From the passage, we can infer that feminist scholarsβ understanding of theΒ experiences of Victorian women travellers is influenced by all of the following EXCEPTΒ scholars':
Sign in
Please select an account to continue using cracku.in
↓ →
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to eachΒ question.
Mode of transportation affects the travel experience and thus can produce new types of travelΒ writing and perhaps even new βidentities.β Modes of transportation determine the types andΒ duration of social encounters; affect the organization and passage of space and time; . . . andΒ also affect perception and knowledgeβhow and what the traveler comes to know and writeΒ about. The completion of the first U.S. transcontinental highway during the 1920s . . . forΒ example, inaugurated a new genre of travel literature about the United StatesβtheΒ automotive or road narrative. Such narratives highlight the experiences of mostly maleΒ protagonists βdiscovering themselvesβ on their journeys, emphasizing the independence ofΒ road travel and the value of rural folk traditions.
Travel writingβs relationship to empire buildingβ as a type of βcolonialist discourseββhasΒ drawn the most attention from academicians. Close connections have been observedΒ between European (and American) political, economic, and administrative goals for theΒ colonies and theirΒ manifestations in the cultural practice of writing travel books. Travel writersβΒ descriptions of foreign places have been analyzed as attempts to validate, promote, orΒ challenge the ideologies and practices of colonial or imperial domination and expansion. MaryΒ Louise Prattβs study of the genres and conventions of 18th- and 19th-century explorationΒ narratives about South America and Africa (e.g., the βmonarch of all I surveyβ trope) offeredΒ ways of thinking about travel writing as embedded within relations of power betweenΒ metropole and periphery, as did Edward Saidβs theories of representation and culturalΒ imperialism. Particularly Saidβs book, Orientalism, helped scholars understand ways in whichΒ representations of people in travel texts were intimately bound up with notions of self, in thisΒ case, that the Occident defined itself through essentialist, ethnocentric, and racistΒ representations of the Orient. Saidβs work became a model for demonstrating cultural forms ofΒ imperialism in travel texts, showing how the political, economic, or administrative fact ofΒ dominance relies on legitimating discourses such as those articulated through travel writing. .Β . .
Feminist geographersβ studies of travel writing challenge the masculinist history of geographyΒ by questioning who and what are relevant subjects of geographic study and, indeed, whatΒ counts as geographic knowledge itself. Such questions are worked through ideologicalΒ constructs that posit men as explorers and women as travelersβor, conversely, men asΒ travelers and women as tied to the home. Studies of Victorian women who were professionalΒ travel writers, tourists, wives of colonial administrators, and other (mostly) elite women whoΒ wrote narratives about their experiences abroad during the 19th century have beenΒ particularly revealing. From a βliberalβ feminist perspective, travel presented one meansΒ toward female liberation for middle- and upper-class Victorian women. Many studies from theΒ 1970s onward demonstrated the ways in which womenβs gendered identities were negotiatedΒ differently βat homeβ than they were βaway,β thereby showing womenβs self-developmentΒ through travel. The more recent post structural turn in studies of Victorian travel writing hasΒ focused attention on womenβs diverse and fragmented identities as they narrated their travelΒ experiences, emphasizing womenβs sense of themselves as women in new locations, but onlyΒ as they worked through their ties to nation, class, whiteness, and colonial and imperial powerΒ structures
From the passage, we can infer that feminist scholarsβ understanding of theΒ experiences of Victorian women travellers is influenced by all of the following EXCEPTΒ scholars':
The aspects that guided/influenced the understanding of feminist scholars who examined Victorian women's travelling experiences need to be found out. We understand that the attempt made by feminist scholars was to "challenge the masculinist history of geography by (1) questioning who and what are relevant subjects of geographic study, and (2)Β what counts as geographic knowledge itself." And considering the role of women in travel writing during the Victorian era enabled these scholars to inspect new perspectives and achieve the aforementioned objectives {"...such questions are worked through ideological constructs that posit men as explorers and women as travelersβor, conversely, men as travelers and women as tied to the home..."}[Option C]. The varied viewpoints offered by women during this period originated from the difference in the gendered identities, implicitly indicating that the presence of an inequality/ineuity in the gender roles [Option A]. Additionally, studies concerningΒ the manner in which travel altered a woman's gendered identities were also available; this further shapedΒ the feminist scholars'Β Β understanding of theΒ travelling experiences of Victorian women [Option D]. It has not been presented or implied that the knowledge of "class" tensions, as stated in Option B,Β was an imperative element that influenced scholars' understanding. Hence, Option B is the correct answer.
