CAT 2022 Slot 2 Question Paper - VARC

The author discusses camouflaging techniques in an octopus vis-a-vis other organisms such as cuttlefish, squids and polar bears: { For instance, the use of these cells is how an octopus can wrap itself over a rock and appear jagged or how a squid or cuttlefish can imitate the look of a coral reef by growing miniature towers on its skin. It actually matches the texture of the substrate it chooses...Finally, the leucophores: According to a paper, published in Nature, cuttlefish and octopuses possess an additional type of reflector cell called a leucophore. They are cells that scatter full spectrum light so that they appear white in a similar way that a polar bear’s fur appears white}

However, note that no such discussion on sea snails is presented; hence, Option A is the correct choice. 

{But they don’t look like their cousins at all. Other molluscs include sea snails, sea slugs, bivalves - most are shelled invertebrates with a dorsal foot. Cephalopods are all arms, and can be as tiny as 1 centimetre and as large at 30 feet. Some of them have brains the size of a walnut, which is large for an invertebrate. . . .It makes sense for these molluscs to have added protection in the form of a higher cognition; they don’t have a shell covering them, and pretty much everything feeds on cephalopods, including humans.} 

We can understand that B, C and D are true - they are points of dissimilarities between octopuses and other molluscs [we are told that they have multiple appendages instead of a single dorsal foot and lack shells; they also have higher intelligence]. However, there is no information on whether humans consume molluscs like sea snails or not [furthermore, the author does not use this fact to claim that octopuses are distinct in this regard]. 

Hence, Option A is the correct choice. 

Options A and C: The discussion on Chromatophores, iridophores and leucophores sufficiently supports the statements here.

Option B: We can infer this from the following excerpt - {Papillae are sections of the skin that can be deformed to make a texture bumpy... For instance, the use of these cells is how an octopus can wrap itself over a rock and appear jagged or how a squid or cuttlefish can imitate the look of a coral reef by growing miniature towers on its skin. It actually matches the texture of the substrate it chooses.}

Option D is not discussed anywhere in the passage. 

Let us evaluate the choices individually:

Option A: [the number of chromatophores in Cephalopods is half the number of iridophores and leucophores] If true, this does not undermine the  camouflaging adeptness of Cephalopods primarily because each of chromatophores, iridophores and leucophores have specific [somewhat independent] roles to play and it is unclear how their quantity would directly impact the camouflaging capacity. Even if the number of chromatophores is fewer than the other types, the octopus can still maintain its camouflaging adeptness.  

Option B: [the temperature of water at the depths at which Cephalopods reside renders the transmission of neural signals difficult.] If true, this would limit the camouflaging adeptness primarily because the underlying mechanism is being restricted/impacted.  {When the cephalopod wants to change colour, the brain carries an electrical impulse through the nerve to the muscles that expand outwards, pulling open the sacs to display the colours on the skin.}

Option C:  [light reflects the colours red, green, and yellow at the depths at which Cephalopods reside.] If true, this would limit the camouflaging adeptness primarily because the underlying mechanism is being restricted/impacted. If the colour scheme is distinct, it would undermine the observations presented below: {[Chromatophores] are organs on their bodies that contain pigment sacs, which have red, yellow and brown pigment granules...Why these three colours? Because these are the colours the light reflects at the depths they live in (the rest is absorbed before it reaches those depths)}

Option D: [the hydrostatic pressure at the depths at which Cephalopods reside renders radial muscle movements difficult.] If true, this would limit the camouflaging adeptness primarily because the underlying mechanism is being restricted/impacted. {These sacs have a network of radial muscles, meaning muscles arranged in a circle radiating outwards.}

Hence, Option A is the correct choice. 

Based on the passage, it is likely that the author would approve of all of the options except for Option D, which is moving towards technical-social dualism. Technical-social dualism is described in the passage as the idea that the technical and social dimensions of engineering problems are readily separable and remain distinct throughout the problem-definition and solution process. The passage criticizes this approach, arguing that it ignores the social dimensions of engineering problems and leads to a focus on technical ideals such as cost and efficiency at the expense of broader societal concerns. Therefore, it is unlikely that the author would approve of moving towards technical-social dualism.

Option A is likely to be included because the passage mentions the need for engineers to be aware of the potential impacts of their work on different groups of people, including the environment. It is suggested that ignoring these factors can result in technologies that are not sustainable, which can contribute to a crisis of medical waste and health care, accounting for 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Option B is likely to be included because the passage discusses the consequences of ignoring social dimensions in engineering, such as physical failures and the perpetuation of social inequities. It suggests that a more responsible approach to technical design and problem-solving would consider the full range of stakeholders and the potential impacts of a technology on different groups of people.

