Test: CAT Verbal & Reading Comprehension- 1 (October 11) - CAT MCQ

The author states that Cezanne “did not scruple, and rightly, to sacrifice accuracy of form to the inner need, the material of which his art was composed was drawn from the huge stores of actual nature.” Gauguin, on the other hand, “was much nearer a complete rejection of representation than was Cezanne”. Hence, from the first two paragraphs, we can infer that though both rejected external representation, Cezanne did not reject accuracy of form. The option that best captures this difference is option B.

The author states that the principal difference between Cezanne and Gauguin was that though both rejected representation, the former stuck to the accuracy of form and this trait was carried forward by his disciples including Picasso. Hence, we can infer statement I. The author states that Kandinsky is “on the track of an art more purely spiritual than was conceived even by Gauguin.” Hence, we can infer statement II. Though the passage states that Cubists abandon all representation, we cannot say if the end product is not even reminiscent of the original inspiration. Hence, we cannot infer statement III. Hence, option B.

The author says that early signs of cubism were seen in the works of Herbin, but the first leap into Cubism was made by Picasso. Thus, we can infer that he is unlikely to agree with statement D. Options B and C are given directly in the passage. We can infer option A from the author’s tone when he says Denis “has become a slave to sentimentality.”

The author’s tone is objective and neutral in nature. Hence, we can eliminate the negative tone options A and C. The author is trying to analyze objectively the works of Cezanne and Gauguin and their disciples. Hence, option D.

Option A: It is clearly mentioned in the first paragraph that individual righteousness or a sense of obligation to our friends and family comes naturally to us. Hence, A can be inferred.

Option B: The passage mentions that each generation has its own code of ethics. Righteousness should always be redefined, and people must adjust to the new values; otherwise, we will fail to go forward as a society(Para 2). Hence, B can be inferred.

Option C: We have become discontent with our existing lifestyle and our attitude towards social obligations. However, it cannot be inferred that our current life has made it harder to fulfil our social obligations. Thus, statement C cannot be inferred from the information given in the passage.

Option D: In the first paragraph, the author mentions that if righteous life required only fulfilling individual obligation, people would have easily attained it. But it also needs fulfilment of social obligations. Only then a righteous life can be achieved. Hence, D can be inferred.

As, A, B and D can be inferred from the passage, option C represents the least suitable statement.

The author starts of by stating that individual righteousness comes naturally to us, but each new generation has the responsibility to push the envelope when it comes to morality. Then the author goes on to explain that we also need to fulfil our social obligations of morality. The author ends the passage by discussing how the new social order has thrown up a moral challenge to the new generation and how this has created a need for a new code of social ethics. Thus, through the passage, the author is arguing for a new code of social ethics that should be adopted by the current generation. Hence, option D is the right answer.
Option A: Although the author discusses a need for modifying the definition of righteousness, the main purpose is not to teach what righteousness is.
Option B:The author has just mentioned two kinds of obligations and how people want to adjust their behavior to lead a more righteous life.The main purpose of passage is not to discuss different forms of obligations. Hence this option can be rejected.
Option C: The social test mentioned is only to provide a way to fulfil social obligations for people who want to contribute to a code of social ethics. 

Option A: The passage mentions that individual righteousness comes easily to people than social righteousness. However, it is not mentioned that righteousness comes easily to some people more than others.
Option B: If we design a less vigorous test, we may fail to go forward as a society. However, people may still find it difficult to be content with the ethics of society.
Option C: Paragraph 3 mentions the social test which asks questions to individuals if they have been considerate towards poor, sick and hungry members of the society. Hence, those who only fulfil personal obligations would fail the personal test. Thus, option C can be inferred.
Option D: People finding work uninteresting is not a consequence of their attitude towards social obligations. Hence this option can be rejected.

Option A: In 4th paragraph, it has been mentioned that people are dissatisfied with their current lifestyle and seeking an escape.
Option B: People are losing interest in their work. That's why they are trying to respond to a demand for social obligation. This might be a reason and not the consequence.
Option C: Consider the sentence: "These men and women.............. but all are increasingly anxious concerning their actual relations to the basic organization of society." It shows that people have become concerned about their attitude towards their relations to the society.
Option D: It can be directly inferred from the last para.

The passage begins by explaining the consequences of stress. It then introduces its primary source, money. The author explains the concept of money and then explains why UBI is important to combat stress and become a more prosperous state. Thus, through the passage, the author is making the case for Universal basic income. 

So, we can see that Option D is the most suitable option as it captures this point.

Option A is incorrect as it incorrectly identifies the focal point of the passage. The author has talked about "trust" to explain why UBI would lead to a more robust economy. Option C suffers from a similar flaw. Though the author mentions how stress leads to fascism, this is not the focal point of the passage.

Option B is incorrect because it excludes the concept of UBI which is central to the passage. Democracy is only a part of the final paragraph.

The meaning of "double-edged sword" refers to something that can have both favourable and unfavourable effects. In the given paragraph, the author talks about how prolonged exposure to stress hormones can lead to a wide-range of problems including poor decision making. Thus, the author is trying to say that the stress hormones which help us deal with stress in a situation where our survival is threatened (like being eaten by a cat) can cause a lot of damage with prolonged exposure. Thus, of the given options, only option B captures the point that stress hormones have both positive and negative effects on people. 
Hence, option B.

