Free Verbal Reasoning - 12 Practice Test - CAT
Question 1
A. It begins with an ordinary fever and a
moderate cough.
B. India could be under attack from a
class of germs that cause what are called atypical pneumonias.
C. Slowly, a sore throat progresses to
bronchitis and then pneumonia and respiratory complications.
D. It appears like the ordinary flu,
but baffled doctors find that the usual drugs don't work.
(CAT1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)BA and BD are both possible starts (the "It" in statements A and C referring to atypical pneumonias); but take a quick look at the options. BD is the only option. Answer is option (b)
Question 2
A. Chemists mostly don't stock it only a few
government hospitals do but in limited quantities.
B. Delhi's building boom is creating a
bizarre problem: snakes are increasingly biting people as they emerge from
their disturbed underground homes.
C. There isn't enough anti-snake
serum, largely because there is no centralized agency that distributes the
product.
D. If things don't improve, more
people could face paralysis, and even death
(CAT1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : A
The only think you need to figure out is the best starting sentence. B and C are both good options; but C is a better follow up sentence for B. Using the BC link you can mark the answer as option (a)
Question 3
A. But the last decade has witnessed greater
voting and political participation by various privileged sections.
B. If one goes by the earlier record
of mid-term elections, it is likely that the turnout in 1998 will drop by
anything between four and six percentage points over the already low polling
of 58 percent in 1996.
C. If this trend offsets the mid-term
poll fatigue; the fall may not be so steep.
D. Notwithstanding a good deal of
speculation on this issue, it is still not clear as to who benefits from a
lower turnout
(CAT1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (a)The best starting sentence is B. This brings us down to only one choice- option (a) also note the AC link- the trend in C is described in A
Question 4
A. After several routine elections there comes
a 'critical' election which redefines the basic pattern of political
loyalties, redraws political geography and opens up the frozen political
space.
B. In psychological jargon they call
it realignment.
C. Rather, since 1989, there have been
a series of semi-critical elections.
D. On a strict definition, none of the
recent Indian elections qualifies as a critical election.
(CAT 1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)C clearly follows D (Rather than critical, there have been a series of semi critical elections). A-B is another link you should look out for. Thus, the answer is option (b)
Question 5
A. Trivial pursuits, marketed by the Congress,
is a game imported from Italy.
B. The idea is to create an imaginary
savior in times of crisis so that the party doesn't fall flat on its
collective face.
C. Closest contenders are Mani Shankar
Aiyar, Who still hears his master's
voice, and V, Geoge, who is frustrated by the fact that his political future
remains Sonia and yet so far.
D. The current champion is Arjun Singh
for whom all roads lead to Rome, or in this case, 10 Janpath.
(CAT 1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (a)(A) Explains the subject of passage as trivial pursuits. (B) Elaborates it. (D) States 'ARJUN' as
Current champion. (C) States other contenders
Question 6
A. Good advertising can make people buy your
products even if it is a fiasco.
B. A dollar spent on brainwashing is
more cost-effective than a dollar spent on product improvement.
C. That's important because it takes
pressure off you to make good products.
D. Obviously, there's a minimum
quality that every product has to achieve:
it should be able to withstand the shipping process without becoming unrecognizable
(CAT 1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)(A) Starts the Para explaining the advantage of good advertising. (C) states why this benefit is important. (B) Elaborates dollar spent on brain washing to be more cost effective.
(D) concludes by saying that inspite of this a minimum quality has to be maintained
Question 7
A. But, clearly, the government still has the
final say.
B. In the past few years, the Reserve Bank
of India might have wrested considerable powers from the government when it
comes to monetary policy.
C. The RBI's announcements on certain
issues become effective only after the government notifies them.
D. Isn't it time the government vested
the RBI with powers to sanction such changes, leaving their ratification for
later?
(CAT 1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : C
Option (c)(B) Begins the passage stating RBI wrested considerable powers from government. (A) Tells govt. Still acquires power. (C) Explains the significance of govt. notification at RBI announcement. (D) Questions his state of affairs.
Note that option (c) can be marked directly because only "B" can be the starting sentence as every other sentence has only the short form of Reserve Bank Of India (RBI). Hence, the starting sentence can only be "B"
Question 8
A. I sat there frowning at the checkered table
cloth, chewing the bitter cud of insight.
B. That wintry afternoon in Manhattan,
waiting in the little French restaurant, I was feeling frustrated and
depressed.
C. Even the prospect of seeing a dear
friend failed to cheer me as it usually did.
D. Because of certain miscalculations
on my part, a project of considerable importance in my life had fallen
through
(CAT 1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : C
Option (c)(B) Starts the passage explaining frustrated and depressed mood of author at French Restaurant.
(D) Gives the reason for depressed mood of author. (C) Explains failure in change of his mood.
(A) Concludes the passage
Question 9
A. Perhaps the best known is the Bay Area
Writing Project, founded by James gray in 1974.
B. The decline in writing skills can
be stopped.
C. Today's back-to-basics movement has
already forced some schools to place renewed emphasis on the three Rs.
