Reading Comprehension: CAT Previous Year Questions
Q. 1 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Often the well intentioned music lover or the traditionally-minded professional composer asks two basic questions when faced with the electronic music phenomena: (1) . . . is this type of artistic
creation music at all? and, (2) given that the product is accepted as music of a new type or order, is not such music “inhuman”? . . . As Lejaren Hiller points out in his book Experimental Music (coauthor Leonard M. Isaacson), two questions which often arise when music is discussed are: (a) the substance of musical communication and its symbolic and semantic significance, if any, and (b) the particular processes, both mental and technical, which are involved in creating and responding to musical composition. The ever-present popular concept of music as a direct, open, emotional expression and as a subjective form of communication from the composer, is, of course still that of the nineteenth century, when composers themselves spoke of music in those terms . . . But since the third decade of our century many composers have preferred more objective definitions of music, epitomized in Stravinsky’s description of it as “a form of speculation in terms of sound and time”. An acceptance of this more characteristic twentieth-century view of the art of musical composition will of course immediately bring the layman closer to an understanding of, and sympathetic response to, electronic music, even if the forms, sounds and approaches it uses will still be of a foreign nature to him.
A communication problem however will still remain. The principal barrier that electronic music presents at large, in relation to the communication process, is that composers in this medium are employing a new language of forms . . . where terms like ‘densities’, ‘indefinite pitch relations’, ‘dynamic serialization’, ‘permutation’, etc., are substitutes (or remote equivalents) for the traditional concepts of harmony, melody, rhythm, etc. . . . When the new structural procedures of electronic music are at last fully understood by the listener the barriers between him and the work he faces will be removed. . . .
The medium of electronic music has of course tempted many kinds of composers to try their hand at it . . . But the serious-minded composer approaches the world of electronic music with a more sophisticated and profound concept of creation. Although he knows that he can reproduce and employ melodic, rhythmic patterns and timbres of a traditional nature, he feels that it is in the exploration of sui generis languages and forms that the aesthetic magic of the new medium lies. And, conscientiously, he plunges into this search.
The second objection usually levelled against electronic music is much more innocent in nature. When people speak—sometimes very vehemently—of the ‘inhuman’ quality of this music they seem to forget that the composer is the one who fires the machines, collects the sounds, manipulates them, pushes the buttons, programs the computer, filters the sounds, establishes pitches and scales, splices tape, thinks of forms, and rounds up the over-all structure of the piece, as well as every detail of it.
The goal of the author over the course of this passage is to:
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage addresses two primary questions concerning electronic music: whether it is “music at all” and if it is “inhuman.” The author then proceeds to explain the shift in compositional perspectives from the 19th century to the 20th century, highlighting that the latter embraces more objective definitions of music. The passage also discusses the communication barrier presented by the new language of electronic music and refutes the “inhuman” charge by detailing the composer’s active role in its creation. This systematic approach demonstrates that the author’s main intent is to counter common criticisms and misconceptions surrounding electronic music, thereby defending it. Option A is partially addressed as context but not the primary goal. Option B is related, but the focus is on defending electronic music, not just differentiating it. Option C is incorrect; the author uses Hiller and Stravinsky to support the 20th-century view, not to defend against them.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 2 What relation does the “communication problem” mentioned in paragraph 2 have to the questions that the author recounts at the beginning of the passage?
Check Solution
Ans: A
Explanation:The passage states that a “communication problem however will still remain” and that “The principal barrier that electronic music presents at large, in relation to the communication process, is that composers in this medium are employing a new language of forms”. It also mentions that when “the new structural procedures of electronic music are at last fully understood by the listener the barriers between him and the work he faces will be removed.” This directly addresses the first question mentioned at the beginning of the passage: “is this type of artistic creation music at all?”. The communication problem, stemming from the new language and forms, hinders the initial acceptance of electronic music as music, but understanding these new structures can overcome this barrier. Option A accurately reflects this. Option B is incorrect because the passage implies that understanding the new language can lead to acceptance, not that it inherently prevents it. Option C is incorrect as the passage explicitly links the communication problem to the initial questions about whether electronic music is music at all. Option D is incorrect as the passage does not suggest that difficulty in understanding is a prerequisite for music.
Correct_Option:A
Q. 3 The mention of Stravinsky’s description of music in the first paragraph does all the following EXCEPT:
Check Solution
Ans: A
This question requires identifying a statement that *is not* supported by Stravinsky’s portrayal in the initial paragraph.
Let’s examine each choice:
Choice B: “respond to and expand upon earlier understandings of music”. Stravinsky’s characterization of music as “a form of speculation in terms of sound and time” implies engagement with and development of existing musical concepts. Therefore, this choice can be excluded.
Choice C: This concept is also present within Stravinsky’s commentary, leading to its elimination.
Choice D: The notion presented here is reinforced by the statement: “characteristic twentieth-century view of the art of musical composition will of course immediately bring the layman closer to an understanding of,…”. Consequently, this option can be disregarded.
Choice A: The idea that this choice proposes, namely “Helping us to determine which sounds are musical and which are not”, is not found within Stravinsky’s explanation. Thus, this represents the accurate selection.
Q. 4 From the context in which it is placed, the phrase “sui generis” in paragraph 3 suggests which one of the following?
Check Solution
Ans: A
Explanation:The passage states that serious-minded composers “plunges into this search” for the aesthetic magic of electronic music by exploring “sui generis languages and forms.” This implies that these languages and forms are unique and specific to the new medium, rather than being common or general. The word “particular” aligns with this meaning of unique or specific. “Generic” is the opposite, “unaesthetic” contradicts the idea of aesthetic magic, and “indescribable” doesn’t fit the context of exploring new forms.
Correct_Option:A
Q. 5 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Understanding the key properties of complex systems can help us clarify and deal with many new and existing global challenges, from pandemics to poverty . . . A recent study in Nature Physics found transitions to orderly states such as schooling in fish (all fish swimming in the same direction), can be caused, paradoxically, by randomness, or ‘noise’ feeding back on itself. That is, a misalignment among the fish causes further misalignment, eventually inducing a transition to schooling. Most of us wouldn’t guess that noise can produce predictable behaviour. The result invites us to consider how technology such as contact-tracing apps, although informing us locally, might negatively impact our collective movement. If each of us changes our behaviour to avoid the infected, we might generate a collective pattern we had aimed to avoid: higher levels of interaction between the infected and susceptible, or high levels of interaction among the asymptomatic.
Complex systems also suffer from a special vulnerability to events that don’t follow a normal distribution or ‘bell curve’. When events are distributed normally, most outcomes are familiar and don’t seem particularly striking. Height is a good example: it’s pretty unusual for a man to be over 7 feet tall; most adults are between 5 and 6 feet, and there is no known person over 9 feet tall. But in collective settings where contagion shapes behaviour – a run on the banks, a scramble to buy toilet paper – the probability distributions for possible events are often heavy-tailed. There is a much higher probability of extreme events, such as a stock market crash or a massive surge in infections. These events are still unlikely, but they occur more frequently and are larger than would be expected under normal distributions.
