Having a perceptive faculty is definitive of being an animal; every animal has at least touch, whereas most have the other sensory modalities as well. In broad terms at least, animals must have perception if they are to live. So, Aristotle supposes, there are defensible teleological grounds for treating animals as essentially capable of perceiving. If an animal is to grow to maturity and propagate, it must be able to take in nourishment and to navigate its way through the world. Perception serves these ends. Q. Which of the following would be closest to the main idea expressed in the passage?

Animals must be capable of perception because it fulfils the function of enabling them to live.

Touch is the least of the sensory modalities that all animals possess and which define them.

According to Aristotle, how we treat animals depends on how we perceive them.

Taking nourishment and being able to navigate are essential for an animal to live.

If an animal had only touch and no other sensory modality, it would not be able to live.

Read the following passage and answer the questions. The hurt that I am feeling right now, I know that you can feel it inside. But I want you to remember that once it’s through, You’ll always be my big brother, Someone whom I will forever look up to. Which of the following is NOT implied in the above?

The poet is addressing his big brother.

The person spoken to is assumed to be sharing the speaker’s pain.

The speaker has somehow hurt the other person in the poem.

The speaker is deeply hurt in some way.

The speaker hopes that the hurt will pass over.

Read the following passage and answer the questions. That people undergoing medical procedures should give their informed consent might seem simple and uncontentious. But what if a patient has a mental impairment and his doctor cannot make the patient understand the treatment? A team of researchers reckon virtual environments could provide the solution. Once inside the virtual hospital, the virtual patients will be directed to a waiting room. Then a virtual nurse will take them to a bed, where they will lie down to have virtual blood taken. A Second Life doctor will explain that they are about to have an anaesthetic. Meanwhile, a real person alongside the participant will answer any questions and, after the virtual visit is over, doctors will carry out “non-directive” interviews. These interviews will suggest whether the participants have understood what was going on well enough to give informed consent. Q. The success of the virtual environment will help reinforce which of the following assumptions (of the researchers)?

A real doctor is incapable of explaining the medical procedure to a patient with mental impairment.

The standard method of obtaining consent from a patient is not effective.

The atmosphere of a hospital is conducive neither for explaining the medical procedures nor for persuading a patient to give consent.

Virtual doctors are better at explaining things than real ones to patients with mental impairment.

Patients with medical ailments are capable of giving informed consent.

Complete the paragraph most appropriately using the best option. In their selfish desire to leave offspring, our genes have evolved to form a society where they work together efficiently, dividing the labour to ensure that each makes it into the next generation. Like Adam Smith’s invisible hand, the genes in this society cooperate with one another not from a sense of fairness or design, _______________________. Q. Which of the following options is most likely to follow the paragraph given above?

but to weed out the DNA that does not contribute towards their reproduction

but in-order to be conserved by natural selection and thereby be functional

but to maximise their own survival

but to prevent the possibility of random gene mutation

but to further human survival itself

Answer the question based on the passage given below. Concrete poetry or shape poetry is poetry in which the typographical arrangement of words is as important in conveying the intended effect as the conventional elements of the poem, such as meaning of words, rhythm, rhyme and so on. It is sometimes referred to as visual poetry; a term that has evolved to have distinct meaning of its own, because the words themselves form a picture. This can be called imagery because you use your senses to figure out what the words mean. Q. Which of the following is communicated by the passage?

Conventional poetry is similar to Visual poetry.

In Conventional poetry, words themselves form a picture.

Concrete poetry, Visual poetry, or Shape poetry use imagery to convey meaning.

Answer the following question based on the information given below. Consumers are increasingly aware of pollution caused due to production of plastic and hence, have been increasingly supporting the use of recycled plastic for packaging purposes. However, the percentage of recycled plastic used in packaging is 6.5% while it is 48.2% for recycled paper. Q. Which of the following most clearly explains the difference in these percentages in light of the facts stated?

Recycled paper is cheaper than recycled plastic and hence more popular among packaging companies.

Recycled plastic is being used more than plastic in packaging; there is no ground for comparison with recycled paper.

There is no option of using paper instead of recycled paper in packaging like there is for using plastic instead of recycled plastic.

The technology for recycling paper was invented much earlier than the technology for recycling plastic was.

Recycled plastic, although less harmful than plastic, is still not biodegradable like recycled paper.

Read the following passage and answer the question that follow. People who regularly eat chocolate are more depressive, experts have found. Research in Archives of Internal Medicine shows those who eat at least a bar every week are more glum than those who eat chocolate only now and again. Many believe chocolate has the power to lift mood. But experts say they cannot rule out that chocolate may be a cause rather than the cure for being depressed. In the study, the more chocolate the men and women consumed, the lower was their mood. Q. Which of the following assumptions needs to be necessarily true?

Those who ate the most chocolates scored the highest on depression.

Those who ate the most chocolates were found to be on anti-depressants.

None of those in the study were or had been diagnosed as clinically depressed.

