Six words are given below:
I. Cacophonic
II. Cacographic
III. Calamitous
IV. Catastrophic
V. Contraindicative
VI. Cataclysmic
Which of the above words have similar meanings?
XAT 2015 Question Paper - VALR
For the following questions answer them individually
Solution
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Cacophonic - harsh or jarring sound
Cacographic - bad handwriting or unreadable
Calamitous - involving calamity, disastrous
Catastrophic - high damage or suffering
Contraindicative - advising not to do something
Cataclysmic - disastrous, tragic
III, IV and VI have similar meanings.
Answer is option D.
Read the four sentences given below:
i. He is the most ______ of the speakers to address us today.
ii. The belief in ______ justice is the essence of his talk.
iii. This hall would have been full but for the _____ rain.
iv. Many in the audience have achieved _____ in their respective fields.
Which of the following sequence of words would most appropriately fit the blanks ?
Solution
All the options have the same four words in different parts of speech. So, let us look at the meanings of these words.
'Eminent' means a famous and respected person within a particular sphere.
'Eminence' is the noun for 'eminent'.
'Imminent' means the state or fact of being about to happen.
'Immanent, means inherent.
By looking at the given sentence, we can see that the first blank should have 'eminent' because it is used as an adjective for a person. Also, the second blank should have 'immanent' as it is defining justice. Similarly, as per the context, the third and the fourth blank should have 'imminent' and 'eminence' respectively.
Hence, option C is the correct answer.
The first and the last sentences of the paragraph are numbered 1 & 6. The others, labeled as P, Q,R and S, are given below:
1. The world of cinema is indeed a strange one and baffles many a critic.
P. But there are incorrigible optimists who see a bright future.
Q. The pundits still predict doom and they insist that it is the end of the road for cinema.
R. At the temples of the box office, fortunes are made and unmade.
S. The world of cinema has, they say, its own attraction.
6. Perhaps a positive outlook is not unwarranted. A doomsday approach is far too fatal at this stage.
Which of the following combinations given below is the most logically ordered?
Solution
Q-P forms a pair as the predictions of "doom" in Q are countered by the "optimists" mentioned in P.
Sentence S cannot be the first sentence among the four, as it also begins with "the world of cinema"; however, it makes the perfect concluding statement. Additionally, sentence R could follow sentence 1, expanding on why it is strange by mentioning that here, fortunes are made and unmade.
Therefore, R-Q-P forms a block and S forms a concluding statement.
Hence, the answer is option C.
Which of the following is not a term of ‘disapproval’?
Solution
infantile - immature, childish
charlatan - who pretend to have expert knowledge or skill
imbecile - stupid person, fool
awful - bad, unpleasant
childlike - quality of innocence
While "infantile," "charlatan," "imbecile," and "awful" all carry negative or disapproving connotations, "childlike" has a more neutral or even positive meaning, often referring to innocence rather than something negative. Therefore, Option D is the correct answer.
Read the following sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.
I. It is certainly true that the critics - those persons whom the dictionary describes as “skilled in judging the qualities or merits of some class of things, especially of literary or artistic work” - have long harboured murderous thoughts about the conditions of drama, but their ineffectuality as public executioners is legendary.
II. But not close enough, it would seem, for this “marriage” constitutes the case of an absolute desire encountering a relative compliance.
III. The reviewers, by contrast, come close to being the most loyal and effective allies the commercial theatre could possibly desire.
IV. Perhaps the greatest irony in a situation bursting with ironies is the reiterated idea that the critics are killing the theatre.
V. We all know that when theatre people or members of the public refer to the critics, they nearly always mean the reviewers.
Solution
1-3-2 forms a logical sequence since 1 talks about the critics and 3 about the reviewers. Statement 3 states that reviewers "come close to being the most loyal and effective allies", and 1 starts with saying "But not close enough"
The only option that has this sequence is B and is hence, the answer.
In the traditions of many religions throughout the world (including Judaeo - Christian beliefs), there has long been a sustained belief that the Universe as we know it today did not exist forever in the past, and that there was a spontaneous act which gave birth to all that has been, and all that will be. In other words, the Universe itself has not been eternal as our senses might indicate at first glance, …
Which of the following options can meaningfully complete the above sentence?