What’s more, once a rare but hugely significant ‘tail’ event takes place, this raises the probability of further tail events. We might call them second-order tail events; they include stock market gyrations after a big fall and earthquake aftershocks. The initial probability of second-order tail events is so tiny it’s almost impossible to calculate – but once a first-order tail event occurs, the rules change, and the probability of a second-order tail event increases.
The dynamics of tail events are complicated by the fact that they result from cascades of other unlikely events. When COVID-19 first struck, the stock market suffered stunning losses followed by an equally stunning recovery. Some of these dynamics are potentially attributable to former sports bettors, with no sports to bet on, entering the market as speculators rather than investors. The arrival of these new players might have increased inefficiencies and allowed savvy long-term investors to gain an edge over bettors with different goals. . . .
One reason a first-order tail event can induce further tail events is that it changes the perceived costs of our actions and changes the rules that we play by. This game-change is an example of another key complex systems concept: nonstationarity. A second, canonical example of nonstationarity is adaptation, as illustrated by the arms race involved in the coevolution of hosts and parasites [in which] each has to ‘run’ faster, just to keep up with the novel solutions the other one presents as they battle it out in evolutionary time.
All of the following inferences are supported by the passage EXCEPT that:
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage discusses how tail events can lead to second-order tail events, implying a change in the system’s dynamics and probabilities. Option A correctly interprets how contagion can lead to unexpected system-wide patterns, aligning with the passage’s discussion of collective settings and unexpected outcomes. Option B accurately reflects the idea that a rare event can alter payoffs and increase the probability of subsequent large disturbances, supporting the concept of second-order tail events. Option C correctly summarizes the nature of heavy-tailed events and their implications for forecasting in contagious collective settings. Option D, however, makes an extreme claim that the passage *solely* attributes the market rebound to displaced sports bettors and treats their entry as the *overriding* cause. The passage states, “Some of these dynamics are *potentially attributable* to former sports bettors,” indicating it’s a contributing factor, not the sole or overriding one. Therefore, this inference is not supported by the passage.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 6 Which one of the options below best summarises the passage?
Check Solution
Ans: B
Explanation:The passage discusses complex systems and their properties. It starts by explaining how randomness can paradoxically lead to order, using the example of fish schooling. It then shifts to discuss the vulnerability of complex systems to “heavy-tailed” distributions, where extreme events are more probable than in normal distributions. The passage elaborates on “tail events,” explaining that a first-order tail event can increase the probability of second-order tail events, changing the rules of the system (nonstationarity). It provides examples like stock market crashes, pandemics, and the coevolution of hosts and parasites. Option B accurately summarizes these key points: noise creating order, vulnerability to heavy-tailed cascades, and nonstationarity illustrated by the market during COVID-19. Option A is incorrect as the passage explicitly states that complex systems *do not* generally follow normal distributions and that extreme events are significant. Option C makes a sweeping generalization about speculative entrants and profit that is not directly supported as a sole takeaway. Option D misinterprets the passage by stating it rejects applications in markets or public health and claims adaptation is exclusive to parasite-host systems, which is contradicted by the passage’s broader discussion of complex systems.
Correct_Option:B
Q. 7 Which one of the following observations would most strengthen the passage’s claim that a first-order tail event raises the probability of further tail events in complex systems?
Check Solution
Ans: C
Explanation:The question asks which observation would strengthen the claim that a first-order tail event raises the probability of further tail events. Let’s analyze the options:
Option A describes isolated spikes in epidemic networks followed by outbreak sizes matching baseline distributions, implying no increase in subsequent extreme events. This weakens the claim.
Option B states that river discharge records fit a normal distribution, suggesting that extreme events are rare and don’t necessarily lead to more extreme events, which contradicts the passage’s point about heavy-tailed distributions. This option doesn’t directly address the strengthening of the claim about first-order events leading to subsequent ones.
Option C describes a major equity crash (a first-order tail event) followed by dense clusters of large daily moves and extreme days occurring far more often than usual. This directly supports the passage’s claim that a tail event raises the probability of further tail events, as it shows an increase in extreme events after an initial extreme event.
Option D states that seismic activity returns to baseline with no aftershock sequence, suggesting independence across events. This contradicts the passage’s claim about increased probability of further tail events after a first-order event.
Therefore, Option C provides the strongest support for the passage’s claim.
Correct_Option:C
Q. 8 The passage suggests that contact tracing apps could inadvertently raise risky interactions by altering local behaviour. Which one of the assumptions below is most necessary for that suggestion to hold?
Check Solution
Ans: B
Explanation:The passage states that contact-tracing apps, while informing us locally, might negatively impact our collective movement. It explains this by suggesting that if each person changes their behavior to avoid the infected, this could generate a collective pattern of higher interaction levels between the infected and susceptible, or among the asymptomatic. This implies that individual local responses to avoid infection interact and can lead to unintended large-scale patterns that may not achieve the intended aim of risk reduction. Option B directly reflects this mechanism by stating that individuals base movement choices on observed infections and others’ behavior, leading to local responses that interact and create large-scale patterns that can frustrate risk reduction efforts. Option A is contrary to the passage’s suggestion. Option C presents an ideal scenario not discussed in the passage and irrelevant to the core mechanism. Option D describes a simplified, predictable environment that doesn’t align with the complex systems discussed, especially how individual choices and social signals influence movement in collective settings.
Correct_Option:B
Q. 9 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
How can we know what someone else is thinking or feeling, let alone prove it in court? In his 1863 book, A General View of the Criminal Law of England, James Fitzjames Stephen, among the most celebrated legal thinkers of his generation, was of the opinion that the assessment of a person’s mental state was an inference made with “little consciousness.” In a criminal case, jurors, doctors, and lawyers could watch defendants—scrutinizing clothing, mannerisms, tone of voice—but the best they could hope for were clues. . . . Rounding these clues up to a judgment about a defendant’s guilt, or a defendant’s life, was an act of empathy and imagination. . . . The closer the resemblance between defendants and their judges, the easier it was to overlook the gap that inference filled. Conversely, when a defendant struck officials as unlike themselves, whether by dint of disease, gender, confession, or race, the precariousness of judgments about mental state was exposed.
In the nineteenth century, physicians who specialized in the study of madness and the care of the insane held themselves out as experts in the new field of mental science. Often called alienists or mad doctors, they were the predecessors of modern psychiatrists, neurologists, and psychologists. . . . The opinions of family and neighbors had once been sufficient to sift the sane from the insane, but a growing belief that insanity was a subtle condition that required expert, medical diagnosis pushed physicians into the witness box. . . . Lawyers for both prosecution and defense began to recruit alienists to assess defendants’ sanity and to testify to it in court.
