in the options which includes internal conflict is in option 2.
Comparing the options, you notice that only in option 2 is there is a living adversary. Another clue is provided in option 4 – “the finance manager’s quandary” – in options 1, 3, and 4 they face confusion rather than ‘conflict’ – confusion cannot be equated with internal conflict – which is when, like in serious literature the adversary is not passive. In all three options the adversary is passive, and once the best choice is made (it may not be best owing to confusion) the ‘quandary’ ends. But in chess one understands that one’s choice triggers an array of options for the other, and the dynamism or unpredictability of the adversary’s reaction causes not confusion but ‘internal conflict”, which cannot end even after a choice is made.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
According to the passage, which of the following options about the application of game theory to a conflict-of-interest situation is true?
- A.
Assuming that the rank order of preferences for options is different for different players.
- B.
Accepting that the interests of different players are often in conflict.
- C.
Not assuming that the interests are in complete disagreement.
- D.
All of the above
Answer: Option D
Explanation :
All the options are given in the first paragraph itself. “...the rank order of preferences for the outcomes is different for different players. Thus the 'interests' of the players are generally in conflict. Whether these interests are diametrically opposed or only partially opposed depends on the type of game.” As a result, option 4 is a straightforward choice.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
Workspace:
The problem solving process of a scientist is different from that of a detective because
- A.
scientists study inanimate objects, while detectives deal with living criminals or law offenders.
- B.
scientists study known objects, while detectives have to deal with unknown criminals or law offenders.
- C.
scientists study phenomena that are not actively altered, while detectives deal with phenomena that have been deliberately influenced to mislead.
- D.
scientists study psychologically interesting phenomena, while detectives deal with "adult" analogues of juvenile adventure tales.
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
The difference is stated in this part of the passage: For the detective “the effort of solving the problem is in itself not a conflict if the adversary (the unknown criminal) remains passive, like Nature, whose secrets the scientist supposedly unravels by deduction.” The basic difference is that scientist deals with passive nature, whereas the detective has to deal with a criminal who may put obstacles (active) in his path. If the criminal remains passive there is no conflict. The reason for the difference in the problem solving process is then because of the difference in the object of the study. The objects of the scientist do not alter themselves because they (phenomena) are being observed. The object of the detective being aware that it (the criminal) is being observed/or may be observed tries to hide or mislead the detective. This is the reason for the difference in the problem solving process.
Option 1 states the difference as merely “inanimate vs. living”. Option 2 states the difference as “known vs. unknown” – not sufficient to change the process. What we are looking for is active vs. passive. Options 1 and 2 can both be passive.
Option 4 states that scientists study psychologically interesting phenomenon. This is contrary to the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
Each of the questions below consists of a set of labelled sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Choose the most logical order of sentences from the options.
- Similarly, turning to caste, even though being lower caste is undoubtedly a separate cause of disparity, its impact is all the greater when the lower-caste families also happen to be poor.
- Belonging to a privileged class can help a woman to overcome many barriers that obstruct women from less thriving classes.
- It is the interactive presence of these two kinds of deprivation - being low class and being female - that massively impoverishes women from the less privileged classes.
- A congruence of class deprivation and gender discrimination can blight the lives of poorer women very severely.
- Gender is certainly a contributor to societal inequality, but it does not act independently of class.
- A.
EABDC
- B.
EBDCA
- C.
DAEBC
- D.
BECDA
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
Statements B, C and D talk about class – which is introduced in statement E, along with gender. Hence, E starts the paragraph.
‘A congruence of class deprivation and gender discrimination’ in statement D and ‘these two kinds of deprivation’ in statement C make DC a mandatory pair.
Statement B can be very easily placed before this pair because of the reference to class and women, making EBDC the best sequence.
The word ‘similarly’ in statement A and the reference to ‘caste’ something similar to class make statement A better after EBDC than after E.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
Each of the questions below consists of a set of labelled sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Choose the most logical order of sentences from the options.
- When identity is thus ‘defined by contrast’, divergence with the West becomes central.
- Indian religious literature such as the Bhagavad Gita or the Tantric texts, which are identified as differing from secular writings seen as ‘western’, elicits much greater interest in the West than do other Indian writings, including India's long history of heterodoxy.
- There is a similar neglect of Indian writing on non-religious subjects, from mathematics, epistemology and natural science to economics and linguistics.