None of those in the study were or had been alcoholics.

The 'Mozart effect' phenomenon was first suggested by a scientific study published in 1993 in the respected journal Science. It showed that teenagers who listened to Mozart's 1781 Sonata for Two Pianos in D major performed better in reasoning tests than adolescents who listened to something else or who had been in a silent room. The study (which did not look at the effect of Mozart on babies) found that college students who listened to a Mozart sonata for a few minutes before taking a test that measured spatial relationship skills did better than students who took the test after listening to another musician or no music at all. The finding, by a group at the University of California whose study involved only 36 students, led creches in America to start playing classical music to children and the southern US state of Georgia even gave newborns a free classical CD. But there has been debate since about whether the effect exists. A report, published in the journal Pediatrics, said it was unclear whether the original study in 1993 has detected a "Mozart effect" or a potential benefit of music in general. But they said a previous study of adults with seizures found that compositions by Mozart, rather than other classical composers, appeared to lower seizure frequency. Lubetzky's team said it was possible that the proposed Mozart effect on the brain is related to the structure of his compositions as Mozart's music tends to repeat the melodic line more frequently. In more condemning evidence, a team from Vienna University's Faculty of Psychology analysed all studies since 1993 that have sought to reproduce the Mozart effect and found no proof of the phenomenon's existence. In all they looked at 3,000 individuals in 40 studies conducted around the world. Jakob Pietschnig, who led the study, said "I recommend everyone listen to Mozart, but it's not going to improve cognitive abilities as some people hope,". A study in Nature in 1999 by Christopher Chabris, a psychologist, adding up the results of 16 studies on the Mozart effect, found only a one and a half point increase in IQ and any improvements in spatial ability limited solely to a paper-folding task. Q. Which of these cannot be inferred from the passage?

Creches started playing classical music in an attempt to make children smarter from an early age.

Contradictory studies and reports have led to mixed opinions as to whether or not the Mozart effect exists.

The Mozart effect is specific to Mozart's 1781 Sonata for Two Pianos in D major.

There are studies that have found that improvements in IQ and spatial reasoning abilities caused by the Mozart effect are not very significant.

It is possible that had the structure of Mozart's compositions been different, the Mozart effect may never have been observed.

The 'Mozart effect' phenomenon was first suggested by a scientific study published in 1993 in the respected journal Science. It showed that teenagers who listened to Mozart's 1781 Sonata for Two Pianos in D major performed better in reasoning tests than adolescents who listened to something else or who had been in a silent room. The study (which did not look at the effect of Mozart on babies) found that college students who listened to a Mozart sonata for a few minutes before taking a test that measured spatial relationship skills did better than students who took the test after listening to another musician or no music at all. The finding, by a group at the University of California whose study involved only 36 students, led creches in America to start playing classical music to children and the southern US state of Georgia even gave newborns a free classical CD. But there has been debate since about whether the effect exists. A report, published in the journal Pediatrics, said it was unclear whether the original study in 1993 has detected a "Mozart effect" or a potential benefit of music in general. But they said a previous study of adults with seizures found that compositions by Mozart, rather than other classical composers, appeared to lower seizure frequency. Lubetzky's team said it was possible that the proposed Mozart effect on the brain is related to the structure of his compositions as Mozart's music tends to repeat the melodic line more frequently. In more condemning evidence, a team from Vienna University's Faculty of Psychology analysed all studies since 1993 that have sought to reproduce the Mozart effect and found no proof of the phenomenon's existence. In all they looked at 3,000 individuals in 40 studies conducted around the world. Jakob Pietschnig, who led the study, said "I recommend everyone listen to Mozart, but it's not going to improve cognitive abilities as some people hope,". A study in Nature in 1999 by Christopher Chabris, a psychologist, adding up the results of 16 studies on the Mozart effect, found only a one and a half point increase in IQ and any improvements in spatial ability limited solely to a paper-folding task. Q. A child has been exposed to Mozart's sonatas since birth. Several years pass, wherein he encounters Mozart's music frequently, especially 1781 Sonata for Two Pianos in D major. He has a big test tomorrow, but he omits to listen to Mozart before taking it. What can be said about his performance in the test?

The boy would have performed much better had he listened to Mozart the day before the test.

The boy would have done well had he listened to Mozart's 1781 Sonata for Two Pianos in D major before the test.

The boy would have definitely performed badly as he did not listen to Mozart the day before the test.

His performance in the test is unaffected by not listening to Mozart right before it, but is improved by his exposure to it at a young age.

His performance in the test is not significantly affected by his exposure to Mozart any time during his life.

