Free Verbal Reasoning - 02 Practice Test - CAT 

Question 1

Directions for questions 1-5: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot of Kgale Hill. These were its assets; a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter. Then there was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe - the only private lady detective in Botswana - brewed red bush tea. And three mugs - one for herself, one for her secretary and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need? Detective agencies rely on human intuition and intelligence, both of which Mma Ramotswe had in abundance. _________________

A. But there was also the view, which again would appear on no inventory.
B. No inventory would ever include those, of course
C. She had an intelligent secretary too.
D. She was a good detective and a good woman

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option (b)

The paragraph mentions the tangible parts of the inventory that Mma Ramotswe had at the agency, and ‘human intuition and intelligence’ Option (b) concludes the paragraph by stating that ‘no inventory would ever be able to include those.Options 3 & 4 are eliminated in comparison to options 1 and 2 which continue the idea of the inventory.

Option (a), though continuing the idea of inventory is far inferior to option (b).

The ‘those’ in option (b) scores over option (a).

Hence, the correct answer is option (b).

Question 2

Directions for questions 1-5: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

Nevertheless, photographs still retain some of the magical allure that the earliest daguerreotypes inspired. As objects, our photographs have changed; they have become physically flimsier as they have become more technologically sophisticated. Daguerre produced pictures on copper plates; today many of our photographs never become tangible thins, but instead remain filed away on computers and cameras, part of the digital ether that envelops the modern world. At the same time, our patience for the creation of images has also eroded. Children today are used to being tracked from birth by digital cameras and video recorders and they expect to see the results of their poses and performances instantly. The space between life as it is being lived and life as it is being displayed shrinks to a mere second. __________________________

A. Yet, despite these technical developments, photographs still remain powerful because they are reminders of the people and things we care about.
B. Images, after all, are surrogates carried into battle by a soldier or by a traveller on holiday.
C. Photographs, be they digital or traditional, exist to remind us of the absent, the beloved, and the dead.
D. In the new era of the digital image, the images also have a greater potential for fostering falsehood and trickery, perpetuating fictions that seem so real we cannot tell the difference.

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option (a)

‘Nevertheless ‘at the beginning of the paragraph, and “yet’ at the beginning of option (a) make the paragraph logically complete.Option (a) is the reason why the paragraph is written - to communicate that ‘photographs are still powerful.

The traveler in option (b), the beloved and the dead in option (c) and the falsehood and trickery in option (d) do not help conclude the paragraph.

Hence, the correct answer is option (a).

Question 3

Directions for questions 1-5: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

Characters are also part of deep structure. Characters tie events in a story together and provide a thread of continuity and meaning. Stories can be about individuals, groups, projects or whole organizations, so from an organizational studies perspective, the focal actor(s) determine the level and unit of analysis used in a study. Stories of mergers and acquisitions, for example, are common place. In these stories whole organizations are personified as actors. But these macro-level stories usually are not told from the perspective of the macro-level participants, because whole organizations cannot narrate their experiences in the first person. _________________________

A. More generally, data concerning the identities and relationships of the characters in the story are required, if one is to understand role structure and social networks in which that process is embedded.
B. Personification of a whole organization abstracts away from the particular actors and from traditional notions of level of analysis.
C. The personification of a whole organization is important because stories differ depending on who is enacting various events.
D. The personification of a whole organization is a textual device we use to make macro-level theories more comprehensible.

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option (d)

The paragraph briefly is about why stories are structured around focal characters. And why in stories of organizations, organizations have to be personified and focal characters as organizations cannot narrate their experiences.Option (a) is incorrect as it continues the first part of the paragraph and is unrelated the second part.

Option (b) is incorrect as it talks about abstracting away from the particular whereas the paragraph is talking about particularizing.

Options(c) talks about different points of view, which is irrelevant to the paragraph.

Hence, the correct answer is option (d).