Solution
Option A best completes the above sentence. The paragraph discusses the idea that the Universe had a beginning and was not eternal. The most meaningful completion should logically follow this idea. Saying that it has a "limited lifespan after its creation" fits naturally as it continues the thought about the Universe having a starting point.
Option B contradicts the first part of the sentence and is therefore eliminated.
Option C introduces a subjective assertion about religious beliefs being correct, which is not the focus of the passage.
Options D and E are vague and do not relate to anything in the passage and are hence, eliminated.
It is a curious historical fact that modern quantum mechanics began with two quite different mathematical formulations: the Schrödinger equation and Heisenberg's matrix algebra. The two, apparently dissimilar, approaches were proved to be mathematically equivalent.
Which of the following sentences would most meaningfully follow the above paragraph?
Solution
The paragraph mentions how modern quantum mechanics began with two different mathematical equations, namely Schroedinger's and Heisenberg's, and were eventually proved mathematically equivalent.
Thus, the next sentence must follow this train of thought and mention that these two concepts are equivalent.
Option A: It is already mentioned in the paragraph and won't be repeated.
Option B: It mentions how the two approaches complemented each other and were synthesised in Dirac's theory. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option C: It says how Feynman's formulations combine Heisenberg's and Leibniz's research and do not mention Schroedinger. Hence, this is eliminated.
Option D: It talks about things that are outside the scope of the paragraph.
Option E: This is untrue as per the paragraph.
Hence, the answer is option B.
Ranu is an ordinary sportsperson. In the last two university sprint events, her performances in the heats were pathetic. Which of the following, if true, weakens the above argument the most?
Solution
Option A: Since this statement is in line with the author's argument, this is not the correct option.
Option B: If this is true, then this will weaken the author's argument as this will drag out Ranu from the ordinary person category. Thus, this is the correct option.
Option C: This statement will strengthen the author's argument. This is not the correct option.
Option D. This statement is irrelevant to the author's position. This is not the correct option.
Option E: If true, this will also weaken the author's argument, but since option B weakens the author's argument most, this is not the correct option.
Thus, the correct option is B.
Identify the correct sequence of words would most that aptly fit the blanks in the following passage.
It is _____ (i) _____ that the accused had _____ (ii) _____ _____ (iii) _____ from all criminal activities by adopting the _____ (iv) ____ _ of a sanyasi. However, despite repeated requests from the counsel for prosecution, the court has _____ (v) _____ a lie detector to ascertain the truth.
Solution
Option B cannot be the answer as forged is not the correct word to be used in this context. Option A and D cannot be the court can't prescribe.
demeanour - outward behaviour or bearing
deportment - the way persons stands or walks, manners
In the given context, demeanour is the most appropriate word.
Answer is option C.
In the following pages, I shall demonstrate that there is a psychological technique which makes it possible to interpret dreams, and that on the application of this technique, every dream will reveal itself as a psychological structure, full of significance, and one which may be assigned a specific place in the psychic activities of the walking state, Further, I shall endeavour to elucidate the processes the nature of the psychic forces whose conflict or cooperation is responsible for our dreams. This done, my investigation will terminate, as it will have reached the point where the problem of the dream merges into more comprehensive problems, and to solve these we must have recourse to material of a different kind.
Which of the followings would be closest to the ideas expreses in the first two sentences of the above passages?
Solution
The passage discusses how dreams, which are overt effects (observable experiences), can be interpreted using a psychological technique to reveal their deeper, hidden covert causes (underlying psychological structures and unconscious processes)
The phrase "every dream will reveal itself as a psychological structure, full of significance" suggests that an external dream has an internal meaning. Therefore, the idea that "overt effects can have covert causes" best aligns with the passage. Thus, the correct option is E.
Read the following statements carefully:
Statement 1 : If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present.
Statement 2 : Murali did not work as hard as his friends but had secured 1st rank in the examination
Which of the following options is correct with respect to the above two statements?
Solution
Statement 1 says that by looking at the results, we can get to the causes.
