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CRITICAL REASONING: HOMEWORK EXERCISE 1 CAT QUESTIONS Directions for questions 1 to 30: This section contains statements followed

by questions based on the statements. Read the statements and select the best option as the answer. 1. Unless you dedicate your whole life to it, you will never learn to speak the language of another country to perfection; you will never know its people and its literature with complete intimacy. Which of the following is likely to undermine the above argument? 1. I can speak 10 foreign languages already. 2. I do not travel to foreign countries. 3. I am happy with the languages I know and do not need to learn any other language. 4. I should spend time to understand my own people and literature first, only then can I appreciate other languages and cultures. 2. The writer can only be fertile if he renews himself and he can only renew himself, if his soul is constantly enriched by fresh experience. Which of the following is most likely to support the above thought? 1. Only out fresh experience can the writer get germs for new writing. 2. The writer can meet new people. 3. The writer must see new places. 4. A writers soul can only be enriched if it is fertile. 3. But because the idea of private property has been permitted to override with its selfishness, the common good of humanity it, does not follow that there are no limits within that idea, for what can function for the general convenience and advantage. Which of the following is most likely to weaken the argument? 1. All the people of the society should progress at an equitable rate and there should be no disparities and private property does bring about a tremendous disparity. 2. One should not strive for the common good of humanity at all; instead one should be concerned with maximizing ones own wealth. 3. One should learn from the experiences of former communist nations and should not repeat his mistakes at all. 4. Even prosperous capitalist countries like the USA have their share of social problems.

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4.

Now the audience is a very curious animal. It is shrewd rather than intelligent. Its mental capacity is less than that of its most intellectual members. If these were graded from A to Z, decreasing with succeeding letters to the zero of the hysterical shop-girl, I should say its mental capacity would come around about the letter O. According to the above statements, 1. Some members in the audience are more intelligent than any of its other members. 2. The net intelligence of the audience is a little less than average. 3. Only 1 4. Both 1 and 2

5.

I have been studying it, consciously and subconsciously, for 40 years and I still find men unaccountable; people I know intimately can surprise me by some action of theirs which I never thought them capable of or by the discovery of some trait which exhibits a side of themselves that I never even suspected. The idea in this sentence can be best summarized as: 1. Men are inconsistent and therefore one should not be confident even about ones closest friends. 2. Men are unpredictable, one can never tell what they will do next; hence, one should be very careful in ones dealings. 3. No matter how closely you know somebody there still exists an unknown facet of his personality. 4. None of these

6.

Efficiency is all right in its place, in the shop, the factory, the store. The trouble with efficiency is that it wants to rule our play as well as our work; it wont be content to reign in the shop, it follows us home. It can be inferred from the above passage that 1. Efficiency can become all-pervading. 2. Efficiency does not always pay. 3. Efficiency can be more of a torture than a blessing. 4. None of these

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7.

In order to ease the traffic congestion, the transport planners decided to have a sophisticated system of elevated monorail travel in the city. However, it was pointed out by somebody that a metro rail system would be a more effective solution to the traffic problem. The plan was thus stalled. Moreover, since a budget had not been drawn up for the project, it was deemed fit to stall the work of the monorail for some time. In the meanwhile, the traffic planners of the city decided to build an efficient system of subways and flyovers in the city with the aim of easing the same problem. At the instant when the planners were preparing to award the contracts to the concerned parties, the transport planners came up with the contention that the subways interfered with the site of a pillar of the monorail system. The traffic planners had to give up the idea and think of other possible solutions. We can infer which of the following from the above passage? 1. The city authorities felt that the monorail system was essentially impractical. 2. There is a strong contention between the two groups of planners in the city. 3. The projects would be stalled for an indefinite period. 4. None of the above.

8.

The company encourages its managers to interact regularly without a pre-set agenda to discuss issues concerning the company and society. This idea has been borrowed from the ancient Indian concept of religious congregation, called satsang. Designations are forgotten during these meetings; hence, it is not uncommon in these meetings to find a sales engineer questioning the CEO on some corporate policy or his knowledge of customers. Based on the information provided in the above passage, it can be inferred that 1. the company is concerned about its reputation with its employees. 2. the company believes in fostering the spirit of dialogue without degenerating it into a positioning based debate. 3. the company had some inter-personnel problems in the past due to which it felt the need for these corporate satsangs. 4. All of the above

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9.