Question 4

Directions for questions 1-5: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

Thus the end of knowledge and the closing of the frontier that it symbolizes is not a looming crisis at all, but merely one of many embarrassing fits of hubris in civilization's long industry. In the end, it will pass away and be forgotten. Ours is not the first generation to struggle to understand the organizational laws of the frontier, deceive itself that it has succeeded, and go to its grave having failed.______________________

A. One would be wise to be humble.
B. But we might be the first generation to actually reach the frontier
C. But we might be the first generation to deal with the crisis.
D. However, this time the success is not illusory.

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option (a)

The passage talks about the ‘hubris’ (exaggerated pride or self-confidence) of civilization.All options other than option (a) are in line with this hubris. But the passage also talks about how the civilization ‘deceives’ itself. Hence purpose of the paragraph is to put this self deception in perspective. Option (a) fulfils this purpose by asking one to show humility as ‘ours is not the first generation’. The other options are partial and hence eliminated. Hence, the correct answer is option (a)

Question 5

Directions for questions 1-5: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

Federer's fifth grand slam win prompted a reporter to ask whether he was the best ever. Federer is certainly not lacking in confidence, but he wasn't about to proclaim himself the best ever. "The best player of this generation, yes", he said, "But nowhere close to ever. Just look at the records that some guys have. I'm a minnow".________________________

A. His win against Agassi, a genius from the previous generation, contradicts that.
B. Sampras, the king of an earlier generation, was as humble.
C. He is more than a minnow to his contemporaries.
D. The difference between 'the best of this generation' and 'the best ever' is a matter of perception.

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option (c)

The passage is written to show great Federer’s achievements are and how modest he is. The answer option concludes the paragraph by stating that – his contemporaries rate him much greater than Federer’s own modest assessment of himself.Options 1 and 2 are thus easily eliminated. Though useful in continuing the passage they do not close the paragraph. Rather than leaving it to the reader to decide about Federer (option (d), which then gets eliminated) option (c) brings the paragraph to a close in keeping with its purpose.

Hence, the correct answer is option (c).

Question 6

If the statement above concerning oil-supply disruptions is true, which of the following policies in an open-market nation is most likely to reduce the long-term economic impact on that nation of sharp and unexpected increases in international oil prices?

A. Maintaining the quantity of oil imported at constant yearly levels
B. Increasing the number of oil tankers in its fleet
C. Suspending diplomatic relations with major oil-producing nations
D. Decreasing oil consumption through conservation
E. Decreasing domestic production of oil

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option: (d)
Author clearly points out that import would not impact the rise of prices. It indicates that whether the oil is manufactured in the country itself or is bought from outsode doesn't matter. All the other choices get eliminated here.

 

Question 7

Which of the following can be correctly inferred from the statements above?

A. Individuals who are underweight do not run any risk of developing high levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream.
B. Individuals who do not exercise regularly have a high risk of developing high levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream late in life.
C. Exercise and weight reduction are the most effective methods of lowering bloodstream cholesterol levels in humans.
D. A program of regular exercise and weight reduction lowers cholesterol levels in the bloodstream of some individuals.
E. Only regular exercise is necessary to decrease cholesterol levels in the bloodstream of individuals of average weight.

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option: (d)
Premises are: 1.Increase in HDL lowers cholesterol. 2. Levels of HDL of some individuals are increased by regular exercise and weight reduction.
Inference should support BOTH the premises. This option supports both the premises

Question 8

The argument above assumes that:

A. The perceived threat of nuclear catastrophe has increased over the years.
B. Most people supported the development of nuclear arms
C. People’s perception of the threat of nuclear catastrophe depends on the amount of nuclear-arms testing being done
D. The people who saved the most money when nuclear-arms testing was limited were the ones who supported such limitations
E. There are more consumer goods available when nuclear-arms testing increases

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option: (c)
On the basis of an observed correlation between arms testing and people’s tendency to save money, the argument concludes that there is a causal connection between a perception of threat and the tendency not to save. That connection cannot be made unless C, linking the perception of threat to the amount of testing being done, is assumed to be true. Therefore, C is the best answer. The conclusion does not depend on there having been an increase in the perceived threat over time or on how many people supported the development of nuclear arms. Hence, neither of A and B is assumed. The argument does not deal with those who supported arms limitations or with the availability of consumer goods. Thus, D and E are not assumed.

