cat paper 2001 to 2004

Logic based questions from CAT 2001 to 2004

CAT - 2001

Directions for questions 1 to 5: The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced, form acoherent paragraph. Each sentence is labelled with a letter. Choose the most logical order of sentencesfrom among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.

1. A. Although there are large regional variations, it is not infrequent to find a large number of peoplesitting here and there and doing nothing.

B. Once in office, they receive friends and relatives who feel free to call any time without priorappointment.

C. While working, one is struck by the slow and clumsy actions and reactions, indifferent attitudes,procedure rather than outcome orientation, and the lack of consideration for others.

D. Even those who are employed often come late to the office and leave early unless they areforced to be punctual.

E. Work is not intrinsically valued in India.F. Quite often people visit ailing friends and relatives or go out of their way to help them in their

personal matters even during office hours.a. ECADBF b. EADCFB c. EADBFC d. ABFCBE

2. A. But in the industrial era destroying the enemy’s productive capacity means bombing the factorieswhich are located in the cities.

B. So in the agrarian era, if you need to destroy the enemy’s productive capacity, what you want todo is burn his fields, or if you’re really vicious, salt them.

C. Now in the information era, destroying the enemy’s productive capacity means destroying theinformation infrastructure.

D. How do you do battle with your enemy?E. The idea is to destroy the enemy’s productive capacity, and depending upon the economic

foundation, that productive capacity is different in each case.F. With regard to defence, the purpose of the military is to defend the nation and be prepared to do

battle with its enemy.a. FDEBAC b. FCABED c. DEBACF d. DFEBAC

Logic based questions fromCAT Papers 2001-2004


3. A. Michael Hofman, a poet and translator, accepts this sorry fact without approval or complaint.B. But thanklessness and impossibility do not daunt him.C. He acknowledges too — in fact, he returns to the point often — that best translators of poetry

always fail at some level.D. Hofman feels passionately about his work and this is clear from his writings.E. In terms of the gap between worth and rewards, translators come somewhere near nurses and

street-cleaners.a. EACDB b. ADEBC c. EACBD d. DCEAB

4. A. Passivity is not, of course, universal.B. In areas where there are no lords or laws, or in frontier zones where all men go armed, the

attitude of the peasantry may well be different.C. So indeed it may be on the fringe of the unsubmissive.D. However, for most of the soil-bound peasants the problem is not whether to be normally passive

or active, but when to pass from one state to another.E. This depends on an assessment of the political situation.a. BEDAC b. CDABE c. EDBAC d. ABCDE

5. A. The situations in which violence occurs and the nature of that violence tends to be clearlydefined at least in theory, as in the proverbial Irishman’s question: “Is this a private fight or cananyone join in?”

B. So the actual risk to outsiders, though no doubt higher than our societies, is calculable.C. Probably the only uncontrolled applications of force are those of social superiors to social

inferiors and even here there are probably some rules.D. However, binding the obligation to kill, members of feuding families engaged in mutual massacre

will be genuinely appalled if by some mischance a bystander or outsider is killed.a. DABC b. ACDB c. CBAD d. DBAC

CAT - 2002

Directions for questions 6 to 10: The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced, forma coherent paragrapoh. Each sentence is labelled with a letter. Choose the most logical order of sentencesfrom among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.

6. A. Branded disposable diapers are available at many supermarkets and drug stores.B. If one supermarket sets a higher price for a diaper, customers may buy that brand elsewhere.C. By contrast, the demand for private-label products may be less price sensitive since it is available

only at a corresponding supermarket chain.D. So the demand for branded diapers at any particular store may be quite price sensitive.E. For instance, only SavOn Drugs stores sell SavOn Drugs diapers.F. Then stores should set a higher incremental margin percentage for private label diapers.a. ABCDEF b. ABCEDF c. ADBCEF d. AEDBCF


7. A. Having a strategy is a matter of discipline.B. It involves the configuration of a tailored value chain that enables a company to offer unique

value.C. It requires a strong focus on profitability and a willingness to make tough tradeoffs in choosing

what not to do.D. Strategy goes far beyond the pursuit of best practices.E. A company must stay the course even during times of upheaval, while constantly improving and

extending its distinctive positioning.F. When a company’s activities fit together as a self-reinforcing system, any competitor wishng to

imitate a strategy must replicate the whole system.a. ACEDBF b. ACBDEF c. DCBEFA d. ABCEDF

8. A. As officials, their vision of a country shouldn’t run too far beyond that of the local people withwhom they have to deal.

