CAT 2008 VARC | Previous Year CAT Paper
Previous year paper questions for CAT 2008 VARC
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1.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Usage
In each question, there are five sentences. Each sentence has a pair of words that is italicized and highlighted. From the italicized and highlighted words, select the most appropriate words (A or B) to form correct sentences. The sentences are followed by options that indicate the words, which may be selected to correctly complete the set of sentences. From the options given, choose the most appropriate one.
Anita wore a beautiful broach(A)/brooch(B) on the lapel of her jacket.
If you want to complain about the amenities in your neighbourhood, please meet your councillor(A)/counselor(B).
I would like your advice(A)/advise(B) on which job I should choose.
The last scene provided a climactic(A)/climatic(B) ending to the film.
Jeans that flair(A)/flare(B) at the bottom are in fashion these days.
- A.
BABAA
- B.
BABAB
- C.
BAAAB
- D.
ABABA
- E.
BAABA
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Anita wore a “brooch”, a pin or a clasp. “Broach” is used in several ways (e.g., ‘broach a subject’; ‘introduce a new topic’) but none in context of jewellery or something to be worn.
The second word is “councillor” which means ‘a person specially designated or selected to act in an advisory, administrative, or legislative capacity’ as against a “counsellor” meaning ‘a person who counsels or advises’ which is more generic.
“Advice” is used as a noun whereas “advise” is used as a verb. In the third sentence, ‘I would like your advice/advise...’ we need a noun. Therefore, “Advice” is the right word.
The fourth word refers to the end of the “film”, the ‘climax’. “Climactic” is the adjective form of ‘climax’ and the word for the fourth sentence. “Climatic” pertains ‘to climate’.
“Flair” is ‘a natural talent, aptitude, ability or knack’. The word to be used here is “flare”, which means, ‘to spread gradually outward as the bottom of a pair of trousers or a wide skirt’.
Therefore, the correct sequence is BAAAB.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
2.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Usage
In each question, there are five sentences. Each sentence has a pair of words that is italicized and highlighted. From the italicized and highlighted words, select the most appropriate words (A or B) to form correct sentences. The sentences are followed by options that indicate the words, which may be selected to correctly complete the set of sentences. From the options given, choose the most appropriate one.
The cake had lots of currents(A)/currants(B) and nuts in it.
If you engage in such exceptional(A)/exceptionable(B) behaviour, I will be forced to punish you.
He has the same capacity as an adult to consent(A)/assent(B) to surgical treatment.
The minister is obliged(A)/compelled(B) to report regularly to a parliamentary board.
His analysis of the situation is far too sanguine(A)/genuine(B).
- A.
BBABA
- B.
BBAAA
- C.
BBBBA
- D.
ABBAB
- E.
BABAB
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
“Currant” is ‘a type of raisin or an edible nut’.
“Current”, a more common word, means ‘a steady, smooth, onward movement’. Thus the first word is “currants”. (The cake had lots of currants...)
“Exceptional” is a positive word, which means, ‘outstanding, excellent’.
“Exceptionable” (the second word) means, ‘objectionable and hence liable to be punished.’
For the third word, both “consent” and “assent” mean ‘to agree’. However, “assent” is more in tune with ‘yielding to something’ or ‘conceding’ whereas “consent” is more about ‘permitting or approving’. Therefore the appropriate word here is “consent” as an adult would “consent” or ‘give permission’.
In the fourth sentence, a minister is not “compelled” (forced) but “obliged” (necessitated or required) to report regularly. While oblige may have a connotation of force as well, compel clearly means ‘forced to’. Therefore, “obliged” is a more appropriate word here.
When we say something is “genuine”, it is not more or less, it is ‘simply and completely authentic’.
Therefore, far too will apply to the adjective “sanguine” which means ‘far too optimistic’ or ‘confident’.
Therefore, the correct sequence is BBAAA.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
3.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Usage
In each question, there are five sentences. Each sentence has a pair of words that is italicized and highlighted. From the italicized and highlighted words, select the most appropriate words (A or B) to form correct sentences. The sentences are followed by options that indicate the words, which may be selected to correctly complete the set of sentences. From the options given, choose the most appropriate one.
She managed to bite back the ironic(A)/caustic(B) retort on the tip of her tongue.
He gave an impassioned and valid(A)/cogent(B) plea for judicial reform.
I am not adverse(A)/averse(B) to helping out.
The coupé(A)/coup(B) broke away as the train climbed the hill.
They heard the bells peeling(A)/pealing(B) far and wide.
- A.
BBABA
- B.
BBBAB
- C.
BAABB
- D.
ABBAA
- E.
BBBBA
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
A “retort” can be “ironic”, but only after it is uttered or said. Here, a more appropriate word would be “caustic” or ‘sarcastic’.
“Cogent” is ‘convincing’ or ‘well-argued’ and has a better ring to it than just “valid”. It is a more appropriate word than “valid” in this context.
The third word is “averse” meaning ‘unwilling or unenthusiastic’. “Adverse” means ‘unfavourable’ and it is usually used with words like weather (adverse weather, conditions etc.).
“Coup é” is the ‘end compartment in a railroad car’. Contextually, ‘a “coup é” gets detached while a train is climbing up the hill’ fits in.
“Coup” is a ‘clever action or accomplishment’ and is irrelevant in this context.
A peal is ‘a ringing of a set of bells. (Alternate usage: ‘she broke into peals of laughter’). Thus, the word required is ‘pealing’ as it deals with bells.
“peel” means to ‘to strip or cut away the skin or bark from’,eg. Peeling away the skin made it easier to cut the fruit.
Therefore, the correct sequence is BBBAB.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
4.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Usage
In each question, there are five sentences. Each sentence has a pair of words that is italicized and highlighted. From the italicized and highlighted words, select the most appropriate words (A or B) to form correct sentences. The sentences are followed by options that indicate the words, which may be selected to correctly complete the set of sentences. From the options given, choose the most appropriate one.
We were not successful in defusing(A)/diffusing(B) the Guru’s ideas.
The students baited(A)/bated(B) the instructor with irrelevant questions.
The hoard(A)/horde(B) rushed into the campus.
The prisoner’s interment(A)/internment(B) came to an end with his early release.
The hockey team could not deal with his unsociable(A)/unsocial(B) tendencies.
- A.
BABBA
- B.
BBABB
- C.
BABAA
- D.
ABBAB
- E.
AABBA
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
“Defusing” or de-fusing is ‘to resolve or cool (a situation)’.
“Diffusing” is ‘spreading’ (Guru’s ideas) and the appropriate word for the first sentence.
To “bait” is ‘to trap or to tease’. The students were asking irrelevant questions to tease or torment the instructor.
“Bate” is to ‘lessen’ or ‘restrain’.
“Horde”, the third word, refers to ‘a mass or group’.
“Hoard” is ‘to stockpile’.
“Internment” is ‘imprisonment’ and is the fourth word.
“Interment” is ‘burial’.
“Unsocial” is ‘having or showing a lack of desire for the company of others.’
“Unsociable” goes a step further. It means, ‘not sociable; having, showing, or marked by a disinclination to friendly social relations; withdrawn.’ A team “could not deal” with someone - is a bit extreme. So, here, “unsociable” is more appropriate. Another way to arrive at the appropriate word here is by elimination. If you were able to figure out most of the other words, “unsocial” would have been in one of the eliminated options.
Therefore, the correct sequence is BABBA.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
5.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Grammar, Usage & Correction
| Usage
In each of the following questions there are sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the most appropriate option.