From Cochin to Shimla, the new culture vultures are tearing down acres of Indias architectural treasures. Ancestral owners are often fobbed off with a few hundred rupees for an exquisitely carved door or window, which fetches fifty times that much from foreign dealers, and yet more from the drawing room sophisticates of Europe and the US. The reason for such shameless rape of the Indian architectural wealth can perhaps not wrongly be attributed to the unfortunate blend of activist disunity and the local indifference. It can be inferred from the above passage that 1. the environment created by the meeting between activist disunity and local indifference is ideal for antique dealers to strive in India. 2. only Indians are not proud of their cultural heritage and are hungry for the foreign currency that is easily available in return of artifacts. 3. most Indian families have heirlooms which can be sold at high prices to Europeans and Americans. 4. India provides a rich market for unscrupulous antique dealers.

10.

Deepa Mehtas Fire is under fire from the countrys self-appointed moral police. Their contention is that the film is a violation of the Indian cultural moral and cannot be allowed to influence the Indian psyche. According to them such films ruin the moral fabric of the nation which must be protected and defended against such intrusions at all cost even at the cost of cultural dictatorship. Based on the information in the above passage it can be inferred that 1. the assumption underlying the moral polices critique of Fire is that the Indian audience is vulnerable to all types of influence. 2. the assumption underlying the moral polices critique of Fire is that Indian audience is impressionable and must be protected against immoral influences. 3. the moral police thinks it has the sole authority to pass judgment of films screened in India. 4. None of the above

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11.

The dominant modern belief is that the soundest foundation of peace would be universal prosperity. One may look in vain for historical evidence that the rich have regularly been more peaceful than the poor but then it can be argued that they have never felt secure against the poor, that their aggressiveness stemmed from fear; and that the situation would be quite different if everybody were rich. It can be inferred from the above passage that 1. a lot of aggression in the world stems from the desire of the haves to defend themselves against the have-nots. 2. Universal prosperity as a foolproof measure of peace can no longer be accepted. 3. Both 1 and 2 4. Neither 1 nor 2

12.

The effect produced on the mind by travelling depends entirely on the mind of the traveler and on the way in which he conducts himself. The chief idea of one very common type of traveler is to see as many objects of interest as he possibly can. If he can only after his return home say that he has seen such and such a temple, castle, picture gallery, or museum, he is perfectly satisfied. Far different is the effect of travels upon those who leave their country with mind prepared by culture to feel intelligent admiration for all the beauties of nature and art to be found in foreign lands. When they visit a new place, instead of hurrying from temple to museum to picture gallery, they allow the spirit of the place to sink into their minds, and only visit such monuments as the time they have at their disposal allows them to contemplate without irreverent haste. It can be inferred from the above passage that 1. the writer prefers the second type of traveler. 2. the first type of traveler is the lay traveler who does not understand the worth of any place he travels to. 3. the objective of the second type of traveler is not to see much, but to see well. 4. All of the above.

13.

Whether we look at the intrinsic value of our literature, or at the particular situation of this country, we shall see the strongest reason to think that of all foreign tongues, the English tongue is that which would be the most useful to our native subjects. It can inferred that 1. the speaker is a die-hard colonist. 2. the speaker has the good of the nation at heart. 3. the speaker is addressing an issue related to a colonial empire. 4. None of the above.

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14.

Where the film Bombay loses out is where every commercial film congenitally goes awrybecoming too simplistic to address serious issues and failing to translate real life to reel. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? 1. The films director aimed at recreating real life on the silver screen. 2. The film was too simplistic for the audiences taste. 3. The film was successful in spite of its shortcomings. 4. None of these.

15.