- Through selective emphasis that point up differences with the West, other civilizations can, in this way, be redefined in alien terms, which can be exotic and charming, or else bizarre and terrifying, or simply strange and engaging.
- The exception is the Kamasutra in which western readers have managed to cultivate an interest.
- A.
BDACE
- B.
DEABC
- C.
BDECA
- D.
BCEDA
Answer: Option D
Explanation :
Comparing statements B and D for starters as per the options, statement B scores over statement D.
BD versus BC (as per the options) – By several reading of the sentences it is possible to see that BC is mandatory or that statement C cannot be placed next to any other statement available except immediately after statement B because of its ‘there is similar neglect. The neglect is mentioned only in statement B.
BCED and BCDE would have been very difficult to decide. Fortunately we are not required to decide this, because BCED is the only choice.
Statement A then falls automatically at the end of the paragraph.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
Workspace:
Each of the questions below consists of a set of labelled sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Choose the most logical order of sentences from the options.
- This is now orthodoxy to which I subscribe- up to a point.
- It emerged from the mathematics of chance and statistics.
- Therefore the risk is measurable and manageable.
- The fundamental concept: Prices are not predictable, but the mathematical laws of chance can describe their fluctuations.
- This is how what business schools now call modern finance was born.
- A.
ADCBE
- B.
EBDCA
- C.
ABDCE
- D.
DCBEA
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
The best way to solve this one is not through the options. There are two possibilities for the ‘it’ in statement B. The ‘it’ is either ‘the fundamental concept’ in D (i.e. DB) or ‘modern finance’ in E (i.e. EB).
No other combination even as per the given options (CB and AB) would make sense if the ‘it’ is worked upon.
DB is not in the options. Now, one has to merely check if EBDCA makes sense and there is no other option to compare with.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
Each question has a base word that is used in the options given below. Choose the option in which the usage of the word is inappropriate.
NEAR
- A.
I got there just after you left – a near miss !
- B.
She and her near friend left early.
- C.
The war led to a near doubling of prices.
- D.
They came near to tears seeing the plight of the victims.
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
‘Near friend’ in option 2 is the incorrect usage. ‘Close friend’ which is the right idiom.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
Each question has a base word that is used in the options given below. Choose the option in which the usage of the word is inappropriate.
HAND
- A.
I have my hand full, I cannot do it today.
- B.
The minister visited the jail to see the breach at first hand.
- C.
The situation is getting out of hand here.
- D.
When the roof of my house was blown away, he was willing to lend me a hand.
Answer: Option A
Explanation :
To ‘have your hands full', is an idiom which means to be so busy that you do not have time to do anything else. Option 1 states ‘hand full’ which is a corruption of the idiom.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Workspace:
Each question has a base word that is used in the options given below. Choose the option in which the usage of the word is inappropriate.
FOR
- A.
He has a great eye for detail.
- B.
We are waiting for the day.
- C.
I can’t bear for her to be angry.
- D.
It couldn’t be done for ever.
Answer: Option D
Explanation :
Option 1 is a correct sentence because ‘to have an eye for detail’ is a standard idiom which means to be good at noticing a particular type of thing.
Option 2: We are waiting for the day – has no error. It can mean literally ‘waiting for the (wedding) day’ or idiomatically – ‘waiting for the opportunity’.
Option 3, however, seems to have a technical flaw. “I can’t bear for her to be angry” – None of the functions of either ‘bear’ (verb and noun) or the functions of ‘for’ (preposition and conjunction) seem to be applicable to this sentence. If ‘bear for’ is an idiom, our research is unable to find it.‘For ever’ variant of ‘forever’ has the following meanings in different contexts: Continually for example He was for ever looking at his watch.
For all time for example I'll love you for ever (and ever).
Though the spaced out forever is accepted as correct, none of the meanings of the word fits into the context of sentence 4. It couldn’t be done ever, or it could never be done will be correct versions.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
Workspace:
The passage given below is followed by a set of questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.
Crinoline and croquet are out. As yet, no political activists have thrown themselves in front of the royal horse on Derby Day. Even so, some historians can spot the parallels. It is a time of rapid technological change. It is a period when the dominance of the world's superpower is coming under threat. It is an epoch when prosperity masks underlying economic strain. And, crucially, it is a time when policy-makers are confident that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Welcome to the Edwardian Summer of the second age of globalisation.