However, in statement 2, by looking at the results, we cannot negate statement 1 as there are multiple other reasons as aptitude, luck, e.t.c which has not been mentioned in the statement. So the partial information cannot state that statements are contradictory. Statement 1 can still be true even if statement 2 is valid.
Hence, option E is the correct answer.
Analyse the following passage and provide appropriate answers for questions that follow.
The understanding that the brain has areas of specialization has brought with it the tendency to teach in ways that reflect these specialized functions. For example, research concerning the specialized functions of the left and right hemispheres has led to left and right hemisphere teaching. Recent research suggests that such an approach neither reflects how the brain learns, nor how it functions once learning has occurred. To the contrary, in most ‘higher vertebrates’ brain systems interact together as a whole brain with the external world. Learning is about making connections within the brain and between the brain and outside world.
What does this mean? Until recently, the idea that the neural basis for learning resided in connections between neurons remained a speculation. Now, there is direct evidence that when learning occurs, neuro - chemical communication between neurons is facilitated, and less input is required to activate established connections over time. This evidence also indicates that learning creates connections between not only adjacent neurons but also between distant neurons, and that connections are made from simple circuits to complex ones and from complex circuits to simple ones
As connections are formed among adjacent neurons to form circuits, connections also begin to form with neurons in other regions of the brain that are associated with visual, tactile, and even olfactory information related to the sound of the word. Meaning is attributed to ‘sounds of words’ because of these connections. Some of the brain sites for these other neurons are far from the neural circuits that correspond to the component sounds of the words; they include sites in other areas of the left hemisphere and even sites in the right hemisphere. The whole complex of interconnected neurons that are activated by the word is called a neural network.
In early stages of learning, neural circuits are activated piecemeal, incompletely, and weakly. It is like getting a glimpse of a partially exposed and blurry picture. With more experience, practice, and exposure, the picture becomes clearer and more detailed. As the exposure is repeated, less input is needed to activate the entire network. With time, activation and recognition become relatively automatic, and the learner can direct her attention to other parts of the task. This also explains why learning takes time. Time is needed to establish new neural networks and connections between networks. This suggests that the neural mechanism for learning is essentially the same as the products of learning. Learning is a process that establishes new connections among networks. The newly acquired skills or knowledge are nothing but formation of neutral circuits and networks.
It can be inferred that, for a nursery student, learning will ...
Solution
The author says, "In early stages of learning, neural circuits are activated piecemeal".
Hence, option A will be the answer.
Options B, C, D and E are not discussed in the passage and are thus, rejected.
Read the following statements and answer the question that follows.
I. The two hemispheres of the brain are responsible for learning autonomously.
II. Simultaneous activation of circuits can take place in different areas of the brain.
III. There are specific regions of the brain associated with sight, touch and smell.
IV. The brain receives inputs from multiple external sources.
V. Learning is not the result of connections between neurons.
Which of the above statements are consistent with ideas expressed in the passage?
Solution
Statements (II) and (III) are discussed in the third paragraph of the passage and can be inferred.
Statements (I) and (V) contradict the points discussed in the passage.
Statement (IV) is not discussed.
Hence, the answer is option B.
Which of the following proverbs best describes the passage?
Solution
Option D goes against the message of the passage and is rejected.
Options A, B and C do not relate to the topic discussed in the passage and can be rejected.
Option E describes the main idea of the passage that neural connections are made strong the more you repeat an activity.
Hence, the answer is option E.
A father and son aged 60 and 25 respectively, have been learning paragliding for quite some time. Based on the passage above, which of the following would be true?
Solution
The last paragraph states that " Learning is a process that establishes new connections among networks."
Since the father has had more life experiences, he might already have developed some neural circuits that are indirectly relevant to paragliding. This could make it easier for him to form the necessary neural connections for learning paragliding. Thus, Option B is the correct answer.
Option A: The passage does not state that younger individuals always learn more.
Option C: This assumes that youth is always an advantage, which is not supported by the passage.
Option D: If both started at 15, their progress would depend on practice, not just age.
Option E: The passage does not suggest that everyone learns at the same rate.
Analyse the following passage and provide appropriate answers for questions that follow.
Certain variants of key behavioural genes, “risk allele” make people more vulnerable to certain mood, psychiatric, or personality disorders. An allele is any of the variants of a gene that takes more than one form. A risk allele, then, is simply a gene variant that increases your likelihood of developing a problem.