- In 1849, a poor Bavarian imigrant named Levi Strauss
- landed in San Francisco, California,
- at the invitation of his brother-in-law David Stern
- owner of dry goods business.
- This dry goods business would later became known as Levi Strauss & Company.
- A.
B only
- B.
B and C
- C.
A and B
- D.
A only
- E.
A, B and D
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
Statement A is incorrect because the word immigrant has been mis-spelt as “imigrant” (with an ‘m’ missing). Options 3, 4 and 5 can be eliminated.
We are left with only options 1(B only) and 2(B and C).
Statement C should have a comma at the end, after “David Stern”.
Statement B is correct.
Statement D should be ‘an owner of a dry goods business’.
Statement E can be corrected in at least two different ways. “This dry goods business would later be known as ...” Or, “This dry goods business later became known as ...”(Omitted ‘would’).
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
6.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Grammar, Usage & Correction
| Usage
In each of the following questions there are sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the most appropriate option.
- In response to the allegations and condemnation pouring in,
- Nike implemented comprehensive changes in their labour policy.
- Perhaps sensing the rising tide of global labour concerns,
- from the public would become a prominent media issue,
- Nike sought to be a industry leader in employee relations.
- A.
D and E
- B.
D only
- C.
A and E
- D.
A and D
- E.
B, C and E
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE The sentence takes off correctly in statement A.
Statement B is incorrect because there is a pronoun agreement error. It should be, “Nike implemented comprehensive changes” in its (not their) labour policy. The possessive pronoun ‘its’ should replace ‘their’ as it refers to the antecedent “Nike” which is singular.
Statement C does not require the comma given at the end of the line. The sentence (C and D) can be rephrased as, ‘Perhaps sensing that the rising tide of global labour concerns from the public would become a prominent media issue.’
It can be seen from this sentence that part D can be left unaltered and can be taken as correct.
The word ‘industry’ begins with a vowel sound and hence the article ‘an’ should be used and not ‘a’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
7.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Grammar, Usage & Correction
| Usage
In each of the following questions there are sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the most appropriate option.
- Charges and countercharges mean nothing
- to the few million who have lost their home.
- The nightmare is far from over, for the government
- is still unable to reach hundreds who are marooned.
- The death count have just begun.
- A.
A only
- B.
C only
- C.
A and C
- D.
A, C and D
- E.
D only
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
Statements A and C are correct.
Statement B is incorrect. The ‘few’ refers to a countable number, so the word following it should be in plural, that is ‘few millions’. Moreover, a few millions would have lost their ‘homes’- not ‘home’.
Statement D needs to take the article ‘the’ before ‘hundreds’. Therefore, it is incorrect.
Statement E is incorrect. There is a subject-verb agreement error here. In place of “The death count have just begun”, it should be, ‘The death count has just begun.’ ‘Death count’, a singular subject, should take a singular verb (has).
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
8.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Grammar, Usage & Correction
| Usage
In each of the following questions there are sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the most appropriate option.
- I did not know what to make of you.
- Because you’d lived in India, I associate you more with my parents than with me.
- And yet you were unlike my cousins in Calcutta, who seem so innocent and obedient when I visited them.
- You were not curious about me in the least.
- Although you did make effort to meet me.
- A.
A only
- B.
A and B
- C.
A and E
- D.
D only
- E.
A and D
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
Statement B has tense inconsistency. ‘Lived’ is in past tense, hence, ‘associate’ in the same sentence should be ‘associated’ (in simple past as well).
Statement C again has tense inconsistency. The word ‘seem’ should become ‘seemed’ to go with ‘were’ and ‘visited’ in the same sentence.
Statement E is incorrect and we need to rephrase it. We may either change ‘effort’ to ‘efforts’ or change it to ‘an effort’.
Statements A and D are correct.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
9.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Fill in the blanks
Each of the following questions has a sentence with two blanks. Given below each question are five pairs of words. Choose the pair that best completes the sentence.
The genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda, apart from being mis-described in the most sinister and ________ manner as ‘ethnic cleansing’, were also blamed, in further hand-washing rhetoric, on something dark and interior to ___________ and perpetrators alike.
- A.
innovative; communicator
- B.
enchanting; leaders
- C.
disingenuous; victims
- D.
exigent; exploiters
- E.
tragic; sufferers
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
The statement condemns the way the genocides have been described and states the description to be sinister. The word for the first blank has to be synonymous to sinister.
Options 1 and 2 with ‘innovative’ and ‘enchanting’ can be eliminated as they do not give any negative connotations.
Option 4 too can be eliminated as ‘exigent’ has more to do with ‘demanding and urgent’ than something terrible.
In option 5, “tragic” does not fit in the context with ‘mis-described’ and ‘hand-washing rhetoric’.
‘disingenuous’ - ‘insincere’, ‘deceitful’, ‘hypocritical’ fits contextually with the word “manner” which follows the blank. In the second blank, a contrasting word to “perpetrators” is required. ‘Victims’ is a better fit compared to the words in all the other options.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
10.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Fill in the blanks
Each of the following questions has a sentence with two blanks. Given below each question are five pairs of words. Choose the pair that best completes the sentence.
As navigators, calendar makers, and other_________ of the night sky accumulated evidence to the contrary, ancient astronomers were forced to _________ that certain bodies might move in circles about points, which in turn moved in circles about the earth.
- A.
scrutinizers; believe
- B.
observers; agree
- C.
scrutinizers; suggest
- D.
observers; concede
- E.
students; conclude
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
The first blank can have any of the three words mentioned in the options - ‘scrutinizers’, ‘observers’, ‘students’.
‘Scrutinizer’ means ‘one who examines or observes with great care; inspects critically’.
‘Observer’ means ‘a person who watches, views or notes for a scientific, official, or other special purpose.’
‘Student’ means ‘an individual formally engaged in learning, especially one enrolled in a school or college; pupil’
Out of these three, the part of the sentence prior to the first blank clearly suggests that the people involved in the exercise were experts in the subject under consideration. This eliminates the possibility of ‘students’ fitting into the first blank, and thus option 5.
The second blank has four possible alternatives.
‘Believe’ means ‘to have confidence in the truth, the existence or the reliability of something’.
‘Agree’ means ‘to have the same views’.
‘Suggest’ means ‘to mention or introduce’.
‘Concede’ means ‘admit; surrender or yield’.
The verb prior to the second blank denotes that the action is not voluntary but performed under duress.
It is not possible to be forced to place confidence in something. Therefore, it is difficult to be forced to ‘believe’ in something. This eliminates option 1.
The first part of the sentence makes it clear that contrary evidence was being gathered. If evidence opposite in nature or character is being gathered then it cannot be said that the ancient astronomers had the same view.
This removes ‘agree’ from further consideration as fitting into the second blank. This eliminates option 2.
The very element of force or compulsion eliminates ‘suggest’ as an appropriate fit for the second blank.
Therefore, option 3 is eliminated.
Both ‘observers’ and ‘concede’ fit in correctly.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
11.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Fill in the blanks
Each of the following questions has a sentence with two blanks. Given below each question are five pairs of words. Choose the pair that best completes the sentence.
Every human being, after the first few days of his life, is a product of two factors: on the one hand, there is his ______________endowment; and on the other hand, there is the effect of environment, including ___________.
- A.
constitutional; weather
- B.
congenital; education
- C.
personal; climate
- D.
economic; learning
- E.
genetic; pedagogy
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
The first word needs to be related to something that is ‘inborn’, because it is an endowment or gift. Two words come close to mean that- ‘congenital’ and ‘genetic’.
‘Congenital’, may be ‘innate’ or ‘inherited’ or caused by the “environment”.