Spare a moment to take stock of what's been happening in the past few months. Let's start with the oil price, which has rocketed to more than $65 a barrel, more than double its level 18 months ago. The accepted wisdom is that we shouldn't worry our little heads about that, because the incentives are there for business to build new production and refining capacity, which will effortlessly bring demand and supply back into balance and bring crude prices back to $25 a barrel. As Tommy Cooper used to say, 'just like that'.
Then there is the result of the French referendum on the European Constitution, seen as thick-headed luddites railing vainly against the modern world. What the French needed to realise, the argument went, was that there was no alternative to the reforms that would make the country more flexible, more competitive, more dynamic. Just the sort of reforms that allowed Gate Gourmet to sack hundreds of its staff at Heathrow after the sort of ultimatum that used to be handed out by Victorian mill owners. An alternative way of looking at the French "non" is that our neighbours translate "flexibility" as "you're fired".
Finally, take a squinl at the United States. Just like Britain a century ago, a period of unquestioned superiority is drawing to a close. China is still a long way from matching America's wealth, but it is growing at a stupendous rate and economic strength brings geopolitical clout. Already, there is evidence of a new scramble for Africa as Washington and Beijing compete for oil stocks. Moreover, beneath the surface of the US economy, all is not well. Growth looks healthy enough, but the competition from China and elsewhere has meant the world's biggest economy now imports far more than it exports. The US is living beyond its means, but in this time of studied complacency a current account deficit worth 6 percent of gross domestic product is seen as a sign of strength, not weakness.
In this new Edwardian summer, comfort is taken from the fact that dearer oil has not had the savage inflationary consequences of 1973-74, when a fourfold increase in the cost of crude brought an abrupt end to a postwar boom that had gone on uninterrupted for a quarter of a century. True, the cost of living has been affected by higher transport costs, but we are talking of inflation at 2.3 per cent and not 27 per cent. Yet the idea that higher oil prices are of little consequence is fanciful. If people are paying more to fill up their cars it leaves them with less to spend on everything else, but there is a reluctance to consume less. In the 1970s unions were strong and able to negotiate large, compensatory pay deals that served to intensify inflationary pressure. In 2005, that avenue is pretty much closed off, but the abolition of all the controls on credit that existed in the 1970s means that households are invited to borrow more rather than consume less. The knock-on effects of higher oil prices are thus felt in different ways - through high levels of indebtedness, in inflated asset prices, and in balance of payments deficits.
There are those who point out, rightly, that modern industrial capitalism has proved mightily resilient these past 250 years, and that a sign of the enduring strength of the system has been the way it apparently shrugged off everything - a stock market crash, 9/11, rising oil prices - that have been thrown at it in the half decade since the millennium. Even so, there are at least three reasons for concern. First, we have been here before. In terms of political economy, the first era of globalisation mirrored our own. There was a belief in unfettered capital flows, in free trade, and in the power of the market. It was a time of massive income inequality and unprecedented migration. Eventually, though, there was a backlash, manifested in a struggle between free traders and protectionists, and in rising labour militancy.
Second, the world is traditionally at its most fragile at times when the global balance of power is in flux. By the end of the nineteenth century, Britain's role as the hegemonic power was being challenged by the rise of the United States, Germany, and Japan while the Ottoman and Hapsburg empires were clearly in rapid decline, Looking ahead from 2005, it is clear that over the next two or three decades, both China and India - which together account for half the world's population - will flex their muscles.
Finally, there is the question of what rising oil prices tell us. The emergence of China and India means global demand for crude is likely to remain high at a time when experts say production is about to top out. If supply constraints start to bite, any declines in the price are likely to be short-term cyclical affairs punctuating a long upward trend.
By the expression 'Edwardian Summer', the author refers to a period in which there is:
- A.
unparalleled luxury and opulence.
- B.
a sense of complacency among people because of all- round prosperity.
- C.
a culmination of all- round economic prosperity.
- D.
an imminent danger lurking behind economic prosperity.
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
“Welcome to the Edwardian Summer...” (end of first paragraph) is the clue to choose the right answer. The passage does not talk about unparalleled opulence or a culmination of all round economic prosperity. Hence, options 1 and 3 can be eliminated.
Option 4 is eliminated because of the ‘imminent danger’. The tone of the writer is one of concern, and not danger. “Even so, there are at least three reasons for concern”, following the reasons for concern are stated. Edwardian as a vocabulary item means ‘of or pertaining to the reign of Edward VII’ or reflecting the opulence or self- satisfaction characteristic of this reign. Option 2 is correct because the writer is talking about ‘this time of studied complacency’ almost throughout the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
What, according to the author, has resulted in a widespread belief in the resilience of modern capitalism?