Self medicating is synonymous with addictive substances and behaviors-not displacement aggression-hence Option D is incorrect.
Option A can be inferred from the line “With UBI, no matter what happens, our ability to secure our basic needs is guaranteed, from birth to death.”
Option B can be inferred from the line “It turns out that we can reduce our stress by picking on those below us in our social hierarchies.”
Option C can be inferred from the lines “What happened in the Great Depression? The amount of resources and energy were unchanged. The manufacturing capacity was unchanged. The amount of human labor willing to work to produce what was needed was unchanged. And yet the system essentially ground to a halt. Why? Because there was insufficient money in most people’s hands and thus a lack of trust.”
Hence, the author is likely to support all the statements other than Option D.

Although all the options are correct, the primary purpose of UBI is to assure everyone of having their basic needs met. This in turn, will reduce stress, promote equality and promote prosperity. The remaining options are all consequences of a person having his or her basic needs met. What we need to identify is the immediate impact of UBI-which is that everyone is assured of having enough to survive. Hence, Option C is the right answer. Options-A,B and D are all consequences of Option C.

Since the passage concludes with speaking of democracy and UBI being interlinked and necessary for prosperity-it is likely for the author to continue by speaking of economic rights (UBI) of EVERY individual (democracy). So, Option A is most suitable.

Option C is incorrect since capitalism hasn’t been mentioned anywhere in the paragraph. It would not be in continuity with the passage to speak of the futility of capitalism.

We can eliminate option D because it is unrelated to the given passage.

Between options A and B, A is closer to the last paragraph of the passage. It fits better with the chain of thought of the passage. Option B implies an abrupt departure from the concept of democracy introduced in the last passage. Hence, the right answer is option A.

Through the last two paragraphs, the author is trying to refute the objection that self-defence against the state could be dangerous as people would not know when it is appropriate to use this power. The author refutes this by saying that this is true for all self-defence and more often than not people are likely to not act even when justified instead of the other way around. Option A correctly captures this and hence is the right choice.

Option B, which says that self-defence against the state is less open to misuse is incorrect. The author says that knowing when it is appropriate to act is similarly difficult in both cases. 

Option C contains the distortion of "corrupt" government officials. The passage is about government agents who act unfairly or unjustly, and not about corruption. 

Option D misses the main point of the last two paragraphs. Hence, we can eliminate it.

Thus, the right answer is option A.

The author in the given passage tries to address the question whether it is justified to act against the government's injustice when the time calls. He also mentions that while people have a self-defence against civilians, they hesitate to exhibit the same against the government or its agents. Option D illustrates one such situation where people should act against the use of excessive force from government agents but fail to do so. According to the author, people should do more to stop immediate injustice. By just filming the incident, people are not doing enough to protect the minor involved.

In options A and B, people are acting in self-defence which is in line with what the author preaches. Option c is not related to the topic of self-defence. Thus, of the given options, option D is the only situation where the author asks people to act against the officials. 

At the start of the passage, the author introduces the question that is "self-defence against the state justified?". The author goes on to explain how self-defence against the state is justified. He examines all the counterarguments and refutes them. Thus, the main point of the passage is to argue for self-defence against the state. Hence, option A is correct.
Option B completely misses the point, so we can eliminate this option.
Option C introduces the distortion of "legally right". The author does not discuss the topic from a legal perspective.
Option D focuses only on the last two paragraphs.
Hence, option A is the correct answer.

The correct answer is:

c) It may be ineffective to seek justice via peaceful methods against immediate injustice.

Explanation:

• a) Incorrect: The passage argues that both cases—self-defense against civilians and against government agents—are governed by similar principles and are equally hard to ascertain.
• b) Incorrect: The passage states that civil disobedience often aims to create social or legal change, but self-defence against government injustice does not necessarily aim at changing laws or reforming institutions; it is simply about stopping immediate injustice.
• c) Correct: The passage explicitly mentions that peaceful methods, like Eric Garner's plea of "I can’t breathe," often fail to stop wrongdoing. This supports the idea that peaceful methods can be ineffective in stopping immediate injustice.
• d) Incorrect: The passage does not mention whether Henry David Thoreau’s act was accepted by the masses or whether it succeeded, only that it was an example of civil disobedience.

Let us evaluate each options individually:
Option A: Refer to para 3, last line. The author clearly suggests that any act of enforcement by the government is not justified. There is no suggestion that the government is right to enforce anything when peaceful exhortations fail. Option A cannot be inferred.
Option B: The author has mentioned in para 2 that "But justifiable resistance need not have a civic character. It need not aim at changing the law, reforming dysfunctional institutions or replacing bad leaders. Sometimes, it is simply about stopping an immediate injustice." Hence, option B can be inferred.
Option C: This option is a misinterpretation of point made in para 5. This para suggests that the antivigilante principle does not allow one to accede to government's injustice rather to seek the help of higher authorities until justice is done.Defending oneself with the use of violence along with seeking the help of higher authorities cannot be inferred. So, this option is incorrect.
Option D: This option is vague as equality mentioned here is not clear. This option can be rejected.
Hence, option B is the correct answer.

The main idea the paragraph conveys is that 'war is not only inevitable, it is salutary'. 'Salutary' means some unpleasant event bringing some positive effects with it. Only option D captures this point. Only option D captures all the main points - war is inevitable, unpleasant but has some positive effects as well. Therefore, option D is the right answer.

After reading all the sentences, we know that the paragraph is about art and its failure in satisfying the need of the soul. Statement 4 is the opening sentence which mentions the intention of art. Statement 1 states that even art intends to satisfy the soul, but it fails to do so. Statement 3 gives the reason for the same. Statement 2 says that religion is above the dominion of art as it might be able to satisfy the soul. Thus, the correct order is 4 - 1 - 3 - 2.
Hence, 4132 is the correct answer.