“Genetic,” means ‘pertaining to origins’.
However, the “effect of the environment” is more related to general teaching or ‘education’ than to ‘pedagogy’. ‘Pedagogy’ is ‘the function or work of a teacher’ or ‘science of teaching; education; instructional methods’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
12.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Fill in the blanks
Each of the following questions has a sentence with two blanks. Given below each question are five pairs of words. Choose the pair that best completes the sentence.
Exhaustion of natural resources, destruction of individual initiative by governments, control over men’s minds by central __________ of education and propaganda are some of the major evils which appear to be on the increase as a result of the impact of science upon minds suited by _________ to an earlier kind of world.
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
The first blank can have ‘institutions’, ‘departments’, ‘organs’ or ‘tenets’. ‘Aspects’, compared to other options can be eliminated.
The second blank has the key to the answer. The phrase ‘suited by’ can be best followed by ‘fixated’, to make the sense complete- minds which were suited by ‘fixation’ or a preoccupation with one subject, issue, an obsession “to an earlier kind of world”. Also, ‘fixation’ flows perfectly with the idea of ‘an earlier kind of world’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
13.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Usage
In each of the questions, a word/phrase has been used in sentences in five different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the usage of the word/phrase is incorrect or inappropriate.
Run
- A.
I must run fast to catch up with him.
- B.
Our team scored a goal against the run of play.
- C.
You can’t run over him like that.
- D.
The newly released book is enjoying a popular run.
- E.
This film is a run-of-the-mill production.
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
Option 1 uses the verb ‘run’ appropriately with “fast” as an adverb qualifying it.
The phrase, ‘against the run of play’ is used in sports to describe an event or action against the flow of the game. For example, if Soccer team A has all the possession, all the chances and dictates the game, and team B has one chance and scores from it, then that goal is against the run of play. The term is used correctly in option 2.
Option 3 is incorrect. A person cannot “run over” someone. It can be a vehicle that can run over someone.
A person can ‘run after‘ (chase) someone, ‘run with‘, ‘run up to‘ or ‘run around‘ someone.
In option 4, a book can have a “popular run”, if a great number of copies of that book are getting sold.
In option 5, “run-of-the-mill production” is an ‘average’ or ‘mediocre’ or ‘banal’, ‘commonplace’ production that is not interesting. The usage here is correct.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
14.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Usage
In each of the questions, a word/phrase has been used in sentences in five different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the usage of the word/phrase is incorrect or inappropriate.
Round
- A.
The police fired a round of tear gas shells.
- B.
The shop is located round the corner.
- C.
We took a ride on the merry-go-round.
- D.
The doctor is on a hospital round.
- E.
I shall proceed further only after you come round to admitting it.
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
In option 1, “firing a round of tear gas shells” means ‘a single discharge by one firearm’ and the word ‘round’ is correctly used.
The phrase, ‘round the corner’ in option 2 means, ‘nearby, a short distance away’.
In option 3, the usage is correct. “Merry-go-around” is a ‘carrousel in amusement parks, carnivals, etc. A merry-go-round is a revolving, circular platform with wooden horses or other animals, benches, etc., on which people may sit or ride, usually to the accompaniment of mechanical or recorded music.’
In option 4, the usage “on a hospital round” is correct. This is used to signify that the doctor is surveying the wards checking on patients.
“Come round” in the fifth option means ‘to change one's opinion, decision, especially to agree with another’s.’ A better option would have been to come around to admitting it meaning to change one’s position or opinion.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
15.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Usage
In each of the questions, a word/phrase has been used in sentences in five different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the usage of the word/phrase is incorrect or inappropriate.
Buckle
- A.
After the long hike our knees were beginning to buckle.
- B.
The horse suddenly broke into a buckle.
- C.
The accused did not buckle under police interrogation.
- D.
Sometimes, an earthquake can make a bridge buckle.
- E.
People should learn to buckle up as soon as they get into a car.
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
“Beginning to buckle” in option 1 indicates that their knees were ready to collapse or that they were extremely tired.
“Buckle” is inappropriately used in option 2. The horse can break into a trot or a gallop. It may buck or it may even break into somebody’s garden, but not “into a buckle”.
Option 3 uses “buckle” in the sense of ‘collapse’ or ‘surrender’.
In option 4, “buckle” again refers to ‘bend’ or ‘collapse’, even ‘break’.
“To buckle up”, in option 5, means ‘to fasten one's belt, seat belt, or buckles’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
16.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Vocabulary
| Usage
In each of the questions, a word/phrase has been used in sentences in five different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the usage of the word/phrase is incorrect or inappropriate.
File
- A.
You will find the paper in the file under C.
- B.
I need to file an insurance claim.
- C.
The cadets were marching in a single file.
- D.
File your nails before you apply nail polish.
- E.
When the parade was on, a soldier broke the file.
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
“File” can be defined as ‘a folder, cabinet, or other container in which papers, letters, etc., are arranged in convenient order for storage or reference.’ Another definition is ‘a collection of papers, records, etc., arranged in convenient order’. Option 1 uses the word in this sense.
In option 2, “to file” means ‘to apply’. The usage is correct.
In option 3, “file” refers to ‘a line of persons or things arranged one behind another’. Marching in a single file is similar to marching in a single column.
A “file” can even be a tool with ridges to smoothen or even out rough surfaces. Option 4 uses this meaning.
There is no phrase or idiom “broke the file” as mentioned in option 5. A soldier can break ‘rank’ but not a “file”.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
17.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Para Completion
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 people at their first consultation take a furtive look at the surgeon’s hands in the hope of reassurance. Prospective patients look for delicacy, sensitivity, steadiness, perhaps unblemished pallor. On this basis, Henry Perowne loses a number of cases each year. Generally, he knows it’s about to happen before the patient does: the downward glance repeated, the prepared questions beginning to falter, the overemphatic thanks during the retreat to the door.
- A.
Other people do not communicate due to their poor observation.
- B.
Other patients don’t like what they see but are ignorant of their right to go elsewhere.
- C.
But Perowne himself is not concerned.
- D.
But others will take their place, he thought.
- E.
These hands are steady enough, but they are large.
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
The main sentence of the paragraph that decides the ending is “On this basis, Henry Perowne loses a number of cases each year.” Option 1 moves away from the core of the paragraph - losing patients.
Option 5 does not complete the paragraph and leaves one wanting for more data to explain the importance of hands being large.
Option 4 loses out on the sentence structure and style. There is no logical continuity to the paragraph.
Option 3 provides a logical finish to the paragraph by showing that inspite of the losing patients, Perowne is not concerned.
Option 2 brings in a disconnect to the idea from the paragraph. It states that other patients’ observations are also negative and those who stay with Perowne do so out of ignorance of available alternatives. This is not in continuation of the main idea expressed in the paragraph.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
18.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Para Completion
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.
Trade protectionism, disguised as concern for the climate, is raising its head. Citing competitiveness concerns, powerful industrialized countries are holding out threats of a levy on imports of energy-intensive products from developing countries that refuse to accept their demands. The actual source of protectionist sentiment in the OECD countries is, of course, their current lacklustre economic performance, combined with the challenges posed by the rapid economic rise of China and India - in that order.
- A.
Climate change is evoked to bring trade protectionism through the back door.
- B.
OECD countries are taking refuge in climate change issues to erect trade barriers against these two countries.
- C.
Climate change concerns have come as a convenient stick to beat the rising trade power of China and India.
- D.
Defenders of the global economic status quo are posing as climate change champions.
- E.