- A.
Growth in the economies of Western countries despite shocks in the form of increase in levels of indebtedness and inflated asset prices.
- B.
Increase in the prosperity of Western countries and China despite rising oil prices.
- C.
Continued growth of Western economies despite a rise in terrorism, an increase in oil prices and other similar shocks.
- D.
The success of continued reforms aimed at making Western economies more dynamic, competitive and efficient.
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
Option 1 can be eliminated because the points mentioned are in the paragraph previous to “There are…….the millennium.”
Option 2 can be eliminated because of the presence of the word ‘China’.
Option 4 talks of ‘reforms’, which are not mentioned in the passage in the context of the topic.
The main sentence in the passage that answers the question is:
“There are those who point out, rightly, that modern industrial capitalism has proved mightily resilient these past 250 years, and that a sign of the enduring strength of the system has been the way it apparently shrugged off everything - a stock market crash, 9/11, rising oil prices - that have been thrown at it in the half decade since the millennium.”
Option 3 is the only one that includes all three: a stock market crash, 9/11, rising oil prices.
Selection rather than elimination is the fastest way to answer this question.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
Which of the following best represents the key argument made by the author?
- A.
The rise in oil prices, the flux in the global balance of power and historical precedents should make us question our belief that the global economic prosperity would continue.
- B.
The belief that modern industrial capitalism is highly resilient and capable of overcoming shocks will be belied soon.
- C.
Widespread prosperity leads to neglect of early signs of underlying economic weakness, manifested in higher oil prices and a flux in the global balance of power.
- D.
A crisis is imminent in the West given the growth of countries like China and India and the increase in oil prices.
Answer: Option A
Explanation :
Options 2 and 3 get eliminated because there are broad generalizations. Such generalizations are the not the key arguments of the writer. The writer is quite specific about the time and space we are living in.
Option 4 gets eliminated because the option stresses the ‘imminent crisis’ whereas the writer does not, and is cautioning about studied complacency.
Option 1 encapsulates the key arguments of the writer by mentioning a few examples and urges ‘us to question’ our complacency which is the key argument of the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Workspace:
What can be inferred about the author's view when he states, 'As Tommy Cooper used to say "just like that"'?
- A.
Industry has incentive to build new production and refining capacity and therefore oil prices would reduce.
- B.
There would be a correction in the price levels of oil once new production capacity is added.
- C.
The decline in oil prices is likely to be short-term in nature.
- D.
It is not necessary that oil prices would go down to earlier levels.
Answer: Option D
Explanation :
The reference to Tommy Cooper occurs in the second paragraph. The writer talks about the ‘more than doubling of oil prices’ and our optimism that we would find a way to bring the prices down to pre increase levels. Then the writer in a completely sarcastic tone makes the reference to Tommy Cooper’s catch phrase, implying that this optimism is ridiculous. Given the author’s tone, option 4 is the only choice.
Options 1 and 2 are positive in tone, hence they are eliminated. There is nothing to substantiate option 3 in the passage.
Note: Tommy Cooper was a comedian- magician one of whose catchphrases during his performances was ‘Just like that’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
Workspace:
The passage given below is followed by a set of questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.
While complex in the extreme, Derrida's work has proven to be a particularly influential approach to the analysis of the ways in which language structures our understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit, an approach he termed deconstruction. In its simplest formulation, deconstruction can be taken to refer to a methodological strategy which seeks to uncover layers of hidden meaning in a text that have been denied or suppressed. The term ‘text’, in this respect, does not refer simply to a written form of communication, however. Rather, texts are something we all produce and reproduce constantly in our everyday social relations, be they spoken, written or embedded in the construction of material artifacts. At the heart of Derrida's deconstructive approach is his critique of what he perceives to be the totalitarian impulse of the Enlightenment pursuit to bring all that exists in the world under the domain of a representative language, a pursuit he refers to as logocentrism. Logocentrism is the search for a rational language that is able to know and represent the world and all its aspects perfectly and accurately. Its totalitarian dimension, for Derrida at least, lies primarily in its tendency to marginalize or dismiss all that does not neatly comply with its particular linguistic representations, a tendency that, throughout history, has all too frequently been manifested in the form of authoritarian institutions. Thus logocentrism has, in its search for the truth of absolute representation, subsumed difference and oppressed that which it designates as its alien ‘other’. For Derrida, western civilization has been built upon such a systematic assault on alien cultures and ways of life, typically in the name of reason and progress.