B. Ambassadors have to choose their words.C. To say what they feel they have to say, they appear to be denying or ignoring part of what they

know.D. So, with ambassadors as with other expatriates in black Africa, there appears at a first meeting

a kind of ambivalence.E. They do a specialized job and it is necessary for them to live ceremonial lives.a. BCEDA b. BEDAC c. BEADC d. BCDEA

9. A. “This face-off will continue for several months given the strong convictions on either side,” saysa senior functionary of the high-powered task force on drought.

B. During the past week-and-half, the Central Government has sought to deny some of the earlierapprehensions over the impact of drought.

C. The recent revival of the rains had led to the emergence of a line of divide between the two.D. The state governments, on the other hand, allege that the Centre is downplaying the crisis only

to evade its full responsibility of financial assistance that is required to alleviate the damage.E. Shrill alarm about the economic impact of an inadequate monsoon had been sounded by the

Centre as well as most of the states, in late July and early August.a. EBCDA b. DBACE c. BDCAE d. ECBDA


10. A. This fact was established in the 1730s by French survey expenditions to Equador near theEquator and Lapland in the Arctic, which found that around the middle of the earth the arc wasabout a kilometer shorter.

B. One of the unsettled scientific questions in the late 18th century was that exact nature of theshape of the earth.

C. The length of one-degree arc would be less near the equatorial latitudes than at the poles.D. One way of doing that is to determine the length of the arc along a chosen longitude or meridian

at one degree latitude separation.E. While it was generally known that the earth was not a sphere but an ‘oblate spheroid’, more

curved at the equator and flatter at the poles, the question of ‘how much more’ was yet to beestablished.

a. BECAD b. BEDCA c. EDACB d. EBDCA

Directions for questions 11 to 15: Fill the gaps in the passages below with the most appropriate wordfrom the options given for each gap. The right words are the ones used by the author. Be guided by theauthor’s overall style and meaning when you choose the answers.

Von Nuemann and Morgenstern assume a decision framework in which all options are thoroughly considered,each option being independent of the others, with a numerical value derived for the utility of each possibleoutcome (these outcomes reflecting, in turn, all possible combinations of choices). The decision is thenmade to maximize the expected utility.

... 11 ... such a model reflects major simplifications of the way divisions are made in the real world.Humans are not able to process information as quickly and effectively as the model assumes; they tendnot to think ... 12 ... as easily as the model calls for; they often deal with a particular option without reallyassessing its ... 13 ... and when they do assess alternatives, they may be extremely nebulous about theircriteria of evaluation.

11. a. Regrettably b. Firstly c. Obviously d. Apparently

12. a. quantitatively b. systematically c. scientifically d. analytically

13. a. implications b. disadvantages c. utility d. alternatives


In a large company, ... 14 ... people is about as common as using a gun or a switch-blade to ... 15 ... anargument. As a result, most managers have little or no experience of firing people, and they find it emotionallytraumatic; as result, they often delay the act interminably, much as an unhappy spouse will prolong a badmarriage. And when the firing is done, it’s often done clumsily, with far worse side effects than are necessary.

Do the world-class software organizations have a different way of firing people? No, but they do the deedswiftly, humanely, and professionally.

The key point here is to view the fired employee as a ‘failed product’ and to ask how the process ... 16 ...such a phenomenon in the first place.

14. a. dismissing b. punishing c. firing d. admonishing

15. a. resolve b. thwart c. defeat d. close

16. a. derived b. engineered c. produced d. allowed

CAT - 2003 Leaked Paper

DIRECTIONS for Questions 17 to 21: The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced,form a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labeled with a letter. Choose the most logical order ofsentences from among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.

17. A. A few months ago I went to Princeton University to see what the young people who are going tobe running our country in a few decades are like.

B. I would go to sleep in my hotel room around midnight each night, and when I awoke, my mailboxwould be full of replies—sent at 1:15 a.m., 2:59 a.m., 3:23 a.m.

C. One senior told me that she went to bed around two and woke up each morning at seven; shecould afford that much rest because she had learned to supplement her full day of work bystudying in her sleep.

D. Faculty members gave me the names of a few dozen articulate students, and I sent them e-mails, inviting them out to lunch or dinner in small groups.

E. As she was falling asleep she would recite a math problem or a paper topic to herself; she wouldthen sometimes dream about it, and when she woke up, the problem might be solved.

a. DABCE b. DACEB c. ADBCE d. AECBD


18. A. Four days later, Oracle announced its own bid for PeopleSoft, and invited the firm’s board to adiscussion.

B. Furious that his own plans had been endangered, PeopleSoft’s boss, Craig Conway, calledOracle’s offer “diabolical”, and its boss, Larry Ellison, a “sociopath”.