Researchers have identified a dozen - odd gene variants that can increase a person’s susceptibility to depression, anxiety and antisocial, sociopathic, or violent behaviours, and other problems - if, and only if, the person carrying the variant suffers a traumatic or stressful childhood or faces particularly trying experiences later in life. This hypothesis, often called the “stress diathesis” or “genetic vulnerability” model, has come to saturate psychiatry and behavioural science.
Recently, however, an alternate hypothesis has emerged from this one and is turning it inside out. This new model suggests that it’s a mistake to understand these “risk” genes only as liabilities. According to this new thinking, these “bad genes” can create dysfunctions in unfavourable contexts - but they can also enhance function in favourable contexts. The genetic sensitivities to negative experience that the vulnerability hypothesis has identified, it follows, are just the downside of a bigger phenomenon: a heightened genetic sensitivity to all experience.
This hypothesis has been anticipated by Swedish folk wisdom which has long spoken of “dandelion” children. These dandelion children - equivalent to our “normal” or “healthy” children, with “resilient” genes - do pretty well almost anywhere, whether raised in the equivalent of a sidewalk crack or well - tended garden. There are also “orchid” children, who will wilt if ignored or maltreated but bloom spectacularly with greenhouse care. According to this orchid hypothesis, risk becomes possibility; vulnerability becomes plasticity and responsiveness. Gene variants generally considered misfortunes can instead now be understood as highly leveraged evolutionary bets, with both high risks and high potential rewards.
In this view, having both dandelion and orchid kids greatly raises a family’s (and a species’) chance of succeeding, over time and in any given environment. The behavioural diversity provided by these two different types of temperament also supplies precisely what a smart, strong species needs if it is to spread across and dominate a changing world. The many dandelions in a population provide an underlying stability. The less - numerous orchids, meanwhile, may falter in some environments but can excel in those that suit them. And even when they lead troubled early lives, some of the resulting heightened responses to adversity that can be problematic in everyday life - increased novelty - seeking, restlessness of attention, elevated risk - taking, or aggression - can prove advantageous in certain challenging situations: wars, social strife of many kinds, and migrations to new environments. Together, the steady dandelions and the mercurial orchids offer an adaptive flexibility that neither can provide alone. Together, they open a path to otherwise unreachable individual and collective achievements.
The passage suggests ‘orchids’:
Solution
The passage says that "orchid" kids can thrive under certain conditions. The author says that risk becomes possibility and vulnerability becomes plasticity and responsiveness.
The author did not mention whether the orchids were insufficient in number. Hence, option A is rejected.
Option B talks about literal orchids which are not mentioned. Hence, it is also rejected.
Option C is rejected as the author says that both orchids and dandelions both have different advantages and risks. The orchids being weaker than dandelions is not mentioned.
Option D : In the passage, orchids are described as being able to "bloom spectacularly with greenhouse care." The greenhouse metaphor here suggests that orchids need special, nurturing, and controlled conditions to thrive. In this sense, the phrase "greenhouse care" could be interpreted metaphorically as a kind of environment where the external pressures are minimized, similar to "anaesthetised conditions" in which an environment is softened and controlled for the orchid's growth.
Option E is rejected as it says that orchids are "always" too delicate to survive, making it an extreme point.
Hence, the answer is option D.
Which of the following statements correctly echoes the author’s view?
Solution
Option A goes against the author's views as the author stated that these people flourish under certain conditions.
Option B is rejected as it is not mentioned in the passage.
Option C is rejected as in such an environment, orchids might become anti-social and sociopathic.
Option D contains a view shared by the author and thus, will be the answer.
Option E is rejected as genes alone are not responsible, but the environment plays a huge factor too.
Hence, the answer is option D.
The word ‘diathesis’ means:
Solution
'Diathesis' means a tendency to suffer from a particular medical condition.
Hence, option A is the correct answer.
Mr. Good and Mr. Evil were batch - mates during the college. Five years after graduating, Mr.Evil was put behind bars for financial fraud while Mr. Good was running a successful NGO, working for orphans. Mr. Good was raised in a protective environment while Mr. Evil was a self - made man. Based on the above information, which of the following statements is definitely correct ?
