Test Level 1: Para Completion - CAT MCQ

Directions: In the following question a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent (coherent means logically complete and sound).
The health of discoms is a crucial issue. The much publicised UDAY programme called for a reduction of debts in the discom balance sheets. However, in many ways, this is no more than a transfer of debt from discoms to the state treasury, thereby resulting in a cosmetic reduction in the cost of power at the discom level. ___________ Similarly, in the case of regulated capacities, discoms pay pre-agreed fixed cost based on plant availability criteria even if they do not offtake the contracted capacity. This results in discoms far fewer units, pushing up the power purchase cost per unit. Hence, the average cost of supply for discoms is higher.

Directions: In the following question a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best option out of the answer choices given, to fit in the blank and make the passage complete and coherent (coherent means logically complete and sound).

Most items made of plastic have become history in Maharashtra since March. The state government, which already banned certain type of plastic bags, banned disposable containers, flags, flex boards, banners and non-woven polypropylene bags, among others. ________________ Similarly, plastic containers and sachets that are used to package products such as milk, grains, pulses and other goods were not banned.

Directions: This question has a portion of text followed by five alternative summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the text.
The Union Cabinet approved a new hydroelectricity policy that, among other things, included large hydro projects within the ambit of renewable energy. Prior to the policy, only small hydro projects of a capacity of less than 25 MW were treated as renewable energy. Large hydro projects were treated as a separate source of energy. With the inclusion of large hydro in renewable energy, the energy mix changes drastically. It must be noted that this is a purely cosmetic change. No additional resources have been created through this policy. It is a reclassification of existing capacity. Whereas earlier, wind energy contributed nearly 50% of all renewable energy capacity, it will now make up only 29.3%. Similarly, solar energy's share will fall from 34.68% to 21.61%. The hydro sector, however, will see its share grow from just over 6% to over 41%.

Directions: In the following question a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best option out of the answer choices given, to fit in the blank and make the passage complete and coherent (coherent means logically complete and sound).
It's been fifty years since Gornick first took up her post at The Village Voice, where she became a polemicist for the radical feminist movement. Gornick describes most of her years as a freelance writer as 'a miracle, really.' She says that writing her 1973 debut non-fiction book, In Search of Ali Mahmoud, served as the backbone for her work as a 'personal journalist.' The book, for which she went to Egypt to make a study of middle class Cairenes, was a Finalist for the 1974 National Book Awards for Contemporary Affairs. Her following book, The Romance of American Communism (1977), was written in part to demystify the lives of people with whom she'd grown up. As years went on, Gornick's writing became more personal still. Her memoir about her mother, Fierce Attachments (1987), cemented her status as a great American memoirist, the mode she became most famous for. __________________.

Directions: Read the following lines from a poem and answer the question that follows.
Even hope may seem but futile, 
When with troubles you're beset, 
But remember you are facing 
Just what other men have met. 
You may fail, but fall still fighting; 
Don't give up, whate'er you do; 
Eyes front, head high to the finish. 
See it through!

Which of the following options is the closest expression of the poet's feelings?

Directions: Read the following poem and answer the question that follows.
This traffic light inside my head
Is always green and never red.
My thoughts, my dreams, and all my fears,
They all speed past my listening ears.
I close my eyes to block it out,
But inside my head they rush about.
I take a breath to slow it down,
But upon my face appears a frown.

Which of the following would best capture the ESSENCE of the poem above?

Directions: This question has a portion of text followed by some alternative summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the text.

The scientists tested the ability of bacteria in sludge from a sewage treatment plant to break down two widely used pharmaceutical products: naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and guaifenesin, an expectorant in many cough and cold medications. They also tested two common compounds in personal care products: oxybenzone, a key ingredient in many sunscreens, and methylparaben, a preservative in many cosmetics. Bacteria that don't require oxygen to grow in the sludge broke down methylparaben, but the microbes only partially broke down the three other chemicals -- and created new contaminants in the process, according to the study. Contaminants of emerging concern, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products, are increasingly found at low levels in surface water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There is concern that these chemical compounds may have an impact on aquatic life and human health.