In response to logocentrism, deconstruction posits the idea that the mechanism by which this process of marginalization and the ordering of truth occurs is through establishing systems of binary opposition. Oppositional linguistic dualisms, such as rational/irrational, culture/nature and good/bad are not, however, construed as equal partners as they are in, say, the semiological structuralism of Saussure. Rather, they exist, for Derrida, in a series of hierarchical relationships with the first term normally occupying a superior position. Derrida defines the relationship between such oppositional terms using the neologism différance. This refers to the realization that in any statement, oppositional terms differ from each other (for instance, the difference between rationality and irrationality is constructed through oppositional usage), and at the same time, a hierarchical relationship is maintained by the deference of one term to the other (in the positing of rationality over irrationality, for instance). It is this latter point which is perhaps the key to understanding Derrida's approach to deconstruction.
For the fact that at any given time one term must defer to its oppositional 'other', means that the two terms are constantly in a state of interdependence. The presence of one is dependent upon the absence or 'absent-presence' of the 'other', such as in the case of good and evil, whereby to understand the nature of one, we must constantly relate it to the absent term in order to grasp its meaning. That is, to do good, we must understand that our act is not evil for without that comparison the term becomes meaningless. Put simply, deconstruction represents an attempt to demonstrate the absent-presence of this oppositional 'other', to show that what we say or write is in itself not expressive simply of what is present, but also of what is absent. Thus, deconstruction seeks to reveal the interdependence of apparently dichotomous terms and their meanings relative to their textual context; that is, within the linguistic power relations which structure dichotomous terms hierarchically. In Derrida's own words, a deconstructive reading "must always aim at a certain relationship, unperceived by the writer, between what he commands and what he does not command of the patterns of a language that he uses. . . .[It] attempts to make the not-seen accessible to sight."
Meaning, then, is never fixed or stable, whatever the intention of the author of a text. For Derrida, language is a system of relations that are dynamic, in that all meanings we ascribe to the world are dependent not only on what we believe to be present but also on what is absent. Thus, any act of interpretation must refer not only to what the author of a text intends, but also to what is absent from his or her intention. This insight leads, once again, to Derrida's further rejection of the idea of the definitive authority of the intentional agent or subject. The subject is decentred; it is conceived as the outcome of relations of différance. As author of its own biography, the subject thus becomes the ideological fiction of modernity and its logocentric philosophy, one that depends upon the formation of hierarchical dualisms, which repress and deny the presence of the absent ‘other’. No meaning can, therefore, ever be definitive, but is merely an outcome of a particular interpretation.
According to the passage, Derrida believes that:
- A.
Reality can be construed only through the use of rational analysis.
- B.
Language limits our construction of reality.
- C.
A universal language will facilitate a common understanding of reality.
- D.
We need to uncover the hidden meaning in a system of relations expressed by language.
Answer: Option D
Explanation :
The passage states, “in its simplest formulation, deconstruction can be taken to refer to a methodological strategy which seeks to uncover layers of hidden meaning in a text that have been denied or suppressed.” Options 1 and 3 are contrary to the passage, and option 2 gets eliminated because it says ‘construction of reality’ (interpretation in place of construction may have been acceptable).
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
Workspace:
To Derrida, 'logocentrism' does not imply:
- A.
A totalitarian impulse.
- B.
A domain of representative language.
- C.
Interdependence of the meanings of dichotomous terms.
- D.
A strategy that seeks to suppress hidden meanings in a text.
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
The passage states, “at the heart of Derrida’s deconstructive approach is his critique of what he perceives to be the totalitarian impulse of the Enlightenment pursuit to bring all that exists in the world under the domain of a representative language, a pursuit he refers to as logocentrism.”
Options 1 and 2 are eliminated form this point of view.
Option 4 is eliminated because deconstruction stands for seeking the hidden meaning and logocentrism stands for suppressing it.
If the above eliminates options other than option 3 what supports option 3 is to be found in the paragraph beginning, “In response to logocentrism, deconstruction posits the idea that the mechanism by which this process of marginalization and the ordering of truth occurs is through establishing systems of binary opposition.” The binary opposition is then explained as the interdependence in option 3.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
According to the passage, Derrida believes that the system of binary opposition
- A.
represents a prioritization or hierarchy.