Aspiration is nothing new. Neither is the debate over what the Indian middle class is, what it wants and what it buys. Since the mid-80s, that has been the focus of the economic policy papers, so called pro and anti-poor budgets and marketing strategies that have successfully broken the barrier of urban selling and reached deeper into rural India with increasing income levels and aspirations. Based on the above passage, it can be inferred that 1. the Indian middle class has been the focus of economic policies for a long time. 2. the Indian middle class has graduated from being the deprived middle class to the pampered middle class. 3. Both 1 and 2 4. Neither 1 nor 2

16.

Three airlines IA, JA and SA-operate on the Delhi-Mumbai route. To increase the number of seats sold, SA reduced its fares and this way was emulated by IA and JA immediately. The general belief was that the volume of air travel between Which of the following, if true, would add credence to the general belief? 1. Increase in profitability of the three airlines. 2. Extension of the discount scheme to other routes. 3. A study that shows that air travellers in India are price-conscious. 4. A study that shows that as much as 80 percent of air travel in India is companysponsored.

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17.

According to McNeill, a Brahmin priest was expected to be able to recite at least one of the Vedas. The practice was essential for several centuries when the Vedas had not yet been written down. It must have had a selective effect, since priests would have been recruited from those able or willing to memorize long passages. It must have helped in the dissemination of the work, since a memorised passage can be duplicated many times. Which of the following can be inferred from the above passage? 1. Reciting the Vedas was a Brahmins obligation. 2. The Vedic priest was like a recorded audio cassette. 3. McNeill studied the behavior of Brahmin priests. 4. Vedic hymns had not been scripted.

18.

Developed countries have made adequate provisions for social security for senior citizens. State insurers (as well as private ones) offer Medicare and pension benefits to people who can no longer earn. In India, with the collapse of the joint family system, the traditional shelter of the elderly has disappeared. And the state faced with a financial crunch is not in a position to provide social security. So, it is advisable that the working population give serious thought to building a financial base for itself. Which one of the following, if it were to happen, weakens the conclusions drawn in the above passage the most? 1. The investible income of the working population, as a proportion of its total income, will grow in the future. 2. The insurance sector is underdeveloped and trends indicate that it will be extensively privatised in the future. 3. India is on a path of development that will take it to a developed country status, with all its positive and negative implications. 4. If the working population builds a stronger financial base, there will be a revival of joint family system.

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19.

Various studies have shown that our forested and hilly regions and, in general, areas where biodiversity. (As reflected in the variety of flora) is high, are the places where poverty appears to be high. And these same areas are also the ones where educational performance seems to be poor. Therefore, it may be surmised that, even disregarding poverty status, richness in biodiversity goes hand in hand with educational backwardness. Which one of the following statements, if true, can be said to best provide supporting evidence for the surmise mentioned in the passage? 1. In regions where there is little variety in flora, educational performance is seen to be as good as in regions with high variety in flora when poverty levels are high. 2. Regions which show high biodiversity also exhibit poor education performance at low levels of poverty. 3. Regions which show high biodiversity reveal high levels of poverty and poor educational performance. 4. In regions where there is low biodiversity at all levels of poverty, educational performance is seen to be good.

20.

Cigarettes constitute a mere 20 percent of tobacco consumption in India, and fewer than 15 percent of the 200 million tobacco users consume cigarettes. Yet these 15 percent contribute nearly 90 percent of the tax revenues to the exchequer from the tobacco sector. The punitive cigarette taxation regime has kept the tax base narrow and reducing taxes will expand this base. Which of the following best bolsters the conclusion that reducing duties will expand the tax base? 1. The cigarette manufactures association has decided to indulge in aggressive promotion. 2. There is a likelihood that tobacco consumers will shift to cigarette smoking if cigarette prices were to reduce. 3. The cigarette manufactures are lobbying for a reduction on duties. 4. An increase in duties on non-cigarette tobacco may lead to a shift in favor of cigarette smoking.

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21.

Thomas Malthus, the British clergyman turned economist predicted that the planet would not be able to support the human population for long. His explanation was the human population grows at a geometric rate, while the food supply grows only at an arithmetic rate. Which one of the following, if true, would not underline the thesis offered by Malthus? 1. Population growth can be slowed down by the voluntary choices of individuals and not just by natural disasters. 2. The capacity of the planet to feed a growing human population can be enhanced through biotechnological means. 3. Human systems, and natural systems like food supply, follow natural laws of growth which have remained constant, and will remain unchanged. 4. Human beings can colonise other planetary systems on a regular and ongoing basis to accommodate a growing population.

