Free Reading Comprehension Set II - 05 Practice Test - CAT
Question 1
According to the passage, which of the following statements is/are true?
I. Some robins go to Central America during the winter.
II. The female robin has a bright red breast.
III. Cats hunt adult robins.
SOLUTION
Solution : C
The correct answer is C.
I-Incorrect. The passage states that “In the winter some robins go to central Mexico.
Some robins go to the Pacific coast.” There is no information in the passage about some robins going to Central
America during winter.
II. Incorrect. As per the passage, “The male robin has a bright red breast.” There is no mention of the colouring of the female robin.
III. Correct. The passage states that “Cats prey on adult robins.” To prey on means to hunt, so it is true that cats hunt adult robins.
Question 2
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
SOLUTION
Solution : B
The correct answer is B.
(A) Incorrect. While the opening line states that “Squirrels prey on robin eggs and baby robins,” the paragraph goes on to list other animals which prey on, or hunt, robins and their eggs. So the main idea does not center on squirrels, but rather on animals which prey on robins and their eggs.
(B) Correct. In the third para ,the author lists the animals which prey on baby robins and robin eggs. Further he lists animals which prey on adult robins.Therefore, the entire paragraph is centered on animals which prey on robins.
(C) Incorrect. There is no mention that the adult robins do not care for their young.
(D) Incorrect. The paragraph states that “Crows prey on baby robins and robin eggs. Hawks prey on adult robins.” However, there is no mention that crows prey on adult robins or that hawks prey on baby robins and robin eggs.
Question 3
In the passage, ‘vigilant’ most closely means
SOLUTION
Solution : A
The correct answer is (a)
According to the passage,“To stay safe, robins stay vigilant. Robins pay close attention to their surroundings.” Vigilant robins are robins which pay close attention to their surroundings.Therefore, vigilant must mean attentive.
Question 4
Which best describes Jeffrey's attitude in this passage?
SOLUTION
Solution : D
Option (d). We can make out from the passage that Jeffrey is angry with himself and strongly dislikes himself. Look at the line- “A fierce wave – a tsunami – of antipathy came over him.” Feral which means being in a wild state does not fit in the context. Self-loathing which means self hatred fits in correctly and hence the answer.
Question 5
A fierce wave – a tsunami – of antipathy came over him. Given the analogy in this sentence, which word would work best instead of "came"?
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (a). Swept over is the best usage and grammatically correct usage. Hence option (a).
Question 6
What statement makes the most sense from what is said in this passage?
SOLUTION
Solution : D
Option (d). From the passage, we can make out that Jefferey knows himself well. The passage talks about how he behaved to his subordinates, how he was proud of the assets he had acquired and how he had not taken care of his parents well. Besides the line “Jeffrey knew this man, knew him all too well” makes option (d) the obvious choice.
Question 7
Which is the best antonym for ostentatious?
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b). Ostentatious means pretentious display to impress others or showiness. Out of the given options modest is the closest antonym. Decadent which means being in a state of decline does not fit in. Assiduous means unceasing or persistent.
Question 8
What is leadership?
SOLUTION
Solution : A
The answer is A. The author says “ leadership is getting things done through people”. Option A closely follows this and hence the answer
Question 9
Why can it not always be said that ‘leaders are born, not made’?
SOLUTION
Solution : C
The answer is C. The author says that many times leaders may not be born with natural talents but their talents may have been fostered by their upbringing and experiences at school, university or in the armed force. Hence option C.
Question 10
What combine together to produce a natural leader?
SOLUTION
Solution : A
The answer is A. The author talks explicitly says that combined attributes of charisma, inspirational qualities and ways of handling people produce a good leader.
Question 11
Where do effective leaders learn from?
SOLUTION
Solution : C
The answer is C. The author, in the last line of the passage says that effective leaders learn from their experience and they keep on learning .Hence option C.
Question 12
According to the passage, which of the following statements can be true?
I. Ninety-five percent of paper is made from pine trees.
II. Computers will take away the need for paper.
III. There will probably always be uses for paper.
SOLUTION
Solution : C
Option C.
A. Incorrect. According to passage, “Ninety–five percent of paper is made from trees. Some paper is made from pine trees.”
B. Incorrect. According to lines, “Some people think computers will take away the need for paper.” So while it might be true that computers will take away the need for paper, the passage states that it is some people’s opinion, not a fact.
C. Correct. The passage states-“ people will probably need to use paper for many more years”. Hence statement III can be true.
Question 13
In the context, sand most closely means
SOLUTION
Solution : C
Option C.
A. Incorrect. In lines 11–12, the word sand is used as a verb. According to the passage,
“Some people will want to sand surfaces with sandpaper.” While the word sand does sometimes refer to a mineral, that usage of sand is a noun, not a verb. So in this case, the word sand cannot mean a grainy mineral.
B. Incorrect. While it is true that people paint or color on surfaces and that there is a reddish–brown color which is called sand, paint or color is probably not the meaning of sand as it is used in this line, because the following sentence states that “Some people will want to paint or draw on paper.”
C. Correct. The meaning of sand in this sentence is to smooth or polish. Since sandpaper has a grainy surface, it smoothes or polishes other surfaces when it is rubbed against them.
D. Incorrect. Since the third paragraph contains a listing of possible future uses of paper, storage does appear as one of the possible uses. However, it appears in line 13 – “Some people will want to put things in paper boxes.” Since putting things in boxes is storing things, this is the sentence where storage is listed. So it is unlikely that sand means use for storage
Question 14
The author of the passage would most likely agree with which one/two or three of the following statement?
(i) Monotheism motivated people to the sacrifice of human being
(ii) Monotheism evolved with the development of the intellect.
(iii) Polytheism was preceded by the belief in unseen spiritual force.
SOLUTION
Solution : C
The answer is option C. The author discusses that man’s belief in unseen spiritual forces lead to monotheism, polytheism and monotheism. Statements (i) and (ii) are out of the scope of the passage.
Question 15
According to the passage, we are indebted to science for our.
SOLUTION
Solution : D
The answer is D. The author says that we owe our reasoning power to science and option D is the best fit. Reasoning helps in rational thinking