- B.
reconciles contradictions and dualities.
- C.
weakens the process of marginalization and ordering of truth.
- D.
deconstructs reality.
Answer: Option A
Explanation :
This is directly stated in the passage. The system of binary opposition, or opposites like rational/irrational are not opposites, “rather, they exist, for Derrida, in a series of hierarchical relationships with the first term normally occupying a superior position.”
No option other than option 1 merits evaluation if this part of the passage, which is then explained in detail, is clearly understood.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Workspace:
Derrida rejects the idea of 'definitive authority of the subject' because
- A.
interpretation of the text may not make the unseen visible.
- B.
the meaning of the text is based on binary opposites.
- C.
the implicit power relationship is often ignored.
- D.
any act of interpretation must refer to what the author intends.
Answer: Option A
Explanation :
The answer can be inferred from the last paragraph, beginning, “Meaning, then, is never fixed or stable, …” followed by “Thus, any act of interpretation must refer not only to what the author of a text intends, but also to what is absent from his or her intention.” This is why Derrida rejects ‘definitive authority’.
In this case option 4 is contrary to the passage.
Option 3 is not relevant to the question, especially the ‘often’ in it.
Option 2 says the meaning is based on ‘binary opposites’ – whereas binary opposites may be an interpretation/analysis rather than the meaning of the text is based on it.
The last paragraph clearly supports the inference in option 1.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.
The audiences for crosswords and sudoku, understandably, overlap greatly, but there are differences, too. A crossword attracts a more literary person, while sudoku appeals to a keenly logical mind. Some crossword enthusiasts turn up their noses at sudoku because they feel it lacks depth. A good crossword requires vocabulary, knowledge, mental flexibility and sometimes even a sense of humor to complete. It touches numerous areas of life and provides an "Aha!" or two along the way.
- A.
Sudoku, on the other hand, is just a logical exercise, each one similar to the last.
- B.
Sudoku, incidentally, is growing faster in popularity than crosswords, even among the literati.
- C.
Sudoku, on the other hand, can be attempted and enjoyed even by children.
- D.
Sudoku, however, is not exciting in any sense of the term.
Answer: Option A
Explanation :
Elimination is an important process to find the correct answer in these questions.
Option 2 gets eliminated because of the idea of ‘popularity’ in it. This is a new idea and will require some reader intervention to support it. Reader intervention is not required in the last sentence of a paragraph.
Option 3 gets eliminated because of ‘even by children’- we need to assume that children lack ‘vocabulary’ etc. mentioned in the paragraph.
Option 4 contradicts the paragraph. The paragraph says it appeals to a logical mind.
In option 1, the comparison between Crossword and Sudoku is completed and the purpose of the paragraph is fulfilled. Note “sudoku appeals to a keenly logical mind.”
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.
Most firms consider expert individuals to be too elitist, temperamental, egocentric, and difficult to work with. Force such people to collaborate on a high- stakes project and they just might come to fisticuffs. Even the very notion of managing such a group seems unimaginable. So most organizations fall into default mode, setting up project teams of people who get along nicely.__________________________
- A.
The result, however, is disastrous.
- B.
The result is mediocrity.
- C.
The result is creation of experts who then become elitists.
- D.
Naturally, they drive innovations.
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
Option 1 is eliminated for ‘disastrous’ – the passage does not justify it – because they get along well.
Option 3 is eliminated since there is no evidence to suggest that experts are created from “project teams who get along nicely”.
Option 4 is eliminated because there is no evidence in the passage to suggest that “they drive innovation”.
Option 2 talks about the result of this ‘default mode’ where expert individuals are excluded and the selection is on the basis of conformity which is mediocrity.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.
Federer's fifth grand slam win prompted a reporter to ask whether he was the best ever. Federer is certainly not lacking in confidence, but he wasn't about to proclaim himself the best ever. "The best player of this generation, yes", he said, "But nowhere close to ever. Just look at the records that some guys have. I'm a minnow".___________________________________
- A.
His win against Agassi, a genius from the previous generation, contradicts that.
- B.
Sampras, the king of an earlier generation, was as humble.
- C.
He is more than a minnow to his contemporaries.
- D.
The difference between ‘the best of this generation' and ‘the best ever' is a matter of perception.
