Top 714 CAT Reading Comprehension Questions With Solutions

Reading comprehension is an integral part of the VARC section of CAT. In the CAT exam, you will be given a passage followed by the questions asked based on the given passage. Practice the following CAT Reading comprehension sets from previous papers with detailed video solutions. Take them in a test format, or download all the questions in a PDF format. Click on the below link to download CAT reading comprehension questions with video solutions PDF for free. The best part is that the CAT experts explain all the questions in detail in the video solutions.

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CAT Reading Comprehension Questions Weightage Over Past 5 Years

Year

Weightage (No. of Sets)

2022

12

2021

12

2020

12

2019

10

2018

10

Tips to improve reading comprehension for CAT

  • Develop a Reading Habit: Read as much and as frequently as possible. A proper reading habit will strengthen your vocabulary and rapidly develop your comprehension capability.
  • Start Reading That Makes You Interested: You must persistently maintain your initial reading streak and let it form a routine.
  • Write the summary: To summarize what the article intends to convey in your own words. Analyze why the author has included the paragraph in the passage and how the paragraph is linked to the central idea of the RC passage.

Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Speed reading: Avoid speed reading, skimming, surfing, and other gimmicky techniques while taking an RC.
  2. Reading the questions first: Reading the questions first will not be a good idea. Read the passage first and assimilate the information before moving on to the questions.
  3. Maintain objectivity: Do not let your knowledge of a topic interfere with the information provided in the passage.

CAT 2022 Reading Comprehension questions

Question 1

The author claims that, “Part of this bionic convergence is a matter of words”. Which one of the following statements best expresses the point being made by the author?


Question 2

The author claims that, “The apparent veil between the organic and the manufactured has crumpled to reveal that the two really are, and have always been, of one being.”Which one of the following statements best expresses the point being made by the author here?


Question 3

None of the following statements is implied by the arguments of the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 4

Which one of the following sets of words/phrases best serves as keywords to thepassage?


Question 5

We can infer that the author would approve of a more evolved engineering pedagogy that includes all of the following EXCEPT:


Question 6

All of the following are examples of the negative outcomes of focusing on technical ideals in the medical sphere EXCEPT the:


Question 7

In this passage, the author is making the claim that:


Question 8

The author gives all of the following reasons for why marginalised people are systematically discriminated against in technology-related interventions EXCEPT:


Question 9

Which one of the following sets of terms best serves as keywords to the passage?


Question 10

“Think beyond all the qualifications that might trail after this bald statement . . .” In the context of the passage, what is the author trying to communicate in this quoted extract?


Question 11

Based on the passage, which one of the following statements is a valid argument about the emergence of music/musicking?


Question 12

Which one of the following statements, if true, would weaken the author’s claim that humans are musicking creatures?


Question 13

All of the following inferences from the passage are false, EXCEPT:


Question 14

In the first paragraph of the passage, what are the two “characterisations” that are seen as overlapping but not congruent?


Question 15

Which of the following statements best represents the essence of the passage?


Question 16

“Consider the fact that the stock exchange and the black market are both market institutions, one formal one not.” Which one of the following statements best explains this quote, in the context of the passage?


Question 17

Which one of the following observations is a valid conclusion to draw from the statement, “From out of the primal darkness of Mankind’s earliest years, come whispers of eerie creatures, not quite alive (or alive in a way which we can understand), yet not quite dead either.”?


Question 18

Which one of the following statements best describes what the passage is about?


Question 19

All of the following statements, if false, could be seen as being in accordance with the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 20

“In order to confirm their abnormal status, many of the Undead were often accorded attributes, which defied the natural order of things . . .”

Which one of the following best expresses the claim made in this statement?


Question 21

In the Ebola misdiagnosis case, we can infer that doctors probably missed the forest for the trees because:


Question 22

In the context of the passage, all of the following can be considered examples of human-centered automation EXCEPT:


Question 23

From the passage, we can infer that the author is apprehensive about the use of sophisticated automation for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that:


Question 24

It can be inferred that in the Utrecht University experiment, one group of people was“aimlessly clicking around” because:


Question 25

It can be inferred from the passage that to gain a more accurate view of a nation’s history and culture, scholars should do all of the following EXCEPT:


Question 26

It can be inferred from the passage that the author is not likely to support the view that:


Question 27

In the context of the passage, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT:


Question 28

Which one of the following styles of research is most similar to the Orientalist scholars’ method of understanding Indian history and culture?