Option C is likely to be included because the passage emphasizes the importance of considering social justice in engineering education and practice. It mentions courses focusing on place-based knowledge and community engagement as examples of efforts to incorporate social justice into engineering education. Such an approach would involve designing technologies that are responsive to the needs of communities, using local knowledge and taking into account local priorities.

Hence, Option D is the correct choice. 

Option D is not mentioned in the passage as a negative outcome of focusing on technical ideals in the medical sphere. The passage specifically mentions that "most FDA-approved drugs are incorrectly dosed for people assigned female at birth, leading to unexpected adverse reactions. This is because they have been inadequately represented in clinical trials," which suggests that the incorrect dosing of drugs for people assigned female at birth is a consequence of inadequate representation in clinical trials, rather than a result of focusing on technical ideals.

The other options are all mentioned in the passage as negative outcomes of focusing on technical ideals in the medical sphere. Option A refers to the passage's mention of the lack of technologies for "systemically marginalized people" such as those with endometriosis. Option B relates to the discussion on spirometers that have correction factors that assume smaller lung capacity in Black and Asian individuals based on research by eugenicists. Option C is tied to the discussion on "most FDA-approved drugs" being incorrectly dosed for people assigned female at birth due to inadequate representation in clinical trials.

Hence, Option D is the correct choice. 

The passage discusses the concept of technical-social dualism, which separates the technical and social dimensions of engineering problems and can result in a focus on technical ideals such as cost and efficiency at the expense of broader societal concerns. The passage states that this way of teaching "primes students to believe that their decision-making is purely objective, as it is grounded in math and science" and that "nontechnical parameters such as access to a technology, cultural relevancy or potential harms are deemed political and invalid." These statements support the claim that engineering students are taught to focus on objective technical outcomes, independent of the social dimensions of their work. Option B best captures the above understanding. The other answer choices do not accurately reflect the content or the main argument of the passage.

Option A: [Correct] The passage states that technical ideals, such as cost and efficiency, are often determined by a dominant culture that prioritizes economic growth for the most privileged segments of society. This can result in technologies and interventions that are not designed with the needs and concerns of marginalized groups in mind, leading to systemic discrimination against these groups.

Option B:  [Incorrect] The passage does not mention anything about sustainability or medical waste contributing to greenhouse gas emissions as a reason for the systematic discrimination of marginalized people in technology-related interventions.

Option C: [Correct] The passage mentions that certain technologies, such as spirometers, have correction factors that assume smaller lung capacity in Black and Asian individuals based on research by eugenicists who believed in racial hierarchies and considered nonwhite people as inferior. This is an example of how subjective beliefs can be treated as facts and encoded into technologies, leading to social inequities.

Option D:  [Correct] The passage discusses how subjective beliefs treated as facts by those in decision-making roles can result in physical failures, such as incorrect dosing of drugs for people assigned female at birth, and also encode social inequities, such as the correction factors on spirometers that assume smaller lung capacity in Black and Asian individuals.

Hence, Option B is the correct choice. 

The author states that the stock exchange and the black market are both market institutions, but notes that the stock exchange is formal, while the black market is not. This suggests that the two institutions differ in terms of how they are structured and operate, and the author suggests that this difference is an example of how different kinds of institutions can co-exist within the same domain. Option C aptly presents this idea. Contrarily, the ideas mentioned in Options A, B and D are not supported by the information in the passage. 

Hence, Option C is the correct choice. 

Based on the passage, the correct inference is: Option D - "natural language" refers to that stage of language development where no conscious human intent is evident in the formation of language.

The passage states that natural languages are "the result of human action, but not the execution of any human design," suggesting that they are not consciously designed or modified. Artificial languages and reformed natural languages, on the other hand, are described as introducing "design into their modifications or refinements," indicating that they are consciously modified.

The passage does not support the other inferences. In fact, it suggests that culture and tradition can be understood as subsets of institutions and have analytical, explanatory, and expository power when they are studied in this context. It also suggests that there are both informal and formal institutions, and that many institutions are a mixture of the two, rather than being mutually exclusive categories. The passage also does not imply that institutions like the family, rituals, governance, economy, and the military are natural and cannot be consciously modified; rather, it suggests that these institutions are the product of conscious attempts to mold and plan them, and that they can be modified through processes such as family law, established and disestablished churches, constitutions and laws, and so on [Options A, B and C].