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
The passage is written to show how great Federer’s achievements are and how modest he is. The answer option concludes the paragraph by stating that – his contemporaries rate him much greater than Federer’s own modest assessment of himself.
Options 1 and 2 are thus eliminated. Though useful in continuing the passage they do not close the paragraph.
Rather than leaving it to the reader to decide about Federer (option 4, which then gets eliminated) option 3 brings the paragraph to a close in keeping with its purpose.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.
Thus the end of knowledge and the closing of the frontier that it symbolizes is not a looming crisis at all, but merely one of many embarrassing fits of hubris in civilization's long industry. In the end, it will pass away and be forgotten. Ours is not the first generation to struggle to understand the organizational laws of the frontier, deceive itself that it has succeeded, and go to its grave having failed.________________________
- A.
One would be wise to be humble.
- B.
But we might be the first generation to actually reach the frontier.
- C.
But we might be the first generation to deal with the crisis.
- D.
However, this time the success is not illusory.
Answer: Option A
Explanation :
The passage talks about the ‘hubris’ (exaggerated pride or self-confidence) of civilization.
All options other than option 1 are in line with this hubris. But the passage also talks about how the civilization ‘deceives’ itself. Hence the purpose of the paragraph is to put this self deception in perspective. Option 1 fulfils this purpose by asking one to show humility as ‘ours is not the first generation’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Workspace:
Each of the questions consists of a certain number of sentences. Some sentences are grammatically incorrect or inappropriate. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence(s).
- When virtuoso teams begin their work, individuals are in and group consensus is out.
- As project progresses, however, the individual stars harness themselves to the product of the group.
- Sooner or later, the members break through their own egocentrism and become a plurality with single-minded focus on the goal.
- In short, they morph into a powerful team with a shared identity.
- A.
1 and 3
- B.
1 and 4
- C.
2 and 4
- D.
1, 3 and 4
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
Statements B and C are incorrect.
Statement B is incorrect because ‘As project progresses’ should be corrected to “As the project progresses…” The (definite or indefinite) article is required as a determiner.
Statement C is incorrect in the phrase ‘a plurality with single-minded focus’ – should be corrected to “a plurality with a single- minded focus...” The noun ‘focus’ needs a determiner (definite/indefinite article) ‘a focus’ is correct. An adjective (single- minded) breaks this order. ‘A single- minded focus’ like ‘a beautiful car’ is correct.
Since statements B and C are incorrect, options 1, 3 and 4 are eliminated.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
Each of the questions consists of a certain number of sentences. Some sentences are grammatically incorrect or inappropriate. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence(s).
- Large reductions in the ozone layer, which sits about 15-30 km above the Earth, take place each winter over the Polar regions, especially the Antarctic, as low temperatures allow the formation of stratospheric clouds that assist chemical reactions breaking down ozone.
- Industrial chemicals containing chlorine and bromine have been blamed for thinning the layer because they attack the ozone molecules, making them to break apart.
- Many an offending chemicals have now been banned.
- It will still take several decades before these substances have disappeared from the atmosphere.
- A.
4 only
- B.
2 and 4
- C.
1 and 4
- D.
1 and 3
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
Statements B and C are incorrect. Statement B is incorrect because ‘to break apart’ is an incorrect idiom. It should be “making them break apart”- the verb ‘make’ is not followed by an infinitive (to+verb). For example ‘it makes me cry’ and not ‘it makes me to cry’.
Statement C is incorrect in ‘many an offending chemicals’. The correct versions will be ‘many offending chemicals (have)’ or ‘many an offending chemical (has)’.
This eliminates options 2 and 4. Statements A and D are both correct.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
Each of the questions consists of a certain number of sentences. Some sentences are grammatically incorrect or inappropriate. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence(s).
- The balance of power will shift to the East as China and India evolve.
- Rarely the economic ascent of two still relatively poor nations has been watched with such a mixture of awe, opportunism, and trepidation.
- Postwar era witnessed economic miracles in Japan and South Korea, but neither was populous enough to power worldwide growth or change the game in a complete spectrum of industries.
- China and India, by contrast, possess the weight and dynamism to transform the 21st-century global economy.
- A.
1, 2 and 3
- B.
1 and 4
- C.
3 only
- D.
3 and 4
Answer: Option B
Explanation :
Statements B and C are incorrect.