American travel literature of the 1920s:
We can zero-in on the answer based on the following excerpt:Β {...The completion of the first U.S. transcontinental highway during the 1920s . . . for example, inaugurated a new genre of travel literature about the United Statesβthe automotive or road narrative. Such narratives highlight the experiences of mostly male protagonists βdiscovering themselvesβ on their journeys, emphasizing the independence of road travel and the value of rural folk traditions...}
Option A: talks about participation in local traditions which is not mentioned or implied.
Option B: is a distorted comment that does not align with the idea discussed. The author states that road journeys enabled the male protagonist's experience of "discovering themselves"; the phrase "desire for independence" would be incorrect in this regard.
Option C: is not even remotely discussed/implied.
Option D: It is mentioned that the inauguration of a transcontinental highway during the 1920s paved the way for a new genre that emphasised the freedom attached to such road travelling enterprises. Hence, it implicitly depictedΒ travel as an experience celebrating an individual's independence {...emphasizing the independence...}.Β
Hence, of the given options, Option D aptly captures the characteristics of American travel literature of the 1920s.Β
From the passage, it can be inferred that scholars argue that Victorian women
experienced self-development through their travels because:
The question requires us to probe the reason behind why theΒ scholars argue that Victorian womenΒ experienced self-development through their travels.Β Let us pay heed to the following segment from the passage: {...Many studies from the 1970s onward demonstrated the ways in which womenβs gendered identities were negotiated differently βat homeβ than they were βaway,β thereby showing womenβs self-development through travel...}. It is highlighted that travelling {being "away"} enabled women's identities to be "negotiated differently"{highlighting transformation/reconfiguration},Β which in turn was the cause of their self-development. Option D is closest to this understanding. Options A, B and C fail to present the reason and are invalid statements/inferences.
According to the passage, Saidβs book, βOrientalismβ:
A direct inference from the excerpt: {...Saidβs work became a model for demonstrating cultural forms of imperialism in travel texts, showing how the political, economic, or administrative fact of dominance relies on legitimating discourses such as those articulated through travel writing. . .}. It is stated that Said's work rendered scholars with an understanding of "cultural imperialism" and the manner in which it was used to justify colonial domination {or similar pursuits thereof}. Option B aptly captures this aspect. Options A, B and C either diverge from the discussion or are distorted comments.Β
From the passage, we can infer that travel writing is most similar to:
Since travel writing involves the presentation and recounting ofΒ personal travel experiences and/orΒ perspective of the world, the closest category to this would beΒ autobiographical writing [Option C]. Political journalism and feminist writing can be hurled out the window. Associating travel literature to historical fiction would be inappropriate as well. Hence, of the given choices, Option C is the correct answer.
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to eachΒ question.
Although one of the most contested concepts in political philosophy, human nature isΒ something on which most people seem to agree. By and large, according to Rutger BregmanΒ in his new book Humankind, we have a rather pessimistic view - not of ourselves exactly, butΒ of everyone else. We see other people as selfish, untrustworthy and dangerous and thereforeΒ we behave towards them with defensiveness and suspicion. This was how the 17th-centuryΒ philosopher Thomas Hobbes conceived our natural state to be, believing that all that stoodΒ between us and violent anarchy was a strong state and firm leadership.Β But in following Hobbes, argues Bregman, we ensure that the negative view we have ofΒ human nature is reflected back at us. He instead puts his faith in Jean-Jacques Rousseau,Β the 18th-century French thinker, who famously declared that man was born free and it wasΒ civilisation - with its coercive powers, social classes and restrictive laws - that put him inΒ chains.
Hobbes and Rousseau are seen as the two poles of the human nature argument and itβs noΒ surprise that Bregman strongly sides with the Frenchman. He takes Rousseauβs intuition andΒ paints a picture of a prelapsarian idyll in which, for the better part of 300,000 years, HomoΒ sapiens lived a fulfilling life in harmony with nature . . . Then we discovered agriculture and forΒ the next 10,000 years it was all property, war, greed and injustice. . . .