Question 29

Based on the passage, which one of the following copies would a Chinese museum be unlikely to consider as having less value than the original?


Question 30

Which one of the following scenarios is unlikely to follow from the arguments in the passage?


Question 31

Which one of the following statements does not correctly express the similarity between the Ise Grand Shrine and the cathedral of Freiburg Minster?


Question 32

The value that the modern West assigns to “an unassailable original” has resulted in all of the following EXCEPT:


Question 33

Based on the passage, it can be inferred that camouflaging techniques in an octopus are most dissimilar to those in:


Question 34

All of the following are reasons for octopuses being “misfits” EXCEPT that they:


Question 35

Which one of the following statements is not true about the camouflaging ability of Cephalopods?


Question 36

Based on the passage, we can infer that all of the following statements, if true, would weaken the camouflaging adeptness of Cephalopods EXCEPT:


Question 37

Which one of the following statements best reflects the main argument of the fourth paragraph of the passage?


Question 38

Which one of the following statements could be inferred as supporting the arguments of the passage?


Question 39

Which one of the following statements contradicts the arguments of the passage?


Question 40

All of the following claims can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 41

“Through meditation and the right attitude, one allows emotions to happen to oneself (it is impossible to prevent this), but one is advised to observe the emotions without necessarily acting on them; one achieves some distance and decides what has value and what does not have value.” 

In the context of the passage, which one of the following is not a possible implication of the quoted statement?


Question 42

Which one of the following statements would be an accurate inference from the example of Marcus Aurelius?


Question 43

Which one of the following statements, if false, could be seen as contradicting the facts/arguments in the passage?


Question 44

On the basis of the passage, which one of the following statements can be regarded as true?


Question 45

Which one of the following sets of words/phrases best encapsulates the issues discussed in the passage?


Question 46

A fundamental conclusion by the author is that:


Question 47

Which one of the following is not a valid inference from the passage?


Question 48

The author notes that, “At the start of the twentieth century, Americans were predominately a rural population, but by the century’s mid-point most lived in urban areas.” Which one of the following statements, if true, does not contradict this statement?

CAT 2021 Reading Comprehension questions

Question 1

Which one of the following scenarios, if false, could be seen as supporting the passage?


Question 2

Which one of the following statements, if true, would be the most direct extension of the arguments in the passage?


Question 3

Which one of the following statements best summarises the central point of the passage?


Question 4

Which one of the following statements best captures the sense of the first paragraph?


Question 5

Which one of the following statements best summarises the author’s position about Pinker’s book?


Question 6

According to the passage, all of the following are true about the language instinct EXCEPT that:


Question 7

On the basis of the information in the passage, Pinker and Chomsky may disagree with each other on which one of the following points?


Question 8

From the passage, it can be inferred that all of the following are true about Pinker’s book, “The Language Instinct”, EXCEPT that Pinker:


Question 9

The central theme of the passage is about the choice between:


Question 10

The author would support none of the following statements about political power EXCEPT that:


Question 11

The author implies that, like scholars, successful leaders:


Question 12

Regarding which one of the following quotes could we argue that the author overemphasises the importance of fiction?


Question 13

On the basis of the information in the passage, all of the following are true about the spiritual/material dichotomy of Indian nationalism EXCEPT that it:


Question 14

Which one of the following, if true, would weaken the author’s claims in the passage?


Question 15

Which one of the following best describes the liberal perception of Indian nationalism?


Question 16

Which one of the following explains the “contradictory pulls” on Indian nationalism?