{We begin with the emergence of the philosophy of the social sciences as an arena of thought and as a set of social institutions. The two characterisations overlap but are not congruent. Academic disciplines are social institutions. . .}

In the first paragraph of the passage, the two "characterisations" that are seen as overlapping but not congruent are the philosophy of the social sciences as an arena of thought [academic discipline] and as a set of social institutions.  The author suggests that these two characterizations overlap in the sense that they both involve the study of social phenomena, but they are not congruent because the philosophy of the social sciences is a field of study that encompasses a broad range of ideas and theories, while social institutions are specific structures that organize and coordinate social action. Although they are related, they are not identical and can be understood as distinct but overlapping aspects of the social sciences. Option D correctly represents the above.

The passage discusses the concept of institutions within the philosophy of the social sciences. Institutions are seen as structures that coordinate the actions of individuals and can be either formal or informal; in this regard, the author discusses various types of institutions, including universal institutions, formal institutions, and informal institutions. The author also argues that culture and tradition can be seen as subsets of institutions, and that language is a particularly important institution that shapes social life and science. The author notes that there can be differences in the way that institutions are understood and emphasized by different social scientists but that these differences are often matters of emphasis rather than fundamental disagreements. Primarily, the passage underlines that these institutions are structures that coordinate the actions of individuals. Option D best captures the essence of the abovementioned elements. 

Option A is incorrect because it only partially reflects what the author says about culture and tradition. While the author does discuss culture and tradition in relation to institutions, they are not treated as being completely separate from institutions. Instead, the author argues that culture and tradition can be seen as subsets of institutions, meaning they are part of institutions rather than completely separate from them. Option B exaggerates the emphasis the author places on language as an institution. While the author does discuss language as an important institution, he does not suggest that it is the only or even the most fundamental institution. Option C, while true, does not capture the main focus of the passage, which is on the concept of institutions in general rather than on specific examples of institutions.

The passage is about the idea that making music is a fundamental and universal aspect of the human experience, and that it has a long history that is both sociocultural and biological in nature. The author suggests that the capacity for musicking, or making music, is innate in humans and is closely related to other capacities such as language and symbol-making. The author also acknowledges that there are variations in how musical capacities are expressed and developed among different cultures, but maintains that all humans possess these capacities to some extent. The author suggests that the emergence of music can be traced back to at least 50,000 years ago, and that it likely developed gradually over a longer period of time. The author also notes that the emergence of music involved the recruitment of many cognitive capacities, and that understanding this process involves following multiple strands. In this regard, Option C includes all the keywords central to the discussion. 

The other choices do not include all of the relevant terms. Option A includes some of the terms mentioned in the passage, but omits important ones, such as humans and modern humanity. Option B includes humans and capacities but omits important terms such as musicking and symbol-making. Option D includes humans and the emergence of music but omits important terms such as musicking and linguistic capacities.

Hence, Option C is the correct choice. 

In this context, the author is trying to communicate that although there may be various qualifications and considerations that might trail after the statement that "humans today make music," the statement is fundamentally true. The author suggests that almost all humans are musicians to some extent, and that the capacity for making music is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. The author is urging readers to consider this statement without getting bogged down in the various qualifications and considerations that might be attached to it, and to recognize its underlying truth. Option C aptly captures this idea.

Option A: [Incorrect] The phrase "trail after" does not necessarily imply that a bald statement is followed by a series of qualifying clarifications and caveats. Rather, it simply means that something follows after something else. In this case, the author is suggesting that there may be various qualifications and considerations that follow after the statement that "humans today make music," but is not implying that the statement itself is trailed by a series of clarifications and caveats.

Option B: [Incorrect] The phrase "bald statement" does not necessarily imply that a statement requires no qualifications to infer its meaning. Rather, it simply means that the statement is presented in a straightforward and unembellished way. In this case, the author is suggesting that the statement that "humans today make music" is presented in a bald and straightforward way, but is not implying that the statement itself requires no qualifications or considerations.

Option D: [Incorrect] The phrase "give free reign to" does not accurately describe the author's intention in this context. The author is not suggesting that readers should allow musical expressions to be unrestricted or uncontrolled, but rather that they should consider the statement that "humans today make music" without getting bogged down in various qualifications and considerations.

Hence, Option C is the correct choice. 

Option A: This is incorrect because it overgeneralizes the ideas presented in the passage. The passage does not state that all humans are musicians or capable of musicking, only that making music is a universal aspect of the human experience and that the capacity for musicking is innate in humans.

Option B: The passage does state that musicking is a form of expression, but there is no discussion supporting the claim "musicking is not language-like." Thus, we can eliminate this choice.