Today’s climate change champions are the perpetrators of global economic inequity.
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Option 1 has already been mentioned in the first statement of the paragraph. This does not make it an effective paragraph ending.
Option 2 mentions only OECD countries while the paragraph mentions “powerful industrialized countries” of which the OECD countries are only a part. Furthermore, the option is again a repetition of ideas presented in the paragraph.
The focus of option 3 is on ‘China’ and ‘India’, while the focus of the paragraph is not.
Option 5 brings in ‘global economic inequity’ which is an opinion not expressed or implied in the passage.
Option 4 addresses the gist of the paragraph. Powerful countries, including the OECD countries are posing as climate change champions due to their lacklustre economic performance as compared to China and India which are growing rapidly. ‘Climate change champions’ in this option completes the paragraph, and addresses the point raised in the first sentence.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
19.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Para Completion
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.
Mattancherry is Indian Jewry’s most famous settlement. Its pretty streets of pastel coloured houses, connected by first-floor passages and home to the last twelve saree-and-sarong-wearing, white-skinned Indian Jews are visited by thousands of tourists each year. Its synagogue, built in 1568, with a floor of blue-and-white Chinese tiles, a carpet given by Haile Selassie and the frosty Yaheh selling tickets at the door, stands as an image of religious tolerance.
- A.
Mattancherry represents, therefore, the perfect picture of peaceful co-existence.
- B.
India’s Jews have almost never suffered discrimination, except for European colonizers and each other.
- C.
Jews in India were always tolerant.
- D.
Religious tolerance has always been only a façade and nothing more.
- E.
The pretty pastel streets are, thus, very popular with the tourists.
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE The paragraph starts with a location (as a backdrop) and moves on to describe things associated with the location. While various things are described about the location, we are looking for a sentence that completes the ideas stated in the paragraph. The paragraph juxtaposes various disparate ideas and cultures together: note the saree and sarong, the Indian Jews, and the image of religious tolerance.
Option 2 is a disconnect from the main idea of the paragraph – it talks about religious discrimination which is not an idea found in the paragraph.
Option 1 is about Matancherry, which the whole paragraph is about. It brings together the ideas in the paragraph to a logical, cohesive whole.
Option 5, with ‘thus’ for pretty pastel streets is disconnected. No reason is provided in the paragraph for pastel streets being popular.
It is the majority community which has to show tolerance towards a minority group, not the other way round. The paragraph clearly states “home to the last twelve....” indicating the Indian Jews to be very few in numbers. Option 3 can be eliminated.
Option 4 is contrary to the data provided in the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
20.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Para Completion
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.
Given the cultural and intellectual interconnections, the question of what is ‘Western’ and what is ‘Eastern’ (or ‘Indian’) is often hard to decide, and the issue can be discussed only in more dialectical terms. The diagnosis of a thought as ‘purely Western’ or ‘purely Indian’ can be very illusory.
- A.
Thoughts are not the kind of things that can be easily categorized.
- B.
Though ‘occidentalism’ and ‘orientalism’ as dichotomous concepts have found many adherents.
- C.
‘East is East and West is West’ has been a discredited notion for a long time now.
- D.
Compartmentalizing thoughts is often desirable.
- E.
The origin of a thought is not the kind of thing to which ‘purity’ happens easily.
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
The essence of the paragraph is the difficulty in differentiating between “Western” and “Eastern” thoughts.
The paragraph starts with a difference between “Western” and “Eastern” and moves on to “thoughts”.
The logical completion of the paragraph needs to be in that vein.
Option 2 is logically inconsistent due to the word “dichotomous” between “occidentalism” and “orientalism” whereas the paragraph states that this dichotomy is “illusory”.
Option 3 moves back again to the broad idea of “Western” and “Eastern”.
Option 4 is contrary to the paragraph.
Option 5 completes the paragraph logically. The usage of the words, ‘thought’ and ‘purity’ (pure) in a slightly different manner makes it the ideal choice as it resonates with the paragraph in that “given the intellectual and intellectual interconnections” that exist today the origin of a thought can no longer be classified as purely “Western” or purely “Indian.” Therefore the origin of a thought cannot be pure in terms of origin.
Both, options 1 and 5, state the idea of thoughts not being easily classified. However, option 5 continues the idea of purity mentioned in the final part of the paragraph whereas option 1 does not. In this context, 1 is generic and 5 is specific.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
The passage given below is followed by a set of five questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.
Language is not a cultural artifact that we learn the way we learn to tell time or how the federal government works. Instead, it is a distinct piece of the biological makeup of our brains. Language is a complex, specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without conscious effort or formal instruction, is deployed without awareness of its underlying logic, is qualitatively the same in every individual, and is distinct from more general abilities to process information or behave intelligently. For these reasons some cognitive scientists have described language as a psychological faculty, a mental organ, a neural system, and a computational module. But I prefer the admittedly quaint term “instinct.” It conveys the idea that people know how to talk in more or less the sense that spiders know how to spin webs. Web-spinning was not invented by some unsung spider genius and does not depend on having had the right education or on having an aptitude for architecture or the construction trades. Rather, spiders spin spider webs because they have spider brains, which give them the urge to spin and the competence to succeed. Although there are differences between webs and words, I will encourage you to see language in this way, for it helps to make sense of the phenomena we will explore.
Thinking of language as an instinct inverts the popular wisdom, especially as it has been passed down in the canon of the humanities and social sciences. Language is no more a cultural invention than is upright posture. It is not a manifestation of a general capacity to use symbols: a three-year-old, we shall see, is a grammatical genius, but is quite incompetent at the visual arts, religious iconography, traffic signs, and the other staples of the semiotics curriculum. Though language is a magnificent ability unique to Homo sapiens among living species, it does not call for sequestering the study of humans from the domain of biology, for a magnificent ability unique to a particular living species is far from unique in the animal kingdom. Some kinds of bats home in on flying insects using Doppler sonar. Some kinds of migratory birds navigate thousands of miles by calibrating the positions of the constellations against the time of day and year. In nature's talent show, we are simply a species of primate with our own act, a knack for communicating information about who did what to whom by modulating the sounds we make when we exhale.
Once you begin to look at language not as the ineffable essence of human uniqueness but as a biological adaption to communicate information, it is no longer as tempting to see language as an insidious shaper of thought, and, we shall see, it is not. Moreover, seeing language as one of nature’s engineering marvels - an organ with “that perfection of structure and co-adaptation which justly excites our admiration,” in Darwin’s words - gives us a new respect for your ordinary Joe and the much-maligned English language (or any language). The complexity of language, from the scientist’s point of view, is part of our biological birthright; it is not something that parents teach their children or something that must be elaborated in school - as Oscar Wilde said, “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” A preschooler’s tacit knowledge of grammar is more sophisticated than the thickest style manual or the most state-of-the-art computer language system, and the same applies to all healthy human beings, even the notorious syntax-fracturing professional athlete and the, you know, like, inarticulate teenage skateboarder. Finally, since language is the product of a well-engineered biological instinct, we shall see that it is not the nutty barrel of monkeys that entertainer-columnists make it out to be.
21.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
According to the passage, which of the following does not stem from popular wisdom on language?
- A.
Language is a cultural artifact.
- B.
Language is a cultural invention.
- C.
Language is learnt as we grow.
- D.
Language is unique to Homo sapiens.
- E.
Language is a psychological faculty.
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
The passage states, “For these reasons some cognitive scientists have described language as a psychological faculty, a mental organ, a neural system, and a computational module. But I prefer the admittedly quaint term "instinct"”. Combine this extract with “Thinking of language as an instinct inverts the popular wisdom” and we arrive at option 5 as the correct answer option.