It was abandoning our nomadic lifestyle and then domesticating animals, says Bregman, thatΒ brought about infectious diseases such as measles, smallpox, tuberculosis, syphilis, malaria,Β cholera and plague. This may be true, but what Bregman never really seems to get to gripsΒ with is that pathogens were not the only things that grew with agriculture - so did the numberΒ of humans. Itβs one thing to maintain friendly relations and a property-less mode of livingΒ when youβre 30 or 40 hunter-gatherers following the food. But life becomes a great deal moreΒ complex and knowledge far more extensive when there are settlements of many thousands.Β Β βCivilisation has become synonymous with peace and progress and wilderness with war andΒ decline,β writes Bregman. βIn reality, for most of human existence, it was the other wayΒ around.β Whereas traditional history depicts the collapse of civilisations as βdark agesβ inΒ which everything gets worse, modern scholars, he claims, see them more as a reprieve, inΒ which the enslaved gain their freedom and culture flourishes. Like much else in this book, theΒ truth is probably somewhere between the two stated positions.
In any case, the fear of civilisational collapse, Bregman believes, is unfounded. Itβs the resultΒ of what the Dutch biologist Frans de Waal calls βveneer theoryβ - the idea that just below theΒ surface, our bestial nature is waiting to break out. . . . Thereβs a great deal of reassuringΒ human decency to be taken from this bold and thought-provoking book and a wealth ofΒ evidence in support of the contention that the sense of who we are as a species has beenΒ deleteriously distorted. But it seems equally misleading to offer the false choice of RousseauΒ and Hobbes when, clearly, humanity encompasses both.
None of the following views is expressed in the passage EXCEPT that:
We need to find a viewpoint that is presented in the passage. Let us inspect the individual options:Β
Option A: The introductory lines of the passage helps us infer this: {...Although one of the most contested concepts in political philosophy, human nature is something on which most people seem to agree. By and large, according to Rutger Bregman in his new book Humankind, we have a rather pessimistic view - not of ourselves exactly, but of everyone else. We see other people as selfish, untrustworthy and dangerous and therefore we behave towards them with defensiveness and suspicion...}
Option B: The author calls the viewpoints of Hobbes and RousseauΒ as polar opposites {"Hobbes and Rousseau are seen as the two poles of the human nature argument"} and does not present a similarity, especially any comment of the form: "both believed in the need for a strong state." Thus, we can eliminate this option.
Option C: No such view has been presented.Β
Option D: The author's opinion ofΒ Frans de Waal's βveneer theoryβ is not evident/not highlighted. Hence, we can eliminate this option.
Thus, of the given statements, Option A is the correct answer.Β
According to the passage, the βcollapse of civilisationsβ is viewed by Bregman as:
Bregman considers the aftermath of civilizational collapse as a period that allows for certain changes or alterations in the societyΒ {...βCivilisation has become synonymous with peace and progress and wilderness with war and decline,β writes Bregman. βIn reality, for most of human existence, it was the other way around.β Whereas traditional history depicts the collapse of civilisations as βdark agesβ in which everything gets worse, modern scholars, he claims, see them more as a reprieve, in which the enslaved gain their freedom and culture flourishes... }. Option A correctly captures this point. Options B, C and D are either not stated or distorted interpretations.Β
According to the author, the main reason why Bregman contrasts life in pre-agricultural societies with agricultural societies is to:
Bregman disagrees with Hobbes' standpoint of humans being inherently selfish or bestial and insteadΒ takes Rousseau's side. He asserts that civilizational progress caused byΒ the post-agricultural setupΒ is responsible forΒ the negative/undesired circumstances.Β In this regard, he presents the contrasting picture of pre and post-agricultural societies {attaches the image of "a prelapsarian idyll" to the nomadic lifestyle, while considers the discovery of agriculture as a misevent}. Thus, this depiction supplementsΒ "his argument that people are basically decent, but progress as we know it can make them selfish." Option D is the appropriate answer.Β Β Β
Option A: The aspect of complexity is not the primary focal point. Thus, this option can be eliminated.
Option B: This diverges from the discussion onto a new line of discussion: "impact that settled farming had on population growth". Hence, we can discard this choice as well.
Option C: Again, the focus is not on the environment; hence, we can scrap off this option.Β Β
The author has differing views from Bregman regarding:
At the end of the passage, the author states the following: {...Thereβs a great deal of reassuring human decency to be taken from this bold and thought-provoking book and a wealth of evidence in support of the contention that the sense of who we are as a species has been deleteriously distorted. But it seems equally misleading to offer the false choice of Rousseau and Hobbes when, clearly, humanity encompasses both...} Thus, he does not truly agree with Bregman's portrayal of the civilized society. Option D correctly captures this disagreement.Β
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to eachΒ question.