C. In early June, PeopleSoft said that it would buy J.D. Edwards, a smaller rival.D. Moreover, said Mr. Conway, he “could imagine no price nor combination of price and other

conditions to recommend accepting the offer.”E. On June 12th, PeopleSoft turned Oracle down.a. CABDE b. CADBE c. CEDAB d. CAEBD

19. A. Surrendered, or captured, combatants cannot be incarcerated in razor wire cages; this ‘war’ hasa dubious legality.

B. How can then one characterize a conflict to be waged against a phenomenon as war?C. The phrase ‘war against terror’, which has passed into the common lexicon, is a huge misnomer.D. Besides, war has a juridical meaning in international law, which has codified the laws of war,

imbuing them with a humanitarian content.E. Terror is a phenomenon, not an entity—either State or non-State.a. ECDBA b. BECDA c. EBCAD d. CEBDA

20. A. I am much more intolerant of a human being’s shortcomings than I am of an animal’s, but in thisrespect I have been lucky, for most of the people I have come across have been charming.

B. Then you come across the unpleasant human animal—the District Officer who drawled, ‘Wechaps are here to help you chaps,’ and then proceeded to be as obstructive as possible.

C. In these cases of course, the fact that you are an animal collector helps; people always seemdelighted to meet someone with such an unusual occupation and go out of their way to assistyou.

D. Fortunately, these types are rare, and the pleasant ones I have met more than compensated forthem—but even so, I think I will stick to animals.

E. When you travel round the world collecting animals you also, of necessity, collect human beings.a. EACBD b. ABDCE c. ECBDA d. ACBDE

21. A. To avoid this, the QWERTY layout put the keys most likely to be hit in rapid succession onopposite sides. This made the keyboard slow, the story goes, but that was the idea.

B. A different layout, which had been patented by August Dvorak in 1936, was shown to be muchfaster.

C. The QWERTY design (patented by Christopher Sholes in 1868 and sold to Remington in 1873)aimed to solve a mechanical problem of early typewriters.

D. Yet the Dvorak layout has never been widely adopted, even though (with electric typewriters andthen PCs) the anti-jamming rational for QWERTY has been defunct for years.

E. When certain combinations of keys were struck quickly, the type bars often jammed.a. BDACE b. CEABD c. BCDEA d. CAEBD


CAT - 2003 Retest

Directions for questions 22 to 29: The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced, forma coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labelled with a letter. Choose the most logical order of sentencesfrom among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.

22. A. The wall does not simply divide Israel from a putative Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967borders.

B. A chilling omission from the road map is the gigantic ‘separation wall’ now being built in theWest Bank by Israel.

C. It is surrounded by trenches, electric wire and moats; there are watchtowers at regular intervals.D. It actually takes new tracts of Palestinian and, sometimes five or six kilometres at a stretch.E. Almost a decade after the end of South African apartheid this ghastly racist wall is going up with

scarcely a peep from Israel’s American allies who are going to pay for most of it.a. EBCAD b. BADCE c. AEDCB d. ECADB

23. A. Luckily the tide of battle moved elsewhere after the American victory at Midway and an Australianvictory over Japan at Milne Bay.

B. It could have been no more than a delaying tactic.C. The Australian military, knowing the position was hopeless, planned to fall back to the south-

east in the hope of defending the main cities.D. They had captured most of the Solomon Islands and much of New Guinea, and seemed poised

for an invasion.E. Not many people outside Australia realize how close the Japanese got.a. EDCBA b. ECDAB c. ADCBE d. CDBAE

24. A. Call it the third wave sweeping the Indian media.B. Now they are starring in a new role, as suave dealmakers who are in a hurry to strike alliances

and agreements.C. Look around and you will find a host of deals that have been inked or are ready to be finalized.D. Then the media barons wrested back control from their editors, and turned marketing warriors

with the brand as their missile.E. The first came with those magnificent men in their mahogany chambers who took on the world

with their mighty fountain pens.a. ACBED b. CEBDA c. CAEBD d. AEDBC

25. A. The celebrations of economic recovery in Washington may be as premature as that ‘MissionAccomplished’ banner hung on the USS Abraham Lincoln to hail the end of the Iraq war.