Group Question A passage is followed by questions pertaining to the passage. Read the passage and answer the questions. Choose the most appropriate answer. The nature and definition of matter have been subject to much debate, as have other key concepts in science and philosophy. Is there a single kind of matter which everything is made of (hyle), or multiple kinds? Is matter a continuous substance capable of expressing multiple forms (hylomorphism), or a number of discrete, unchanging constituents (atomism)? Does it have intrinsic properties (substance theory), or is it lacking them (prima materia)? Without question science has made unexpected discoveries about matter. Some paraphrase departures from traditional or common- sense concepts of matter as “disproving the existence of matter”. However, most physical scientists take the view that the concept of matter has merely changed, rather than being eliminated. One challenge to the traditional concept of matter as tangible “stuff’ is the rise of field physics in the 19th century. However the conclusion that materialism is false may be premature. Relativity shows that matter and energy (including the spatially distributed energy of fields) are interchangeable. This enables the ontological view that energy is prima materia and matter is one of its forms. On the other hand, quantum field theory models fields as exchanges of particles- photons for electromagnetic fields and so on. On this view it could be said that fields are “really matter.” All known solid, liquid, and gaseous substances are composed of protons, neutrons and electrons. All three are fermions or spin-half particles, whereas the particles that mediate fields in quantum field theory are bosons. Thus matter can be said to divide into a more tangible fermionic kind and a less tangible bosonic kind. However it is now generally believed that less than 5% of the physical composition of the universe is made up of such “matter”, and the majority of the universe is composed of Dark Matter and Dark Energy- with no agreement amongst scientists about what these are made of. This obviously refutes the traditional materialism that held that the only things that exist are things composed of the kind of matter with which we are broadly familiar (“traditional matter”) - which was anyway under great strain as noted above from Relativity and quantum field theory. But if the definition of “matter” is extended to “anything whose existence can be inferred from the observed behaviour of traditional matter” then there is no reason in principle why entities whose existence materialists normally deny should not be considered as “matter.” Some philosophers feel that these dichotomies necessitate a switch from materialism to physicalism. Others use materialism and physicalism interchangeably. Q. From the passage, we can conclude that:

The definition of traditional matter can be refuted by the developments in Quantum field theory and the Theory of Relativity.

Dark Matter and Dark Energy are one of the more ambiguous fields in the study of matter.

Energy can be stored in the form of matter for future use.

The nature and definition of matter have been subject to much debate, as have other key concepts in science and philosophy. Is there a single kind of matter which everything is made of (hyle), or multiple kinds? Is matter a continuous substance capable of expressing multiple forms (hylomorphism), or a number of discrete, unchanging constituents (atomism)? Does it have intrinsic properties (substance theory), or is it lacking them (prima materia)? Without question science has made unexpected discoveries about matter. Some paraphrase departures from traditional or common- sense concepts of matter as “disproving the existence of matter”. However, most physical scientists take the view that the concept of matter has merely changed, rather than being eliminated. One challenge to the traditional concept of matter as tangible “stuff’ is the rise of field physics in the 19th century. However the conclusion that materialism is false may be premature. Relativity shows that matter and energy (including the spatially distributed energy of fields) are interchangeable. This enables the ontological view that energy is prima materia and matter is one of its forms. On the other hand, quantum field theory models fields as exchanges of particles- photons for electromagnetic fields and so on. On this view it could be said that fields are “really matter.” All known solid, liquid, and gaseous substances are composed of protons, neutrons and electrons. All three are fermions or spin-half particles, whereas the particles that mediate fields in quantum field theory are bosons. Thus matter can be said to divide into a more tangible fermionic kind and a less tangible bosonic kind. However it is now generally believed that less than 5% of the physical composition of the universe is made up of such “matter”, and the majority of the universe is composed of Dark Matter and Dark Energy- with no agreement amongst scientists about what these are made of. This obviously refutes the traditional materialism that held that the only things that exist are things composed of the kind of matter with which we are broadly familiar (“traditional matter”) - which was anyway under great strain as noted above from Relativity and quantum field theory. But if the definition of “matter” is extended to “anything whose existence can be inferred from the observed behaviour of traditional matter” then there is no reason in principle why entities whose existence materialists normally deny should not be considered as “matter.” Some philosophers feel that these dichotomies necessitate a switch from materialism to physicalism. Others use materialism and physicalism interchangeably. Q. Some scientists who follow the definition of traditional matter:

Are inflexible in their beliefs.

Condemn the existence of Dark Matter and Dark Energy.

Base their theory in the ontological view of prima materia.

Expect field physics to disprove the traditional existence of matter.

Consider hylomorphism and atomism adequate representations of matter.

