Free Verbal Reasoning - 07 Practice Test - CAT 

Question 1

The first thing the researcher looked at was whether the brain pays more attention to the sort of change that might be expected, or to changes that are unexpected. On the face of it, either might have turned out to be the case. Paying attention to the expected is probably best for everyday existence.________________________

A. The question that needs to be addressed is whether such expectations are learnt or innate.
B. Noticing the unexpected, though, might save your life.
C. Prior knowledge of the expected, in the long run, makes life more meaningful.
D. The positive side of the unexpected needs to be addressed as well.
E. Knowing the unexpected can help in understanding the mysteries of life.

SOLUTION

Solution : B

Option (b)

The passage discusses two aspects of change- the expected and the unexpected. The last sentence of the passage mentions how knowledge of the expected can help us. Options [c] and [e] are also about the expected changes and they add on to the information given in the last sentence, but in no way can they complete the paragraph. The paragraph should end with some discussion regarding the unexpected changes. [d] restricts itself to the ‘positive sides’ of the unexpected whereas the passage is concerned with general information about expected and unexpected changes. The passage does not indicate any questioning approach, hence [a] cannot be the correct answer. The concern in the last sentence is regarding everyday existence and nothing beyond that. ‘Saving one’s life’ is more basic than ‘understanding the mysteries of life’, so [b] connects better with the passage than [e]. Hence, [b].

Question 2

Such nuggets abound. Americans have a wider anti-big-business streak. Britons are cooler on multiculturalism. Britons are more willing than Americans to curb civil liberties in pursuit of security. Americans are less keen not only on the United Nations but also on NATO - and more enthusiastic about the “special relationship” with Britain. If the British could choose their leader from a host of recent Anglo-American greats, they would pick Bill Clinton before Tony Blair. So would Americans, even if they may turn down his wife. ________________________________________

A. Of the current presidential candidates, British Tories would vote for Barack Obama; Labour supporters prefer Hillary Clinton by a narrow margin.
B. We will have to consciously assess where these differences lead to.
C. Do the differences we found matter?
D. People in both places are worried about the economic future but still bullish on chances for bright kids from poor families.
E. They feel much the same about the death penalty: they are broadly against it

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option (a)

Option ‘a’ is the correct option since it continues with the comparison in the political arena,though the remaining options also talks about the typical British and American reactions and ‘c’ is a conclusive question which can come later.

Question 3

One can barely make a move within the oldest academic discipline without understanding its past. People who don’t know its vast literature feel excluded from the import of any particular philosopher or problem. That kind of exclusion can be remedied by doing the requisite study -by catching up, so to speak, on a body of knowledge. But philosophy is more than just a body of knowledge; it is an ability to examine the structures of thought itself. Simon Blackburn calls that“conceptual engineering’, in order to distinguish it from regular empirical investigation.___________________

A. The requirement makes philosophy highly challenging for the academicians.
B. The requirement makes philosophy one of the most popular disciplines among students of humanities.
C. The requirement makes philosophy unpopular in the same sense that higher mathematics is unpopular
D. The requirement makes philosophy completely different from popular culture that tends towards the communal.
E. Either [a] or [c].

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option (c)

The passage focuses on the problems that a general student of philosophy faces. It does not relate to the perceptions of only the academicians, hence [a] can be negated. The passage is not overly positive about the study of philosophy; rather the focus is more on the impediments in the understanding of philosophy. Therefore, a positive option like[b] cannot fit in. The passage does not at all relate to popular culture, so we cannot infer [d]. [c] follows from the passage and sums up the idea why philosophy is unpopular. The distinction between philosophy and other empirical studies, as mentioned in the last sentence, is carried forward in [c] by comparing philosophy with higher mathematics. So, only [c] aptly completes the theme in the passage.

Question 4

When it comes to foreign policy, there really are two Americas. The divisions are at their sharpest over Iraq, but they extend much further. Should America put the “war on terrorism” at the heart of its foreign policy or treat it as just one concern among many? Should America bomb Iran or allow Iran to get the bomb?__________________________

A. Should it allow the Republicans to pick up the cudgels on behalf of the democrats ?
B. Should it implicate the hardliners and let go of fence-sitters ?
C. Should it negotiate with its enemies or wait for them to mend their ways ?
D. Should it remain as expected- a dyed-in-the-wool realistic nation or turn into a nation with rightist convictions?
E.  These deep divisions are the legacy of a man whose name will not appear on the ballot in November.