Option C: The passage states - {"...if we look back 20,000 years, a small portion of this long period, we reach the lives of humans whose musical capacities were probably little different from our own..."} This suggests that the musical capacities of humans 20,000 years ago were not significantly different from those of humans today.

Option D: This is not supported by the passage. The passage does not state that all musical work is located in the overlap between linguistic capacity and music production. In fact, the passage states that "most of these capacities overlap with nonmusical ones, though a few may be distinct and dedicated to musical perception and production," suggesting that there are some capacities specifically dedicated to musical perception and production that do not overlap with nonmusical ones.

Hence, the correct answer is Option C. 

Let us examine the given statements:

Option A: [Nonmusical capacities are of far greater consequence to human survival than the capacity for music.] It is unclear how this ties into the discussion since the survival aspect is not touched upon or implied in the passage. Thus, the claim, if true, does little to undermine the author's claim that humans are musicking creatures.  

Option B: [From a cognitive and psychological vantage, musicking arises from unconscious dispositions, not conscious ones.] This does not weaken the author's claim that musicking is a universal aspect of the human experience - while the author does suggest that musicking arises from innate dispositions, the fact that these dispositions may be unconscious rather than conscious does not weaken the overall argument.

Option C: [As musicking is neither language-like nor symbol-like, it is a much older form of expression.]  This, again, does not contradict the author's claim in the passage. Though the author suggests that musicking is distinct from language and symbol-making, this does not necessarily mean that it is a much older form of expression. In fact, the author notes that the emergence of musicking can be traced back to at least 50,000 years ago, which is relatively recent in evolutionary terms. Even if this were true, it does not undermine the author's claim.

Option D: [Musical capacities are primarily socio-cultural, which explains the wide diversity of musical forms.] If true, this directly contradicts the author's claim that musicking is a universal aspect of the human experience. The author argues that the capacity for musicking is innate in all humans and that it has a long history that is both sociocultural and biological in nature. However, if musical capacities are primarily socio-cultural, as suggested in Option D, this would mean that musicking is largely shaped by cultural and social factors rather than being a fundamental aspect of the human experience. This would greatly weaken the author's overall argument that all humans are musicking creatures. Hence, Option D is the correct choice.

The given set of sentences talks about the concept of cheerfulness and how it can affect a person's internal state. It discusses the history of the word "cheer," which originally referred to a person's facial expression, and how it came to be associated with an abstract concept of positive emotion. The passage also notes that translations of the Bible into vernacular languages helped to expand the meaning of "cheer" to include a sense of cheerfulness or positivity as a quality of the self and a moral community. We note that sentences 1, 2 and 4 are part of the timeline the author traces, while statement 3 is a broad claim that would serve as an apt introduction. The idea of cheerfulness and self that is mentioned in 3 is linked to the " trajectory of cheerfulness through the self" highlighted in statement 1, allowing us to form the pair [3-1]. Note that 4 discusses how cheer came to be perceived as a trait at the intersection of emotion and a physical feature [as highlighted in 1 - where it has been categorised as a facial feature]. Sentence 2 then extends on this idea by how cheerfulness, over time, came to be considered as "an emotional and social quality." Hence, the correct arrangement is 3142.

The sentence "Most were first-time users of a tablet and a digital app" would fit best in blank 4 because it provides information about the specific group of people who were involved in the pilot study for the app. The preceding sentence mentions that the app was piloted in early 2021 with over 400 women from rural areas, and the added sentence provides further detail about the specific experiences that these users had with technology. This information helps to clarify that the pilot study for the app involved a group of people who may be unfamiliar with digital devices and services, and it also helps to emphasize the potential impact that the app may have had on these users.

Placing the sentence in blank 4 is logical because it provides relevant and specific information about the pilot study for the app, which is the topic being discussed in that part of the paragraph. By contrast, placing the sentence in any of the other blanks would be less logical because it would be introducing information that is not directly related to the main topic being discussed in those parts of the paragraph.

Hence, Option D is the correct choice. 

The statements here discuss how the way we think about food often centres around individual choice, rather than acknowledging the larger societal and structural factors that influence food choices. It also mentions the role of neoliberalism in shifting the responsibility for food onto individual consumers and how this may disproportionately impact women, who may feel a sense of responsibility to navigate and "mediate" an unhealthy food system. Sentences 2 and 4 create a logical block since 2 highlights the framing of food through the "lens of individual choice", and 4 extends on the impact of such a framing ["appeals to a popular desire to experience agency, but draws away from the structural obstacles that stratify individual food choices"]. "This" in statement 3 refers to the particular outcome of framing underlined in 4, allowing us to create a logical block: [2-4-3]. Statement 1 can be placed at the end of this arrangement to emphasise how women are perhaps disproportionately impacted by the elements discussed in 2-4-3. Hence, the correct answer is 2431. 