Question 17

The author lists all of the following as reasons for the decline or disappearance of a language EXCEPT:


Question 18

We can infer all of the following about indigenous languages from the passage EXCEPT that:


Question 19

From the passage, we can infer that the author is in favour of:


Question 20

The author mentions the Welsh language to show that:


Question 21

The author of this book review is LEAST likely to support the view that:


Question 22

According to this book review, A Thirst for Empire says that, in addition to “profitmotivated marketers”, tea drinking was promoted in Britain by all of the following EXCEPT:


Question 23

This book review argues that, according to Rappaport, tea is unlike other “morality” products because it:


Question 24

Today, “conflat[ing] consumption with virtue” can be seen in the marketing of:


Question 25

Following from the passage, which one of the following may be seen as a characteristic of a utopian society?


Question 26

All of the following arguments are made in the passage EXCEPT that:


Question 27

Which sequence of words below best captures the narrative of the passage?


Question 28

All of the following statements can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that:


Question 29

All of the following constitute a point of difference between the “original” and “modified” versions of the marshmallow test EXCEPT that:


Question 30

Which one of the following, if true, would best complement the passage’s findings?


Question 31

Which one of the following cannot be inferred from Alexandra Schnell’s experiment?


Question 32

In which one of the following scenarios would the cuttlefish’s behaviour demonstrate self-control?


Question 33

The author discusses all of the following arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 34

“. . . we cannot catch a glimpse of things-in-themselves around the corner of our own eyes; we cannot form an idea of reality that floats above the processes of our conceiving it . . .” Which one of the following statements best reflects the argument being made in this sentence?


Question 35

According to the last paragraph of the passage, “We hold our beliefs and presumptive knowledges more or less confidently, usually depending on” something. Which one of the following most broadly captures what we depend on?


Question 36

The author of the passage is most likely to support which one of the following statements?


Question 37

None of the following statements can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that:


Question 38

The author makes all of the following arguments in the passage, EXCEPT that:


Question 39

“It’s a bit like fuel use in a car. Just because I’m using more fuel doesn’t mean that I’m going faster or further . . .” What is the purpose of this example?


Question 40

Which one of the following sets of words and phrases serves best as keywords of the passage?


Question 41

Which one of the following, if true about the Classic Maya, would invalidate the purpose of the iPhone example in the passage?


Question 42

Which one of the following best explains the “additional complexity” that the example of the incense burner illustrates regarding personhood for the Classic Maya?


Question 43

On the basis of the passage, which one of the following worldviews can be inferred to be closest to that of the Classic Maya?


Question 44

Which one of the following, if true, would not undermine the democratising potential of the Classic Maya worldview?


Question 45

Which one of the following statements best describes what the passage is about?


Question 46

“The enrichments of literary and intellectual language led to an altered understanding of the meanings that underlie time-honored expressions and traditional catchwords.” Which one of the following interpretations of this sentence would be closest in meaning to the original?


Question 47

Which one of the following sets of words is closest to mapping the main arguments of the passage?


Question 48

All of the following statements may be considered valid inferences from the passage, EXCEPT:

CAT 2020 Reading Comprehension questions

Question 1

During the Tang period, which one of the following would not be an economically sound decision for a small purchase in the local market that is worth one-eighth of a bolt of cloth?


Question 2

When discussing textiles as currency in the Tang period, the author uses the words “steady” and “stable” to indicate all of the following EXCEPT:


Question 3

In the context of the passage, which one of the following can be inferred with regard to the use of currency during the Tang era?


Question 4

According to the passage, the modern currency system shares all the following features with that of the Tang, EXCEPT that:


Question 5

“Seeing . . . operates on the foundation of covenants with images that establish the conditions for meaningful visual experience.” In light of the passage, which one of the following statements best conveys the meaning of this sentence?


Question 6

All of the following statements may be considered valid inferences from the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 7

Which one of the following best describes the word “epiphenomena” in the last sentence of the passage?


Question 8

“No amount of social analysis can account fully for the existence of Michelangelo or Leonardo.” In light of the passage, which one of the following interpretations of this sentence is the most accurate?


Question 9

Which set of keywords below most closely captures the arguments of the passage?


Question 10

Which one of the following statements best captures the main argument of the last paragraph of the passage?