Irresponsibility and insanity were not identical, however. Criminal responsibility was a legal concept and not, fundamentally, a medical one. Stephen explained: “The question ‘What are the mental elements of responsibility?’ is, and must be, a legal question. It cannot be anything else, for the meaning of responsibility is liability to punishment.” . . . Nonetheless, medical and legal accounts of what it meant to be mentally sound became entangled and mutually referential throughout the nineteenth century. Lawyers relied on medical knowledge to inform their opinions and arguments about the sanity of their clients. Doctors commented on the legal responsibility of their patients. Ultimately, the fields of criminal law and mental science were both invested in constructing an image of the broken and damaged psyche that could be contrasted with the whole and healthy one. This shared interest, and the shared space of the criminal courtroom, made it nearly impossible to consider responsibility without medicine, or insanity without law. . . .
Physicians and lawyers shared more than just concern for the mind. Class, race, and gender bound these middle-class, white, professional men together, as did family ties, patriotism, Protestantism, business ventures, the alumni networks of elite schools and universities, and structures of political patronage. But for all their affinities, men of medicine and law were divided by contests over the borders of criminal responsibility, as much within each profession as between them. Alienists steadily pushed the boundaries of their field, developing increasingly complex and capacious definitions of insanity. Eccentricity and aggression came to be classified as symptoms of mental disease, at least by some.
The last paragraph of the passage refers to “middle-class, white, professional men”. Which one of the following qualities best describes the connection among them?
Check Solution
Ans: A
The final section examines the social and professional relationships among physicians and legal professionals in the 1800s, including factors like social standing, ethnicity, sex, organizational memberships, and influence. Within this select circle, their engagement revolved around a common professional concern: the establishment and enforcement of culpability. This was a subject on which their views frequently diverged.
Option A provides the most accurate portrayal of this relationship. The text indicates that despite their shared characteristics, these individuals were “separated by disputes regarding the boundaries of criminal culpability,” both internally within their respective fields and in their interactions with each other. This phrasing highlights that discussions concerning the scope of criminal responsibility were fundamental to their engagements in legal proceedings and academic discourse.
Conversely, the remaining options fail to capture the relationship between these men as depicted in the provided text. Option B references a prior era where sanity was assessed by family and community members, preceding the involvement of medical specialists in legal matters. Option C points to attributes that psychiatrists began to frame as medical conditions, but it doesn’t address what united lawyers and physicians socially or professionally. Finally, Option D describes how juries infer mental states, as discussed in the initial paragraph, rather than the elite circles or professional dialogues presented in the concluding section.
Q. 10 According to the passage, who or what was an “alienist”?
Check Solution
Ans: B
Explanation:The passage explicitly states, “In the nineteenth century, physicians who specialized in the study of madness and the care of the insane held themselves out as experts in the new field of mental science. Often called alienists or mad doctors, they were the predecessors of modern psychiatrists, neurologists, and psychologists.” This directly defines an alienist as a physician specializing in madness and the care of the insane. Option B accurately reflects this definition. Option A is too broad and not supported by the text’s specific definition. Options C and D introduce concepts of immigrants, ‘aliens’ (in the extraterrestrial sense), and responsibility for them, which are not mentioned in the passage in relation to alienists.
Correct_Option:B
Q. 11 Study the following sets of concepts and identify the set that is conceptually closest to the concerns and arguments of the passage.
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage discusses how the legal system has historically attempted to understand and assess a person’s mental state, particularly in criminal cases. It highlights the role of legal thinkers like James Fitzjames Stephen, the rise of alienists (predecessors of psychiatrists) as experts, and the entanglement of legal concepts like criminal responsibility and punishment with medical concepts of insanity. The passage emphasizes the difficulty of truly knowing someone’s thoughts and feelings, the reliance on inference, empathy, and imagination, and how judgments about mental state were influenced by social factors like disease, gender, confession, and race. It also points out the complex relationship between legal responsibility and medical definitions of insanity, and how both professions worked towards constructing an image of the “broken psyche.”
Let’s analyze the options:
* **Option A: Empathy, Prosecution, Knowledge, Business.** “Empathy” and “Prosecution” are present in the passage. “Knowledge” is too general. “Business” is mentioned as a binding factor among professionals, but not a core concept of the passage’s argument.
* **Option B: Judgement, Belief, Accounts, Patronage.** “Judgement” and “Belief” are related to the process of assessment. “Accounts” refers to medical and legal accounts of mental state. “Patronage” is mentioned as a binding factor among professionals, but not a core concept.
* **Option C: Assessment, Empathy, Prosecution, Patriotism.** “Assessment” is central to how mental states are evaluated. “Empathy” is crucial for making inferences. “Prosecution” is a context for these assessments. “Patriotism” is mentioned as a binding factor but not a core concept of the argument.
* **Option D: Judgement, Insanity, Punishment, Responsibility.** “Judgement” is the outcome of the assessment process. “Insanity” and “Responsibility” are the central medical and legal concepts debated and intertwined. “Punishment” is directly linked to legal responsibility as explained by Stephen. These four concepts are deeply embedded in the passage’s core arguments about the legal and medical understanding of mental states in criminal law.
Option D most accurately captures the fundamental concepts that the passage revolves around: the difficulty and methods of judging mental states, the medical concept of insanity, the legal concept of responsibility, and the ultimate consequence of punishment which defines legal responsibility.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 12 “Conversely, when a defendant struck officials as unlike themselves, whether by dint of disease, gender, confession, or race, the precariousness of judgments about mental state was exposed.” Which one of the following best describes the use of the word “confession” in this sentence?
Check Solution
Ans: A
Explanation:The sentence in question states: “Conversely, when a defendant struck officials as unlike themselves, whether by dint of disease, gender, confession, or race, the precariousness of judgments about mental state was exposed.” The phrase “by dint of” means “by reason of” or “because of.” Therefore, the sentence is listing factors that could make a defendant seem unlike the officials and thus expose the subjective nature of judging their mental state. These factors are disease, gender, confession, and race. In this context, “confession” is used as a characteristic of the defendant that might differentiate them from the officials. It refers to the defendant’s religious affiliation or belief system, which could be a point of difference. Option A accurately captures this usage, where “confession” metaphorically refers to the religion of the defendant. Option B is incorrect because “confession” here is not about claiming a gender, race, or disease as a defense, but rather a characteristic that might distinguish the defendant. Option C misinterprets “dint” and the role of confession in relation to a false confession. Option D describes an action and confession, which is not the intended meaning in the sentence.