Solution
According to the passage, there are two requirements to determine a child typology: genes and environment.
The given excerpt only talks about the environment that the two batch mates grew in and does not mention anything about their genes. Hence, it is not possible to classify them.
The answer is option E.
Analyse the following passage and provide appropriate answers for questions that follow.
Alone – he was alone again – again condemned to silence – again face to face with nothingness! Alone! – never again to see the face, never again to hear the voice of the only human being who united him to earth! Was not Faria’s fate the better, after all – to solve the problem of life at its source, even at the risk of horrible suffering? The idea of suicide, which his friend had driven away and kept away by his cheerful presence, now hovered like a phantom over the abbe’s dead body.
“If I could die,” he said, “I should go where he goes, and should assuredly find him again. But how to die? It is very easy,” he went on with a smile; “I will remain here, rush on the first person that opens the door, strangle him, and then they will guillotine me.” But excessive grief is like a storm at sea, where the frail bark is tossed from the depths to the top of the wave. Dantes recoiled from the idea of so infamous a death, and passed suddenly from despair to an ardent desire for life and liberty.
“Die? Oh, no,” he exclaimed – “not die now, after having lived and suffered so long and so much! Die? yes, had I died years ago; but now to die would be, indeed, to give way to the sarcasm of destiny. No, I want to live; I shall struggle to the very last; I will yet win back the happiness of which I have been deprived. Before I die I must not forget that I have my executioners to punish, and perhaps, too, who knows, some friends to reward. Yet they will forget me here, and I shall die in my dungeon like Faria, ” As he said this, he became silent and gazed straight before him like one overwhelmed with a strange and amazing thought. Suddenly he arose, lifted his hand to his brow as if his brain were giddy, paced twice or thrice round the dungeon, and then paused abruptly by the bed.
“Just God!” he muttered, “whence comes this thought? Is it from thee? Since none but the dead pass freely from this dungeon, let me take the place of the dead!” Without giving himself time to reconsider his decision, and , indeed, that he might not allow his thoughts to be distracted from his desperate resolution, he bent over the appalling shroud, opened it with the knife which Faria had made, drew the corpse from the sack, and bore it along the tunnel to his own chamber, laid it on his couch, tied around its head the rag he wore at night around his own, covered it with his counterpane, once again kissed the ice - cold brow, and tried vainly to close the resisting eyes, which glared horribly, turned the head towards the wall, so that the jailer might, when he brought the evening meal, believe that he was asleep, as was his frequent custom; entered the tunnel again, drew the bed against the wall, returned to the other cell,
took from the hiding – place the needle and thread, flung off his rags, that they might feel only naked flesh beneath the coarse canvas, and getting inside the sack, placed himself in the posture in which the dead body had been laid, and sewed up the mouth of the sack from the inside.
How was the protagonist planning to resolve his problem?
Solution
The last line of the passage says, " and getting inside the sack, placed himself in the posture in which the dead body had been laid, and sewed up the mouth of the sack from the inside."
Thus, the protagonist planned to exchange places with a corpse.
Hence, the answer is option E.
Which one of the following options is nearest in meaning to that implied by the phrase ‘sarcasm of destiny’ in this passage?
Solution
Options C and E are rejected as they do not talk about destiny.
Option D is rejected as the protagonist is not in a position to mock destiny.
Option A comes close to the meaning but is extreme to be the answer in the context of the passage.
Hence, the answer is option B.
Among the options given below, which phrase specifically captures the change of mood of the protagonist?
Solution
The protagonist begins in a state of deep despair, contemplating suicide as an escape. However, as the passage progresses, he comes up with a daring and risky plan — to take the place of the dead body and escape his prison. This shift from a dark, depressed state to a bold, almost reckless plan fits best with option C- "Depression to daring.".
Which of the above ‘related words’ on the right - hand side are correctly matched with ‘words’ on the left - hand side?
Solution
Counterpane - a bedspread
Dungeon - a strong underground prison cell, especially in a castle
Guillotine - to execute
Shroud - a length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial
Hence, option A is the correct answer.