Question 11

Which one of the following statements, if true, could be an accurate inference from the first paragraph of the passage?


Question 12

Which one of the following statements, if false, could be seen as best supporting the arguments in the passage?


Question 13

All of the following statements, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 14

Based on the passage, we can infer that the author would be most supportive of which one of the following practices?


Question 15

Which one of the following, if true, would be an accurate inference from the first
sentence of the passage?


Question 16

Which one of the following best captures the main argument of the last paragraph of
the passage?


Question 17

According to the passage, the author is likely to be supportive of which one of the
following programmes?


Question 18

All of the following, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 19

Which one of the following, if false, could be seen as supporting the author’s claims?


Question 20

All of the following can be inferred from Le Boeuf’s study as described in the passage EXCEPT that:


Question 21

Which one of the following conditions, if true, could have ensured that male northern elephant seal dialects did not disappear?


Question 22

Which one of the following best sums up the overall history of transformation of male northern elephant seal calls?


Question 23

From the passage it can be inferred that the call pulse rate of male northern elephant seals in the southern rookeries was faster because:


Question 24

The author makes all of the following arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 25

The author believes that the new ruling class of politicians betrayed the principles of the French Revolution, but does not specify in what way. In the context of the passage, which statement below is the likeliest explanation of that betrayal?


Question 26

Which one of the following best expresses the similarity between American individualist anarchists and free-market liberals as well as the difference between the former and the latter?


Question 27

Of the following sets of concepts, identify the set that is conceptually closest to the concerns of the passage.


Question 28

According to the passage, what is the one idea that is common to all forms of anarchism?


Question 29

None of the following views is expressed in the passage EXCEPT that:


Question 30

According to the passage, the “collapse of civilisations” is viewed by Bregman as:


Question 31

According to the author, the main reason why Bregman contrasts life in pre-agricultural societies with agricultural societies is to:


Question 32

The author has differing views from Bregman regarding:


Question 33

Which one of the following statements, if false, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage?


Question 34

“Take any noun, put it with any verb, and you have a sentence. It never fails. Rocks explode. Jane transmits. Mountains float.” None of the following statements can be seen as similar EXCEPT:


Question 35

Which one of the following quotes best captures the main concern of the passage?


Question 36

All of the following statements can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that:


Question 37

Inferring from the passage, the author could be most supportive of which one of the following practices?


Question 38

“Why toil away as a starving peasant in the 16th century when a successful pirate made up to £4,000 on each raid?” In this sentence, the author’s tone can best be described as being:


Question 39

“A more eclectic history might have included the conquistadors, Vasco da Gama and the East India Company. But Lehr sticks to the disorganised small fry . . .” From this statement we can infer that the author believes that:


Question 40

We can deduce that the author believes that piracy can best be controlled in the long run:


Question 41

The author ascribes the rise in piracy today to all of the following factors EXCEPT:


Question 42

From the passage, we can infer that feminist scholars’ understanding of the experiences of Victorian women travellers is influenced by all of the following EXCEPT scholars':


Question 43

American travel literature of the 1920s:


Question 44

From the passage, it can be inferred that scholars argue that Victorian women
experienced self-development through their travels because:


Question 45

According to the passage, Said’s book, “Orientalism”:


Question 46

From the passage, we can infer that travel writing is most similar to:


Question 47

Which of the following statements about the negative effects of screen time is the author least likely to endorse?


Question 48

The statement “The richer you are, the more you spend to be off-screen” is supported by which other line from the passage?


Question 49

The author claims that Silicon Valley tech companies have tried to “confuse the public” by:


Question 50

The author is least likely to agree with the view that the increase in screen-time is fuelled by the fact that:


Question 51

All of the following statements can be seen as logically implied by the arguments of the passage EXCEPT:


Question 52

The author identifies three essential factors according to which theories of aggression are most commonly categorised. Which of the following options is closest to the factors identified by the author?


Question 53

“[A]n enemy combatant may be subjected to torture in order to extract useful intelligence, though those inflicting the torture may have no real feelings of anger or animosity toward their subject.” Which one of the following best explicates the larger point being made by the author here?