Correct_Option:A
Q. 13 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Time and again, whenever a population [of Mexican tetra fish] was swept into a cave and survived long enough for natural selection to have its way, the eyes disappeared. “But it’s not that everything has been lost in cavefish . . . Many enhancements have also happened.” . . . Studies have found that cave-dwelling fish can detect lower levels of amino acids than surface fish can. They also have more tastebuds and a higher density of sensitive cells alongside their bodies that let them sense water pressure and flow. . . .
Killing the processes that support the formation of the eye is quite literally what happens. Just like non-cave-dwelling members of the species, all cavefish embryos start making eyes. But after a few hours, cells in the developing eye start dying, until the entire structure has disappeared. [Developmental biologist Misty] Riddle thinks this apparent inefficiency may be unavoidable. “The early development of the brain and the eye are completely intertwined—they happen together,” she says. That means the least disruptive way for eyelessness to evolve may be to start making an eye and then get rid of it. . . .
It’s easy to see why cavefish would be at a disadvantage if they were to maintain expensive tissues they aren’t using. Since relatively little lives or grows in their caves, the fish are likely surviving on a meager diet of mostly bat feces and organic waste that washes in during the rainy season. Researchers keeping cavefish in labs have discovered that, genetically, the creatures are exquisitely adapted to absorbing and storing nutrients. . . .
Fats can be toxic for tissues, [evolutionary physiologist Nicolas] Rohner explains, so they are stored in fat cells. “But when these cells get too big, they can burst, which is why we often see chronic inflammation in humans and other animals that have stored a lot of fat in their tissues.” Yet a 2020 study by Rohner, Krishnan and their colleagues revealed that even very well-fed cavefish had fewer signs of inflammation in their fat tissues than surface fish do. Even in their sparse cave conditions, wild cavefish can sometimes get very fat, says Riddle. This is presumably because, whenever food ends up in the cave, the fish eat as much of it as possible, since there may be nothing else for a long time to come. Intriguingly, Riddle says, their fat is usually bright yellow because of high levels of carotenoids, the substance in the carrots that your grandmother used to tell you were good for your…eyes.
“The first thing that came to our mind, of course, was that they were accumulating these because they don’t have eyes,” says Riddle. In this species, such ideas can be tested: Scientists can cross surface fish (with eyes) and cavefish (without eyes) and look at what their offspring are like. When that’s done, Riddle says, researchers see no link between eye presence or size and the accumulation of carotenoids. Some eyeless cavefish had fat that was practically white, indicating lower carotenoid levels. Instead, Riddle thinks these carotenoids may be another adaptation to suppress inflammation, which might be important in the wild, as cavefish are likely overeating whenever food arrives.
All of the following statements from the passage describe adaptation in Mexican tetra cavefish EXCEPT:
Check Solution
Ans: C
Explanation:The question asks to identify the statement that does NOT describe an adaptation in Mexican tetra cavefish. Let’s analyze each option:
Option A: “It’s easy to see why cavefish would be at a disadvantage if they were to maintain expensive tissues they aren’t using.” This statement explains a *reason* for an adaptation (losing eyes), making it related to adaptation.
Option B: “Since relatively little lives or grows in their caves, the fish are likely surviving on a meager diet of mostly bat feces and organic waste that washes in during the rainy season.” This statement describes the *environment* and *diet* of the cavefish, which necessitates adaptations for survival, thus it’s context for adaptation.
Option C: “‘But when these cells get too big, they can burst, which is why we often see chronic inflammation in humans and other animals that have stored a lot of fat in their tissues.'” This statement describes a problem (“chronic inflammation”) that occurs in humans and other animals when they store a lot of fat. The passage then contrasts this with cavefish, implying that cavefish have adaptations to *avoid* this problem. Therefore, this statement itself describes a general biological phenomenon and not an adaptation of the cavefish; rather, the *lack* of this phenomenon in cavefish is an adaptation.
Option D: “Even in their sparse cave conditions, wild cavefish can sometimes get very fat, says Riddle.” This statement describes a condition experienced by cavefish, which is then used to explain their adaptations related to fat storage and carotenoids. This is a description of a characteristic related to adaptation.
Comparing the options, Option C is a general statement about fat storage in animals, not a description of a specific adaptation of the Mexican tetra cavefish. The passage uses this to explain how cavefish are different (adapted). The other options either describe reasons for adaptations, environmental contexts for adaptations, or characteristics related to adaptations.
Correct_Option:C
Q. 14 Which one of the following best explains why the “apparent inefficiency” is “unavoidable”?
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage states, “The least disruptive way for eyelessness to evolve may be to start making an eye and then get rid of it.” This is because “The early development of the brain and the eye are completely intertwined—they happen together.” Therefore, the “apparent inefficiency” of starting eye development only to have it disappear is unavoidable because the developmental processes are linked. Option D best captures this by stating that Mexican tetra cavefish are similar to non-cave-dwelling variants in their early stages of development, which is precisely why this initial, shared developmental pathway leads to the “inefficiency.” Options A and B are incorrect because they offer reasons for eyelessness or its consequences, not why the *process* of losing eyes is inefficient. Option C discusses compensation for eyelessness, not the reason for the unavoidable inefficiency of its evolution.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 15 Which one of the following results for the cross between surface fish (with eyes) and cavefish (without eyes) would invalidate Riddle’s inference from the experiment?
Check Solution
Ans: C
This inquiry probes Riddle’s hypothesis that the presence of carotenoids (leading to yellow fat) is independent of vision reduction and serves a distinct function, such as mitigating inflammation. To refute this, observed outcomes must demonstrate a clear correlation between the absence of eyes and the accumulation of carotenoids.
Option C would directly undermine this proposed connection. Should solely the offspring lacking eyes exhibit yellow fat, it would establish a compelling association between the absence of ocular structures and carotenoid deposition. This outcome would contradict Riddle’s assertion of “no link between eye presence or size and the accumulation of carotenoids,” thereby bolstering the prior notion that carotenoid accumulation is a consequence of cavefish’s lack of vision.
The remaining choices do not contest her viewpoint. Options A and D indicate that white fat can manifest irrespective of the fish’s visual state. Option B demonstrates that fish possessing eyes can also display yellow fat. These findings are consistent with Riddle’s assertion that carotenoid accumulation is not contingent upon the presence of eyes. Therefore, only option C would serve to disprove her inference.
Q. 16 On the basis of the information in the passage, what is the most likely function of carotenoids in Mexican tetra cavefish?