Group Question Analyse the following passage and provide an appropriate answer for the questions that follow. Formation of focal brand expectations is a well-accepted part of the pre-purchase choice process. However, whether these same expectations are the standard for post-choice performance evaluation has been questioned. There is very little theoretical justification for consumers using focal brand expectations to judge performance after purchase. Customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction is more likely to be determined by how well a consumer perceives that focal brand performance fulfils needs, wants, or desires. Importantly, there is no necessary relationship between prepurchase focal brand expectations and the performance required to meet those wants. Thus, consumers are very likely to use other kinds of performance standards in the post-purchase evaluation. Consumers are likely to rely on standards that reflect the performance a consumer believes a focal brand should provide to meet needs/wants. To distinguish these standards from the usual expectations concept, we call them "experience-based norms." These norms have two important characteristics: (1) they reflect desired performance in meeting needs/wants and (2) they are constrained by the performance consumers believe is possible as indicated by the performance of known brands. The second characteristic requires elaboration. Though consumers may imagine some abstract ideal performance that a brand should provide, they also have concrete experiences with various real brands and their performance. Because consumers are more likely to think in concrete rather than abstract terms, experience with real brands should set limits on the performance a consumer believes the focal brand should provide. Consumers may derive a norm from experience with known brands in at least two different ways. First, the norm might be the typical performance of a particular brand - e.g., a consumer's most preferred brand, a popular brand, or last-purchased brand. Importantly, this brand may not be the focal brand. For example, when evaluating the dining experience in a new restaurant, a consumer may apply a norm that is the typical performance of another, favourite restaurant. Interestingly, focal brand expectations may correspond to this norm, but only if the focal brand is also the brand from which the standard is derived, such as when a consumer dines in his or her favourite restaurant. In all other cases, the norm is necessarily different from expectations because the norm is derived from experience with a different brand. A second possibility is that the norm might be an average performance a consumer believes is typical of a group of similar brands — a product-based norm. This kind of norm may be reasonable when no one brand stands out in the consumer's mind and the consumer has experience with many brands. In general, the experience-based norms concept is significant because it suggests that past research may have attached unwarranted importance to focal brand expectations as the standard of performance influencing feelings of satisfaction. Q. The statement, “there is no necessary relationship between pre-purchase focal brand expectations and the performance required to meet those wants” implies that:

Focal brand expectations are definitely unrealistic in nature.

Focal brand expectations may be unrealistic in nature.

Focal brand expectations cannot be unrealistic in nature.

Needs, wants and desires do not create expectations.

Formation of focal brand expectations is a well-accepted part of the pre-purchase choice process. However, whether these same expectations are the standard for post-choice performance evaluation has been questioned. There is very little theoretical justification for consumers using focal brand expectations to judge performance after purchase. Customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction is more likely to be determined by how well a consumer perceives that focal brand performance fulfils needs, wants, or desires. Importantly, there is no necessary relationship between prepurchase focal brand expectations and the performance required to meet those wants. Thus, consumers are very likely to use other kinds of performance standards in the post-purchase evaluation. Consumers are likely to rely on standards that reflect the performance a consumer believes a focal brand should provide to meet needs/wants. To distinguish these standards from the usual expectations concept, we call them "experience-based norms." These norms have two important characteristics: (1) they reflect desired performance in meeting needs/wants and (2) they are constrained by the performance consumers believe is possible as indicated by the performance of known brands. The second characteristic requires elaboration. Though consumers may imagine some abstract ideal performance that a brand should provide, they also have concrete experiences with various real brands and their performance. Because consumers are more likely to think in concrete rather than abstract terms, experience with real brands should set limits on the performance a consumer believes the focal brand should provide. Consumers may derive a norm from experience with known brands in at least two different ways. First, the norm might be the typical performance of a particular brand - e.g., a consumer's most preferred brand, a popular brand, or last-purchased brand. Importantly, this brand may not be the focal brand. For example, when evaluating the dining experience in a new restaurant, a consumer may apply a norm that is the typical performance of another, favourite restaurant. Interestingly, focal brand expectations may correspond to this norm, but only if the focal brand is also the brand from which the standard is derived, such as when a consumer dines in his or her favourite restaurant. In all other cases, the norm is necessarily different from expectations because the norm is derived from experience with a different brand. A second possibility is that the norm might be an average performance a consumer believes is typical of a group of similar brands — a product-based norm. This kind of norm may be reasonable when no one brand stands out in the consumer's mind and the consumer has experience with many brands. In general, the experience-based norms concept is significant because it suggests that past research may have attached unwarranted importance to focal brand expectations as the standard of performance influencing feelings of satisfaction. Q. Which of the following statements, if true, would contradict the second characteristic of “experience-based norms”?

A focal brand is nothing but a figment of consumer imagination.

Brand performance is driven by consumer belief in it.

Renowned brands constantly outdo each other through their performance.

The performance of known brands lowers the standards of its evaluation among consumers.

Experience-based norms are created by well known brands.

