Free English Usage - 06 Practice Test - CAT 

Question 1

PASSING (CAT 2004)

A. She did not have passing marks in mathematics.
B. The mad woman was cursing everybody passing her on the road.
C. At the birthday party all the children enjoyed a game of passing-the-parcel.
D. A passing taxi was stopped to rush the accident victim to the hospital.

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option: (a)

'Passing marks' is erroneous. It should have been 'pass marks' instead.             

Question 2

BOLT (CAT 2004)

A. The shopkeeper showed us a bolt of fine silk.
B. As he could not move, he made a bolt for the gate.                  
C. Could you please bolt the door?
D. The thief was arrested before he could bolt from the scene of the crime.

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option: (b)

The word 'bolt' has been used correctly in choices (a), (c) and (d). A 'bolt of silk' refers to silk wound around a long metal tube. 'Bolt' as used in option (d) means 'to escape'. However the usage is inappropriate in choice (b). 'Bolt' means to 'make a dash for'; a person cannot make a bolt for the gate when he is unable to move.

 

Question 3

FALLOUT (CAT 2004)

A. Nagasaki suffered from the fallout of nuclear radiation.
B. People believed that the political fallout of the scandal would be insignificant.
C. Who can predict the environmental fallout of the WTO agreements?

 

D. The headmaster could not understand the fallout of several of his good students at the Public examination.                               

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option: (d)

'Fallout' as used in choice (a) refers to the after-effects of nuclear radiation. The word as used in choices (b) and (c) refers to 'political impact' and 'environmental impact' in the respective sentences. The usage is appropriate in all these choices. However, it has been used inappropriately in choice (d). The word that should have been used instead of 'fallout' is 'failure'.

 

Question 4

HELP

A. This syrup will help your cold.
B. I can't help the colour of my skin.
C. Ranjit may help himself with the beer in the fridge.
D. Do you really expect me to help you out with cash?

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option: (a)

The usage in sentence (a) is incorrect because "reduce" is a better fit in the context, instead of "help". All other sentences are correct.

 

Question 5

(A) The balance of power will shift to the East as China and India evolve.
(B) Rarely the economic ascent of two still relatively poor nations has been watched with such a mixture of awe, opportunism, and trepidation.
(C) 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.
(D) China and India, by contrast, possess the weight and dynamism to transform the 21st-century global economy.

(2005)

A. A, B and C
B. A and D                        
C. C
D. C and D

SOLUTION

Solution : B

OPTION : (b)

Statements (A) and (D) are grammatically correct.

Statement (B) should be "Rarely has the economic ascent of two still relatively poor nations been watched".

Statement (C) should begin with "The postwar era".

 

Question 6

(A) People have good reason to care about the welfare of animals.
(B) Ever since Enlightenment, their treatment has been seen as a measure of mankind's humanity.
(C) 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.
(D) An increasing number of people go further: mankind has a duty not to cause pain to animals that have the capacity to suffer.

(2005)

A. A and D
B. B                  
C. A and C
D. C and D

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option: (c)

Statement (D) is wrong because it does not convey any meaning. It does not form a coherent paragraph. Statement (B) is wrong because the use of the word "mankind's" is redundant.

 

Question 7

(A) When virtuoso teams begin their work, individuals are in and group consensus is out.
(B) As project progresses, however, the individual starts harness themselves to the product of the group.
(C) Sooner or later, the members break through their own egocentrism and become a plurality with single-minded focus on the goal.
(D) In short, they morph into a powerful team with a shared identity.

(2005)

A. A and C
B. A and D
C. B and D
D. A, C and D

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option: (b)

Statement (B) is wrong because the word 'harness' cannot be used with individuals. Moreover, "individual starts"to is the correct usage.   Statement (C) is wrong because the word 'own' cannot be used with 'egocentrism'. Statements (A) and (D) are correct.

 

Question 8

(A) 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 temperaturesallow the formation of stratospheric clouds that assist chemical reactions breaking down ozone.
(B) Industrial chemicals containing chlorine and bromine have been blamed for thinning the layer because they attack the ozone molecules, making them to break apart.
(C) Many an offending chemicals have now been banned.
(D) It will still take several decades before these substances have disappeared from the atmosphere.

