Free Verbal Reasoning - 04 Practice Test - CAT
Question 1
Directions for questions 1 to 8: 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.
A converging set of powerful economic, technological, demographic and national security developments requires a workforce that is far more internationally savvy and expert in foreign languages and cultures. But the United State’s top business leaders and future workforce are woefully unprepared to meet the challenges of globalization. In today’s global economy, foreign language skills have become vital to our children’s future as members of the workforce and to our nation’s future success in the world.___________________________________________
SOLUTION
Solution : D
Option (d) The passage is talking about the hour of recognizing the need for developing expertise in languages, option d is the only onewhich takes the thought process further making it the correct answer.
Question 2
The tests, apart from a few personal and anthropometric data included to make possible a comparison between physical and mental endowment, fall naturally into (a) the senses, (b) the motor capacities, and (c) the more complex mental processes. Certain general desiderata may, perhaps, be suggested as applicable to each of these groups. It is well to have each test give information regarding a single or very limited group of powers; specific typical tests are better than general ones. _________________
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (a) is the logical continuation of the passage as the passage is talking mainly about testing in parts and since the part on the senses is marked as ‘a’ it could be logically taken as the continuation of the passage.
Question 3
Surowiecki offers a multitude of examples that demonstrate how crowds have made eerily accurate predictions. He points to the aftermath of the space shuttle Challenger disaster, for instance.The stock market immediately began to punish one of the four main shuttle contractors more harshly than the others. Six months later, it turned out that company was responsible for the disastrously defective O-rings. ________________________________
SOLUTION
Solution : E
option (e). The passage is talking about the accurate predictions of crowds, option e takes it forward, and the other options further elaborate the topic.
Question 4
Hooper’s statement truly reflects the impression and gossip a hat can generate when worn. Of course, her own hats generated many a conversation and even led her to an autobiography titled From Under My Hat. While hats may be the trendiest, most sophisticated piece of accessory in the West, unfortunately, in India they still only come out of the closet during the famous Indian Derby and the much awaited polo season. _____________________.
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (A)
[D] is the only option that can be negated immediately. The last sentence mentions the Indian scenario whereas the fourth option refers to the hat lovers in general. [C] takes the whole idea one step further by mentioning events that are not related to the ones mentioned in the passage, hence can be negated. Between [A] and [B], [B] can come only after the author has mentioned why and how a hat can be an important fashion accessory. [A] directly flows from the passage and can be a fitting conclusion to the idea stated in the passage. Hence, answer is option A
Question 5
On the right, was a big fat deck of Power Point graphics, designed to make people believe I know what I’m talking about even when I don’t. I loved it! The decks were so shiny and crisp and new. There was so much writing on them! Clearly everybody had done a lot of work. I had a couple of problems with the opening, but I knew we could take care of it in time. The rest looked pretty interesting as I paged through, looking at every third word. The ending appeared okay. ____________________________
SOLUTION
Solution : B
option B
The passage is on a positive note. The speaker seems to be satisfied with the document lying in front of him. So there is no reason why he would experience a mental pain (‘twinge’); hence [C] is out. [D] does not go with the overall tone of the passage; it is more sarcastic. So, [D] can also be negated. Between [A] and [C], [A] is an exaggerated expression. Only [B] can be a fitting statement for concluding the passage.
Question 6
China’s carmakers are feeling smug. As they showed off their latest designs amid the chaos of the Beijing Auto Show, crowds swarmed around the stands for the unveiling of each new model.Chinese firms felt confident enough to show off not just their newest low-cost runabouts, but also luxury and sports models. “Concept” cars were presented showing possible future designs and even a few hybrid and electric vehicles. China’s present condition can be compared to a teenager trying to behave like an adult too soon. ___________________________ .