Iβve been following the economic crisis for more than two years now. I began working on theΒ subject as part of the background to a novel, and soon realized that I had stumbled across theΒ most interesting story Iβve ever found. While I was beginning to work on it, the British bankΒ Northern Rock blew up, and it became clear that, as I wrote at the time, βIf our laws are notΒ extended to control the new kinds of super-powerful, super-complex, and potentially superΒ Β risky investment vehicles, they will one day cause a financial disaster of global-systemicΒ proportions.β . . . I was both right and too late, because all the groundwork for the crisis hadΒ already been doneβthough the sluggishness of the worldβs governments, in not preparing forΒ the great unraveling of autumn 2008, was then and still is stupefying. But this is the firstΒ reason why I wrote this book: because whatβs happened is extraordinarily interesting. It is anΒ absolutely amazing story, full of human interest and drama, one whose byways ofΒ mathematics, economics, and psychology are both central to the story of the last decadesΒ and mysteriously unknown to the general public. We have heard a lot about βthe two culturesβΒ of science and the artsβwe heard a particularly large amount about it in 2009, because it wasΒ the fiftieth anniversary of the speech during which C. P. Snow first used the phrase. But IβmΒ not sure the idea of a huge gap between science and the arts is as true as it was half aΒ century agoβitβs certainly true, for instance, that a general reader who wants to pick up anΒ education in the fundamentals of science will find it easier than ever before. It seems to meΒ that there is a much bigger gap between the world of finance and that of the general publicΒ and that there is a need to narrow that gap, if the financial industry is not to be a kind ofΒ priesthood, administering to its own mysteries and feared and resented by the rest of us.Β Many bright, literate people have no idea about all sorts of economic basics, of a type thatΒ financial insiders take as elementary facts of how the world works. I am an outsider to financeΒ and economics, and my hope is that I can talk across that gulf.
My need to understand is the same as yours, whoever you are. Thatβs one of the strangestΒ ironies of this story: after decades in which the ideology of the Western world was personallyΒ and economically individualistic, weβve suddenly been hit by a crisis which shows in theΒ starkest terms that whether we like it or notβand there are large parts of it that you wouldΒ have to be crazy to likeβweβre all in this together. The aftermath of the crisis is going toΒ dominate the economics and politics of our societies for at least a decade to come andΒ perhaps longer.
Which one of the following, if true, would be an accurate inference from the first
sentence of the passage?
This is a direct inference question that requires minimal effort and can be accurately answered using the option-elimination mechanism. The first sentence of the passage is as follows: " ...Iβve been following the economic crisis for more than two years now...". It is evident that the author has been following {events/information associated with} the economic crisis for at least two years if not more. Thus, Option A is a sensible inference to draw from this statement. Options B, C and D are inane interpretations of the same and can be effortlessly eliminated.Β
Which one of the following best captures the main argument of the last paragraph of
the passage?
In the final paragraph, the author highlights the crisis as an ironical situation: a group ofΒ individualistic entities facing an issue with collective impact and thereby, needs to be dealt withΒ "together" or by shifting from the existing self-centred setup {"...Thatβs one of the strangest ironies of this story: after decades in which the ideology of the Western world was personally and economically individualistic, weβve suddenly been hit by a crisis which shows in the starkest terms that whether we like it or notβand there are large parts of it that you would have to be crazy to likeβweβre all in this together...."}. Option D is the closest choice that captures this element. Option A is contrary to the point presented in the concluding para. Options B and C are either divergent to the point made or merely distorted comments. Hence, Option D is the correct answer.Β
According to the passage, the author is likely to be supportive of which one of the
following programmes?
A predominant idea discussed by the author is regarding the lack of financial literacy that could be trulyΒ beneficial to our understanding of the world. This is emphasised via the following excerpt:Β
{...It seems to me that there is a much bigger gap between the world of finance and that of the general public and that there is a need to narrow that gap, if the financial industry is not to be a kind of priesthood, administering to its own mysteries and feared and resented by the rest of us. Many bright, literate people have no idea about all sorts of economic basics, of a type that financial insiders take as elementary facts of how the world works. I am an outsider to finance and economics, and my hope is that I can talk across that gulf....}Β
Option C aligns with this concern and is, consequently, an idea that the author is bound to support. Option B appears asΒ another likely candidate; however, economic research is not one of the focal points mentioned. Options A and D contain elements that are not discussed or are opposite to the author's ideas. Hence, Option C is a programme that theΒ author is most likely to be supportive of.