B. Meanwhile, in the real world, the struggles of families and communities continue unabated.C. Washington responded to the favourable turn in economic news with enthusiasm.D. The celebrations and high-fives up and down Pennsylvania Avenue are not to be found beyond

the Beltway.E. When the third quarter GDP showed growth of 7.2% and the monthly unemployment rate dipped

to six per cent euphoria gripped the US capital.a. ACEDB b. CEDAB c. ECABD d. ECBDA


26. A. To much of the Labour movement, it symbolises the brutality of the upper classes.B. And to everybody watching, the current mess over foxhunting symbolises the government’s

weakness.C. To foxhunting’s supporters, Labour’s 1991 manifesto commitment to ban it symbolises the

party’s metropolitan roots and hostility to the countryside.D. Small issues sometimes have large symbolic power.E. To those who enjoy thundering across the countryside in red coats after foxes, foxhunting

symbolises the ancient roots of rural lives.a. DEACB b. ECDBA c. CEADB d. DBAEC

27. A. In the case of King Merolchazzar’s courtship of the Princess of the Outer Isles, there occurs aregrettable hitch.

B. She acknowledges the gifts, but no word of a meeting date follows.C. The monarch, hearing good reports of a neighbouring princess, dispatches messengers with

gifts to her court, beseeching an interview.D. The princess names a date, and a formal meeting takes place; after that everything buzzes

along pretty smoothly.E. Royal love affairs in olden days were conducted on the correspondence method.a. ACBDE b. ABCDE c. ECDAB d. ECBAD

28. A. Who can trace to its first beginnings the love of Damon for Pythias, of David for Jonathan, ofSwan for Edgar?

B. Similarly with men.C. There is about great friendships between man and man a certain inevitability that can only be

compared with the age-old association of ham and eggs.D. One simply feels that it is one of the things that must be so.E. No one can say what was the mutual magnetism that brought the deathless partnership of these

wholesome and palatable foodstuffs about.a. ACBED b. CEDBA c. ACEBD d. CEABD

29. A. Events intervened, and in the late 1930s and 1940s, Germany suffered from ‘over-branding’.B. The British used to be fascinated by the home of Romanticism.C. But reunification and the federal government’s move to Berlin have prompted Germany to think

again about its image.D. The first foreign package holiday was a tour of Germany organized by Thomas Cook in 1855.E. Since then Germany has been understandably nervous about promoting itself abroad.a. ACEBD b. DECAB c. BDAEC d. DBAEC


Directions for questions 30 to 33: Four alternative summaries are given below each text. Choose theoption that best captures the essence of the text.

30. It is important for shipping companies to be clear about the objectives for maintenance and materialsmanagement — as to whether the primary focus is on service level improvement or cost minimization.Often when certain systems are set in place, the cost minimization objective and associated procedurebecome more important than the flexibility required for service level improvement. The problem reallyarises since cost minimization tends to focus on out of pocket costs which are visible, while theopportunity costs, often greater in value, are lost sight of.A. Shipping companies have to either minimize costs or maximize service quality. If they focus on

cost minimization, they will reduce quality. They should focus on service level improvement, orelse opportunity costs will be lost sight of.

B. Shipping companies should determine the primary focus of their maintenance and materialsmanagement. Focus on cost minimization may reduce visible costs, but ignore greater invisiblecosts and impair service quality.

C. Any cost minimization programme in shipping is bound to lower the quality of service. Therefore,shipping companies must be clear about the primary focus of their maintenance and materialsmanagement before embarking on cost minimization.

D. Shipping companies should focus on quality level improvement rather than cost cutting. Costcutting will lead to untold opportunity costs. Companies should have systems in place to makethe service level flexible.

a. A b. B c. C d. D

31. Try before you buy. We use this memorable saying to urge you to experience the consequences ofan alternative before you choose it, whenever this is feasible. If you are considering buying a vanafter having always owned sedans, rent one for a week or borrow a friend’s. By experiencing theconsequences first hand, they become more meaningful. In addition, you are likely to identifyconsequences you had not even thought of before. May be you will discover that it is difficult to parkthe van in your small parking space at work, but that, on the other hand, your elderly father has amuch easier time getting in and out of it.A. If you are planning to buy a van after being used to sedans, borrow a van or rent it and try it before

deciding to buy it. Then you may realize that parking a van is difficult while it is easier for yourelderly father to get in and out of it.

B. Before choosing an alternative, experience its consequences if feasible. If, for example, youwant to change from sedans to a van, try one before buying it. You will discover aspects youmay never have thought of.

C. Always try before you buy anything. You are bound to discover many consequences. One of theconsequences of going in for a van is that it is more difficult to park than sedans at the office carpark.