SOLUTION
Solution : B
The last sentence of the paragraph is on a cautionary note. [A], which is completely positive, cannot follow the last sentence of the paragraph. [D] is too negative: there is nothing in the passage to suggest that the quality of the cars has deteriorated. Both [B] and [C] seem to be plausible options, but [C] is more sceptical. The expression ‘too soon’ indicates that the author is not completely against the progress as seen in the Chinese car industry, only he wants to provide a suggestion for them to move slowly and not get swept away in the mad rush. The expression ‘street-credibility’ which means a quality that helps in your identification with the accepted trends in a society also gives us a clue that [B] should be the correct answer. option B
Question 7
As with earlier treatments for short stature, the latest wave of drugs has met with a chorus of controversy. The companies argue that their products offer a safe way for parents to insure their children against a lifetime of discrimination in work and romance. Critics are of the opinion that society is buying into the idea that someone who is short has a medical problem _____________________________ .
SOLUTION
Solution : A
option A
[C] can be negated immediately because from the passage it is not clear whether the critics are concerned about the variance in effects of the drugs. The last sentence of the passage indicates that the critics do not approve of the way the companies are making profit out of a normal physical condition. [B] can also be negated because the passage does not indicate anything about the concerns of the people using the drugs. [A] and [D] both may seem plausible. Compared to [D], [A] puts forth the disapproval of the critics in stronger terms.
Question 8
The price the government pays for standard weapons purchased from military contractors is determined by a pricing method called “historical costing.” Historical costing allows contractors to protect their profits by adding a percentage increase, based on the current rate of inflation, to the previous year’s contractual price.
Which of the following statements, if true, is the best basis for a criticism of historical costing as an economically sound pricing method for military contracts?
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (a)
If the original contractual price for the weapons purchased incorporated an inefficient use of funds, then, since historical costing merely adds to the original price, it preserves these inefficiencies. An economically sound pricing method should at least allow the possibility of reductions in price as such inefficiencies are removed. Hence, A is the best answer. Because historical costing responds to inflation, B and C are consistent with the economic soundness of historical costing-the rate of inflation and costs that are reflected in inflation. D offers no grounds for questioning the economic soundness of historical costing in particular. Historical costing applies to standard weapons only, not to the innovative weapons that are mentioned in E.
Question 9
Some who favor putting governmental enterprises into private hands suggest that conservation objectives would in general be better served if private environmental groups were put in charge of operating and financing the national park system, which is now run by the government.
Which of the following, assuming that it is a realistic possibility, argues most strongly against the suggestion above?
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (A)
If those seeking to abolish restrictions on exploiting the natural resources of the parks assumed the leadership of a group that was placed in charge of operating the park system, conservation objectives would not be better served. A suggests that such a scenario might result from the proposed policy and is thus the best answer. B indicates the potential for disagreement among various private environmental groups, but it does not suggest that disagreements could not be resolved. C, D and E list problems that might confront private environmental groups in charge of parks, but they do not give reason to believe that such groups would not be better able to pursue conservation objectives than is the current administration of the park system.
Question 10
A recent spate of launching and operating mishaps with television satellites led to a corresponding surge in claims against companies underwriting satellite insurance. As a result, insurance premiums shot up, making satellites more expensive to launch and operate. This, in turn, has added to the pressure to squeeze more performance out of currently operating satellites.
Which of the following, if true, taken together with the information above, best supports the conclusion that the cost of television satellites will continue to increase?
SOLUTION
Solution : C
According to the passage, satellite mishaps caused a surge in insurance claims, which, in turn, caused increased insurance premiums. Higher premiums made the satellites more costly, resulting in increased performance demands. If C is true, the greater demands on performance will lead to further increases in costs by increasing the number of mishaps, and thus pushing insurance premiums still higher. Thus, C is the best answer. A and D both describe factors relevant to costs, but there is no reason to think that the situation described in the passage will cause the costs resulting from these factors to increase. Similarly, the impossibility of pinpointing the cause of failure, mentioned in B, is consistent with the cost of satellites remaining stable.
Question 11
Rural households have more purchasing power than do urban or suburban households at the same income level, since some of the income urban and suburban households use for food and shelter can be used by rural households for other needs.
Which of the following inferences is best supported by the statement made above?