Question 54

The author discusses all of the following arguments in the passage EXCEPT that:

CAT 2019 Reading Comprehension questions

Question 1

“Consequently, the colonial state could not settle simply for eminence at the cost of its marginality; it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society.” Which of the following best captures the sense of this statement?


Question 2

All of the following statements, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:


Question 3

All of the following statements about British colonialism can be inferred from the first paragraph, EXCEPT that it:


Question 4

Which one of the following 5-word sequences best captures the flow of the arguments in the passage?


Question 5

Which of the following observations is a valid conclusion to draw from the author’s statement that “the logical structure of endogenous change does not apply here. Here transformation agendas attack as an external force”?


Question 6

Which of the following, if true, would most strongly invalidate Dr. Watrall’s objections?


Question 7

By “digital colonialism”, critics of the CyArk-Google project are referring to the fact that:


Question 8

Of the following arguments, which one is LEAST likely to be used by the companies that digitally scan cultural sites?


Question 9

Based on his views mentioned in the passage, one could best characterise Dr. Watrall as being:


Question 10

In Dr. Thompson’s view, CyArk owning the copyright of its digital scans of archaeological sites is akin to:


Question 11

All of the following serve as evidence for the character of Aladdin being based on Hanna Diyab EXCEPT:


Question 12

Which of the following is the primary reason for why storytellers are still fascinated by the story of Aladdin?


Question 13

Which of the following does not contribute to the passage’s claim about the authorship of Aladdin?


Question 14

The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following explanations for the origins of the story of Aladdin?


Question 15

Which of the following, if true, would invalidate the inversion that the phrase “flips the script” refers to?


Question 16

Which one of the following best sums up the overall purpose of the examples of Casper and Glossier in the passage?


Question 17

All of the following, IF TRUE, would weaken the author’s claims EXCEPT:


Question 18

Based on the passage, all of the following can be inferred about consumer behaviour EXCEPT that:


Question 19

A new food brand plans to launch a series of products in the American market. Which of the following product plans is most likely to be supported by the author of the passage?


Question 20

Which of the following hypothetical statements would add the least depth to the author’s prediction of the fate of start-ups offering few product options?


Question 21

Which of the following can be responsible for Emperor Penguins losing body heat?


Question 22

All of the following, if true, would negate the findings of the study reported in the passage EXCEPT:


Question 23

Which of the following best explains the purpose of the word “paradoxically” as used by the author?


Question 24

In the last sentence of paragraph 3, “slightly warmer air” and “at a slightly colder temperature” refer to ______ AND ______ respectively:


Question 25

According to the passage, colonial powers located their capitals:


Question 26

According to the author, relocating government agencies has not always been a success for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:


Question 27

The “long pedigree” of the aim to shift civil servants to improve their living standards implies that this move:


Question 28

Based on the passage, people who support decentralising central government functions are LEAST likely to cite which of the following reasons for their view?


Question 29

The “dilemma” mentioned in the passage refers to:


Question 30

According to the passage, which of the following is not responsible for language’s ability to change us?


Question 31

A French ethnographer decides to study the culture of a Nigerian tribe. Which of the following is most likely to be the view of the author of the passage?


Question 32

Which of the following can be inferred from the author’s claim, “Which way is Oriental?”


Question 33

The author’s critics would argue that:


Question 34

In the last paragraph, the author uses the example of “Residents of upscale residential developments” to illustrate the:


Question 35

Which one of the following comes closest in meaning to the author’s understanding of topophilia?


Question 36

Which one of the following best captures the meaning of the statement, “Topophilia is difficult to design for and impossible to quantify . . .”?


Question 37

The word “topophobia” in the passage is used:


Question 38

Which of the following statements, if true, could be seen as not contradicting the arguments in the passage?


Question 39

We can infer that Calthorpe’s statement “still jars” with most people because most people:


Question 40

In the context of the passage, the author refers to Manaus in order to:


Question 41

According to the passage, squatter cities are environment-friendly for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:


Question 42

Which one of the following statements would undermine the author’s stand regarding the greenness of cities?