D. We urge you to try products such as vans before buying them. Then you can experienceconsequences you have not thought of such as parking problems. But your father may find vansmore comfortable than cars.

a. A b. B c. C d. D


32. Physically, inertia is a feeling that you just can’t move; mentally, it is a sluggish mind. Even if you tryto be sensitive, if your mind is sluggish, you just don’t feel anything intensely. You may even see atragedy enacted in front of your eyes and not be able to respond meaningfully. You may see oneperson exploiting another, one group persecuting another, and not be able to get angry. Your energyis frozen. You are not deliberately refusing to act; you just don’t have the capacity.A. Inertia makes your body and mind sluggish. They become insensitive to tragedies, exploitation,

and persecution because it freezes your energy and decapacitates it.B. When you have inertia you don’t act although you see one person exploiting another or one

group persecuting another. You don’t get angry because you are incapable.C. Inertia is of two types — physical and mental. Physical inertia restricts bodily movements.

Mental inertia prevents mental response to events anacted in front of your eyes.D. Physical inertia stops your body from moving; mental inertia freezes your energy, and stops

your mind from responding meaningfully to events, even tragedies, in front of you.a. A b. B c. C d. D

33. Some decisions will be fairly obvious — ‘no-brainers’. Your bank account is low, but you have a two-week vacation coming up and you want to get away to some place warm to relax with your family.Will you accept your in-laws’ offer of free use of their Florida beachfront condo? Sure. You like youremployer and feel ready to move forward in your career. Will you step in for your boss for threeweeks while she attends a professional development course? Of course.A. Some decisions are obvious under certain circumstances. You may, for example, readily accept

a relative’s offer of free holiday accommodation. Or step in for your boss when she is away.B. Some decisions are no-brainers. You need not think when making them. Examples are condo

offers from in-law and job offers from bosses when your bank account is low or boss is away.C. Easy decisions are called ‘no-brainers’ because they do not require any cerebral activity.

Examples such as accepting free holiday accommodation abound in our lives.D. Accepting an offer from in-laws when you are short on funds and want a holiday is a no-brainer.

Another no-brainer is taking the boss’s job when she is away.a. A b. B c. C d. D

CAT - 2004

Directions for questions 34 to 36: The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced, forma coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labeled with a letter. Choose the most logical order of sentencefrom among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.

34. A. The two neighbours never fought each other.B. Fights involving three male fiddler crabs have been recorded, but the status of the

participants was unknownC. They pushed or grappled only with the intruder.D. We recorded 17 cases in which a resident that was fighting an intruder was joined by

an immediate neighbour, an ally.E. We therefore tracked 268 intruder males until we saw them fighting a resident male.a. BEDAC b. DEBAC c. BDCAE d. BCEDA


35. A. In the west, Allied Forces had fought their way through southern Italy as far as Rome.B. In June 1944 Germany’s military position in World War too appeared hopelessC. In Britain, the task of amassing the men and materials for the liberation of northern

Europe had been completed.D. Red Army was poised to drive the Nazis back through Poland.E. The situation on the eastern front was catastrophic.a. EDACB b. BEDAC c. BDECA d. CEDAB

36. A. He felt justified in bypassing Congress altogether on a variety of moves.B. At times he was fighting the entire Congress.C. Bush felt he had a mission to restore power to the presidency.D. Bush was not fighting just the democrats.E. Representatives democracy is a messy business, and a CEO of the white House does not like

a legislature of second guessers and time wasters.a. CAEDB b. DBAEC c. CEADB d. ECDBA

Directions for questions 37 and 38: Four alternative summaries are given below each text. Choose theoption that best captures the essence of the text.

37. The human race is spread all over world, from the polar regions to the tropics. The people of whomit is made up eat different kinds of food, partly according to the climate in which they live, and partlyaccording to the kind of food which their country produces. In hot climates; meat and fat are notmuch needed; but in the Arctic regions they seem to be very necessary for keeping up the heat ofthe body. Thus, in India, people live chiefly on different kinds of grains, eggs, milk, or sometimes fishand meat. In Europe people eat more meat and less grain. In the Arctic regions, where no grains andfruits are produced, the Eskimo and others races live almost entirely on meat and fish.a. Food eaten by people in different regions of the world depends on the climate and produce of the

region, and varies from meat and fish in the Arctic to predominantly grains in the tropics.b. Hot climates require people to eat grains while cold regions require people to eat meat and fish.c. In hot countries people eat mainly grains while in the Arctic, they eat meat and fish because

they cannot grow grains.d. While people in Arctic regions like meat and fish and those in hot regions like India prefer mainly

grains, they have to change what they eat depending on the local climate and the local produce.


