XAT 2024 - VALR

Option B is the best fit for the blanks in the sentence based purely on grammatical and logical sense.

Feeling like a fake can be a sign of growth, and clinging too tightly to what feels like one’s authentic self can hinder that growth. This statement suggests that sometimes, feeling out of place or like you’re not being true to yourself can actually be a sign that you’re growing and evolving. However, if you cling too tightly to your current sense of self, it could prevent you from embracing that growth.

This option fills in the blanks while maintaining the sentence’s grammatical structure and logical coherence.

Option C may seem like a good fit at first glance. From a grammatical and idiomatic perspective, the phrase “behaving like a fake” is not a common idiom or phrase, and it doesn’t quite convey a clear meaning. Also, the second part of the sentence suggests that clinging to one’s authentic self can “support” growth. However, in the context of the sentence, this seems contradictory. If behaving like a fake is a sign of improvement, then clinging to one’s authentic self would more likely hinder than support this improvement.

The alternative choices, which involve actions such as acting, performing, or operating like a fake, lack idiomatic coherence. Furthermore, they suggest ideas that either contradict each other or don’t fit the context of personal growth.

Option B is the correct answer.

Option B, “generations, changed, other,” is correct because it fits grammatically and contextually into the sentence. The term “generations” refers to people over time, “changed” indicates a transformation or evolution in perception or behaviour, and “other” refers to other individuals. So, the sentence “As generations evolved and eventually moved to cities, close proximity changed how we viewed and assessed each other” makes sense both grammatically and idiomatically.

Option A “civilization, enhanced, situation” is incorrect because “enhanced” implies improvement or augmentation, which doesn’t necessarily follow from the close proximity of civilization. Also, “situation” is too vague in this context.

Option C, “culture, helped, life,” is incorrect because “helped” implies assistance or facilitation, which is not necessarily a result of cultural evolution or urban migration. Also, “life” is too broad and doesn’t fit well in this context.

Option D, “lives, destroyed, culture”, is incorrect because “destroyed” implies a negative impact or destruction, which is not necessarily a result of the evolution of lives. Also, “culture” doesn’t fit well in the context of assessing each other.

Option E, “people, helped, the nation”, is incorrect because while “people” could fit in the first blank, “helped” doesn’t necessarily follow from people moving to cities. Also, “nation” doesn’t fit well in the context of assessing each other.

Option A is the correct answer.

Statement A and B are incorrect.

In Statement A, It should be changed to 'I shall be there at around 9: 00 a.m.'

In Statement B, The correct sentence should be 'Keep off the grass.', 

Statements C,D and E are correct.

Option C is the correct answer.

Statements A,C and E are correct.

In Statement B,The subject “Nobody” is singular, so it should be followed by a singular verb (“has”) instead of “have.”

In Statement D,The subject “Both of the mice” is plural, so it should be followed by a plural verb (“are”) instead of “is.”

In Statement F,  The correct form should be “The teacher told him and me to leave early.” The objective pronouns “him” and “me” are needed here.

Option C is the correct answer.

• Statement B talks about the transition from computer mainframes to rooms and servers, which indicates an earlier stage.
• Statement A talks about the ownership of these servers by companies, which likely occurred concurrently with the transition mentioned in statement B.
• Statement D mentions the dominance of IBM and HP in providing chips for these servers, which suggests a subsequent stage.
• Statement C discusses the role of Intel in the server market by the mid-2000s, indicating further development.
• Statement E introduces Amazon's entry into the server market, marking a more recent development, making it the last in the sequence.

Option D is the correct answer.

The paragraph discusses the interplay between fear and desire, suggesting that they are closely linked and influence human actions. It emphasizes that fear and desire are intertwined, with fear often driving actions just as desire does. This suggests that both fear and desire play a significant role in guiding human behaviour, indicating that option b) "The interplay of fear and desire helps in guiding one’s action" is the best conclusion. While other statements in the paragraph also hold some truth, option b) encompasses the broader idea conveyed by the paragraph.

Option E is the correct answer.

In the first paragraph, the author introduces intriguing and somewhat humorous rules of thumb, such as avoiding self-proclaimed thought leaders and distrusting sockless men. These rules pique the reader’s curiosity and create interest. 

The second paragraph expands upon the topic, providing a more detailed critique of employee appreciation days and their lack of genuine appreciation. Thus, the second paragraph elaborates on the initial interest generated by the first paragraph.

Therefore,The first paragraph evokes interest, the second paragraph elaborates.

Option E is the correct answer.

The passage emphasises that recognising our ignorance, or what we don’t know, has been a significant discovery. This awareness of ignorance is what drives us to learn more, which aligns with option E. The other options, while they might seem related, do not capture the main idea of the passage as accurately as option e does.

Option A is the correct answer.