Option 1: While the passage mentions ‘cultural artifact’, it does not relate it to popular wisdom. Hence, option (a) is incorrect.
Option 2 is mentioned in the passage but there is no data to suggest that it is not popular wisdom.
Option 3 is incorrect because the author has criticized the common view that children learn language as they grow, he instead says that children are born with it.
Option 4 is mentioned in the passage and does not invert popular wisdom in any way.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
22.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
Which of the following can be used to replace the “spiders know how to spin webs” analogy as used by the author?
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
The analogy describes an action which is a critical activity to the species, such that it is instinctive and not something that develops over time. The analogy emphasises the fact that language is instinctive, and not something that is learnt.
Options 3, 4 and 5 about a donkey carrying the load, a horse running the derby and a pet dog protecting property, are not instinctive and basic actions attributed to those animals. They have to be trained to perform these functions.
Option 1 is about ‘learning’, whereas the original example is about instinctively ‘knowing’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
23.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
According to the passage, which of the following is unique to human beings?
- A.
Ability to use symbols while communicating with one another.
- B.
Ability to communicate with each other through voice modulation.
- C.
Ability to communicate information to other members of the species.
- D.
Ability to use sound as means of communication.
- E.
All of the above.
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
At the end of the second paragraph, “a knack for communicating information about who did what to whom by modulating the sounds we make when we exhale”. This ability is unique to humans as mentioned in the passage.
This resonates with option 2.
Option 1, 3 and 4 are negated as the author has not mentioned or implied in any way that non-humans cannot use symbols, cannot communicate information or do not use sound as a means of communication.
Therefore, option 5 - all of the above - is incorrect.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
24.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
According to the passage, complexity of language cannot be taught by parents or at school to children because
- A.
children instinctively know language.
- B.
children learn the language on their own.
- C.
language is not amenable to teaching.
- D.
children know language better than their teachers or parents.
- E.
children are born with the knowledge of semiotics.
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
The passage states, “The complexity of language, from the scientist’s point of view, is part of our biological birthright; it is not something that parents teach their children or something that must be elaborated in school”. This implies that children are born with an instinctive skill for language and that it cannot be taught.
Option 2 is about learning as they grow and not about instinctively knowing language.
Option 3 is close, but the question is related to ‘complexity’ of language. The author is silent on whether language is amenable to teaching or not.
Option 4 is irrelevant as there is no comparison between the language skills of teachers/ parents and their children.
Option 5 contradicts the passage. “Semiotics” is the study of symbols and signs and the passage states that children are not good at semiotics.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
25.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
- A.
Language is unique to Homo sapiens.
- B.
Language is neither learnt nor taught.
- C.
Language is not a cultural invention or artifact as it is made out.
- D.
Language is instinctive ability of human beings.
- E.
Language is use of symbols unique to human beings.
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
Option 4 succinctly summarizes the crux of the author’s arguments. The author is trying to propound the ‘instinctive’ nature of language. He mentions it is unique to “Homo sapiens” but that is not the crux of the passage making option 1 unsuitable as a summary.
Option 2 focuses on a non critical aspect of language which deals with ‘learning’ or ‘teaching’, which is true yet not central to the discussion.
Option 3 is incorrect as it focuses on ancillary aspects.
Option 5 has no base in the paragraph, and is a radical statement.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
The passage given below is followed by a set of five questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.
When I was little, children were bought two kinds of ice cream, sold from those white wagons with canopies made of silvery metal: either the two-cent cone or the four-cent ice-cream pie. The two-cent cone was very small, in fact it could fit comfortably into a child’s hand, and it was made by taking the ice cream from its container with a special scoop and piling it on the cone. Granny always suggested I eat only a part of the cone, then throw away the pointed end, because it had been touched by the vendor’s hand (though that was the best part, nice and crunchy, and it was regularly eaten in secret, after a pretence of discarding it).
The four-cent pie was made by a special little machine, also silvery, which pressed two disks of sweet biscuit against a cylindrical section of ice cream. First you had to thrust your tongue into the gap between the biscuits until it touched the central nucleus of ice cream; then, gradually, you ate the whole thing, the biscuit surfaces softening as they became soaked in creamy nectar. Granny had no advice to give here: in theory the pies had been touched only by the machine; in practice, the vendor had held them in his hand while giving them to us, but it was impossible to isolate the contaminated area.
I was fascinated, however, by some of my peers, whose parents bought them not a four-cent pie but two two-cent cones. These privileged children advanced proudly with one cone in their right hand and one in their left; and expertly moving their head from side to side, they licked first one, then the other. This liturgy seemed to me so sumptuously enviable, that many times I asked to be allowed to celebrate it. In vain. My elders were inflexible: a four-cent ice, yes; but two two-cent ones, absolutely no.
As anyone can see, neither mathematics nor economy nor dietetics justified this refusal. Nor did hygiene, assuming that in due course the tips of both cones were discarded. The pathetic, and obviously mendacious, justification was that a boy concerned with turning his eyes from one cone to the other was more inclined to stumble over stones, steps, or cracks in the pavement. I dimly sensed that there was another secret justification, cruelly pedagogical, but I was unable to grasp it.
Today, citizen and victim of a consumer society, a civilization of excess and waste (which the society of the thirties was not), I realize that those dear and now departed elders were right. Two two-cent cones instead of one at four cents did not signify squandering, economically speaking, but symbolically they surely did. It was for this precise reason, that I yearned for them: because two ice creams suggested excess. And this was precisely why they were denied me: because they looked indecent, an insult to poverty, a display of fictitious privilege, a boast of wealth. Only spoiled children ate two cones at once, those children who in fairy tales were rightly punished, as Pinocchio was when he rejected the skin and the stalk. And parents who encouraged this weakness, appropriate to little parvenus, were bringing up their children in the foolish theatre of “I’d like to but I can’t.” They were preparing them to turn up at tourist-class check-in with a fake Gucci bag bought from a street peddler on the beach at Rimini.
Nowadays the moralist risks seeming at odds with morality, in a world where the consumer civilization now wants even adults to be spoiled, and promises them always something more, from the wristwatch in the box of detergent to the bonus bangle sheathed, with the magazine it accompanies, in a plastic envelope. Like the parents of those ambidextrous gluttons I so envied, the consumer civilization pretends to give more, but actually gives, for four cents, what is worth four cents. You will throw away the old transistor radio to purchase the new one, that boasts an alarm clock as well, but some inexplicable defect in the mechanism will guarantee that the radio lasts only a year. The new cheap car will have leather seats, double side mirrors adjustable from inside, and a panelled dashboard, but it will not last nearly so long as the glorious old Fiat 500, which, even when it broke down, could be started again with a kick.
The morality of the old days made Spartans of us all, while today’s morality wants all of us to be Sybarites.
26.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
Which of the following cannot be inferred from the passage?
- A.
Today’s society is more extravagant than the society of the 1930s.
- B.
The act of eating two ice cream cones is akin to a ceremonial process.
- C.
Elders rightly suggested that a boy turning eyes from one cone to the other was more likely to fall.
- D.
Despite seeming to promise more, the consumer civilization gives away exactly what the thing is worth.
- E.
The consumer civilization attempts to spoil children and adults alike.
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
Option 1: The passage mentions that society is slowly moving from a Spartan (rigorously self-disciplined or self-restrained) existence to that of a Sybarites’ (a person devoted to pleasure and luxury) one. As a result today’s society is more extravagant than the society of the 1930s.