D. Although the inability of some
teachers to teach writing successfully remains a big stumbling block, a
number of programmes have been developed to attack this problem
(CAT 1997)
SOLUTION
Solution : A
Option (a)(B) Starts the passage indicating decline in writing skills. (C) Indicates how declination can be
Stopped. (D) Explains inability of teachers to teach writing skills. (A) Concludes telling bay area writing projects as a programme to attack this problem
Question 10
1. Buddhism is a way to salvation.
A. But Buddhism is more severely
analytical.
B. In the Christian tradition there is
also a concern for the fate of human society conceived as a whole, rather
than merely as a sum or network of individuals.
C. Salvation is a property, or
achievement of individuals.
D. Not only does it dissolve society
into individuals, the individual in turn is also dissolved into component parts
and instants, a stream of events.
6. In modern terminology, Buddhist
doctrine is reductionist.
(CAT 1998)
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)(C) Clearly follows (1) commenting on salvation. (B) Tells about the fate of human society in the
Christian tradition. (AD) explains Buddhism as analytical dissolving individuals into component parts.
Question 11
1. The problem of improving Indian agriculture
is both a sociological and an administrative one.
A. It also appears that there is a
direct relationship between the size of a state and development.
B. The issues of Indian development,
and the problems of India's agricultural sector, will remain with us long
into the next century.
C. Without improving Indian
agriculture, no liberalization and delicensing will be able to help India.
D. At the end of the day, there has to
be a ferment and movement of life and action in the vast segment of rural
India.
6. When it starts marching, India will
fly
(CAT 1998)
SOLUTION
Solution : D
Option (d)(A) Starts the Para explaining the relationship between the size of a state and development.
(B) Tells about the problems in India's agriculture sector. (CD) concludes the Para explaining
The need to improve agriculture. (6) Continues the idea
Question 12
1. Good literary magazines have always been
good because of their editors.
A. Furthermore, to edit by committee,
as it were, would prevent any magazine from finding its own identity.
B. The more quirky and idiosyncratic
they have been, the better the magazine is, at least as general rule.
C. But the number of editors one can
have for a magazine should also be determined by the number of contributions
to it.
D. To have four editors for an issue
that contains only seven contributions is a bit silly to start with.
6. However, in spite of this anomaly,
the magazine does acquire merit in its attempt to give a comprehensive view
of the Indian literary scene as it is today.
(CAT 1998)
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)(B) Clearly follows (1) telling editors play a great role in making magazines. (CD) emphasize
The method to determine the editors required for magazines. (A) Conclude the need to be edited by committee
Question 13
1. It's the success story of the Indian
expatriate in the US which today hogs much of the media coverage in India.
A. East and West, the twain has met
quite comfortably in their person, thank you.
B. Especially in it's more recent
romancing the NRI phase.
C. Seldom does the price of getting
there "“ more like not getting there "“ or what's going on behind those sunny
smiles get so much media hype.
D. Well groomed, with their perfect
Colgate smiles, and hair in place, they appear the picture of confidence
which comes from having arrived.
6. The festival of feature films and
documentaries made by Americans of Indian descent being screened this
fortnight goes a long way in filling those gaps
(CAT 1998)
SOLUTION
Solution : C
Option (c)(B) Follows (1) explaining success of Indian expatriate in US. (D) Falls the appearance of expatriate. (A) Emphasizes the persons melting of east and west. (C) States the fact that has
Been overlooked. (6) tells that the festival of feature films and documentaries is trying to fill
This gap
Question 14
1. A market for Indian art has existed ever
since the International art scene sprang to life.
A. But Interest in architectural
conceits is unanticipated fallout of the Festivals of India of the 80s, which
were designed to increase exports of Indian crafts.
B. Simultaneously, the Indian elite
discarded their synthetic sarees and kitsch plastic furniture and a market
came into being.
C. Western dealers, unhappy in a
market affected by violent price fluctuations and unpredictable profit
margins, began to look east, and found cheap antiques with irresistible
appeal.
D. The fortunes of the Delhi supremos,
the Jew Town dealers in Cochin and myriad others around the country were
made.
6. A chain of command was established,
from the local contacts to the provincial dealers and up to the big boys, who
entertain in the Italians and the French, cutting deals worth lakhs in
warehouse worth crores.
(CAT 1998)
SOLUTION
Solution : C
Option (c)(C) Follows (1) with long existence of market for Indian art. (B) explains synthetic sarees and
Kitsch plastic furniture being discarded by Indian elite. (A) continues the festivals of India of
80, (D) describes the dealers of the Jew Town etc. and around the country. (6) concludes the
Paragraph
Question 15
A. He was carrying his jacket and walked with
his head thrown back.
B. As Annette neared the lamp she saw
a figure walking slowly.
C. For while Michael walked on and she
followed twenty paces behind.
D. With a mixture of terror and
triumph of recognition she slackened her pace
(CAT 1998)
SOLUTION
Solution : B
Option (b)(B) Starts the passage indicating a figure walking slowly. (A) Explaining the significance of that figure. (D) States Anetee following that figure (C) concludes by telling the name of figure