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option (d)

‘d’ is the correct option since it is obviously a question from the same set of sentiments, which deal with the dilemma that America faces. It deals with foreign policy. ‘a’, ‘c’ and ‘e’ are conveying different types of dilemma but away from foreign policy. ‘b’ can come later but it does not immediately continue the idea left off in the paragraph.

Question 5

Fear is in fact a major component of the act of parenting.  A parent, after all, is the steward of another creature’s life, a creature who in the beginning is more helpless than the newborn of nearly any other species.  This causes a lot of parents to spend a lot of their parenting energy simply being scared. The problem is that they are often scared of the wrong things. It’s not their fault, really.  Separating facts from rumours is always hard work, especially for busy parents.______________

A. But it is up to the parents to be ‘smart consumers’, and not be taken in by every parenting rumour they hear.
B. This fear can sometimes be so overwhelming, that parents start indulging in some of the following self-destructive habits.
C. And the white noise generated by the so-called parenting experts is so overwhelming that they can barely think for themselves.
D. They would be much better off if they spent this lost energy in more productive channels, like simply taking the time to bond with their children.
E. Either [a] or [b]

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option C is the correct answer.

 

Question 6

The belief in temporary incarnation or inspiration is worldwide. Certain persons are supposed to be possessed from time to time by a spirit or deity; while the possession lasts,their own personality lies in abeyance, the presence of the spirit is revealed by convulsive shiverings and shakings of the man’s whole body, by wild gestures and excited looks, all of which are referred, not to the man himself, but to the spirit which has entered into him; and in this abnormal state all his utterances are accepted as the voice of the god or spirit dwelling in him and speaking through him.____________________________

A. But in the southern islands of the Pacific the god frequently entered the priest, who moved and spoke as if entirely under supernatural influence.
B. In this respect there was a striking resemblance between the rude oracles of the Polynesians, and those of the celebrated nations of ancient Greece.
C. Thus, for example, in the Sandwich Islands, the king, personating the god, uttered the responses of the oracle from his concealment in a frame of wickerwork
D. As soon as the god was supposed to have entered the priest, the latter became violently agitated, and worked himself up to the highest pitch of apparent frenzy.
E. In this state he often rolled on the earth, foaming at the mouth, and revealed the will of the god.

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option (c)

Option (c) follows immediately after the passage and begins by citing an example and then the other examples follow. Only (c) introduces the example – the others directly jump to the examples and the past tense.

Question 7

Today, many green-leaning writers and activists argue that population control is the best solution to the problems we face. ___________________. Since the times of Thomas Malthus (1766-1834), a catastrophic vision of population growth causing the collapse of society, has formed an important part of the culturally pessimistic outlook. Back in the eighteenth century, it was predicted that population growth would lead to famine, starvation and death. Today’spessimists have raised the stakes further: they denounce population growth as a threat to bio-diversity and to the very existence of the planet. 

A. In the West, the population-control lobby castigates those who have large families for being environmentally irresponsible
B. Twenty-first-century Malthusians are concerned that people are producing and consuming too much food and other commodities.
C. This belief that there are ‘too many people’ inhabiting the globe has reared its ugly head numerous times over the past 200 years.
D. Alongside today’s respect for human life, there is the increasingly popular idea that there is too much human life around, and that it is killing the planet.
E. The humanist impulse that once drove the development of the modern world has been replaced by a tendency to view the growth of human beings with suspicion

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option (c)

The passage is about present and past attitudes towards population growth. The missing sentence must link together these two, as the sentence before it talks about the present and the following sentence about the past. On this basis, [a] and [d] can be negated, as they refer only to the present attitudes, not the past ones. [e] contradicts the idea in the passage that both the past and present attitudes have been negative, i,e., in the past too, population growth was viewed with suspicion. [b] can be dismissed, as the term ‘Malthusians’ makes no sense prior to the introduction of Malthus, which is not until the next sentence. The word ‘this’ in [c] refers to the writers’ and activists’ arguments in the first sentence, and thereby suitably provides the necessary link. Hence, [c].