Option 2: The passage depicts the procedure of eating two ice-cream cones with a ceremonial air. The passage states, “…advanced proudly with one cone in their right hand and one in their left; and expertly moving their head from side to side, they licked first one, then the other”.
Option 4: The author has plainly said in the passage that in present times things given are what they are worth even if they appear to be more. The passage states, “the consumer civilization pretends to give more, but actually gives, for four cents, what is worth four cents”.
Option 5: The last two paragraphs of the passage give various examples of how the consumer civilization attempts to spoil children and adults alike. Hence, option (e) is eliminated.
Option 3 cannot be inferred from the passage. Rather the italicised words in the passage suggest the opposite: “The pathetic, and obviously mendacious, justification was that a boy concerned with turning his eyes from one cone to the other was more inclined to stumble over stones, steps, or cracks in the pavement. I dimly sensed that there was another secret justification, cruelly pedagogical, but I was unable to grasp it”.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
27.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
In the passage, the phrase “little parvenus” refers to
- A.
naughty midgets.
- B.
old hags.
- C.
arrogant people.
- D.
young upstarts.
- E.
foolish kids.
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
“Parvenus” means ‘a person who has suddenly risen to a higher social and economic class and has not yet gained social acceptance by others in that class’. The appropriate reference is to ‘young upstarts’.
The author points out the extravagance of today’s society. The author mentions in the passage, “Two two-cent cones instead of one at four cents did not signify squandering, economically speaking, but symbolically they surely did. It was for this precise reason, that I yearned for them: because two ice creams suggested excess. And this was precisely why they were denied me: because they looked indecent, an insult to poverty, a display of fictitious privilege, a boast of wealth. Only spoiled children ate two cones at once, those children who in fairy tales were rightly punished, as Pinocchio was when he rejected the skin and the stalk. And parents who encouraged this weakness, appropriate to little parvenus, were bringing up their children in the foolish theatre of “I'd like to but I can't.” They were preparing them to turn up at tourist-class cheek-in with a fake Gucci bag bought from a street peddler on the beach at Rimini”.
The author refers to the parents as ‘parvenus’ or upstarts who muscle their way into a world where they are uninvited.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
28.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
The author pined for two two-cent cones instead of one four-cent pie because
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
The passage states “Two two-cent cones instead of one at four cents did not signify squandering, economically speaking, but symbolically they surely did. It was for this precise reason, that I yearned for them”.
Intemperance means ‘excessive indulgence of appetite’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
29.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
What does the author mean by “nowadays the moralist risks seeming at odds with morality”?
- A.
The moralists of yesterday have become immoral today.
- B.
The concept of morality has changed over the years.
- C.
Consumerism is amoral.
- D.
The risks associated with immorality have gone up.
- E.
The purist’s view of morality is fast becoming popular.
Answer: Option
B
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Explanation :
The passage does not hint at instances of immorality or amorality. This eliminates options 1 and 3.
Option 4 is incorrect because though moralistic risks have been mentioned they have been said to be at odds with morality. There are no indications of them having risen.
Option 5 is incorrect. There is no mention of purists in the passage. Therefore, the popularity of the purist’s view of morality cannot be established.
Option 2: The passage states, “Nowadays the moralist risks seeming at odds with morality, in a world where the consumer civilization now wants even adults to be spoiled, and promises them always something more, from the wristwatch in the box of detergent to the bonus bangle sheathed, with the magazine it accompanies, in a plastic envelope”. The second half of the sentences points to the changes norms/mores in society, and this is our indicator that option 2 is correct.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.
30.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
According to the author, the justification for refusal to let him eat two cones was plausibly
- A.
didactic.
- B.
dietetic.
- C.
dialectic.
- D.
diatonic.
- E.
diastolic.
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
The passage talks about how the issue of whether a single cone or two cones should be purchased was not economical but that of morality. The author infers from his elder’s behaviour that that was the only justification.
The meanings of the options are:
Didactic means ‘teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson’.
Dietetic means ‘pertaining to diet or to regulation of the use of food’.
Dialectic means ‘pertaining to, or of the nature of logical argumentation’.
Diatonic means ‘pertaining to the tones, intervals, or harmonies of such scales’.
Diastolic means ‘indicating the arterial pressure during the interval between heartbeats’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
The passage given below is followed by a set of five questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.
A remarkable aspect of art of the present century is the range of concepts and ideologies which it embodies. It is almost tempting to see a pattern emerging within the art field - or alternatively imposed upon it a posteriori - similar to that which exists under the umbrella of science where the general term covers a whole range of separate, though interconnecting, activities. Any parallelism is however - in this instance at least - misleading. A scientific discipline develops systematically once its bare tenets have been established, named and categorized as conventions. Many of the concepts of modern art, by contrast, have resulted from the almost accidental meetings of groups of talented individuals at certain times and certain places. The ideas generated by these chance meetings had twofold consequences. Firstly, a corpus of work would be produced which, in great part, remains as a concrete record of the events. Secondly, the ideas would themselves be disseminated through many different channels of communication - seeds that often bore fruit in contexts far removed from their generation. Not all movements were exclusively concerned with innovation. Surrealism, for instance, claimed to embody a kind of insight which can be present in the art of any period. This claim has been generally accepted so that a sixteenth century painting by Spranger or a mysterious photograph by Atget can legitimately be discussed in surrealist terms. Briefly, then, the concepts of modern art are of many different (often fundamentally different) kinds and resulted from the exposures of painters, sculptors and thinkers to the more complex phenomena of the twentieth century, including our ever increasing knowledge of the thought and products of earlier centuries. Different groups of artists would collaborate in trying to make sense of rapidly changing world of visual and spiritual experience. We should hardly be surprised if no one group succeeded completely, but achievements, though relative, have been considerable. Landmarks have been established - concrete statements of position which give a pattern to a situation which could easily have degenerated into total chaos. Beyond this, new language tools have been created for those who follow - semantic systems which can provide a springboard for further explorations.
The codifying of art is often criticized. Certainly one can understand that artists are wary of being pigeon-holed since they are apt to think of themselves as individuals - sometimes with good reason. The notion of self-expression, however, no longer carries quite the weight it once did; objectivity has its defenders. There is good reason to accept the ideas codified by artists and critics, over the past sixty years or so, as having attained the status of independent existence - an independence which is not without its own value. The time factor is important here. As an art movement slips into temporal perspective, it ceases to be a living organism - becoming, rather, a fossil. This is not to say it becomes useless or uninteresting. Just as a scientist can reconstruct the life of a prehistoric environment from the messages codified into the structure of a fossil, so can an artist decipher whole webs of intellectual and creative possibility from the recorded structure of a ‘dead’ art movement. The artist can match the creative patterns crystallized into this structure against the potentials and possibilities of his own time. AS T.S Eliot observed, no one starts anything from scratch; however consciously you may try to live in the present, you are still involved with a nexus of behaviour patterns bequeathed from the past. The original and creative person is not someone who ignores these patterns, but someone who is able to translate and develop them so that they conform more exactly to his - and our - present needs.
31.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
Many of the concepts of modern art have been the product of
- A.
ideas generated from planned deliberations between artists, painters and thinkers.
- B.
the dissemination of ideas through the state and its organizations.
- C.
accidental interactions among people blessed with creative muse.
- D.
patronage by the rich and powerful that supported art.
- E.
systematic investigation, codification and conventions.
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
Option 1 is incorrect because of the word planned. The passage states, “…many of the concepts of modern art, by contrast, have resulted from the almost accidental meetings of groups of talented individuals at certain times and certain places. The ideas generated by these chance meetings…”.