Formation of focal brand expectations is a well-accepted part of the pre-purchase choice process. However, whether these same expectations are the standard for post-choice performance evaluation has been questioned. There is very little theoretical justification for consumers using focal brand expectations to judge performance after purchase. Customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction is more likely to be determined by how well a consumer perceives that focal brand performance fulfils needs, wants, or desires. Importantly, there is no necessary relationship between prepurchase focal brand expectations and the performance required to meet those wants. Thus, consumers are very likely to use other kinds of performance standards in the post-purchase evaluation. Consumers are likely to rely on standards that reflect the performance a consumer believes a focal brand should provide to meet needs/wants. To distinguish these standards from the usual expectations concept, we call them "experience-based norms." These norms have two important characteristics: (1) they reflect desired performance in meeting needs/wants and (2) they are constrained by the performance consumers believe is possible as indicated by the performance of known brands. The second characteristic requires elaboration. Though consumers may imagine some abstract ideal performance that a brand should provide, they also have concrete experiences with various real brands and their performance. Because consumers are more likely to think in concrete rather than abstract terms, experience with real brands should set limits on the performance a consumer believes the focal brand should provide. Consumers may derive a norm from experience with known brands in at least two different ways. First, the norm might be the typical performance of a particular brand - e.g., a consumer's most preferred brand, a popular brand, or last-purchased brand. Importantly, this brand may not be the focal brand. For example, when evaluating the dining experience in a new restaurant, a consumer may apply a norm that is the typical performance of another, favourite restaurant. Interestingly, focal brand expectations may correspond to this norm, but only if the focal brand is also the brand from which the standard is derived, such as when a consumer dines in his or her favourite restaurant. In all other cases, the norm is necessarily different from expectations because the norm is derived from experience with a different brand. A second possibility is that the norm might be an average performance a consumer believes is typical of a group of similar brands — a product-based norm. This kind of norm may be reasonable when no one brand stands out in the consumer's mind and the consumer has experience with many brands. In general, the experience-based norms concept is significant because it suggests that past research may have attached unwarranted importance to focal brand expectations as the standard of performance influencing feelings of satisfaction. Q. A consumer tries shampoos from three different brands to check which one suits her hair the best. She finds them all to be more or less the same in terms of their output.Which of the following can be concluded from this?

The consumer is likely to experiment with the focal brand the next time.

The performance of the shampoos did not meet with the consumer’s need & desire.

The performance of the shampoos did not match the consumer’s expectations.

The consumer is either likely to favour or disfavour the shampoos equally.

The consumer finds the shampoos to be average in their performance.

Group Question The passage given below is followed by a set of questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question. Though it is hard to pinpoint the birth of an idea, for all intents and purposes the modern idea of technological “progress” (in the sense of a steady, cumulative, historical advance in applied scientific knowledge) began with Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning and became fully articulated in his later works. Knowledge is power, and when embodied in the form of new technical inventions and mechanical discoveries it is the force that drives history - this was Bacon’s key insight. In many respects this idea was his single greatest invention, and it is all the more remarkable for its having been conceived and promoted at a time when most English and European intellectuals were either reverencing the literary and philosophical achievements of the past or deploring the numerous signs of modern degradation and decline. Indeed, while Bacon was preaching progress and declaring a brave new dawn of scientific advance, many of his colleagues were persuaded that the world was at best creaking along towards a state of senile immobility and eventual darkness. “Our age is iron, and rusty too,” wrote John Donne, contemplating the signs of universal decay in a poem published six years after Bacon’s Advancement. That history might in fact be progressive, i.e., an onward and upward ascent - and not, as Aristotle had taught, merely cyclical or, as cultural pessimists from Hesiod to Spengler have supposed, a descending or retrograde movement, became for Bacon an article of secular faith which he propounded with evangelical force and a sense of mission. In the Advancement, the idea is offered tentatively, as a kind of hopeful hypothesis. But in later works such as the New Organon, it becomes almost a promised destiny: Enlightenment and a better world, Bacon insists, lie within our power; they require only the cooperation of learned citizens and the active development of the arts and sciences. In Book II of De Dignitate, Bacon outlines his scheme for a new division of human knowledge into three primary categories: History, Poesy, and Philosophy (which he associates respectively with the three fundamental “faculties” of mind - memory, imagination, and reason). Although the exact motive behind this reclassification remains unclear, one of its main consequences seems unmistakable: it effectively promotes philosophy - and especially Baconian science - above the other two branches of knowledge, in essence defining history as the mere accumulation of brute facts, while reducing art and imaginative literature to the even more marginal status of “feigned history.” Evidently Bacon believed that in order for a genuine advancement of learning to occur, the prestige of philosophy (and particularly natural philosophy) had to be elevated, while that of history and literature (in a word, humanism) needed to be reduced. Bacon’s scheme effectively accomplishes this by making history (the domain of fact, i.e., of everything that has happened) a virtual sub-species of philosophy (the domain of realistic possibility, i.e., of everything that can theoretically or actually occur). Meanwhile, poesy (the domain of everything that is imaginable or conceivable) is set off to the side as a mere illustrative vehicle. Q. What could poesy being perceived as a mere illustrative vehicle mean?

Using the works borne by imagination as mere inspiration for more of their ilk.

All that has been conceived from human thought must be used to highlight the limitations of it.

Limiting those branches of study that are not rooted in facts and verifiable observations to reflecting events and ideas.