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage states, “Intriguingly, Riddle says, their fat is usually bright yellow because of high levels of carotenoids… ‘The first thing that came to our mind, of course, was that they were accumulating these because they don’t have eyes,’ says Riddle. In this species, such ideas can be tested: Scientists can cross surface fish (with eyes) and cavefish (without eyes) and look at what their offspring are like. When that’s done, Riddle says, researchers see no link between eye presence or size and the accumulation of carotenoids. Some eyeless cavefish had fat that was practically white, indicating lower carotenoid levels. Instead, Riddle thinks these carotenoids may be another adaptation to suppress inflammation, which might be important in the wild, as cavefish are likely overeating whenever food arrives.” This directly suggests that carotenoids are not a substitute for eyes (Option A) or a direct mechanism for fat cells to store nutrients (Option B). While they do render the fat bright yellow (Option C), the passage emphasizes that this is a consequence, not the primary function. The most likely function, as indicated by Riddle’s research and the lack of a link to eye presence, is to control inflammation from the bursting of fat cells, especially given the cavefish’s tendency to overeat when food is available.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 17 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
This book takes the position that setting in literature is more than just backdrop, that important insight into literary texts can be made by paying close attention to how authors craft place, as well as to how place functions in a narrative. The authors included in this reference work engage deeply with either real or imagined geographies. They care about how human decisions have shaped landscapes and how landscapes have shaped human practices and values. Some of the best writing is highly vivid, employing the language of the senses because this is the primary means through which humans know physical space.
Literature can offer valuable perspectives on physical and cultural geography. Unlike scientific reports, a literary narrative can provide the emotional component missing from the scientific record. In human experience, geographical places have a spiritual or emotional component in addition to and as part of a physical layout and topography. This emotional component, although subjective, is no less “real” than a surveyor’s map. Human consciousness of place is experienced in a multimodal manner. Histories of places live on in many forms, one of which is the human memory or imagination.
Both real and imaginary landscapes provide insight into the human experience of place. The pursuit of such a topic speaks to the valuable knowledge produced from bridging disciplines and combining material from both the arts and the sciences to better understand the human condition. The perspectives that most concern cultural geographers are often those regarding movement and migration, cultivation of natural resources, and organization of space. The latter two reflect concerns of the built environment, a topic shared with the field of architectural study. Many of these concerns are also reflected in work sociologists do. Scholars from literary studies can contribute an aesthetic dimension to what might otherwise be a purely ideological approach.
Literature can bring together material that spans different branches of science. For example, a literary description of place may involve not only the environment and geography but the noises and quality of light, or how people from different races or classes can experience the same place in different ways linked to those racial or class disparities. Literary texts can also account for the way in which absence—of other people, animals, and so on—affects a human observer or inhabitant. Both literary and scientific approaches to place are necessary, working in unison, to achieve a complete record of an environment. It is important to note that the interdisciplinary nature of this work teaches us that landscapes are not static, that they are not unchanged by human culture. At least part of their identity derives from the people who inhabit them and from the way space can alter and inspire human perspective. The intersection of scientific and literary expression that happens in the study of literary geography is of prime importance due to the complexity of the personal and political ways that humans experience place.
Which one of the following is a valid conclusion to draw from the author’s statement that, “The pursuit of such a topic speaks to the valuable knowledge produced from bridging disciplines and combining material from both the arts and the sciences to better understand the human condition.”?
Check Solution
Ans: C
Explanation:The passage states, “The pursuit of such a topic speaks to the valuable knowledge produced from bridging disciplines and combining material from both the arts and the sciences to better understand the human condition.” This sentence directly supports the idea that understanding the human condition is enhanced by combining insights from both the arts and the sciences. Option C rephrases this idea by stating that a comprehensive understanding of the human condition can best be achieved by combining findings from disciplines from the arts and sciences.
Option A is too general and doesn’t specifically reference the bridging of disciplines as the passage does.
Option B reverses the relationship described in the passage; the passage suggests combining arts and sciences to understand the human condition, not the other way around.
Option D focuses narrowly on literary descriptions and their contribution, whereas the passage speaks more broadly about combining arts and sciences for a holistic understanding of the human condition.
Correct_Option:C
Q. 18 Which one of the following is not true of the argument in the second paragraph?
Check Solution
Ans: C
Explanation:The second paragraph discusses how literature can offer valuable perspectives on geography by providing the emotional and spiritual components often missing from scientific reports. It states that geographical places have a spiritual or emotional component in addition to their physical layout, and this emotional component is “no less ‘real’ than a surveyor’s map.” It also mentions that “Histories of places live on in many forms, one of which is the human memory or imagination.” Option A is true because literary narratives provide emotional components. Option B is true because the paragraph states the emotional component is “no less ‘real’ than a surveyor’s map.” Option D is true as the paragraph mentions histories of places living on in human memory or imagination. Option C, however, is not true. While the emotional and spiritual experience is as real as a surveyor’s map, it doesn’t necessarily *replace* it. The paragraph implies a multimodal experience of place, suggesting that both physical and emotional/spiritual aspects are important.
Correct_Option:C
Q. 19 The author uses the example of the literary description of place to illustrate that:
Check Solution
Ans: B
Explanation:The passage states, “For example, a literary description of place may involve not only the environment and geography but the noises and quality of light, or how people from different races or classes can experience the same place in different ways linked to those racial or class disparities.” This directly supports option B, illustrating how literary descriptions can highlight differing experiences of the same place based on factors like race or class. Option A is incorrect because the passage emphasizes the necessity of both scientific and literary approaches. Option C is not supported by the text; while architectural study is mentioned as sharing concerns, the specific example is about literary descriptions, not architectural calibration of sensory elements. Option D is also supported by the text (“Literary texts can also account for the way in which absence—of other people, animals, and so on—affects a human observer or inhabitant”), but the question asks what the author uses the *example of the literary description of place to illustrate*, and the most comprehensive illustration provided by the example is the varying human experiences of a place, which is captured by option B.
Correct_Option:B
Q. 20 All of the following statements, if false, would contradict the arguments in the passage, EXCEPT that:
Check Solution
Ans: D
The text states that “The past of locations persists in various forms, one of which is human recollection or inventiveness.” It also suggests that these locations and their “affective dimension, while personal, is as substantial as a surveyor’s chart.” Consequently, in written works, portrayals of locations do not necessitate satellite views or other visual aids to convey an authentic impression. If this were not the case, the reasoning presented in the text would be undermined. Option A is incorrect.
From the statement, “Both tangible and imagined environments offer understanding of how people perceive their surroundings,” we can deduce that if option B were incorrect, it would conflict with the text. Option B is incorrect.
Based on the idea that “Narrative can integrate elements from various scientific fields. For instance, a literary portrayal of a location might encompass not just the natural surroundings and geography but also sounds and the quality of illumination, or how individuals from diverse ethnic or social strata might perceive the same locale differently due to those ethnic or social inequalities. Fictional works can also address how the lack of other individuals, creatures, and so forth, impacts a human observer or resident,” it can be understood that written narratives possess the capacity to generate potent impressions of reality through their descriptions. If option C were inaccurate, it would contradict the information supplied in the text. Option C is incorrect.