All of the following, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage,Β EXCEPT:
Let us inspect the individual options:
OptionΒ A: If true, this statement could be antithetical to the point put forth in the concluding paragraph: the author believes that an individualistic ideology isn't the right way forward; instead, we need to deal with such crises collectively. Thus, this is a conflicting viewpoint and thereby, the correct answer.Β
Option B: If true, aligns with the author's point in the first paragraph: {...It seems to me that there is a much bigger gap between the world of finance and that of the general public and that there is a need to narrow that gap, if the financial industry is not to be a kind of priesthood, administering to its own mysteries and feared and resented by the rest of us...}Β
Options C and D: If true, this is in tune with the author's claim {made in the final segment} about dealing with such crises together.Β
Hence, of the given statements, Options A deviates from the author's argument and thus, is the correct answer.Β
Which one of the following, if false, could be seen as supporting the authorβs claims?
On skimming through the statements, it is evident that Options A and D do very little, if at all anything, to support the author's claim.Β Option C, in its current form, aligns with the author's assertion; however, if false, it is opposite to the author's argument about financial literacy {on negating the statement, it indicates that most people do have an understanding of the workings of the financial world}. Option B, if false, is in line with theΒ assertions made in the concluding paragraph.Β
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to eachΒ question.
[There is] a curious new reality: Human contact is becoming a luxury good. As more screensΒ appear in the lives of the poor, screens are disappearing from the lives of the rich. The richerΒ you are, the more you spend to be off-screen. . . .
The joy β at least at first β of the internet revolution was its democratic nature. Facebook isΒ the same Facebook whether you are rich or poor. Gmail is the same Gmail. And itβs all free.Β There is something mass market and unappealing about that. And as studies show that timeΒ on these advertisement-support platforms is unhealthy, it all starts to seem dΓ©classΓ©, likeΒ drinking soda or smoking cigarettes, which wealthy people do less than poor people. TheΒ wealthy can afford to opt out of having their data and their attention sold as a product. TheΒ poor and middle class donβt have the same kind of resources to make that happen.
Screen exposure starts young. And children who spent more than two hours a day looking atΒ a screen got lower scores on thinking and language tests, according to early results of aΒ landmark study on brain development of more than 11,000 children that the National InstitutesΒ of Health is supporting. Most disturbingly, the study is finding that the brains of children whoΒ spend a lot of time on screens are different. For some kids, there is premature thinning ofΒ their cerebral cortex. In adults, one study found an association between screen time andΒ depression. . . .
Tech companies worked hard to get public schools to buy into programs that required schoolsΒ to have one laptop per student, arguing that it would better prepare children for their screen-based future. But this idea isnβt how the people who actually build the screen-based futureΒ raise their own children. In Silicon Valley, time on screens is increasingly seen as unhealthy.Β Here, the popular elementary school is the local Waldorf School, which promises a back-to-nature, nearly screen-free education. So as wealthy kids are growing up with less screenΒ time, poor kids are growing up with more. How comfortable someone is with humanΒ engagement could become a new class marker.
Human contact is, of course, not exactly like organic food . . . . But with screen time, there hasΒ been a concerted effort on the part of Silicon Valley behemoths to confuse the public. TheΒ poor and the middle class are told that screens are good and important for them and theirΒ children. There are fleets of psychologists and neuroscientists on staff at big tech companiesΒ working to hook eyes and minds to the screen as fast as possible and for as long as possible.Β And so human contact is rare. . . .
There is a small movement to pass a βright to disconnectβ bill, which would allow workers toΒ turn their phones off, but for now, a worker can be punished for going offline and not beingΒ available. There is also the reality that in our culture of increasing isolation, in which so manyΒ of the traditional gathering places and social structures have disappeared, screens are fillingΒ a crucial void.
Which of the following statements about the negative effects of screen time is theΒ author least likely to endorse?
Option A: This author will agree with this assertion.Β It has been mentioned in the third para: {... For some kids, there is premature thinning of their cerebral cortex...}.
Option B:Β Reduction in human contact or social engagement is one of the negative impacts of screen time that the author highlights in the passage. Option B is antithetical to this presentation and is, hence, not a claim that the author is likely to endorse.Β
Option C: The author states this element in the third para: {... In adults, one study found an association between screen time and depression...}
Option D: A point along similar lines has been presented in the fifth para: {...There are fleets of psychologists and neuroscientists on staff at big tech companies working to hook eyes and minds to the screen as fast as possible and for as long as possible. And so human contact is rare...}
Hence, Option B is the correct answer.