38. You seemed at first to take no notice of your school-fellows, or rather to set yourself against thembecause they were strangers to you. They knew as little of you as you did of them; this would havebeen the reason for their keeping aloof from you as well, which you would have felt as a hardship.Learn never to conceive a prejudice against others because you know nothing of them. It is badreasoning, and makes enemies of half the world. Do not think ill of them till they behave ill to you;and then strive to avoid the faults, which you see in them. This will disarm their hostility sooner thanpique or resentment or complaint.a. The discomfort you felt with your school fellows was because both sides knew little of each

other. You should not complain unless you find others prejudiced against you and have attemptedto carefully analyze the faults you have observed in them.

b. The discomfort you felt with your school fellows was because both sides knew little of eachother. Avoid prejudice and negative thoughts till you encounter bad behaviour from others, andthen win them over by shunning the faults you have observed.

c. You encountered hardship amongst your school fellows because you did not know then well.You should learn not to make enemies because of your prejudices irrespective of their behaviourtowards you.

d. You encountered hardship amongst your school fellows because you did not know them well.You should learn to not make enemies because of your prejudices unless they behave badlywith you.

Directions for Questions 39 and 40: The sentences given in each question, when properly sequenced,form a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labeled with a letter. Choose the most logical order ofsentences from among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.

39. A. But this does not mean that death was the Egyptians’ only preoccupation.B. Even papyri come mainly from pyramid temples.C. Most of our traditional sources of information about the Old Kingdom are monuments of the rich

like pyramids and tombs.D. Houses in which ordinary Egyptian lived have not been preserved, and when most people died

they were buried in simple graves.E. We know infinitely more about the wealthy people of Egypt than we do about the ordinary

people, as most monuments were made for the rich.a. CDBEA b. ECDAB c. EDCBA d. DECAB


40. A. Experts such as Larry Burns, head of research at GM, reckon that only such a full hearted leapwill allow the world to cope with the mass motorization that will one day come to China or India.

B. But once hydrogen is being produced from biomass or extracted from underground coal or madefrom water, using nuclear or renewable electricity, the way will be open for a huge reduction incarbon emissions from the whole system.

C. In theory, once all the bugs have been sorted out, fuel cells should deliver better total fueleconomy than any existing engines.

D. That is twice as good as the internal combustion engine, but only five percentage points betterthan a diesel hybrid.

E. Allowing for the resources needed to extract hydrogen from hydrocarbon, oil coal or gas, the fuelcell has an efficiency of 30%.

a. CEDBA b. CEBDA c. AEDBC d. ACEBD

Directions for Questions 41 to 43: Four alternative summaries are given below each text. Choose theoption that best captures the essence of the text.

41. Local communities have often come in conflict with agents trying to exploit resources, at a fasterpace, for an expanding commercial-industrial economy. More often than not, such agents of resource-intensification are given preferential treatment by the state, through the grant of generous longleases over mineral or fish stocks, for example, or the provision of raw material at an enormouslysubsidized price. With the injustice so compounded, local communities at the receiving end of thisprocess have no recourse expect direct action, resisting both the state and outside exploitersthrough a variety of protest techniques. These struggles might perhaps be seen as a manifestationof a new kind of class conflict.a. A new kind of class conflict arises from preferential treatments given to agents of resource-

intensification by the state, which the local community sees as unfair.b. The grant of long leases to agents of resource-intensification for an expanding commercial-

industrial economy leads to direct protests from the local community, which sees it as unfair.c. Preferential treatment given by the state to agents of resource-intensification for an expanding

commercial-industrial economy exacerbates injustice to local communities and leads to directprotests from them, resulting in a new type of class conflict.

d. Local communities have no option but to protest against agents of resource-intensification andcreate a new type of class conflict when they are given raw material at subsidized prices foran expanding commercial-industrial economy.