22.

The companys coffee crop for 1998-99 totalled 8,079 tonnes, an all time record. The increase over the previous years production of 5,830 tonnes was 38.58 per cent. The previous highest crop was 6,089 tons in 1970-71. The company thanks to the emphasis laid on the key areas of irrigation, replacement of unproductive coffee bushes and intensive refilling, has improved agricultural practices. It is now our endeavour to reach the target of 10,000 tonnes in 2001-02. Which one of the following would contribute most to making the target of 10,000 tonnes in 2001-02 unrealistic? 1. The potential of the productivity enhancing measures implanted up to now has been exhausted. 2. The total company land under coffee has remained constant since 1969 when an estate in the Nilgiri Hills was acquired. 3. The sensitivity of the crop to climatic factors makes predictions about production uncertain. 4. The target-setting procedures in the company had been proved to be sound by the achievement of the 8,000 tonnes target.

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23.

Animals in general are shrewd in proportion as they cultivate society. Elephants and beavers show the greatest signs of this sagacity when they are together in large numbers, but when man invades their communities they lose all their spirit of industry. Among insects, the labours of the bee and the ant have attracted the attention and admiration of naturalists, but all their sagacity seems to be lost upon separation, and a single bee or ant seems destitute of every degree of industry. It becomes the most stupid insect imaginable and it languishes and soon dies. Which of the following can be inferred from the above passage? 1. Human kind is responsible for the destruction of the natural habitat of animals and insects. 2. Animals in general are unable to function effectively outside their normal social environment. 3. Naturalists have great admiration for bees and ants despite their lack of industry upon separation. 4. Elephants and beavers are smarter than bees and ants in the presence of human beings.

24.

In a recent report, the gross enrolment ratios at the primary level, that is the number of children enrolled in classes one to five as a proportion of all children aged six to ten were shown to be very high for most states in many cases, they were way above 100 percent. These figures are not worth anything since they are based on the official enrolment data compiled from school records. They might as well stand for gross exaggeration ratios. Which one of the following options best supports the claim that the ratios are exaggerated? 1. The definition of gross enrolment ratio does not exclude, in its numerator, children below six years or above then years enrolled in classes one to five. 2. A school attendance study found that many children enrolled in the school records were not meeting a minimum attendance requirement of 80 percent. 3. A study estimated that close to 22 percent of children enrolled in the class one records were below six years of age and still to start going to school. 4. Demographic surveys show shifts in the population profile which indicates that the number of children in the age group six to ten years is declining.

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25.

Szymanski suggests that the problem of racism in football may be present even today. He begins by verifying an earlier hypothesis that clubs wage bills explain 90 percent of their performance. Thus if players salaries were to be only based on their abilities, clubs that spend more should finish higher. If there is pay discrimination against some group of players-fewer teams bidding for black players---fewer teams bidding for black players thus lowering the salaries for blacks with the same ability as whites-that neat relation may no longer hold. He concludes that certain clubs seem to have achieved much less than what they could have by not recruiting black players. Which one of the following findings would best support Szymanskis conclusion? 1. Certain clubs took advantages of the situation by hiring above-average shares of black players. 2. Clubs hired white players at relatively high wages and did not show proportionately good performance. 3. During the study period, clubs in town with a history of discrimination against blacks, underperformed relative to their wage bills. 4. Clubs in one region which had higher proportions of black players had significantly lower wage bills than their counterparts in another region which had predominantly white players.

26.

The pressure on Italys 257 jails has been increasing rapidly. These jails are old and overcrowded. They are supposed to hold up 43,000 people-9,000 fewer than now. San Vittore in Milan which has 1,800 inmates is designed for 800. The number of foreigners inside jails has also been increasing. The minister in charge of prisons fears that tensions may snap and so has recommended to the government an amnesty policy. Which one of the following, if true, would have most influenced the recommendation of the minister? 1. Opinion polls have indicated that many Italians favour a general pardon. 2. The opposition may be persuaded to help since amnesties must be approved by a twothirds majority in Parliament. 3. During a recent visit to a large prison, the Pope whose pronouncements are taken seriously appealed for a gesture of clemency 4. Shortly before the recommendation was made, 58 prisons reported disturbances in a period of two weeks.