Analyse the following passage and provide appropriate answers for questions that follow.
Creative thinking can be used by management teams to produce actions that will potentially increase innovation and identify opportunities. Brainstorming is one technique that can enhance creativity. Brainstorming is usually regarded as a method to be used with groups of people. Although, it can be employed with individuals, the benefit of involving a group is that one person’s idea can help to stimulate even more ideas by other group members.
Underlying brainstorm is the idea that people’s creativity is restricted because they tend to reject ideas at too early a stage. This can be because they may be imposing imaginary constraints on a problem or making false assumptions. Alternatively, they may be unable to see a problem from multiple perspectives or they may be stereotyping problems and possible solutions and hence failing to see their wider potential. Involvement of people with different perspectives enriches the idea generation.
Pick the option that best captures the relationship between the two paragraphs above.
Solution
The first paragraph introduces brainstorming as a technique to foster creativity and innovation, particularly when used in groups.
The second paragraph explains why brainstorming works effectively in groups by highlighting the potential limitations of individual creativity and how involving multiple perspectives can enhance the idea generation process. This serves as an explanation of why brainstorming is beneficial, supporting the technique described earlier.
Therefore, option E is the correct answer.
Which of the following options would be closest to the main argument in the second paragraph above?
Solution
The second paragraph emphasizes the value of involving multiple perspectives in the creative process. It suggests that diverse viewpoints help overcome individual limitations, such as false assumptions or a narrow view of problems.
Option D reflects this idea by suggesting that inputs from various departments can contribute to idea generation, much like how brainstorming benefits from diverse perspectives in the group setting described in the passage.
The other options are not analogous to the idea presented in the passage. Therefore, Option D is the correct answer.
Analyse the following passage and provide appropriate answers for questions that follow.
For private goods, competitive markets ensure efficiency despite the decentralized nature of the information about individual’s tastes and firm technologies. Implicitly, market competition solved adverse selection problems and the fixed - price contracts associated with exogenous prices solve moral hazard problems. However, markets fail for pure public goods and public intervention is thus needed. In this case, the mechanisms used for those collective decisions must solve the incentive problem of acquiring the private information that agents have about their references for public goods. Voting mechanisms are particular incentive mechanisms without any monetary transfers for which the same question of strategic voting, i.e., not voting according to the true preferences, can be raised. For private goods, increasing returns to scale create a situation of natural monopoly far away from the world of competitive markets. When the monopoly has private information about its cost or demand, its regulation by a regulatory commission becomes a principal - agent problem.
(Note: Public goods are those in which individuals cannot be excluded from use and where use by one individual does not reduce availability to others, while an individual can be excluded in case of private goods.)
For which of the following goods, can markets not be efficient?
Solution
According to the passage, competitive markets ensure efficiency for private goods, and private goods are those from which an individual can be excluded.
Among the options, only Air is an entity that is freely available and from which people cannot be excluded.
Thus, it is a public good. All other options are private goods for which markets can be efficient.
Hence, the answer is option C.
Which of the following cannot be concluded from the above paragraph?
Solution
Option A is the correct answer.
The passage discusses the role of public intervention when markets fail, particularly in the case of pure public goods and natural monopolies. However, it does not suggest that public intervention is always the panacea for all market failures.It mainly highlights that public intervention is necessary in some cases (like public goods and monopolies) but does not claim it is a one-size-fits-all solution.
Option B can be concluded from the line, "market competition solved adverse selection problems and the fixed - price contracts associated with exogenous prices solve moral hazard problems."
Option C can be concluded from the line, "Voting mechanisms are particular incentive mechanisms without any monetary transfers."
Options D and E can be concluded from the line, "When the monopoly has private information about its cost or demand, its regulation by a regulatory commission becomes a principal - agent problem."
Read the following statement carefully:
Statement 1: In India factories dump their waste in the nearby water bodies.
Statement 2: Government is thinking of granting tax benefits to factories which adopt eco - friendly practices.
Which of the following options best captures the relationships between Statement 1 and Statement 2?
Solution
Water bodies are public good and contaminating them is a market failure.
Statement 2 is a remedy of the problem mentioned in the first statement.
Hence, option C is the correct answer.