42. Although almost all climate scientists agree that the Earth is gradually warming, they have longbeen of two minds about the process of rapid climate shifts within larger periods of change. Somehave speculated that the process works like a giant oven or freezer, warming or cooling the wholeplanet at the same time. Others think that shifts occur on opposing schedules in the Northern andSouthern Hemisphere, like exaggerated seasons. Recent research in Germany examining climatepatterns in the Southern Hemisphere at the end of the last Ice Age strengthens the idea thatwarming and cooling occurs at alternate times in the two hemispheres. A more definitive answer tothis debate will allow scientists to better predict when and how quickly the next climate shift willhappen.a. Scientists have been unsure whether rapid shifts in the Earth’s climate happen all at once or on

opposing schedules in different hemispheres; research will help find a definitive answer andbetter predict climate shifts in future.

b. Scientists have been unsure whether rapid shifts in the Earth’s climate happen all at once or onopposing schedules in different hemispheres; finding a definitive answer will help them betterpredict climate shifts in future.

c. Research in Germany will help scientists find a definitive answer about warming and cooling ofthe Earth and predict climate shifts in the future in a better manner.

d. More research rather than debates on warming or cooling of the Earth and exaggerated seasonsin its hemisphere will help scientists in Germany predict changes better in future.

43. Modern bourgeois society, said Nietzsche, was decadent and enfeebled – a victim of the excessivedevelopment of the rational faculties at the expense of will and instinct. Against the liberal-rationaliststress on the intellect, Nietzsche urged recognition of the dark mysterious world of instinctualdesires – the true forces of life. Smother the will excessive intellectualizing and you destroy thespontaneity that sparks cultural creativity and ignites a zest for living. The critical and theoreticaloutlook destroyed the creative instincts. For man’s manifold potential to be realized, he must foregorelying on the intellect and nurture again the instinctual roots of human existence.a. Nietzsche urges the decadent and enfeebled modern society to forego intellect and give

importance to creative instincts.b. Nietzsche urges the decadent and enfeebled modern society to smother the will with excessive

intellectualizing and ignite a zest for living.c. Nietzsche criticizes the intellectuals for enfeebling the modern bourgeois society by not nurturing

man’s creative instincts.d. Nietzsche blames excessive intellectualization for the decline of modern society and suggests

nurturing creative instincts instead.


Answers and Explanations

2001

1. c Out of the options for first sentence E/A, E seemsbetter. Then, E–A forms a mandatory pair as it moves

from the general “India” to specific “regional variations”.D–B’ is the second mandatory pair with “office” beingmentioned in D and then B starting with “office”.This makes choice (c) correct.

2. a Between D and F, you are more likely to choose D asthe opening sentence as it is a question, but if D comesfirst, sentence F would be general and will take thesequence of information back. Therefore, choose Fas the opening sentence. F–D seems better than F–C. Also B–A–C is a mandatory sequence as they areall comparing the scenario between different contexts.This makes choice (a) correct.

3. c Only E can start this paragraph, work it out. AC followsin (a) and (c). B with ‘but’ is the point of inflexion andD ends the paragraph on an optimistic note.

4. d Between the options, the best options for the openingsentence seem to be A and B. Again the option with Bas the first sentence does not flow logically. A-B is abetter sequence as it moves from general (universal)to specific (in areas..). This makes choice (d) correct.

5. a BC is a mandatory pair with ‘calculable’ and ‘onlyuncontrolled applications (exceptions to B).

2002

6. c The reason why the demand for branded diapersmay be price-sensitive is given in A. This is supportedby DB. C contrasts, supported by the example in E. Fcan be linked with private-labels.

7. a (c) is a haphazard choice with no definite beginning,middle or end. Discipline goes better with strong focusas in AC. E further elaborates. DBF talks about makingstrategy foolproof through the value chain.

8. c B starts the paragraph. C is too abrupt to follow. Elinks job to ambassador in A. Ambivalence in D isillustrated in C.

9. d Only E can start the paragraph. C continues with thetemporal reference. BD gives the specific opinions ofthe two parties. A gives the expert opinion.

10. b Given B, E cannot start the paragraph. Rather, Efollows with the question. D offers an answer to E. Csupports with facts. A ends with the discoverers ofthe fact.

11. c Obviously is the right answer as it matches the toneof great simplifications.

12. a Numerical value in the earlier paragraph points toquantitaively as the answer.

13. d Assess alternatives that follows the blank gives theanswer alternatives.

14. c The passage deals with firing employees.

15. a Resolve means to find a solution to something.

16. d The failed product would not be present had it notpassed through the process.

2003 Leaked Paper

17. c ADB is a clear sequence. So is CE. A has a suitableopening with A few months ago. The invitation and theresponse follow in DB. she in E has a clear referencein One senior in C.

18. a CA gives the sequence of action. BD follows withreaction. The outcome is in E. CA outlines theconsecutive bids. BD gives Mr. Conway's statements.Moreover in D adds to B.

19. d C is the best beginning to the paragraph. C spells outthe misnomer. E makes a statement on terror that isjustified though B and in D as Besides. The humanitariancontext of D is given in A.