Question 8

Critics often argue that the ability to effect structural change is limited in ethical consumerism. They cite the preponderance of niche markets as the actual effects of ethical consumerism.Critics also argue that ethical consumerism is fundamentally anti-democratic. In their view,the act of buying is considered as a vote, and the number of votes does not equal one per individual. Instead the more money an individual (corporation, government, university etc.)has; the more votes they have in the market place._________________

A. Critics also argue that the continued reliance on inherently anti-democratic methods leads to societies that no longer understand or desire engaged citizenry.
B. This viewpoint suggests, though, that for a democratic system to be fair, vote distribution must be equal for all viewpoints.
C. The distribution of wealth therefore leads to an unfair distribution of votes.
D. A small group having few votes is irrelevant, means nothing and/or can have no influence
E. Some argue that “Shopping is more important than voting”

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option (c) continues the tone and the theme of the paragraph in the best possible manner. ‘More money means more votes’ is anti-democratic which leads to (c) - ‘an unfair distribution’. (b) is already implied in the paragraph. It could follow (c). The paragraph talks about‘an individual’. (d) talks about a ‘group’ and also has some repetition of idea. (a) and (e) are related but disjointed in terms of idea.

Question 9

To really understand a world without humans, I realized I would have to learn what the world was like before humans evolved. So I went to Africa, the place where humans arose and the only continent where there are still huge animals roaming around. We used to have huge animals on all the other continents and on many of the islands. We had enormous creatures in North and South America – giant sloths that were even bigger than the mammoths, beavers the size of bears, etc. _____________________

A. It’s controversial as to what actually wiped them out, since there are no clues left that point in any particular direction.
B. It’s controversial as to what actually wiped them out, but a lot of indications point the finger at climate change.
C. It’s controversial as to what actually wiped them out, but a lot of indications point the finger at us.
D. Climate change played some part in their extinction, but what ultimately wiped them out was us.
E. Ultimately, what wiped them out was climate change, so that by the time we arrived on the scene, they were extinct.

SOLUTION

Solution : C

The question is confusing as all options are close. However, this question has been directly taken from a passage which ends with the option (c). There are some clues to arrive at the right answer. The last sentence of the passage indicates that humans may have something to do with the extinctions of the huge animals. [b], which mentions climate change but not humans, is therefore wrong. [a] contradicts the last sentence, as clearly, there are some clues that tie the animals’ extinctions to the arrival of humans. [e] is also contradictory, as the passage seems to hold humans responsible for the extinctions, not climate change. Indeed, there is no mention of climate change in the passage at all, so [d] goes beyond its purview. This leaves us with [c] as the best answer. Hence, [c].

Question 10

Beneath the surface of conscious and volitional knowledge, however, lies the twin domains of the personal and ‘collective unconscious’ or “a structural layer of the human psyche containing inherited elements, distinct from the personal unconscious”. Socrates is famous for, among other things, recognizing that one knows but knows not that one knows. Such knowledge forms part of the personal unconsciousness and the Socratic method is a traditional way of raising such knowledge to consciousness.________________________

A. Another is the ‘talk therapy’ of analytic and Freudian psychology.
B. As to the collective unconscious, it “contains the whole spiritual heritage of mankind’s evolution, born a new in the brain structure of every individual”.
C. Analytically, access to such collectively unconscious knowledge is through active imagination.
D. Ambiguity plagues analysis of knowledge due to its biological roots.
E. Therefore, ultimately, all knowledge is personal & tacit.

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option (a) is correct. Taking a cue from ‘the Socratic method’, option (a) discusses the other method that is being taken up as a consequence of the discussion. Option (b) which is close seems like a repetition as collective unconscious has been explained earlier.

Question 11

1. The election scene in Kashmir is highly surcharged with political overtones.
A) It imposes on the Government the urgent responsibility of responding to the Hurriyat leaders move to reach out to New Delhi.
B) The preparations for it are not confined only to ensuring the physical safety of the voter and guarding him against the onslaught from the militants.
C) Without getting him, holding elections in the Kashmir valley will only be a farce.
D) Without this Dr. Farooq Abdullah can hardly be expected to enter the poll ordeal.
6. Elections in the valley without Dr. Farooq Abdullah will only hinder the process of settlement of the Kashmir crisis.
___

SOLUTION

Solution :

The 'preparations for it' in sentence B are referring to the 'election scene in Kashmir' in 1. The effect of the action 'ensuring the physical safety' in B is explained in A from the words 'imposes on the Government the urgent responsibility of responding to the Hurriyat leaders'. The 'move to reach out to Delhi' in sentence A can have an effect explained in D by the words 'without this...'. Sentence C logically follows D.
Thus, the arrangement of the sentences should be in the order BADC.