The replication of historical ideas or events must be deemed as something of low importance.

The liberal arts should be seen as nothing more than an imitation of human life.

Though it is hard to pinpoint the birth of an idea, for all intents and purposes the modern idea of technological “progress” (in the sense of a steady, cumulative, historical advance in applied scientific knowledge) began with Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning and became fully articulated in his later works. Knowledge is power, and when embodied in the form of new technical inventions and mechanical discoveries it is the force that drives history - this was Bacon’s key insight. In many respects this idea was his single greatest invention, and it is all the more remarkable for its having been conceived and promoted at a time when most English and European intellectuals were either reverencing the literary and philosophical achievements of the past or deploring the numerous signs of modern degradation and decline. Indeed, while Bacon was preaching progress and declaring a brave new dawn of scientific advance, many of his colleagues were persuaded that the world was at best creaking along towards a state of senile immobility and eventual darkness. “Our age is iron, and rusty too,” wrote John Donne, contemplating the signs of universal decay in a poem published six years after Bacon’s Advancement. That history might in fact be progressive, i.e., an onward and upward ascent - and not, as Aristotle had taught, merely cyclical or, as cultural pessimists from Hesiod to Spengler have supposed, a descending or retrograde movement, became for Bacon an article of secular faith which he propounded with evangelical force and a sense of mission. In the Advancement, the idea is offered tentatively, as a kind of hopeful hypothesis. But in later works such as the New Organon, it becomes almost a promised destiny: Enlightenment and a better world, Bacon insists, lie within our power; they require only the cooperation of learned citizens and the active development of the arts and sciences. In Book II of De Dignitate, Bacon outlines his scheme for a new division of human knowledge into three primary categories: History, Poesy, and Philosophy (which he associates respectively with the three fundamental “faculties” of mind - memory, imagination, and reason). Although the exact motive behind this reclassification remains unclear, one of its main consequences seems unmistakable: it effectively promotes philosophy - and especially Baconian science - above the other two branches of knowledge, in essence defining history as the mere accumulation of brute facts, while reducing art and imaginative literature to the even more marginal status of “feigned history.” Evidently Bacon believed that in order for a genuine advancement of learning to occur, the prestige of philosophy (and particularly natural philosophy) had to be elevated, while that of history and literature (in a word, humanism) needed to be reduced. Bacon’s scheme effectively accomplishes this by making history (the domain of fact, i.e., of everything that has happened) a virtual sub-species of philosophy (the domain of realistic possibility, i.e., of everything that can theoretically or actually occur). Meanwhile, poesy (the domain of everything that is imaginable or conceivable) is set off to the side as a mere illustrative vehicle. Q. Which of the following statements disagrees with Baconian ideology?

Neither present nor future - only the past, is capable of reiterating itself and regurgitating its vestiges and that is every present day, every hopeful tomorrow.

The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.

The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena; it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.

Mankind must push forward the boundaries of science if it wants to approach a dawn where Utopia isn’t an ideal any longer.

An undue reverence for the past obstructs the zeal that pushes one towards the future.

Though it is hard to pinpoint the birth of an idea, for all intents and purposes the modern idea of technological “progress” (in the sense of a steady, cumulative, historical advance in applied scientific knowledge) began with Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning and became fully articulated in his later works. Knowledge is power, and when embodied in the form of new technical inventions and mechanical discoveries it is the force that drives history - this was Bacon’s key insight. In many respects this idea was his single greatest invention, and it is all the more remarkable for its having been conceived and promoted at a time when most English and European intellectuals were either reverencing the literary and philosophical achievements of the past or deploring the numerous signs of modern degradation and decline. Indeed, while Bacon was preaching progress and declaring a brave new dawn of scientific advance, many of his colleagues were persuaded that the world was at best creaking along towards a state of senile immobility and eventual darkness. “Our age is iron, and rusty too,” wrote John Donne, contemplating the signs of universal decay in a poem published six years after Bacon’s Advancement. That history might in fact be progressive, i.e., an onward and upward ascent - and not, as Aristotle had taught, merely cyclical or, as cultural pessimists from Hesiod to Spengler have supposed, a descending or retrograde movement, became for Bacon an article of secular faith which he propounded with evangelical force and a sense of mission. In the Advancement, the idea is offered tentatively, as a kind of hopeful hypothesis. But in later works such as the New Organon, it becomes almost a promised destiny: Enlightenment and a better world, Bacon insists, lie within our power; they require only the cooperation of learned citizens and the active development of the arts and sciences. In Book II of De Dignitate, Bacon outlines his scheme for a new division of human knowledge into three primary categories: History, Poesy, and Philosophy (which he associates respectively with the three fundamental “faculties” of mind - memory, imagination, and reason). Although the exact motive behind this reclassification remains unclear, one of its main consequences seems unmistakable: it effectively promotes philosophy - and especially Baconian science - above the other two branches of knowledge, in essence defining history as the mere accumulation of brute facts, while reducing art and imaginative literature to the even more marginal status of “feigned history.” Evidently Bacon believed that in order for a genuine advancement of learning to occur, the prestige of philosophy (and particularly natural philosophy) had to be elevated, while that of history and literature (in a word, humanism) needed to be reduced. Bacon’s scheme effectively accomplishes this by making history (the domain of fact, i.e., of everything that has happened) a virtual sub-species of philosophy (the domain of realistic possibility, i.e., of everything that can theoretically or actually occur). Meanwhile, poesy (the domain of everything that is imaginable or conceivable) is set off to the side as a mere illustrative vehicle. Q. Which of the following can be deduced about Francis Bacon from the passage?