The statement βThe richer you are, the more you spend to be off-screenβ is supportedΒ by which other line from the passage?
At the very beginning, the author highlights the disparity in the screen time with regard toΒ the wealthy and the common masses: {...As more screens appear in the lives of the poor, screens are disappearing from the lives of the rich. The richer you are, the more you spend to be off-screen...}. The statement inΒ Option B supplements this assertion by further highlighting this observed difference in activity between the rich and the common: {...As more screens appear in the lives of the poor, screens are disappearing from the lives of the rich. The richer you are, the more you spend to be off-screen...}. None of the other options can be attached to the given statements. Hence, Option B is the correct answer.
The author claims that Silicon Valley tech companies have tried to βconfuse theΒ publicβ by:
The following excerpt from the fourth paragraph throws light into this matter:Β {...Tech companies worked hard to get public schools to buy into programs that required schools to have one laptop per student, arguing that it would better prepare children for their screen-based future. But this idea isnβt how the people who actually build the screen-based future raise their own children...}. It is understood that though tech companies manipulate public schoolsΒ into engaging in a process involving more screen time, they avoid a similar course of activity when it comes to their own children {whom they subject to a screen-free education and upbringing}. Option D aptly captures this two-facedness. Option B is a distorted interpretation, while Options A and C cannot be inferred from the passage.Β
Hence, Option D is the correct answer.
The author is least likely to agree with the view that the increase in screen-time isΒ fuelled by the fact that:
Option A: The author has already discussed a point along similar lines towards the end of the passage: {...There is also the reality that in our culture of increasing isolation, in which so many of the traditional gathering places and social structures have disappeared, screens are filling a crucial void...}. Hence, the author definitely considers this as one of the causes behind the increase in screen time.
Option B: The discussion in passage 4 and 5 highlights how the tech companies have {perhaps successfully} convinced schools to integrate a screen-based educationalΒ culture to prepare students for a "screen-based future". Thus, this is another factor that the author attributes to the rise in screen time.
Option C: This aspect has been discussed towards the end of the passage: {...There is a small movement to pass a βright to disconnectβ bill, which would allow workers to turn their phones off, but for now, a worker can be punished for going offline and not being available...}. Hence, the author considers this as another factor contributing to the increaseΒ in screen time.Β
Option D: There is no discussion mentioning or detailing the elements presented in D. Thus, we cannot conclusively comment on whether the author is likely to agree with this point.Β
Hence, Option D is the correct answer.
The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4) below, when properly sequenced would yieldΒ a coherent paragraph. Decide on the properΒ sequencing of the order of theΒ sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer:
1. Complex computational elements of the CNS are organized according to aΒ βnestedβ hierarchic criterion; the organization is not permanent and can changeΒ dynamically from moment to moment as they carry out a computational task.
2. Echolocation in bats exemplifies adaptation produced by natural selection; aΒ function not produced by natural selection for its current use is exaptation --Β feathers might have originally arisen in the context of selection for insulation.
3. From a structural standpoint, consistent with exaptation, the living organism isΒ organized as a complex of βRussian Matryoshka Dollsβ -- smaller structures areΒ contained within larger ones in multiple layers.
4. The exaptation concept, and the Russian-doll organization concept of livingΒ beings deduced from studies on evolution of the various apparatuses in mammals,Β can be applied for the most complex human organ: the central nervous systemΒ (CNS).
Statement (2) introduces us to certain evolutionary influences in the bodily mechanisms of animals, especially mammals (bats). Statement (4) continues on the observed influence on theΒ various apparatuses in mammals, specifically in the case of the most complex human organ: the central nervous system (CNS). The author mentions that the example of exaptation and Russian dolls serve to assist in our understanding of this complex organ (CNS). The significance of the Russian dolls is elaborated in Statement (3), specifically with regard to its structural implications:Β "Β smaller structures are contained within larger ones in multiple layers"βthis portryas the presence of some structural hierarchy that can be observed in such complex apparatuses. Statement (1) highlights how the complex elements in the CNS are organised in a βnested hierarchic criterion", thereby, serving as a continuation to (3). Therefore, (2)-(4)-(3)-(1) forms a coherent paragraph.Β
The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4) below, when properly sequenced would yieldΒ a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of theΒ sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer:
1. It advocated a conservative approach to antitrust enforcement that espousesΒ faith in efficient markets and voiced suspicion regarding the merits of judicialΒ intervention to correct anticompetitive practices.