Question 12

1. My mission was to film both the giant Malabar squirrels and the flying squirrels.
A. The road twists and turns through this heavily forested track.
B. There was the flying squirrel I had been looking for.
C. It was a misty morning and I traversed now the familiar jungle paths and began a steady drive.
D. As I drove the jeep into a narrow road, my tribal assistant appointed to a large hole in the trunk of a tree.
6. As it was resting, I did not want to disturb and silently moved away from the location.
___

SOLUTION

Solution :

Sentence 1 should be followed by C, as '..began a steady drive' in C supports the 'mission to film' referred in 1. The 'familiar jungle paths..' in C can be explained more from the words 'road twists and turns through this heavily forested track' in A. The '..drove the jeep into a narrow road' in D can be supported when preceded by 'twists' of the road in A. 'B precedes 6 – the squirrel is located in B and 6 says it was resting.
Thus, the arrangement of the sentences should be in the order CADB.

Question 13

Enter the correct sequence in the blank provided. 
1. In a particular locality there are no private hospitals or clinics, for example, and the idea of private medical practice has not yet caught on.
A) Selling pharmaceuticals is among the most popular.
B) The real opportunities to get rich, however, are in tourism, in real estate, in trade with foreign companies.
C) Many doctors pursue secondary sources of income.
D) But professions like teaching and engineering that once commanded stable government wages, subsidized housing and life time security have yet to get the benefit of economic reforms.
6. So, people with advanced degrees are taking jobs that have little to do with their education.
___

SOLUTION

Solution :

Sentence C can follow 1 because C refers to doctors and sentence 1 mentions clinics and medical practice. 'Selling pharmaceuticals..' from sentence A is implied by 'secondary sources of income' in B. 'Among the most popular' in sentence A is supplemented by '.. professions like teaching..' in D. Since B is a conclusive sentence, it should meaningfully come at the end of the arrangement.
Thus, the arrangement of the sentences should be in the order CADB.

Question 14

1. A medical breakthrough has come to pass last week at the Apollo Hospitals, Madras, with the performance of the first major multi-organ transplant.
A) The courage and nobility displayed by the grief-stricken family of the donor cannot be lauded adequately in words.
B) The donor was declared ‘brain dead’ under the regulations of Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.
C) The replacement of injured, diseased or worn out organs is thus possible utilizing such organs from the ‘brain dead’.
D) More than the provisions of the law, the technological possibilities of the hospital and excellent team work made this achievement possible.
6. India has now entered a new medical epoch because Indian experts can now transplant 21 different organs and tissues.
___

SOLUTION

Solution :

Sentence B follows 1 – ‘donor’ and ‘brain-deeds’ in B relate to ‘multi-organ transplant’ in 1. 'Such organs' in sentence C can add to the 'Human Organs Act' from B. Sentence C is meaningfully followed by A and D can preceed 6 because 6 explains sentence D.
Thus, the arrangement of the sentences should be in the order BCAD.

Question 15

Enter the correct sequence in the blank provided.

1. How does an average Indian identify himself with Shakespeare?
A) Is this not a common story in India?
B) King Lear had two ungrateful daughters but he also had a wonderful third daughter who looked after him.
C) Its fascinating power politics is seen in every little group in India.
D) Take ‘Macbeth’ as a piece for further illustration.
6. Thus there is ample comparison between Shakespeare’s and Indian society at large.
___

SOLUTION

Solution :

‘A’ &‘C’ cannot follow 1 because they are not a continuation of the idea expressed in 1. D cannot follow 1 because the word ‘further’ indicates there is another illustration preceeding it.
'A' is questioning as well as relating a fact to something that also happens in India, hence 'B' will most suitably preceed 'A'. Statement 'D' can act as a supporting answer statement. Hence statement 'D' can follow 'A'. Statement 'D' should follow 'C' since the word 'its' in statement 'C' is indicating towards the politics illustrated in 'Macbeth' in 'D'.
Thus, the arrangement of the sentences should be in the order BADC.

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