(2005)

A. D
B. B and D
C. A and D
D. A and C

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option: (c)

Statement (A) is grammatically correct. Statement (D) does not have any mistake either. Statement (C) is incorrect because of the wrong usage of the adjective 'offending' with chemicals. Moreover, when "an" is used, "chemical" and not "chemicals" should be used.

In Statement (B) "making them to break apart" is wrong usage

Thus answer option (c) is the right answer choice.

 

Question 9

A. Last Sunday, Archana had nothing to do.
B. After waking up, she lay on the bed thinking of what to do.
C. At 11 o'clock she took shower and got ready.
D. She spent most of the day shopping.                   
(CAT 2004)

A. B and C
B. C only
C. A and B
D. B, C, and D

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option: (a)

Statements A and D are correct. The statement B should have correctly framed as "After she woke up".Statement C is wrong because it should be "she took a shower"?

Question 10

A. Harish told Raj to plead guilty.
B. Raj pleaded guilty of stealing money from the shop.
C. The court found Raj guilty of all the crimes he was charged with.
D. He was sentenced for three years in jail.
(CAT 2004)

A. A and C         
B. B and D
C. A, C, and D
D. B, C, and D    

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option: (b)

Statements A and C are absolutely correct. The correct form of statement B would have been "Raj pleaded guilty to".Similarly, the correct form of statement D would have been "He was sentenced to three."

Question 11

A. It was a tough situation and Manasi was taking pains to make it better.
B. Slowly her efforts gave fruit and things started improving.
C. Everyone complemented her for her good work.
D. She was very happy and thanked everyone for their help.
(CAT 2004)

A. A only
B. D only
C. B and C
D. A and C

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option: (c)

Statements A and D are grammatically correct. Statement B should be reframed as "Slowly her efforts bore fruit" Statement C is also incorrect. Its correct form would be "Everyone complimented her on her good work."

Question 12

Physicians may soon have _____ to help paralyzed people move their limbs by bypassing the ____ nerves that once controlled their muscles. (CAT 2003)

A. Instruments, Detrimental
B. Ways, Damaged
C. Reason, Involuntary       
D. Impediments, Complex

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option: (b)
The adjective that best describes the 'nerves' in this particular scenario is 'damaged' since the statement talks about bypassing them to help paralyzed people.

 

Question 13

The Internet is a medium where users have nearly _____ choices and _____ constraints about where to go and what to do. (CAT 2003)

A. Unbalanced, Nonexistent
B. Embarrassing, No
C. Unlimited, Minimal           
D. Choking, Shocking

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option: (c)

Option (c) clearly stands out as the right answer choice because it fits the context best.

Question 14

The best punctuation is that of which the reader is least conscious, for when punctuation, or lack of it, _____ itself, it is usually because it _____.

A. Obtrudes, Offends
B. Enjoins, Fails    
C. Conceals, Recedes              
D. Effaces, Counts                       

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option: (a)

Obtrude means to become noticeable in an undesirable way. Hence this is the perfect choice for the first blank as it correctly describes the situation being talked about in the statement. Offends in the second gap fits the context as well.

 

Question 15

The argument that the need for a looser fiscal policy to _____ demand outweighs the need to _____ budget deficits, is persuasive.

A. Assess, Minimize                   
B. Outstrip, Eliminate           
C. Stimulate, Control
D. Restrain, Conceal                   

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option: (c)

If you observe the two blanks, you need words with opposite meanings to fill both the blanks. Among the options, only option (c) satisfies this.

Question 16

The Athenians on the whole were peaceful and prosperous, they had _____ to sit at home and think about the universe and dispute with Socrates, or to travel abroad and _____ the world.

A. leisure, Ignore
B. Time,  Explore
C. Ability, Suffer
D. Temerity, Understand

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option: (b)

When you travel, you travel to "explore". Hence option (b) fits the second blank best. Also "time" is the best option for the first gap.