Question 9

Which of the following best completes the passage above?


 

A. affluent purchasers currently represent a shrinking portion of the population of all purchasers
B. continued sales depend directly on the maintenance of an aura of exclusivity
C. purchasers of premium products are concerned with the quality as well as with the price of the products
D. expansion of the market niche to include a broader spectrum of consumers will increase profits
E. manufacturing a premium brand is not necessarily more costly than manufacturing a standard brand of the same product

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option: (b)
The incomplete passage calls for an explanation of why price-reduction and mass-marketing methods should not be used for premium products. B, which states that sales of these products require that they appear specials, provides such an explanation. Therefore, B is the best answer. No other choice offers an appropriate explanation. The diminishing proportion of affluent buyers cited in A argues for using price reductions to attract buyers of lesser means. C suggests that purchasers of premium products find reduced prices attractive, and it has not been established that the methods affect quality or perception of quality. D argues for, rather than against, using mass marketing. E is inappropriate, since there is no indication that manufacturing costs are relevant.

 

 

 

Question 10

Which of the following, if true, could be proponents of the plan above most appropriately cite as a piece of evidence for the soundness of their plan?
 

A. An effective high-speed ground-transportation system would require major repairs to many highways and mass-transit improvements.
B. One-half of all departing flights in the nation’s busiest airport head for a destination in a major city 225 miles away.
C. The majority of travelers departing from rural airports are flying to destinations in cities over 600 miles away.
D. Many new airports are being built in areas that are presently served by high-speed ground-transportation systems.
E. A large proportion of air travelers are vacationers who are taking long-distance flights.

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option: (b)
The plan proposes that high-speed ground transportation would be a less expensive solution to airport congestion than would airport expansion. B indicates that between the cities to be served by the plan there is substantial air travel to which ground transportation would represent an alternative. Therefore, B is the best answer.
No other choice could be cited appropriately. A and D both provide some evidence against the plan. A by emphasizing the likely costs of providing high-speed ground transportation is not by itself a solution to airport
congestion.
D by indicating that such an alternative is not by itself a solution to airport congestion.
C and E say that there are many travelers for whom the proposed system would actually provide no alternative.

Question 11

Directions for questions 11-15: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

We can usefully think of theoretical models as maps, which help us navigate unfamiliar territory. The most accurate map that it is possible to construct would be of no practical use whatsoever, for it would be an exact replica, on exactly the same scale, of the place where we were. Good maps pull out the most important features and throw away a huge amount of much less valuable information. Of course, maps can be bad as well as good - witness the attempts by medieval Europe to produce a map of the world. In the same way, a bad theory, no matter how impressive it may seem in principle, does little or nothing to help us understand a problem.___________________

A. But good theories, just like good maps, are invaluable, even if they are simplified.
B. But good theories, just like good maps, will never represent unfamiliar concepts in detail.
C. But good theories, just like good maps, need to balance detail and feasibility of representation.
D. But good theories, just like good maps, are accurate only at a certain level of abstraction.

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option (a)

The passage compares maps with theories. Good maps  give only the ‘most important features’ and leave out less valuable information. So too are good theories. Option (b) categorically states that good theories ‘will never represent unfamiliar concepts’ whereas a concept being familiar or unfamiliar depends on a person’s knowledge. Option (c) can be ruled out because the passage does not talk of balancing details with feasibility of representation. Option (d) cannot be the answer because maps don’t have to become abstract to be accurate.

Question 12

Directions for questions 11-15: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

Age has a curvilinear relationship with the exploitation of opportunity. Initially, age will increase the likelihood that a person will exploit an entrepreneurial opportunity because people gather much of the knowledge necessary to exploit opportunities over the course of their lives, and because age provides credibility in transmitting that information to others. However, as people become older, their willingness to bear risks declines, their opportunity costs rise, and they become less receptive to new information._______________________________________

A. As a result, people transmit more information rather than experiment with new ideas as they reach an advanced age.
B. As a result, people are reluctant to experiment with new ideas as they reach an advanced age.
C. As a result, only people with lower opportunity costs exploit opportunity when they reach an advanced age.
D. As a result, people become reluctant to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities when they reach an advanced age.