20. a The “these types are rare” of D should follow B. ACalso is mandatory as “these cases” of C is anexplanation of A. Also D looks like the logical endingand E the logical beginning. Hence the correct ans. is(a)


21. b CE gives the problem. A gives the solution. BD givesthe Dvorak angle. Pay attention to the openers, Toavoid this answers the problem. Similarly, D presentsa contrast with Yet.

2003 Retest

22. b AD is clearly a mandatory pair as D talks about theextra enclosures. Also ‘this . . ., wall’ of E shouldfollow from A, D and C.

23. a ED is a mandatory pair as the ‘they’ of D are ‘theJapanese’ off E. Only (a) has ED in that order.

24. d A is the general sentence. ED and B have to come oneafter another because they represent a sequence.

25. d Option (c) also looks correct but actually option (d) isright because (A) is just an analogy to explain thephenomenal mentioned in sentence (D). Also EC formsa mandatory pair.

26. a D is the general sentence. E and A form a mandatorypair because the ‘it’ mentioned in sentence A talksabout the ‘fox hunting’ mentioned in sentence E.

27. c It seems as if CB is mandatory. However, looking at itclosely reveals that the ‘she’ of B and the princess ofD are two different entities. The monarch and theprincess of C are general. The ‘she’ of B is theprincess of A. Therefore, EC and CD and DA aremandatory.

28. c CE is mandatory as can be seen by the ‘these . . .,food stuffs’ of E. However, this still leaves us withthree answer choices. B should follow E as can beseen by the word ‘similarly’, hence (c) becomes theanswer.

29. c Link between BD ‘British’-‘foreign policy’ and then AEfrom ‘overbranding’ and ‘since then . . . nervous onpromoting’ and the EC ‘but reunification . . . think again’.

30. b (a) is wrong because ‘if they focus on cost . . . theywill reduce’ [too definite]. (c) is wrong ‘Any costminimization’ — is too broad. (d) is wrong because‘quality improvement rather than cost cutting’ is notimplied. Both should be done. Hence, choice (b) iscorrect.

31. b (a) is wrong because there is no mention of choices.(c) is wrong because ‘always try’ [too extreme]. (d)is wrong because ‘we urge . . . to buy vans’ is toonarrow. Hence, choice (b) is correct.

32. b There is only one type of inertia which has both mentaland physical effects. That is why (c) and (d) arewrong. (a) which says ‘freezes . . . decapitates’ istoo extreme. Hence, choice (b) is correct.

33. a A is unambiguous, B is not right because the boss didnot offer any job. C is wrong because free holidayaccommodation does not come that frequently in ourlives. D is wrong because you never take the boss’sjob when she is away.

2004

34. a AC is a mandatory pair and DAC is a mandatorysequence.

35. b B is the opening statement as it introduces the subjectand the date. EDA is a sequence that describes thesituation from the east to the west. Statement C is astand-alone statement.

36. d CDBA is a mandatory sequence. “Bush was notfighting just the democrats” in statement D, relatesdirectly with “At times he was fighting…” in statementB.

37. a Statement 2 is only partially true. It only talks ofrequirements and not of what grows in those regions.Similarly, statement 3 talks only of produce and notrequirement. The passage is not concerned with whatpeople like or prefer but with what is locally availableor required.

38. b The last sentence of the passage is only conveyedfully in option (b).

39. c Both statements C and B (papyri is the plural forEgyptian papers and documents) are talking aboutsources of information, making CB a mandatory pair.

40. a ED is a mandatory pair as ‘the fuel cell efficiency hasan efficiency of 30%’ in E connects with‘That is twice as good’ in D. BA is a pair because ‘theway will be open for a huge reduction…’ inB connects with ‘only such a full-hearted leap willallow the world to cope with mass motorization’ in A.

41. c Statements (b) and (d) are partially true, as they donot cover all the examples of preferential treatment.Statement a is incomplete, as it does not mention directprotest.

42. b Statement (c) is factually wrong as we don’t know iffurther research can happen only in Germany. Option(d) wrongly brings out a contest between researchand debate. Between options (a) and (b), choice (a)is inappropriate because we don’t know if ‘research’will help find a ‘definitive answer’.

43. d Option (b) is factually wrong. Option (b) is wrongbecause Nietzsche does not criticize ‘intellectuals’.Option (a) is wrong because he does not talk of ‘thedecline of modern society’ only Option (d) capturesthe essence of the paragraph.

cat paper 2001 to 2004

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