2. Many industries have consistently gained market share, the lionβs share - withoutΒ any official concern; the most successful technology companies have grown intoΒ veritable titans, on the premise that they advance βpublic interestβ.
3. That the new anticompetitive risks posed by tech giants like Google, Facebook,Β and Amazon, necessitate new legal solutions could be attributed to the dearth ofΒ enforcement actions against monopolies and the few cases challenging mergers inΒ the USA.
4. The criterion of βconsumer welfare standardβ and the principle that antitrust lawΒ should serve consumer interests and that it should protect competition rather thanΒ individual competitors was an antitrust law introduced by, and named after, theΒ 'Chicago school'.
Statement (4) opens the discussion by mentioning an "antitrust law" and a few essentialΒ featuresΒ attached to it. Statement (1) further describes this provision {"...It advocated..." }: the move toΒ support an efficient market and curb anti-competitive practises. StatementΒ (2) then elaborates on the latter point of anticompetitive practices and subsequently, highlightsΒ the relevance of this provision. Statement (3) further emphasises theΒ Β necessity ofΒ Β "new legal solutions" to deal with the elements discussed earlier {in (2) and (3)}. Hence, (4)-(1)-(2)-(3) forms a logical arrangement.Β
Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can beΒ put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in theΒ number of the sentence as your answer:
1. Machine learning models are prone to learning human-like biases from theΒ training data that feeds these algorithms.
2. Hate speech detection is part of the on-going effort against oppressive andΒ abusive language on social media.
3. The current automatic detection models miss out on something vital: context.
4. It uses complex algorithms to flag racist or violent speech faster and better thanΒ human beings alone.
5. For instance, algorithms struggle to determine if group identifiers like "gay" orΒ "black" are used in offensive or prejudiced ways because they're trained onΒ imbalanced datasets with unusually high rates of hate speech.
On reading the statements, the arrangement (2)-(4)-(1)-(5) can be linked to form a paragraph, while Statement (3) stands out. Statements (2) and (4) talk about hate speech detection and the algorithms involved, while Statements (1) and (5) indicate the issue associated with the aforementioned algorithms. Hence, (3) is the odd one out.
Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can beΒ put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in theΒ number of the sentence as your answer:
1. The logic of displaying oneβs inner qualities through outward appearance wasΒ based on a distinction between being a woman and being feminine.
2. 'Appearance' became a signifier of conduct - to look was to be and conformity toΒ the feminine ideal was measured by how well women could use the tools of theΒ fashion and beauty industries.
3. The makeover-centric media sets out subtly and not-so-subtly, βgoodβ and βbadβΒ ways to be a woman, layering these over inequalities of race and class.
4. The denigration of working-class women and women of colour often centres onΒ their perceived failure to embody feminine beauty.
5. βWomanβ was considered a biological category, but femininity was a βprocessβ byΒ which women became specific kinds of women.
Statement (1) talks about how the "logic" ofΒ determining a woman's inner quality boiled down to the distinction between the perception ofΒ "being a woman and being feminine". Statement (5) highlights the difference in this understanding: the former being a 'biological category' and latter being a 'process'. Statement (2) continues on the manner in which the measure of "feminine ideal" was dependent on a woman's appearance. Statement (4) continues on this line by presenting how the incapacity to meet up to this ideal led to the denigrationΒ of working-class women and women of colour. We notice that Statement (3) is the odd one out here.
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the optionΒ that best captures the essence of the passage.
The dominant hypotheses in modern science believe that language evolved to allowΒ humans to exchange factual information about the physical world. But an alternativeΒ view is that language evolved, in modern humans at least, to facilitate social bonding.Β It increased our ancestorsβ chances of survival by enabling them to hunt moreΒ successfully or to cooperate more extensively. Language meant that things could beΒ explained and that plans and past experiences could be shared efficiently.
One predominant viewpoint: language originated to exchange factual information
An alternative viewpoint: language originated toΒ facilitate social bonding and consequently, to ensure human survival.
The summary needs to highlight these two core viewpoints. Option C does this without deviating from the discussion.
Option A: The evolution of language is not the focal point here; the views held in this regard are. {"language has been continuously evolving to higher forms"} Thus, we can eliminate this option since it comes across as a misrepresentation.
