Free Reading Comprehension Set II - 04 Practice Test - CAT 

Question 1

The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. defend a controversial interpretation of two novels
B. explain the source of widely recognized responses to two novels
C. delineate broad differences between two novels
D. compare and contrast two novels

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option D. The author is talking about the two novels in the passages. First he brings about the difference between the two novels and in the later part of the passage he talks about the similarities in them. So he compares and contrasts the two novels.

Question 2

According to the passage, Frankenstein differs from Wuthering Heights in its-

A. use of multiple narrators
B. method of disguising the author’s real purposes
C. portrayal of men as determiners of the novel’s action
D. creation of a realistic story

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option C. The author says that in Frankenstein, the fates of subordinate female characters seem entirely dependent on the actions of male heroes or anti-heroes whereas in Wuthering Heights men battle for the favors of apparently high-spirited, independent women. So unlike in Withering Heights, men are portrayed as determiners of the novel’s action in Frankenstein. So C is the right answer.

Question 3

Which of the following narrative strategies best exemplifies the “evidentiary narrative technique” mentioned in last line?

A. Telling a story in such a way that the author’s real intentions are discernible only through interpretations of allusions to a world outside that of the story.
B. Telling a story in such a way that the reader is aware as events unfold of the author’s underlying purposes and the ways these purposes conflict with the drama of the plot.
C. Telling a story in a way that both directs attention to the incongruities among the points of view of several characters and hints that the plot has a significance other than that suggested by its mere events.
D. Telling a story as a mystery in which the reader must deduce, from the conflicting evidence presented by several narrators, the moral and philosophical significance of character and event.

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option C. Look at the last line of the passage. The author basically talks about two things regarding the narrating style.

1.) Emphasis on dissimilarities (incongruities) between different perspectives (points of view) on the same events held by different characters.

2.)Relationship between what is explicitly stated ( surface drama) and the author’s concealed intention.

Out of the given options, these points are best captured in C.

Question 4

According to the passage, the plots of Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein are notable for their elements of

A. drama and secrecy
B. heroism and tension
C. realism and ambition
D. mystery and irony

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option D. Look at the lines “ many readers are convinced that the compelling mysteries ..” and “Both novelists use a storytelling method that emphasizes ironic disjunction..”. From this we can conclude that the author recognizes mystery and irony as the notable elements of the two novels.

Question 5

The author of this passage probably believes that the effects of technology on human communication are

A. not very important      
B. mostly negative            
C. not well understood    
D. almost negligible

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option (B) The author describes the changes in the human behaviour since the introduction of electronic technology. He says that earlier people spent time on composing their thoughts and also on expressing their thoughts in the best possible way. Unlike earlier, people are now not patient enough and express themselves directly and bluntly.People want all the communication to happen simultaneously. So we can conclude that the author believes that effects of technology on human communication have mostly been negative.

Question 6

By “Stop putting me on.” the speaker means-

A. “I prefer to dress myself.”                                          
B. “Don’t lie to me.”
C.  “I don’t want you to put things on top of me.”     
D. “Don’t think that I am the same as you are.”

SOLUTION

Solution : B

 “Option(B) Stop putting me on” is an idiom that means not to lie to someone.

Question 7

The federal government is not ____ any economic problems for the second half of the year; all the indicators are positive.

A. anticipating  
B. accommodating   
C.  asphyxiating                 
D.  administering

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option A. Anticipating means to make a prediction about something or tell in advance. Asphyxiating is something deprived of oxygen while administering is to supervise or be in charge of.

Question 8

According to the author, Frankenstein parts from the traditional figure of the overreacher in

A. his exaggerated will
B. his atypical purpose
C. the excesses of his method
D. the inevitability of his failure

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Answer is B.

The concluding paragraph distinguishes Frankenstein from the other overreachers in his desire not to extend his own life but to impart life to another (by creating his monster). Thus, his purpose is atypical of the traditional overreacher. To say that someone parts from the traditional figure of the overreacher is to say that he differs from it.

Question 9

The author of the passage concedes which of the following about Mary Shelley as an author?

A. She was unaware of the literary and mythological traditions of the overreacher
B. She intentionally parodied the scientific and literary discoveries of her time
C. She was exposed to radical artistic and scientific concepts that influenced her work.
D. She lacked the maturity to create a literary work of absolute originality.

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option  C.

The opening sentence points out that Shelley herself acknowledged the influence of her unplanned immersion in the scientific and literary revolutions of her time. Clearly, the author of the passage concedes this as true of Shelley.

Question 10

The author quotes Mario Praz primarily in order to

A. support her own perception of Mary Shelley's uniqueness
B. illustrate recent changes in scholarly opinions of Shelley
C. demonstrate Praz's unfamiliarity with Shelley's Frankenstein
D. provide an example of the predominant critical view of Shelley .

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option D.

Immediately before quoting Praz,the author states that the general view of Shelly depicts her as “a transparent medium through which passed the ideas of those around her”.The quotation from Praz provides an excellent example of this point of view.

Question 11

The “fruits” mentioned in the passage represent

A. spiritual growth
B. artistic skill
C. technological progress
D. the means of acquiring food and shelter

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option D.

The fruits mentioned in the passage refer to the means of acquiring food and shelter, because they are described as the fruits for maintaining human life. The author is talking about the basic necessities to maintain human life.

Question 12

 As per the passage, the “question” is whether

A. money can buy happiness
B. intellectuals can earn a good living
C. society can construct effective schools
D. scholars are happier than merchants

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option B The question is whether one can get quick returns of interest (make money) from the capital of knowledge and learning (from one’s education). In the passage, the author is apprehensive of the fact whether one’s intellectual abilities can earn him a good living. Hence option B.

Question 13

In the context, “erudition” most likely means

A. Power
B. Wealth
C. Knowledge
D. Character

SOLUTION

Solution : C

 Option C. Erudition- the word stands for deep extensive learning. The author in the line says that in the sixteenth century, many scholars with deep knowledge had modest means of living. Hence option C fits in correctly.

Question 14

The passage suggests that helping a boy to tie his shoes the “right way” can be

A. necessary to his self-esteem
B. important to his personal hygiene
C. essential to teaching him patience
D. harmful to his autonomous development

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option (D)

The passage states that instructing a child to tie shoes the right way will defeat the child’s growing attempt at self-mastery. Option D is in line with this idea. Other options can easily be eliminated as these are supportive of parents helping out children but the passage is against it.

Question 15

The passage indicates that negative responses to a child can lead to the child’s

A. rebellion
B. feeling of helplessness
C. persistence in the task
D. mimicking of the negative behavior

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option (B)

The last sentence states that nagging is a constant reminder to the child of his or her lack of self control. Option B is the closest to this view. Option A can be eliminated as the passage does not talk about the child reacting to such nagging. Nothing in the passage says the child will persist in the task. Option C is eliminated. Options D is beyond the scope of the passage.

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