The paragraph emphasizes that simply accumulating knowledge is not enough. It suggests that one must think over the information for oneself and compare every truth with every other truth to fully possess the knowledge and get it into one’s power. This process of thinking over and comparing truths can be interpreted as reflecting on the information. Therefore, if she wants to master knowledge, she must reflect on the information.

The other options (B, C, D, E) are not necessarily true based on the given paragraph. Reflecting on the information is presented as a necessary condition for mastering knowledge, but it’s not stated as a sufficient condition. That is, while reflection is necessary, the paragraph does not guarantee that reflection alone will result in mastery of knowledge. Therefore, statements suggesting that reflection will definitely lead to mastery (Options B and E), that lack of mastery implies lack of reflection (Option C), or that mastery implies reflection (Option D) are not necessarily true based on the given information.

Option D is the correct answer.

The passage emphasizes the difference between the experiences of sportspersons and those of the fans who watch them. While fans may feel a connection to the sports they watch, they do not fully comprehend the highs and lows experienced by the athletes. The passage also highlights that, unlike athletes, most people do not have their work scrutinized by the public, and they are not as emotionally invested in their day-to-day jobs. Therefore, while fans can empathize with athletes, they can never truly understand their experiences. This is why option d) is the best summary of the passage. It captures the essence of the disconnect between athletes' experiences and fans' perceptions.

Option E is the correct answer.

The theme of the poem revolves around the woman's feeling of alienation.This is conveyed through the imagery of her inability to find her reflection in the mirror, symbolizing a disconnect with herself or her identity. The imagery of the “darkened room”, the “mirror” where she can’t see her reflection, and the “drunken yellow flames” of the oil lamp that “know where her lonely body hides” all suggest a sense of isolation and alienation.

Option A is the correct answer.

The lines “the drunken yellow flames/know where her lonely body hides” use the oil lamp's “drunken yellow flames” metaphor to symbolize a source of light and warmth in the woman’s solitude. The flames are described as “knowing” where her “lonely body hides”, suggesting they illuminate her in her isolation, making her visible even in her loneliness.

This interpretation aligns with the overall theme of the poem, which revolves around the woman’s feeling of alienation and solitude.

Option E is the correct answer.

The statement in option E aligns with the passage, which discusses how humans tend to compress complex reality into abbreviated heuristics and how storytelling evolved to help overcome these reductive instincts. The passage mentions that early stories were even more reductive, compressing real-life flux into archetypal moral messages. Thus, the best interpretation regarding reductive instincts is that they led to the compression of complex reality into moral messages.

Option C is the correct answer.

A realist novel aims to depict life as it is, including the complexities, uncertainties, and unpredictability of human existence. By presenting "innumerable conditions made meaningful only in unpredictable moments," the novel captures the intricacies of human experience and the multifaceted nature of decision-making. This approach allows the reader to engage with the story on a deeper level, as it mirrors the complexities of real life and presents a more authentic representation of human behaviour and choices.

Option E is the correct answer.

Statement A can be inferred from the sentences,"Beauty can be manners, also a socially contingent set of traits." and "Whatever power decides that beauty is, it must always be more than reducible to a single thing."

Statement B can be inferred from the sentences,  "Beauty is a wonderful form of capital in a world that organizes everything around gender and then requires a performance of gender that makes some of its members more equal than others." and  "Beauty serves many useful functions for our economic system."

Statement C can be inferred from the sentence, "Whatever power decides that beauty is, it must always be more than reducible to a single thing."

Statement D can be inferred from the passage but not from a particular sentence.

Statement E cannot be inferred from the passage, and hence it is the correct answer.

Option C is the correct answer.

Option C captures the idea that beauty is initially seen as a blessing or something desirable, but in order to attain it, individuals may feel compelled to conform to certain standards or ideals, hence converting to those standards. 

The civilization-barbarism axis, as described in the passage, is best represented by option C: “It is how you behave, not who you are, that makes you acceptable.”

This axis is used by conservatives who view most favourably the institutions that they believe constrain and guide people toward civilized behaviour, and they view most unfavourably those people who they see as trying to tear down such institutions. Therefore, it’s more about behaviour (civilized vs barbaric) than about who the person is.

Options A, B, D and E cannot be inferred from the passage.

Option B best explains the author’s use of the term “moral frames:“The frames define what the believer believes as right or wrong. 

According to the passage, moral frames are simplified perspectives that people use to interpret political issues. Based on the axis of the frame (oppressor-oppressed, civilization-barbarism, or liberty-coercion), they create a sense of right and wrong, favourable and unfavourable. These frames guide the believer’s views and judgments about different groups and issues.

Option A is incorrect because the passage doesn’t suggest that moral frames give believers the right to question others’ behaviours. 

Option C is not correct, as the passage clearly explains the concept of moral frames, indicating they can be rationally explained. 