Bacon underestimated the role of imagination and hypothesis in the production of new scientific knowledge though Bacon did not present himself as the final authority on the advancement of knowledge.

Francis Bacon was a man whose primary goal was less to obtain literary laurels for himself than to mold the agendas and guide the policy decisions of powerful nobles and heads of state.

Bacon was the father of experimental philosophy, an elegant, instructive, and witty writer, though too much given to pompous language.

Bacon was an important part of renaissance, reviving interest in the works of many great philosophers.

Bacon excelled in various literary genres while dominating the field of natural science for several decades.

Group Question For each of the following questions, read the caselet and answer the question(s) that follow(s). James is a recent graduate who has just started his first job in the finance department of a major publicly traded Silicon Valley company. One of his main responsibilities is to create and distribute extensive reports that analyze costs and revenues for different divisions. James sends completed reports to his direct supervisor and the CFO. The CFO then uses the information while planning economic strategies and forecasting for the company, often referencing the data during critical meetings. While James considers himself to be detailed-oriented, the complicated nature of the reports and the sheer volume of data can sometimes be overwhelming, particularly since they have strict deadlines. Though James works hard to prepare the reports as accurately as possible, he often finds errors after he has already sent them off as finals. When the errors are critical, he revises the reports and resends them. However, some of the errors are minor in his estimation, and he doubts that the CFO will use or look at these figures. James is ambitious and wants to be promoted, but worries that if he sends out frequently updated reports, he will appear unreliable and unqualified. He feels caught between ensuring maximum accuracy and meeting strict deadlines. Q. In this case, what would be the best approach for James?

Group error reports into sets and send them together.

Ask for a wider time frame so that the required changes can be made before sending out the reports for the first time.

Stop sending revised reports after finding any errors.

Make a note of the minor errors in a separate folder and share the same with the CFO.

Ask for a reduction in the workload of having to make reports.

James is a recent graduate who has just started his first job in the finance department of a major publicly traded Silicon Valley company. One of his main responsibilities is to create and distribute extensive reports that analyze costs and revenues for different divisions. James sends completed reports to his direct supervisor and the CFO. The CFO then uses the information while planning economic strategies and forecasting for the company, often referencing the data during critical meetings. While James considers himself to be detailed-oriented, the complicated nature of the reports and the sheer volume of data can sometimes be overwhelming, particularly since they have strict deadlines. Though James works hard to prepare the reports as accurately as possible, he often finds errors after he has already sent them off as finals. When the errors are critical, he revises the reports and resends them. However, some of the errors are minor in his estimation, and he doubts that the CFO will use or look at these figures. James is ambitious and wants to be promoted, but worries that if he sends out frequently updated reports, he will appear unreliable and unqualified. He feels caught between ensuring maximum accuracy and meeting strict deadlines. Q. James is promoted for his diligence and now he has to review any reports being generated by the analysts and send them to the division manager (who was working in his position before being promoted) and the CFO. After taking charge, James notices that in a recent report reviewed by his predecessor, there’s a critical error he seems to have overlooked. Which of the following would be a suitable decision on James’ part?

Sending the corrected report to CFO and division manager.

Sending the corrected report to the division manager first, asking him to look into it.

Sending the corrected report to the CFO alone, pointing out James' predecessor’s mistake.

Making a personal note of the error but not sending out a corrected report.

Telling one of the analysts to send out the corrected report to the CFO and the division manager.

Read the following case and choose the best alternative. Mr. Arora, the marketing head of a new FMCG based company with limited reach, has to take a call between direct and indirect marketing of the company’s latest product ‘Serenade Hand Wash’. Whereas direct marketing involves the much tried and tested path of advertising and consumer awareness, indirect marketing deals with striking deals with low level distributors to increase inventory stocks of the company’s product so it is sold more as compared to other companies’ products. Obvious to say, indirect marketing is risky but cheaper than direct marketing. Q. What approach should Mr. Arora implement and why?

Direct marketing as it is tried and tested as a marketing approach.

Direct marketing because, it being a new company, it is important for the product brand to become known to consumers.

Indirect marketing because a new company does not have a large advertising budget and should look for ways to cut down costs.

Indirect marketing as new innovative methods have time and time again proved themselves in terms of returns.