Neither option 2 nor 4 have been mentioned in the passage.
Option 5 contradicts the passage. The passage states, “A scientific discipline develops systematically once its bare tenets have been established, named and categorized as conventions. Many of the concepts of modern art, by contrast, have resulted from the almost accidental meeting of groups of talented individuals at certain times and certain places.” This implies that the concepts of modern art have not been the product of systematic conventions. Moreover the following extract , “Certainly one can understand that artists are wary of being pigeon-holed” as well as “There is good reason to accept the ideas codified by artists and critics, over the past sixty years or so, as having attained the status of independent existence” indicates that the concepts of modern art have not been the product of codification.
Option 3 is explicitly mentioned in the passage, “…many of the concepts of modern art, by contrast, have resulted from the almost accidental meetings of groups of talented individuals at certain times and certain places. The ideas generated by these chance meetings…”
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
32.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
In the passage, the word ‘fossil’ can be interpreted as
- A.
an art movement that has ceased to remain interesting or useful.
- B.
an analogy from the physical world to indicate a historic art movement.
- C.
an analogy from the physical world to indicate the barrenness of artistic creations in the past.
- D.
an embedded codification of pre-historic life.
- E.
an analogy from the physical world to indicate the passing of an era associated with an art movement.
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
Option 4 is literally correct. But the word “fossil” in this case has been used to draw an analogy between the physical world and “dead” art. Therefore the interpretation of the word “fossil” in this instance is incorrect.
Option 5 can be implied from, “As an art movement slips into temporal perspective, it ceases to be a living organism - becoming, rather, a fossil. This is not to say it becomes useless or uninteresting. Just as a scientist can reconstruct the life of a prehistoric environment from the messages codified into the structure of a fossil, so can an artist decipher whole webs of intellectual and creative possibility from the recorded structure of a ‘dead’ art movement.”
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
33.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
In the passage, which of the following similarities between science and art may lead to erroneous conclusions?
- A.
Both, in general, include a gamut of distinct but interconnecting activities.
- B.
Both have movements not necessarily concerned with innovation.
- C.
Both depend on collaborations between talented individuals.
- D.
Both involve abstract thought and dissemination of ideas.
- E.
Both reflect complex priorities of the modern world.
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
Option 2 is incorrect. The passage states, “Not all movements were exclusively concerned with innovation” - implying that some artistic movements were concerned with innovation. However, there is no mention of the status of innovation with regard to science. Hence, there is no data for comparison.
Option 3 is incorrect. While it is mentioned that groups of artists, painters and thinkers collaborated together to develop concepts of modern art, the passage is silent on the case of the scientific world.
Option 4 is incorrect because ‘the dissemination of ideas’ is only referred to in the case of Art and not to science.
Option 5 applies only to Art and not to Science.
Option 1 can be obtained from “It is almost tempting to see a pattern emerging within the art field - or alternatively imposed upon it a posteriori - similar to that which exists under the umbrella of science where the general term covers a whole range of separate, though interconnecting, activities. Any parallelism is however - in this instance at least - misleading.” The last sentence shows that the author of the passage feels that the analogy is misleading - leading to erroneous conclusions.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
34.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
The range of concepts and ideologies embodied in the art of the twentieth century is explained by
- A.
the existence of movements such as surrealism.
- B.
landmarks which give a pattern to the art history of the twentieth century.
- C.
new language tools which can be used for further explorations into new areas.
- D.
the fast changing world of perceptual and transcendental understanding.
- E.
the quick exchange of ideas and concepts enabled by efficient technology.
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
Options 1, 2 and 3 are tangential - while mentioned in the passage they do not address the question stem.
In option 5, the phrase, ‘efficient technology’ makes it incorrect because this has not been mentioned in the passage as a cause for the range of concepts and ideologies in the art of the twentieth century.
Option 4 can be inferred from , “Briefly, then, the concepts of modern art are of many different (often fundamentally different) kinds and resulted from the exposures of painters, sculptors and thinkers to the more complex phenomena of the twentieth century, including our ever increasing knowledge of the thought and products of earlier centuries. Different groups of artists would collaborate in trying to make sense of rapidly changing world of visual and spiritual experience”.
Here “visual” and “spiritual” are synonymous with ‘perceptual’ and ‘transcendental’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
35.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
The passage uses an observation by T.S. Eliot to imply that
- A.
creative processes are not ‘original’ because they always borrow from the past.
- B.
we always carry forward the legacy of the past.
- C.
past behaviours and thought processes recreate themselves in the present and get labeled as ‘original’ or ‘creative’.
- D.
‘originality’ can only thrive in a ‘greenhouse’ insulated from the past biases.
- E.
‘innovations’ and ‘original thinking’ interpret and develop on past thoughts to suit contemporary needs.
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
The questions refers to the end of the passage, “As T.S Eliot observed, no one starts anything from scratch; however consciously you may try to live in the present, you are still involved with a nexus of behaviour patterns bequeathed from the past. The original and creative person is not someone who ignores these patterns, but someone who is able to translate and develop them so that they confirm more exactly to his - and our - present needs”.
Option 1 is incorrect. The second sentence means that original ‘creative processes’ exist although the artist may be “involved with a nexus of behaviour patterns bequeathed from the past”.
Options 2 and 3 do not maintain the tone of the passage, and hence are eliminated in favour of option 5.
Option 4 contradicts the passage. The passage mentions that the ‘originality’ of ideas and concepts developed by artists owe genesis to behaviour patterns bequeathed from the past.
Option 5 can be inferred from the extract above, especially the italicised portions.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
The passage given below is followed by a set of five questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.
To summarize the Classic Maya collapse, we can tentatively identify five strands. I acknowledge, however, that Maya archaeologists still disagree vigorously among themselves - in part, because the different strands evidently varied in importance among different parts of the Maya realm; because detailed archaeological studies are available for only some Maya sites; and because it remains puzzling why most of the Maya heartland remained nearly empty of population and failed to recover after the collapse and after re-growth of forests.
With those caveats, it appears to me that one strand consisted of population growth outstripping available resources: a dilemma similar to the one foreseen by Thomas Malthus in 1798 and being played out today in Rwanda, Haiti, and elsewhere. As the archaeologist David Webster succinctly puts it, "Too many farmers grew too many crops on too much of landscape." Compounding that mismatch between population and resources was the second strand: the effects of deforestation and hillside erosion, which caused a decrease in the amount of useable farmland at a time when more rather than less farmland was needed, and possibly exacerbated by an anthropogenic drought resulting from deforestation, by soil nutrient depletion and other soil problems, and by the struggle to prevent bracken ferns from overrunning the fields.
The third strand consisted of increased fighting, as more and more people fought over fewer resources. Maya warfare, already endemic, peaked just before the collapse. That is not surprising when one reflects that at least five million people, perhaps many more, were crammed into an area smaller than the US state of Colorado (104,000 square miles). That warfare would have decreased further the amount of land available for agriculture, by creating no-man's lands between principalities where it was now unsafe to farm. Bringing matters to a head was the strand of climate change. The drought at the time of the Classic collapse was not the first drought that the Maya had lived through, but it was the most severe. At the time of previous droughts, there were still uninhabited parts of the Maya landscape, and people at a site affected by drought could save themselves by moving to another site. However, by the time of the Classic collapse the landscape was now full, there was no useful unoccupied land in the vicinity on which to begin anew, and the whole population could not be accommodated in the few areas that continued to have reliable water supplies.