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option (d)

The relationship between a person’s age and his likelihood of exploiting new opportunities is presented in the passage. When people gain more knowledge and experience they try to exploit new opportunities. However, as they grow even older they try to avoid risks and become less receptive to new ideas. Hence at an advanced age, a person becomes reluctant to exploit new opportunities as he wants to avoid risks. Option (b) can be eliminated as it categorically states that they are reluctant to ‘experiment with new ideas’. Since the context is of ‘entrepreneurial opportunity’ option (d) becomes better as the concluding line. Option (a) can be ruled out because the focus of the passage is on exploitation of opportunity whereas this option talks of ‘transmit more information’ and ‘experiment with new ideas’. Option (c) says people with lower opportunity cost exploit opportunity when they became old whereas the passage says that ‘as people become older ……. less receptive to new information’.

Question 13

Directions for questions 11-15: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

In the evolving world order, the comparative advantage of the United States lies in its military force. Diplomacy and international law have always been regarded as annoying encumbrances, unless they can be used to advantage against an enemy. Every active player in world affairs professes to seek only peace and to prefer negotiation to violence and coercion.______________________

A. However, diplomacy has often been used as a mask by nations which intended to use force.
B. However, when the veil is lifted, we commonly see that diplomacy is understood as a disguise for the rule of force.
C. However, history has shown that many of these nations do not practice what they profess.
D. However, history tells us that peace is professed by those who intend to use violence

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option (b)

All the options provided seem to follow from the last line of the passage. However, since the statement indicates what is professed, the contradiction would be in the intentions behind that – best expressed in option (b). In addition, option (b) is the only sentence that corresponds to the singular “every active player” – all the other sentences use plurals.

Question 14

Directions for questions 11-15: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

Relations between the factory and the dealer are distant and usually strained as the factory tries to force cars on the dealers to smooth out production. Relations between the dealer and the customer are equally strained because dealers continuously adjust prices - make deals - to adjust demand with supply while maximizing profits. This becomes a system marked by a lack of long-term commitment on either side, which maximize feelings of mistrust. In order to maximize their bargaining positions, everyone holds back information - the dealer about the product and the consumer about his true desires._________________________________

A. As a result, ‘deal making’ becomes rampant, without concern for customer satisfaction.
B. As a result, inefficiencies creep into the supply chain.
C. As a result, everyone treats the other as an adversary, rather than as an ally.
D. As a result, everyone loses in the long run.

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option (d)

The passage explains the kind of differences that exist between the components in the supply chain, (ie. production to distribution to consumer). The nature of the differences result in a system lacking commitment on the part of the components, and lacking transparency. The para is best closed with the option that points to the logical result of such a situation - that is provided in option (d), 'everyone loses in the long run'. Option (a) is inappropriate since, in 'deal-making', the customer would have his own satisfaction in mind. Option (b) brings in circumstances that would follow in continuation. Option (c) brings in a thought contrary to the tone of the paragraph

Question 15

Directions for questions 11-15: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way

I am sometimes attacked for imposing 'rules‘. Nothing could be further from the truth. I hate rules. All I do is report on how consumers react to different stimuli. I may say to a copywriter, Research shows that commercials with celebrities are below average in persuading people to buy products. Are you sure you want to use a celebrity? “Call that a rule? Or I may say to an art director, Research suggests that if you set the copy in black type on a white background, more people will read it than if you set it in white type on a black background.”_________________

A. Guidance based on applied research can hardly qualify as ‘rules’.
B. Thus, all my so called ‘rules’ are rooted in applied research.
C. A suggestion perhaps, but scarcely a rule.
D. Such principles are unavoidable if one wants to be systematic about consumer behaviour.

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option (c)

The author tries to defend himself by saying that he never imposes rules. He gives as a couple of examples of his suggestions and questions whether a person would call it a ‘rule’. As the passage is defensive in tone option (c) is the most appropriate which says that he gives only suggestions.

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