Option D is incorrect because the passage doesn’t state that what is right to the believer is wrong to those who do not share that belief. 

Option E is incorrect because the passage doesn’t suggest that moral frames make it easy for the believer to declare others as wrong.

The best conclusion from the passage is option A.

The passage emphasizes the importance of understanding different moral frames or axes (oppressor-oppressed, civilization-barbarism, liberty-coercion) that people use to form their political views. By learning these “languages”, one can better understand others’ perspectives, even if they don’t agree with them.

Option B is incorrect. The passage doesn’t suggest that all controversial issues can be simplified into the three axes, but rather these axes represent different perspectives.

Option C is incorrect. The passage doesn’t state that our assumptions lead to our dominant axis, but it does suggest that understanding these axes can help us understand others’ perspectives.

Option D is incorrect. While the passage does mention that certain problems might be better understood through a specific axis, it doesn’t claim that issues can be solved by looking at them from the right axis and questioning assumptions.

Option E is incorrect. The passage doesn’t state that most problems are caused by applying the wrong axis to a particular problem but rather that different perspectives might be more or less applicable in different situations.

Option E is the correct answer.

According to the passage, this statement is not true about an ignorant mind. The passage describes how an ignorant mind is filled with clutter of irrelevant or misleading experiences, theories, facts, etc., and it emphasizes the tendency of the ignorant mind to be unaware of its own limitations and to succumb to illusionary pattern detection and theorizing without robust evidence. However, it doesn't suggest that an ignorant mind often fuels scepticism. Instead, it suggests that the clutter in the ignorant mind can lead to situations that are embarrassing, unfortunate, or dangerous.

Options A, B, C and D could be inferred from the passage and hence true.

Option D is the correct answer.

This choice reflects the author's idea that we tend to create and spread beliefs, even when they're not entirely accurate because we often don't realize our own ignorance. The passage emphasizes how our minds can be cluttered with misleading information, leading us to accept and share beliefs that may not be true. So, when the author says "we are all engines of misbelief," it means that we have a natural inclination to form and spread beliefs that can be misleading or inaccurate.

Option B is the correct answer.

This statement aligns closely with the author's emphasis on the potential for misbelief due to our inclination towards pattern recognition and theorizing. The passage discusses how our ability to recognize patterns can lead to the acceptance of misleading or irrelevant information as accurate knowledge. Therefore, being aware that the patterns we perceive may not always represent reality is in line with the author's argument about the nature of ignorance and disbelief.

The author would not agree with options A, C, D, and E.

Hint: We can eliminate options A, C, D and E based on extreme and wrong answer options.

Option B cannot be exactly concluded. While the passage discusses the concept of herd immunity, it does not explicitly state that our survival as a community is largely based on it. Therefore, it could be argued that option B cannot be exactly inferred from the passage.

Option A can be inferred from:“Any given vaccine can fail to produce immunity in an individual, and some vaccines, like the influenza vaccine, are less effective than others.

Option C can be inferred from: “But a vaccinated person surrounded by bodies that host disease is left vulnerable to vaccine failure or fading immunity.”

Option D can be inferred from:"The unvaccinated person is protected by the bodies around her, bodies through which disease is not circulating."

Option E can be inferred from: “But when enough people are vaccinated with even a relatively ineffective vaccine, viruses have trouble moving from host to host and cease to spread…”

Option E is the correct answer. The author mentions that “Contributions to this bank are donations to those who cannot or will not be protected by their own immunity,” which implies that vaccination protects those who may not have access to it.

Option A is incorrect as the passage does not suggest that vaccination creates a reserve of immunity within a person’s immune system. 

Option B is incorrect as the passage does not state that when somebody is vaccinated, it is a deposit of protection against a particular disease. 

Option C is incorrect as the passage does not mention that different vaccines contribute to a diverse portfolio of immune defences.

Option D is incorrect. While the passage suggests that vaccination provides a safety net, it does not explicitly state that this is why vaccination is considered a “banking of immunity.”

Option E is the correct answer.

Based on the last paragraph of the passage, the author would best agree with Option E.

The author emphasizes the interconnectedness of immunity within a community and the role each individual plays in maintaining it. The author states, “We are protected not so much by our own skin, but by what is beyond it,” and “Those of us who draw on collective immunity owe our health to our neighbors,” which underscores the importance of each individual’s role in a community’s health.

Option A is incorrect, as the passage does not specifically discuss the need for communities to come together during health crises.

Option B is incorrect as the author does not explicitly mention the importance of expressing gratitude to those who contribute to herd immunity.

Option C is incorrect. While the passage implies the importance of vaccination, it does not state that it is an ethical obligation of individuals.

Option D is incorrect.In the passage, the author does not describe immunity as transactional.