As our fifth strand, we have to wonder why the kings and nobles failed to recognize and solve these seemingly obvious problems undermining their society. Their attention was evidently focused on their short-term concerns of enriching themselves, waging wars, erecting monuments, competing with each other, and extracting enough food from the peasants to support all those activities. Like most leaders throughout human history, the Maya kings and nobles did not heed long-term problems, insofar as they perceived them.
Finally, while we still have some other past societies to consider in this book before we switch our attention to the modern world, we must already be struck by some parallels between the Maya and the past societies. As on Mangareva, the Maya environmental and population problems led to increasing warfare and civil strife. Similarly, on Easter Island and at Chaco Canyon, the Maya peak population numbers were followed swiftly by political and social collapse. Paralleling the eventual extension of agriculture from Easter Island's coastal lowlands to its uplands, and from the Mimbres floodplain to the hills, Copan's inhabitants also expanded from the floodplain to the more fragile hill slopes, leaving them with a larger population to feed when the agricultural boom in the hills went bust. Like Easter Island chiefs erecting ever larger statues, eventually crowned by pukao, and like Anasazi elite treating themselves to necklaces of 2,000 turquoise beads, Maya kings sought to outdo each other with more and more impressive temples, covered with thicker and thicker plaster - reminiscent in turn of the extravagant conspicuous consumption by modern American CEOs. The passivity of Easter chiefs and Maya kings in the face of the real big threats to their societies completes our list of disquieting parallels.
36.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
According to the passage, which of the following best represents the factor that has been cited by the author in the context of Rwanda and Haiti?
- A.
Various ethnic groups competing for land and other resources
- B.
Various ethnic groups competing for limited land resources
- C.
Various ethnic groups fighting with each other
- D.
Various ethnic groups competing for political power
- E.
Various ethnic groups fighting for their identity
Answer: Option
A
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Explanation :
The question asks for the factor best denoting the case of Rwanda and Haiti.
From the second paragraph, “…one strand consisted of population growth outstripping available resources: a dilemma similar to the one foreseen by Thomas Malthus in 1798 and being played out today in Rwanda, Haiti, and elsewhere. As the archaeologist David Webster succinctly puts it, ‘Too many farmers grew too many crops on too much of the landscape.’ Compounding that mismatch between population and resources was the second strand: the effects of deforestation and hillside erosion, which caused a decrease in the amount of useable farmland at a time when more rather than less farmland was needed, and possibly exacerbated by an anthropogenic drought resulting from deforestation, by soil nutrient depletion and other soil problems, and by the struggle to prevent bracken ferns from overrunning the fields”.
The keywords are the words ‘limited’, ‘land ’and ‘resources’. The second strand continues in the same vein and says that land and resources were limited. Combining the two, option 1 is the right answer option.
Option 2 talks about “land resources” but does not mention other resources which were also scarce.
Options 3 states ‘ethnic groups fighting with each other’. There is no mention of fighting in the second paragraph.
Option 4 mentions ‘ethnic groups competing for political power’. There is no mention of this in the second paragraph.
Option 5 states ‘ethnic groups were fighting for their identity’ which is not related to the Rwanda and Haiti context.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
37.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
By an anthropogenic drought, the author means
- A.
a drought caused by lack of rains.
- B.
a drought caused due to deforestation.
- C.
a drought caused by failure to prevent bracken ferns from overrunning the fields.
- D.
a drought caused by actions of human beings.
- E.
a drought caused by climate changes.
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE This was essentially a vocabulary question - you need to know or guess the meaning of Anthropogenic. Anthropogenic means ‘caused or produced by humans’.
From the second paragraph, “…anthropogenic drought resulting from deforestation, by soil nutrient depletion and other soil problems, and by the struggle to prevent bracken ferns from overrunning the fields.”
Option 1 is incorrect because lack of rain cannot be attributed to human intervention.
Options 2 and 3 are incorrect because they are reasons to the causes of the drought and why the drought was anthropogenic.
Option 4 means the same as anthropogenic. Deforestation and soil nutrient depletion can only be caused by humans.
Option 5 is incorrect because a drought caused by climate changes cannot be said to be caused by humans.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
38.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
According to the passage, the drought at the time of Maya collapse had a different impact compared to the droughts earlier because
- A.
the Maya kings continued to be extravagant when common people were suffering.
- B.
it happened at the time of collapse of leadership among Mayas.
- C.
it happened when the Maya population had occupied all available land suited for agriculture.
- D.
it was followed by internecine warfare among Mayans.
- E.
irreversible environmental degradation led to this drought.
Answer: Option
C
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Explanation :
This is a direct question.
Option 1 is the fifth strand is the passage, but there is nothing to indicate that had a different impact compared to earlier droughts.
Option 2 has no supporting data in the passage.
Option 4 contradicts the third paragraph, “Maya warfare, already endemic, peaked just before the collapse”.
Option 5 is incorrect because “the third strand consisted of increased fighting, as more and more people fought over fewer resources.” This implies that environmental degradation had nothing to do with this particular drought.
The third paragraph mentions “at the time of previous droughts, there were still uninhabited parts of the Maya landscape, and people at a site affected by drought could save themselves by moving to another site. However, by the time of the Classic collapse the landscape was now full, there was no useful unoccupied land in the vicinity on which to begin anew, and the whole population could not be accommodated in the few areas that continued to have reliable water supplies.” From this, option 3 is correct.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
39.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
According to the author, why is it difficult to explain the reasons for Maya collapse?
- A.
Copan inhabitants destroyed all records of that period.
- B.
The constant deforestation and hillside erosion have wiped out all traces of the Maya kingdom.
- C.
Archaeological sites of Mayas do not provide any consistent evidence.
- D.
It has not been possible to ascertain which of the factors best explains as to why the Maya civilization collapsed.
- E.
At least five million people were crammed into a small area.
Answer: Option
D
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Explanation :
Option 1: the passage does not talk about Copan inhabitants destroying the records.
The first paragraph mentions that “detailed archaeological studies are available for some Maya sites” which contradicts options 2. Further, since there is no other evidence in the passage, we have no ground for option 3.
Option 5 is mentioned in the third paragraph; however, it does not explain the reasons for Maya collapse.
The passage mentions five possible strands for the Maya collapse. The passage states, “I acknowledge, however, that Maya archaeologists still disagree vigorously among themselves - in part, because the different strands evidently varied in importance among different parts of the Maya realm; because detailed archaeological studies are available for only some Maya sites; and because it remains puzzling why most of the Maya heartland remained nearly empty of population and failed to recover after the collapse and after re-growth of forests”. The summary of this paragraph is option 4.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
40.
CAT 2008 VARC
| Reading Comprehension
Which factor has not been cited as one of the factors causing the collapse of Maya society?
- A.
Environmental degradation due to excess population
- B.
Social collapse due to excess population
- C.
Increased warfare among Maya people
- D.
Climate change
- E.
Obsession of Maya population with their own short-term concerns.
Answer: Option
E
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Explanation :
The second paragraph states, “…population growth outstripping available resources”. This led to deforestation and soil erosion which ultimately led to environmental degradation. This eliminates option 1.
The last paragraph states “…the Maya peak population numbers were followed swiftly by political and social collapse”. This eliminates option 2.
Option 3 is also mentioned in the passage. The third paragraph states “the third strand consisted of increased fighting, as more and more people fought over fewer resources. Maya warfare, already endemic, peaked just before the collapse.”
Option 4 has been cited as one of the factors. In the third paragraph, “bringing matters to a head was the strand of climate change.”
Option 5 is not mentioned in the passage. The fourth paragraph does state “short-term concerns of the kings and the nobles” but option 5 talks about the ‘Maya population’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.
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