From the assertion, “In human perception, geographic areas possess a spiritual or affective dimension alongside and as a constituent of their physical arrangement and terrain. This affective dimension, while personal, is as tangible as a surveyor’s chart,” it can be inferred that the physical and emotional experience of a location is a matter of personal perception. Therefore, if option D were incorrect, the arguments put forth in the text would not be contradicted. Option D is the correct answer.
Q. 21 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
In 1982, a raging controversy broke out over a forest act drafted by the Government of India. This act sought to strengthen the already extensive powers enjoyed by the forest bureaucracy in controlling the extraction, disposal and sale of forest produce. It also gave forest officials greater powers to strictly regulate the entry of any person into reserved forest areas. While forest officials justified the act on the grounds that it was necessary to stop the continuing deforestation, it was bitterly opposed by representatives of grassroots organisations, who argued that it was a major violation of the rights of peasants and tribals living in and around forest areas. . . .
The debate over the draft forest act fuelled a larger controversy over the orientation of state forest policy. It was pointed out, for example, that the draft act was closely modelled on its predecessor, the Forest Act of 1878. The earlier Act rested on a usurpation of rights of ownership by the colonial state which had little precedent in precolonial history. It was further argued that the system of forestry introduced by the British—and continued, with little modification, after 1947 —emphasised revenue generation and commercial exploitation, while its policing orientation excluded villagers who had the most longstanding claim on forest resources. Critics called for a complete overhaul of forest administration, pressing the government to formulate policy and legislation more appropriate to present needs. . . .
That debate is not over yet. The draft act was shelved, though it has not as yet been formally withdrawn. Meanwhile, the 1878 Act (as modified by an amendment in 1927) continues to be in operation. In response to its critics, the government has made some important changes in forest policy, e.g., no longer treating forests as a source of revenue, and stopping ecologically hazardous practices such as the clearfelling of natural forests. At the same time, it has shown little inclination to meet the major demand of the critics of forest policy—namely, abandoning the principle of state monopoly over forest land by handing over areas of degraded forests to
individuals and communities for afforestation.
. . . [The] 1878 Forest Act itself was passed only after a bitter and prolonged debate within the colonial bureaucracy, in which protagonists put forward arguments strikingly similar to those being advanced today. As is well known, the Indian Forest Department owes its origin to the requirements of railway companies. The early years of the expansion of the railway network, c. 1853 onwards, led to tremendous deforestation in peninsular India owing to the railway’s requirements of fuelwood and construction timber. Huge quantities of durable timbers were also needed for use as sleepers across the newly laid tracks. Inexperienced in forestry, the British called in German experts to commence systematic forest management. The Indian Forest Department was started in 1864, with Dietrich Brandis, formerly a Lecturer at Bonn, as the first Inspector General of Forests. The new department needed legislative backing to function effectively, and in the following year, 1865, the first forest act was passed. . . .
Which one of the following best encapsulates the reason for the “raging controversy” developing into a “larger controversy”?
Check Solution
Ans: A
Explanation:The passage states that the debate over the draft forest act “fuelled a larger controversy over the orientation of state forest policy.” It then elaborates on this by pointing out that the draft act was “closely modelled on its predecessor, the Forest Act of 1878,” which itself was based on the “usurpation of rights of ownership by the colonial state” and emphasized “revenue generation and commercial exploitation” while “policing” excluded villagers. This indicates that the controversy over the 1982 draft act broadened into a larger debate about the historical colonial roots and exploitative nature of forest policy, which the new act seemed to perpetuate. Option A accurately captures this transition from a specific act to a broader policy critique by highlighting the replication of colonial measures. Options B and C describe valid points of opposition but do not explain how the controversy *broadened*. Option D is contradicted by the passage, which states the government has shifted away from treating forests as a source of revenue.
Correct_Option:A
Q. 22 All of the following, if true, would weaken the narrative presented in the passage EXCEPT that:
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage argues that the British introduced a system of forestry based on the usurpation of rights and commercial exploitation, continuing a pattern that excluded villagers and tribals who had long-standing claims.
Option A: This statement suggests tribal groups are responsible for climate change through deforestation. If true, it would weaken the narrative that the British forestry system was the primary cause of deforestation and the denial of rights, as it implies an independent cause rooted in tribal practices.
Option B: This statement claims that pre-British rulers also denied access to forest resources to peasants and tribal groups. If true, this would significantly weaken the passage’s narrative by suggesting that the denial of rights was not solely a product of British colonial policy but a continuation or a different manifestation of a pre-existing situation. This would challenge the idea that the British system was a radical departure that usurped rights.
Option C: This statement suggests that timber for railways was imported from China. If true, this would directly contradict the passage’s claim that railway expansion led to tremendous deforestation in peninsular India due to its requirements for fuelwood and construction timber. This would weaken the stated reason for the establishment of the Indian Forest Department and its subsequent acts.
Option D: This statement suggests German forestry experts were known for violating indigenous rights. If true, this would strengthen the narrative presented in the passage, not weaken it. It would imply that the very experts brought in to manage Indian forests might have brought with them practices that were detrimental to local communities, aligning with the passage’s critique.
The question asks which option, if true, would weaken the narrative EXCEPT. This means we are looking for the option that *does not* weaken the narrative, or possibly strengthens it. Option D strengthens the narrative by suggesting that the imported expertise itself might have been problematic for indigenous communities, reinforcing the critique of the forestry system. Options A, B, and C all introduce alternative explanations or contradictions that could weaken the central arguments of the passage.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 23 According to the passage, which one of the following is not common to the 1878 Forest Act and the 1982 draft forest act?
Check Solution
Ans: C
Explanation:The passage states that the 1878 Forest Act rested on a “usurpation of rights of ownership by the colonial state” and that the 1982 draft forest act was “closely modelled on its predecessor, the Forest Act of 1878.” This indicates that both acts had a colonial basis and sought to establish state control over forest resources. The passage also mentions that the 1878 Act was passed after a “bitter and prolonged debate” and that the 1982 act sparked a “raging controversy” and was “bitterly opposed.” Therefore, controversies and debates were common to both. However, the passage does not state that either the 1878 Act or the 1982 draft act *resulted* in large-scale deforestation. The passage mentions that the *need* for the 1878 Act arose from tremendous deforestation caused by railway expansion, but not that the Act itself caused it. The 1982 act was intended to *stop* deforestation.