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27.

The offer of the government to make iodised salt available at a low price of one rupee per kilogram is welcome especially since the government seems to be so concerned about the ill effects of no-iodised salt. But it is doubtful that the reports outlining three new and simple but experimental methods for reducing the costs of iodization to about five paise per kilogram will actually be implemented. But these reports have remained just thosereports on paper. Which one of the following, if true, most weaken the authors contention that it is doubtful whether the offer will be actually implemented? 1. The government proposes to save on costs by using the three methods it has already devised for iodization. 2. The chain of fair-price distribution outlets now covers all the districts of the state. 3. Many small-scale and joint-sector units have completed trails to use the three iodization methods for regular production. 4. The government which initiated the earlier effort is in place even today and has more information on the effects of non-iodized salt.

28.

About 96 percent of Scandinavian moths have ears tuned to the ultrasonic pulses that bats, their predators, emit. But the remaining 4 per cent do not have ears and are deaf. However, they have a larger wingspan than the hearing moths, and also have higher wing-loadings-the ratio between a wings area and its weight-meaning higher manoeuvrability. Which one of the following can be best inferred from the above passage? 1. A higher proportion of deaf moths than hearing moths fall prey to bats. 2. Deaf moths may try to avoid bats by frequent changes in their flight direction. 3. Deaf moths are faster than hearing moths and so are less prone to becoming a bats dinner than hearing moths. 4. The large wingspan enables deaf moths to better receive and sense the pulses of their bat predators.

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29.

Argentinas beef cattle herd has dropped to under 50 million from 57 million ten years ago in 1970. The animals are worthless too : prices fell by over a third last year, before recovering slightly. Most local meat packers and processors are in financial trouble and recent years have been a string of plant closures. The Beef Producers Association has now come up with a massive advertisement campaign calling upon Argentines to eat more beef-their juicy, healthy, rotund, plate-filling steaks. Which one of the following, if true, would contribute most to a failure of the campaign? 1. There has been a change in consumer preference towards eating leaner meats like chicken and fish. 2. Prices of imported beef have been increasing thus making locally grown beef more competitive in terms of pricing. 3. The inability to cross-breed native cattle with improved varieties has not increased production to adequate levels. 4. Animal rights pressure groups have come up rapidly demanding better and humane treatment of farmyard animals like beef cattle.

30.

The problem of traffic congestion in Athens has been testing the ingenuity of politicians and town planners for years. But the measures adapted to date have not succeeded in decreasing the number of cars on the road in the city centre. In 1980, odds and evens number-plate legislation was introduced under which odd and even plates were banned in the city centre on alternate days thereby expecting to halve the number of cars in the city centre. Then in 1993 it was decreed that all cars in use in the city centre must be fitted with catalytic converters, the only condition being that the buyer of such a clean car offered for destruction, a car at least 15-years old. Which one of the following options if true would best support the claim that the measures adopted to date have not succeeded? 1. In the 1980s, many families purchased second cars with the requisite odd or even number plate. 2. In the mid-1990s, many families found it feasible to become first-time car owners by buying a car more than 15 years old and turning it in for a new car with catalytic converters. 3. Post-1993, many families found it feasible to become first-time car owners by buying a car more than 15-years old and buy clean cars from the open market, even if it meant forgoing the import tax subsidy. 4. All of the above

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Reference Material for this Assignment: Previous Years CAT papers (1993-2008)
Answer Key:

1. 4 6. 1 11. 1 16. 3 21. 3 26. 4

2. 1 7. 3 12. 3 17. 2 22. 1 27. 3

3. 1 8. 2 13. 4 18. 3 23. 2 28. 2

4. 4 9. 2 14. 4 19. 4 24. 3 29. 1

5. 3 10. 2 15. 1 20. 2 25. 2 30. 1

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