Statement B has to be corrected to “Rarely has the economic ….. been watched”.
Statement C is incorrect. ‘Post war era’ has to be corrected to ‘The post war era’ – ‘era’ (noun needs a determiner).
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
Workspace:
Each of the questions consists of a certain number of sentences. Some sentences are grammatically incorrect or inappropriate. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence(s).
- People have good reason to care about the welfare of animals.
- Ever since Enlightenment, their treatment has been seen as a measure of mankind's humanity.
- It is no coincidence that William Wilberforce and Sir Thomas Foxwell Buxton, two leaders of the movement to abolish the slave trade, helped found the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1820s.
- An increasing number of people go further: mankind has a duty not to cause pain to animals that
- have the capacity to suffer.
- A.
1 and 4
- B.
2 only
- C.
1 and 3
- D.
3 and 4
Answer: Option A
Explanation :
Statements B and C are incorrect.
Statement B should read ‘Ever since the Enlightenment…’ (the Enlightenment: a philosophical movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine).
Statement C should read "…. in the 1820s".
From the above interpretation, options 2, 3 and 4 are eliminated.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a sentence/paragraph with one italicized word that does not make sense. Choose the most appropriate replacement for that word from the options given below the paragraph.
Intelligent design derives from an early 19th-century explanation of the natural world given by an English clergyman, William Paley. Paley was the populariser of the famous watchmaker analogy. Proponents of intelligent design are crupping Paley's argument with a new gloss from molecular biology.
- A.
destroying
- B.
testing
- C.
resurrecting
- D.
questioning
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
Paley started it (the concept of intelligent design) in the 19th century. The proponents of it are ________ Paley’s argument. The word proponents directly controls the word in the blank.
Proponents destroying, questioning or even testing Paley’s concept is illogical.
Resurrect means to bring to view, attention, or use again; to raise from the dead.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a sentence/paragraph with one italicized word that does not make sense. Choose the most appropriate replacement for that word from the options given below the paragraph.
Women squat, heads covered, beside huge piles of limp fodder and blunk oil lamps, and just about all the cows in the three towns converge upon this spot. Sinners, supplicants and yes, even scallywags hand over a few coins for a crack at redemption and a handful of grass.
- A.
shining
- B.
bright
- C.
sputtering
- D.
effulgent
Answer: Option C
Explanation :
The word that is to be replaced is directly controlled by the word ‘oil lamp’, however the setting in which the lamp is placed with women squatting (a village scene) with piles of limp fodder etc. tells us that the oil lamps definitely not effulgent (option 4) meaning radiant/splendorous.
Options 1, 2 and 4 are synonyms so they are chosen together or eliminated together. Sputtering in the context (a natural choice) makes better sense than other options.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a sentence/paragraph with one italicized word that does not make sense. Choose the most appropriate replacement for that word from the options given below the paragraph.
It is klang to a sensitive traveler who walks through this great town, when he sees the streets, the roads, and cabin doors crowded with beggars, mostly women, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for alms.
- A.
amusing
- B.
irritating
- C.
disgusting
- D.
distressing
Answer: Option D
Explanation :
The operative idea in the sentence that controls the word to be replaced is the idea of ‘the sensitive traveler’ followed by the scene he confronts.
The unpleasantness of the scene eliminates option 1 – amusing. Being sensitive – the capacity of being easily hurt, eliminates disgust and irritation (options 2 and 3) as these responses are not necessarily associated with being sensitive.
Distress (pain, suffering, or misery) is generally associated with being sensitive.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
Workspace:
Each of the following questions has a sentence/paragraph with one italicized word that does not make sense. Choose the most appropriate replacement for that word from the options given below the paragraph.
Or there is the most fingummy diplomatic note on record: when Philip of Macedon wrote to the Spartans that, if he came within their borders, he would leave not one stone of their city, they wrote back the one word - "If".
- A.
witty
- B.
rude
- C.
simple
- D.
terse
Answer: Option D
Explanation :
Terse means pointed and concise. What controls the replacement in the context is the word ‘if’ as used at the end of the sentence. We are looking for a word which would classify this word in the context of the threat and the counter threat.
Option 1 (witty) is eliminated first since it does not fit in, in the context of the “threats” in the paragraph.
Then we have rude and simple as options 2 and 3. Rude and simple are poor descriptions of the profound ‘if’ in the context.
Option 4 (terse) is the best choice.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
Workspace:
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