Correct_Option:C
Q. 24 According to the passage, which one of the following reforms is yet to happen in India’s forest policies?
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage states that “At the same time, it has shown little inclination to meet the major demand of the critics of forest policy—namely, abandoning the principle of state monopoly over forest land by handing over areas of degraded forests to individuals and communities for afforestation.” This indicates that involving local people in cultivating forests by handing over forest land to individuals and communities is a reform that has not yet happened. Option A is incorrect because the passage discusses a “state monopoly over forest land,” implying the state’s claim is already recognized. Option B is incorrect because the passage mentions efforts to “stop ecologically hazardous practices such as the clearfelling of natural forests,” which implies a move towards banning deforestation. Option C is incorrect because the passage mentions “no longer treating forests as a source of revenue” and stopping ecologically hazardous practices, suggesting a recognition of the ecological significance.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 25 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Once a society accepts a secular mode of creativity, within which the creator replaces God, imaginative transactions assume a self-conscious form. The tribal imagination, on the other hand, is still to a large extent dreamlike and hallucinatory. It admits fusion between various planes of existence and levels of time in a natural and artless manner. In tribal stories, oceans fly in the sky as birds, mountains swim in water as fish, animals speak as humans and stars grow like plants. Spatial order and temporal sequence do not restrict the narrative. This is not to say that tribal creations have no conventions or rules, but simply that they admit the principle of association between emotion and the narrative motif. Thus stars, seas, mountains, trees, men and animals can be angry, sad or happy.
It might be said that tribal artists work more on the basis of their racial and sensory memory than on the basis of a cultivated imagination. In order to understand this distinction, we must understand the difference between imagination and memory. In the animate world, consciousness meets two immediate material realities: space and time. We put meaning into space by perceiving it in terms of images. The image-making faculty is a genetic gift to the human mind—this power of imagination helps us understand the space that envelops us. With regard to time, we make connections with the help of memory; one remembers being the same person today as one was yesterday.
The tribal mind has a more acute sense of time than the sense of space. Somewhere along the history of human civilization, tribal communities seem to have realized that domination over territorial space was not their lot. Thus, they seem to have turned almost obsessively to gaining domination over time. This urge is substantiated in their ritual of conversing with their dead ancestors: year after year, tribals in many parts of India worship terracotta or carved-wood objects representing their ancestors, aspiring to enter a trance in which they can converse with the dead. Over the centuries, an amazingly sharp memory has helped tribals classify material and natural objects into a highly complex system of knowledge. . .
One of the main characteristics of the tribal arts is their distinct manner of constructing space and imagery, which might be described as ‘hallucinatory’. In both oral and visual forms of representation, tribal artists seem to interpret verbal or pictorial space as demarcated by an extremely flexible ‘frame’. The boundaries between art and non-art become almost invisible. A tribal epic can begin its narration from a trivial everyday event; tribal paintings merge with living space as if the two were one and the same. And within the narrative itself, or within the painted imagery, there is no deliberate attempt to follow a sequence. The episodes retold and the images created take on the apparently chaotic shapes of dreams. In a way, the syntax of language and the grammar of painting are the same, as if literature were painted words and painting were a song of images.
Non-human living forms exhibit human emotions in tribal narratives because tribal narratives:
Check Solution
Ans: B
Explanation:The passage states that in tribal stories, “oceans fly in the sky as birds, mountains swim in water as fish, animals speak as humans and stars grow like plants.” It also mentions that “Spatial order and temporal sequence do not restrict the narrative” and that tribal artists “admit the principle of association between emotion and the narrative motif.” This fusion of different elements and the disregard for conventional boundaries between species and their typical behaviors illustrate an “existential fluidity,” where the lines between different states of being are blurred. Option A is incorrect because the passage contrasts the “self-conscious form” of secular creativity with the “dreamlike and hallucinatory” nature of tribal imagination. Option C is incorrect because the passage explicitly states that tribal creations “have no conventions or rules,” but rather that they admit certain associations. Option D is incorrect because the passage describes tribal knowledge systems as “highly complex” and their memory as “amazingly sharp,” suggesting development rather than being rudimentary.
Correct_Option:B
Q. 26 On the basis of the passage, which one of the following explains the main difference between imagination and memory?
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage explicitly states, “The image-making faculty is a genetic gift to the human mind—this power of imagination helps us understand the space that envelops us. With regard to time, we make connections with the help of memory; one remembers being the same person today as one was yesterday.” This directly contrasts the roles of imagination and memory, linking imagination to understanding space and memory to understanding time. Option A is partially correct but doesn’t fully capture the distinction made in the passage. Option B talks about tribal groups’ preference, which is a consequence of their characteristics, not the core difference. Option C suggests cultivation for imagination and intuition for memory, which is an interpretation not directly supported as the *main difference* by the passage’s description.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 27 Which one of the following best explains why tribals in India worship their dead ancestors?
Check Solution
Ans: A
Explanation:The passage states, “This urge is substantiated in their ritual of conversing with their dead ancestors: year after year, tribals in many parts of India worship terracotta or carved-wood objects representing their ancestors, aspiring to enter a trance in which they can converse with the dead.” It then immediately connects this to their perceived need for “domination over time,” contrasting it with a lack of territorial domination. Therefore, the worship of ancestors is presented as a means to achieve this “domination over time.” Option B is true but not the primary reason explained in the passage. Option C describes a consequence of their memory but not the reason for ancestor worship. Option D is explicitly contradicted by the passage.
Correct_Option:A
Q. 28 All of the following, if true, would weaken the passage’s claims about the hallucinatory tribal imagination EXCEPT that:
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The passage describes the tribal imagination as “dreamlike and hallucinatory,” with “fusion between various planes of existence and levels of time in a natural and artless manner.” It also states that “spatial order and temporal sequence do not restrict the narrative” and that “there is no deliberate attempt to follow a sequence.” Tribal art is said to have an “extremely flexible ‘frame’,” where “boundaries between art and non-art become almost invisible” and “tribal paintings merge with living space.” The question asks which option, if true, would *not* weaken these claims.
Let’s analyze each option:
* **Option A: tribal art excludes the depiction of the mundane reality of everyday life and objects.** This would *weaken* the passage’s claim that “A tribal epic can begin its narration from a trivial everyday event” and that tribal paintings merge with living space, implying a connection to everyday reality. If they exclude mundane reality, it suggests a more deliberate and perhaps less “hallucinatory” approach to subject matter.
* **Option B: tribal narratives exhibit a chronological beginning, middle, and end.** This would directly *weaken* the passage’s claim that “spatial order and temporal sequence do not restrict the narrative” and that “there is no deliberate attempt to follow a sequence.” A clear chronological structure is the opposite of the unrestricted and chaotic sequencing described.
* **Option C: tribal stories depict the natural world in accordance with rational scientific knowledge.** This would *weaken* the passage’s claims about the “hallucinatory” nature and the “fusion between various planes of existence.” Depicting the natural world rationally and scientifically implies adherence to established laws and order, which contradicts the dreamlike and unrestricted merging of elements described (e.g., “oceans fly in the sky as birds, mountains swim in water as fish”).
* **Option D: shamanic rituals involving conversing with the dead often feature in tribal stories.** This would *not weaken* the passage’s claims. The passage explicitly mentions that “tribal communities seem to have realized that domination over territorial space was not their lot. Thus, they seem to have turned almost obsessively to gaining domination over time. This urge is substantiated in their ritual of conversing with their dead ancestors.” This indicates that such rituals are a part of tribal life and imagination, fitting within the described framework of their focus on time and their “hallucinatory” or associative mode of creativity, rather than contradicting it.