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)
If the greater purchasing power of rural households results from their having more money left over after meeting basic expenses, it follows, as B says, that those expenses are lower for those households than they are for suburban or urban households at the same income level. Consequently, B is the best answer. A is not a supported inference, since there is no information to suggest that larger households are not more likely to have either more purchasing power or lower food and shelter expenses. C and D are not supported, since the passage compares only households that share the same income level.
Question 12
In 1985 state border colleges in Texas lost the enrollment of more than half, on average, of the Mexican nationals they had previously served each year. Teaching faculties have alleged that this extreme drop resulted from a rise in tuition for international and out-of-state students from 40to 120 per credit hour.
Which of the following, if feasible, offers the best prospects for alleviating the problem of the drop in enrollment of Mexican nationals as the teaching faculties assessed it?
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)
The teaching faculties attribute the drop in enrollment of Mexican nationals to an increase in tuition costs. If the faculties are correct, reducing these costs should halt the drop in enrollment. B offers a plan for reducing these costs and so is the best answer. None of C, D and E offers a plan that would reduce the costs taken to be responsible for the drop in enrollment. Nor does A offer such a plan: because the problem to be addressed is a drop in enrollment of Mexican nationals at Texas border colleges, providing financial incentive for Mexican nationals to study at Mexican universities, as A suggests, would offer no prospect of alleviating the problem
Question 13
”Affirmative action is good business”; so asserted the National Association of Manufacturers while urging retention of an executive order requiring some federal contractors to set numerical goals for hiring minorities and women. “Diversity in work force participation has produced new ideas in management, product development, and marketing,” the association claimed.
The association’s argument as it is presented in the passage above would be most strengthened if which of the following were true?
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (B)
If, as B says, businesses with the highest percentages of minorities and women have been the most profitable, there is reason to believe that, because it increases the level of participation of women and minorities in the workforce, affirmative action is good business. Thus, B is the best answer. A suggests that minority and women’s groups have reason to support affirmative action, but it does not indicate that affirmative action is good business.
Because there is no indication that the improvement in disposable income noted in C is due to affirmative action, C does not strengthen the argument given for affirmative action. D address growth in sales and improvements in management; neither, however, asserts that these benefits are due to affirmative action.
Question 14
If the airspace around centrally located airports were restricted to commercial airliners and only those private planes equipped with radar, most of the private-plane traffic would be forced to sue outlying airfields. Such a reduction in the amount of private-plane traffic would reduce the risk of midair collision around the centrally located airports.
The conclusion drawn in the first sentence depends on which of the following assumptions?
SOLUTION
Solution : C
Option (c)
The first sentence concludes that prohibiting private planes that are not radar-equipped from centrally located airports would force most private planes away from those airports. This conclusion cannot be true unless it is true that, as C says, most private planes that use these airports are not radar-equipped. Therefore, the first sentence’s conclusion assumes this choice, which is thus the best answer. The conclusion need not assume that outlying airfields are convenient for private planes (A), since the restrictions would give planes that are not radar equipped no choice. The conclusion concerns only how the radar requirement would affect the volume of private plane traffic, so B and D, which deal with commercial planes and with risk of midair collision, need not be assumed.
Question 15
If the airspace around centrally located airports were restricted to commercial airliners and only those private planes equipped with radar, most of the private-plane traffic would be forced to sue outlying airfields. Such a reduction in the amount of private-plane traffic would reduce the risk of midair collision around the centrally located airports.
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn in the second sentence?
SOLUTION
Solution : D
Option (D)
The second sentence concludes that the reduction described in the first sentence would reduce the risk of midair collisions around centrally located airports. According to D, such a reduction would remove precisely the kind of plane that causes a disproportionate number of midair collisions. Thus, D is the best answer. Because A does not address the question of whether reducing private-plane traffic would reduce the risk of midair collisions, it is inappropriate. B concern the question of whether or not the proposed restrictions would reduce plane traffic, but not the question of whether any resulting reductions would reduce the risk of midair collisions. That the number of midair collisions has recently decreased is irrelevant to whether the proposed reduction co uld further reduce collisions, so C is inappropriate.