The statements discuss the complexity of environmental issues and the need for political solutions rather than technological ones to address the threat of environmental collapse. The discussion focuses on the various causes of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, such as chemical pollutants, damming of rivers, and invasive species, and highlights that there is no single technological solution to address these issues. The suggestion is that we should consider moving towards stable-state economies, which preserve markets and competition while also recognizing the rights of future generations and other species and allowing for stronger environmental protections. Statements 1 and 2 both address the complexity and diverse nature of environmental issues. Statement 2 notes that while discourse often focuses on emissions, there are many other factors contributing to environmental collapse, including biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. Statement 1 then adds to this by outlining specific examples of diverse causes of environmental problems, including chemical pollutants, damming of rivers, and invasive species. Statements 4 and 3 offer suggestions to combat the issues highlighted in 2 and 1. Hence, the correct arrangement is 2143.

The passage is about the 'inherent vice' or the natural tendency of certain artworks to deteriorate over time due to various factors such as discolouration of pigments, cracking of varnishes, and warping of canvases. The passage also mentions an example of Damien Hirst's artwork, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, which began to decompose quickly due to the use of the wrong preserving liquid. In this regard, Option D offers an apt summary of the passage because it accurately captures the main idea of the passage, which is that artworks may not last forever and may deteriorate with time. Option A is incorrect because the passage does not mention any moral responsibility of museums to restore and preserve artworks. Similarly, Option B can be eliminated since the passage does not specifically mention museums guarding art treasures from intrinsic defects. Option C is also inaccurate because the discussion does not present the evolution of the role of museums in preserving artworks forever.

Hence, Option D is the correct choice. 

The passage discusses the ways in which big data and targeted online content can potentially influence and manipulate behaviour, leading to concerns over freedom and privacy in the digital age. This is reflected in the statements that "behavioural control" in the age of big data echoes Cold War-era anxieties about "brainwashing" and "repression," and that the use of targeted online content can enable "influence to take place on a pre-reflexive level." The passage also mentions the fear that the digital age has not liberated us, but rather exposed us by making personal and behavioural data available to machine-learning algorithms. Option B accurately reflects this central theme of the passage by stating that the debate on the nature of freedom and privacy has resurfaced due to the availability of personal information through big data. Option A is incorrect because it goes beyond the scope of the passage by stating that digital technology is "enslaving" us, which is not explicitly stated in the text. Similarly, Option C is inaccurate since the author only mentions the Cold War as a reference point for similar debates on behavioural control, but does not focus on the Cold War itself. Option D is wrong because the passage does not mention artificial intelligence specifically, but rather machine-learning algorithms.

Hence, Option B is the correct choice. 

The passage is about the political and civic organization of ancient cities. It states that some ancient cities were organized along egalitarian lines, without any indication of temples or palaces (which suggests a lack of a ruling class or administrators), and that in other cities, temples and palaces never emerged at all. Option D correctly summarizes this information by stating that there was evidence of an egalitarian urban life in some ancient cities, where the political and civic organization was less hierarchical. Option A is incorrect because it only mentions the absence of temples and palaces, but does not mention the fact that some ancient cities were organized along egalitarian lines. On a similar note, Option B presents an exaggeration by suggesting that 'all' ancient cities were organized along egalitarian lines, which is not stated in the passage. Option C is also inaccurate since it asserts that ancient cities were transformed from egalitarian to hierarchical, but the passage only states that some ancient cities were egalitarian and does not mention any transformation. 

Hence, Option D is the correct choice. 

We can easily eliminate Options A and B since the given sentence "This was years in the making but fast-tracked during the pandemic, when "people started being more mindful about their food", he explained" uses the pronoun "he," which must refer to "Karmakar." The sentence should take the spot of blank 3 since it fits in well with the idea that ghee is part of a "return-to-basics movement in India", as it mentions that the renewed interest in ghee has been developing for a while but was accelerated during the pandemic when people became more conscious about their food choices. Additionally, the idea that this movement is part of an overall trend towards "slow food" is also mentioned in the sentence, as it talks about people being mindful of their food. By contrast, placing the sentence in any of the other blanks would be less logical because it would be introducing information that is not directly related to the main topic being discussed in those parts of the paragraph.

Hence, Option C is the correct choice.