Indirect marketing as the concept, although less implemented, looks solid as steel on paper and is bound to give better returns.

Answer the question based on the information given in the passage. Mr. Faizan Sheikh has just been promoted to head of purchasing and suddenly finds himself as the supervisor of the people he used to work alongside earlier. Obvious to say, he shares a very friendly equation with each of them. However, recent project reports showed a drop in work efficiency and Mr. Sheikh realized that this is because of certain people in his team who are taking advantage of their relationship with him and shrugging responsibilities. Q. How should Mr. Sheikh handle this situation?

He should call for a team meeting and reprimand all those people who are responsible for the drop in efficiency.

He should personally and separately call and talk to all those people and explain to them how their attitude is affecting the project schedule.

He should slip in this issue over lunch so that his friends do not think that he is exercising his power as their boss over them.

He should send out a mail to everyone in the team and ask them for suggestions for improving their efficiency.

He should use the friendly equation he shares with the concerned people and explain to them how their attitude is actually putting him in a difficult position with his boss.

Group Question Read the following passage and answer the questions. The Chairman and CEO of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, had been arrested and released on bail by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Bhopal on December 7, 1984. The arrest, which took place at the airport, assured Anderson would meet no harm by the Bhopal community. Anderson was taken to Union Carbide's house after which he was released six hours later on $2,100 bail and flown out on a government plane. In 1987, the Indian government summoned Anderson, eight other executives and two company affiliates with homicide charges to appear in Indian court. Union Carbide balked, saying the company is not under Indian jurisdiction. Beginning in 1991, the local authorities from Bhopal charged Anderson, who had retired in 1986, with manslaughter, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Anderson has so far avoided an international arrest warrant and a US court summons. He was declared a fugitive from justice by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal on February 1, 1992, for failing to appear at the court hearings in a culpable homicide case in which he was named the chief defendant. Orders were passed to the Government of India to press for an extradition from the United States, with whom India had an extradition treaty in place. The Bhopal Medical Appeal believes that "neither the American nor the Indian government seem interested in disturbing him with an extradition". A seemingly apathetic attitude from the US government, which has failed to pursue the case, has also led to strong protests in the past, most notably by Greenpeace. A plea by India's Central Bureau of Investigation to dilute the charges from culpable homicide to criminal negligence has since been dismissed by the Indian courts. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the decision of the lower federal courts in October 1993, meaning that victims of the Bhopal disaster could not seek damages in a US court. On the anniversary of the tragedy, effigies of Anderson and politicians are burnt. Q. How can Union Carbide salvage its image?

By giving ongoing advertisements in Indian newspapers stating the tremendous growth in profits and taxes it continues to pay in India year-on-year.

By conducting an online poll asking people's opinions and impressions about its products and services.

By making public that Anderson no longer works with them and how they can no longer be held responsible.

By making public credible information surrounding the events under consideration and explaining how the company or the employees had no role to play.

By creating a charter of morals and ethics to be followed by Union Carbide's employees in all the countries, citing Bhopal as the foundation for it.

The Chairman and CEO of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, had been arrested and released on bail by the Madhya Pradesh Police in Bhopal on December 7, 1984. The arrest, which took place at the airport, assured Anderson would meet no harm by the Bhopal community. Anderson was taken to Union Carbide's house after which he was released six hours later on $2,100 bail and flown out on a government plane. In 1987, the Indian government summoned Anderson, eight other executives and two company affiliates with homicide charges to appear in Indian court. Union Carbide balked, saying the company is not under Indian jurisdiction. Beginning in 1991, the local authorities from Bhopal charged Anderson, who had retired in 1986, with manslaughter, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Anderson has so far avoided an international arrest warrant and a US court summons. He was declared a fugitive from justice by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal on February 1, 1992, for failing to appear at the court hearings in a culpable homicide case in which he was named the chief defendant. Orders were passed to the Government of India to press for an extradition from the United States, with whom India had an extradition treaty in place. The Bhopal Medical Appeal believes that "neither the American nor the Indian government seem interested in disturbing him with an extradition". A seemingly apathetic attitude from the US government, which has failed to pursue the case, has also led to strong protests in the past, most notably by Greenpeace. A plea by India's Central Bureau of Investigation to dilute the charges from culpable homicide to criminal negligence has since been dismissed by the Indian courts. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the decision of the lower federal courts in October 1993, meaning that victims of the Bhopal disaster could not seek damages in a US court. On the anniversary of the tragedy, effigies of Anderson and politicians are burnt. Q. How should the Indian government correct its mistakes?

It can allow Union Carbide to be tried under American Jurisdiction.

It can extradite Anderson to India, where he can be tried.

It can allow the Bhopal mob to destroy Union Carbide’s Industrial quarters.

It can set up a committee to launch an investigation to determine the real cause behind the tragedy.

It can set up a committee to launch an investigation to determine the reason Anderson was allowed to leave India.

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