Correct_Option:D
Q. 29 Instructions
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Over the course of the twentieth century, humans built, on average, one large dam a day, hulking structures of steel and concrete designed to control flooding, facilitate irrigation, and generate electricity. Dams were also lucrative contracts, large-scale employers, and the physical instantiation of a messianic drive to conquer territories and control nature. Some of the results of that drive were charismatic mega-infrastructure—the Hoover on the Colorado River or the Aswan on the Nile—but most of the tens of thousands of dams that dot the Earth’s landscape have drawn little attention. These are the smaller, though not inconsequential, barriers that today impede the flow of water on nearly two-thirds of the world’s large waterways. Chances are, what your map calls a “lake” is actually a reservoir, and that thin blue line that emerges from it once flowed very differently.
Damming a river is always a partisan act. Even when explicit infrastructure goals— irrigation, flood control, electrification—were met, other consequences were significant and often deleterious. Across the world, river control displaced millions of people, threatening livelihoods, foodways, and cultures. In the western United States, dams were often an instrument of colonialism, used to dispossess Indigenous people and subsidize settler agriculture. And as dams slowed the flow of water, inhibited the movement of nutrients, and increased the amount of toxic algae and other parasites, they snuffed out entire river ecologies. Declining fish populations are the most evident effect, but dams also threaten a host of other animals—from birds and reptiles to fungi and plants—with extinction. Every major dam, then, is also a sacrifice zone, a place where lives, livelihoods, and ways of life are eliminated so that new sorts of landscapes can support water-intensive agriculture and cities that sprout downstream of new reservoirs.
Such sacrifices have been justified as offerings at the temples of modernity. Justified by—and for—whom, though? Over the course of the twentieth century, rarely were the costs and benefits weighed thoughtfully and decided democratically. As Kader Asmal, chair of the landmark 2000 World Commission on Dams, concluded, “There have been precious few, if any, comprehensive, independent analyses as to why dams came about, how dams perform over time, and whether we are getting a fair return from our $2 trillion investment.” A quarter- century later, Asmal’s words ring ever truer. A litany of dams built in the mid- twentieth century are approaching the end of their expected lives, with worrying prospects for their durability. Droughts, magnified and multiplied by the effects of climate change, have forced more and more to run below capacity. If ever there were a time to rethink the mania for dams, it would be now.
There is some evidence that a combination of opposition, alternative energy sources, and a lack of viable projects has slowed the construction of major dams. But a wave of recent and ongoing construction, from India and China to Ethiopia and Canada, continues to tilt the global balance firmly in favor of water impoundment.
Which one of the following sets of terms is closest to mapping the key arguments of the passage?
Check Solution
Ans: C
The text outlines a clear progression of an argument. It starts by presenting dams, using examples of large-scale, widely recognized infrastructure, as emblems of aspiration and comprehensive command over the natural world. Subsequently, it illustrates how each major dam leads to a sacrifice area, displacing populations, destroying natural environments, and eliminating ways of life. These detriments have been framed as necessary contributions to “modernity’s temples” or in the pursuit of advancement. Finally, the passage observes that worldwide, the trend of holding back water persists, even with growing proof of detrimental impacts and the deterioration of established dams.
Option (c) accurately reflects this sequence by identifying the driving force, the outcomes, the rationalizations, and the ongoing direction of dam construction. The remaining choices fail to encompass this overarching argument, instead presenting isolated concepts or incomplete effects.
Q. 30 What does the author wish to communicate by referring to the Hoover and Aswan dams in the first paragraph?
Check Solution
Ans: D
Explanation:The author uses the Hoover and Aswan dams as examples of “charismatic mega-infrastructure” to illustrate the scale and ambition of the drive to control nature through dam building. However, the subsequent sentences in the paragraph emphasize that these are exceptions, and the vast majority of dams are smaller and less noticeable. The author then contrasts these large dams with the numerous smaller dams that collectively impede flow on many waterways. Option D accurately captures this point by stating that the drive to control nature is evident in both mega-infrastructures and smaller dams, thereby connecting the examples to the broader theme of the passage. Options A, B, and C are not directly supported by the text. The passage doesn’t claim the rivers are “thin blue lines” (A), nor does it link large-scale employers to messianic figures (B) or suggest the designers were charismatic (C).
Correct_Option:D
Q. 31 The word “instantiation” is used in the first paragraph. Which one of the following pairs of terms would be the best substitute for it in the context of its usage in the paragraph?
Check Solution
Ans: A
Explanation:The word “instantiation” in the first paragraph refers to the act of giving concrete form to an idea or concept. The passage states that dams were “the physical instantiation of a messianic drive to conquer territories and control nature.” This means dams were the physical embodiment or manifestation of that drive. Option A, “exemplification and manifestation,” best captures this meaning, as “exemplification” means a typical example of something, and “manifestation” means an outward display or embodiment. The other options do not fit the context as well. “Concreteness and viability” (Option B) relate to the physical nature and possibility of something, but not the act of giving form to an idea. “Durability and timeliness” (Option C) refer to longevity and being on time, which are not relevant to how “instantiation” is used here. “Development and construction” (Option D) are related to building, but “instantiation” is about giving form to an abstract concept through that building process.
Correct_Option:A
Q. 32 All of the following statements may be considered valid inferences from the passage EXCEPT that:
Check Solution
Ans: B
Explanation:The passage states that “These are the smaller, though not inconsequential, barriers that today impede the flow of water on nearly two-thirds of the world’s large waterways.” It also discusses the negative impacts of dams, including threatening animals with extinction. There is no information in the passage to suggest that smaller dams are safer than large dam projects. In fact, the passage implies that the cumulative effect of these smaller dams is significant.
Let’s analyze the other options:
Option A: The passage states, “There is some evidence that a combination of opposition, alternative energy sources, and a lack of viable projects has slowed the construction of major dams. But a wave of recent and ongoing construction, from India and China to Ethiopia and Canada, continues to tilt the global balance firmly in favor of water impoundment.” This supports the inference that dams continue to be built despite opposition and alternatives.
Option C: The passage explicitly states, “In the western United States, dams were often an instrument of colonialism, used to dispossess Indigenous people and subsidize settler agriculture.” This directly supports the inference that dam-building has been used to displace people from their territories.
Option D: The passage quotes Kader Asmal, who concluded that “There have been precious few, if any, comprehensive, independent analyses as to why dams came about, how dams perform over time, and whether we are getting a fair return from our $2 trillion investment.” This strongly suggests that dam-building has been costly and its justifications are questionable.
Therefore, the only statement that cannot be considered a valid inference from the passage is that smaller dams are safer than large dam projects.
Correct_Option:B