Option B: This is a trap wherein the statementΒ captures both the core viewpoints butΒ there is a distortion involved: "...From the belief ..."Β Β to "...scholars now..." indicates a shift in the viewpoint. However,Β this is not the case - the author simply states two prevalent perspectives on the subject.Β
Option D: is again a distortion since experts are not "challenging any views; the author simply highlights the presence of two viewpoints {no conflict presented}
Hence, Option C is the correct answer.
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the optionΒ that best captures the essence of the passage.
Aesthetic political representation urges us to realize that βthe representative hasΒ autonomy with regard to the people representedβ but autonomy then is not an excuseΒ to abandon oneβs responsibility. Aesthetic autonomy requires cultivation ofΒ βdisinterestednessβ on the part of actors which is not indifference. To haveΒ disinterestedness, that is, to have comportment towards the beautiful that is devoid ofΒ all ulterior references to use - requires a kind of aesthetic commitment; it is theΒ liberation of ourselves for the release of what has proper worth only in itself.
The paragraph discusses two essential elements: it begins by presenting the facet of autonomy enjoyed by the representative inΒ Aesthetic political representation and then highlights the cultivation of "disinterestedness" in this regard. Additionally, the author distinctly identifies the aforementioned concept as being not the same as that of "indifference". Post this, towards the end. TheΒ author presents the reason behind this assertion. Option B correctly captures these two aspects without distorting the overall meaning.
Option A: The author does not claim that the autonomy "manifested" through disinterestedness.Β
Option C:Β The statement here contains added elements which cannot be inferred from the passage.Β
Option D: This alternative fails to capture the essence of the discussion and describes a single component. {'political representation' might again be incorrect}
Hence, of the given summaries, Option B aptly captures the substance of the passage.
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the optionΒ that best captures the essence of the passage.
Brown et al. (2001) suggest that βmetabolic theory may provide a conceptualΒ foundation for much of ecology just as genetic theory provides a foundation for muchΒ of evolutionary biologyβ. One of the successes of genetic theory is the diversity ofΒ theoretical approaches and models that have been developed and applied. A Web ofΒ Science (v. 5.9. Thomson Reuters) search on genetic* + theor* + evol* identifies moreΒ than 12000 publications between 2005 and 2012. Considering only the 10 most-citedΒ papers within this 12000 publication set, genetic theory can be seen to focus onΒ genome dynamics, phylogenetic inference, game theory and the regulation of geneΒ expression. There is no one fundamental genetic equation, but rather a wide array ofΒ genetic models, ranging from simple to complex, with differing inputs and outputs,Β and divergent areas of application, loosely connected to each other through theΒ shared conceptual foundation of heritable variation.
There are two key points discussed in the passage:
1. The prospect ofΒ "metabolic theory" being foundational to the field of ecology; the same as is the case in (2)
2. Genetic theory being the conceptual basis of evolutionary biology {given the diverse and extensive theoretical approaches and models available}.Β
Thus, the summary needs to capture both these points. Option BΒ fulfils this requirement.
Option A: is a distorted claim since it is not implied in the passage; the author does not assert that "metabolic theory need not evolve in a similar manner".Β Β
Option C: is again a misinterpretation because the author does not claim that metabolic theory "must" contribute in a similar fashion. Instead, the focus is on the "potential" of this theory.
Option D: is divergent since the author does not discuss the "success" of a theory.
Hence, Option B is the correct answer.
The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4) below, when properly sequenced would yieldΒ a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of theΒ sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer:
1. Each one personified a different aspect of good fortune.
2. The others were versions of popular Buddhist gods, Hindu gods and DaoistΒ gods.
3. Seven popular Japanese deities, the Shichi Fukujin, were considered to bringΒ good luck and happiness.
4. Although they were included in the Shinto pantheon, only two of them, DaikokuΒ and Ebisu, were indigenous Japanese gods.
Statement (3) opens the paragraph by introducing the subject: seven popular Japanese deities who bring good luck. Statement (1) then comments on the aspect of good fortune followed by statements (4) and (2). Statement (4) clarifies how only two of these seven entities qualify as indigenous Japanese gods while Statement (2) comments on the origin/background of the rest. Hence, (3)-(1)-(4)-(2) forms a coherent arrangement.Β
Start your IIM journey with the right preparation and crack CAT 2026.
Educational materials for CAT preparation