CAT Previous Year Questions 2023: Reading Comprehension- 1 (June 7) - CAT MCQ

The passage focuses on the interconnectedness within the global south in the context of the Indian Ocean world's migration networks. It emphasizes historical connections between the coasts of East Africa, the Arab coasts, and South and East Asia. The passage does not specifically highlight migration networks connecting the Indian Ocean world with the global north. Instead, it underscores the significance of geographical location, religious histories, and commercial interactions within the region, pointing to a more localized and regional perspective on migration. Therefore, Option A is not true according to the passage. Additionally, the passage mentioned the Indian Ocean as “a term used to describe the very long-lasting connections among the coasts of East Africa, the Arab coasts, and South and East Asia.” and not north and south.

Option B is correct as the passage mentions that for much of history, travel by sea in the Indian Ocean was easier than by land, emphasizing the importance of geographical location.

Option C is correct as the passage indicates that the novels in the book draw on and shape a wider sense of Indian Ocean space through themes, images, metaphors, and language, including religious and commercial aspects.

Option D is correct as the passage notes that migration is often portrayed as abandonment rather than adventure, indicating a complex and ambivalent nature of the migration experience in the Indian Ocean world.

Options A, C and D have the following format World/Novels : Characteristic of that particular world/novel. Option B is the odd one out as the characteristic of Border-crossing does not belong to the Postcolonial novels world. 

From the passage, we can infer that the Indian Ocean novels were "outward-looking - full of movement, border-crossing and south-south interconnection". At the same time, they showcased elements of the global south like Slavery, Forced Migration etc. Hence, A and C showcase valid elements of the Indian Ocean Novels World.

On the other hand, postcolonial novels were usually [concerned with] national questions, land-focused and inward-looking. They featured anti-colonial nationalism. Hence, option D is also a valid Theme:Characteristic combination.

However, we note that Border-crossing is an element of the Indian Ocean novel world and not the Postcolonial novel world. Hence, option B is not a valid combination and thus is the odd one out.

“For their part Ghosh, Gurnah, Collen and even Conrad reference a different set of histories and geographies than the ones most commonly found in fiction in English. Those [commonly found ones] are mostly centred in Europe or the US, assume a background of Christianity and whiteness, and mention places like Paris and New York. “

The passage argues that the novels discussed in "Writing Ocean Worlds" diverge from the common representations found in English fiction, which often center on Europe or the US, assume a background of Christianity and whiteness, and mention places like Paris and New York. If Option D were true, it would support the passage's claim rather than weaken it. Therefore, Option D is the correct answer.

Through the passage, the author claims that the Indian Ocean novels provide a more realistic picture of the Indian Ocean space, particularly in the representation of Africa. The author claims that the depiction is more authentic and free from Eurocentricity that is seen in other novels.

Option A weakens the passage by contradicting these claims and suggesting that the depiction of Africa is influenced by postcolonial nostalgia.

Option B weakens the passage by suggesting a potential bias or negative stereotyping in the portrayal of Africa in Indian Ocean novels.

Option C weakens the author's claim by disputing that there is eurocentric perspective in other novels.

Option C is the correct answer because it contradicts the idea of "remapping" discussed in the passage. The passage emphasizes that the novels under consideration challenge the common representations found in English fiction, particularly those centered in the West. Option C, suggesting that cosmopolitanism originated in the West and traveled to the East through globalization, aligns with the conventional Western-centric narrative rather than the passage's argument of reshaping perspectives and centralizing the interconnected global south, particularly the Indian Ocean world, as a key space in the reimagined literary landscape.

Option A aligns with the passage's discussion of the novels focusing on the Indian Ocean world, contributing to the "remapping" beyond national concerns.

Option B aligns with the passage's emphasis on the interconnected Indian Ocean world, challenging the Eurocentric perspective on trade and commerce.

Option D supports the passage's claim that historical evidence suggests that globalization first appeared in the Indian Ocean, contributing to the "remapping" of the world's historical and geographical perspectives.

Option B is not supported by the information in the passage. While the passage mentions that Netflix has offices across Europe, it also notes that the big decisions still rest with American executives. The passage suggests that Netflix's content might still exhibit a somewhat mid-Atlantic quality, and the company's executive decisions remain under the control of Americans, making it less accurate to claim that Netflix has completely transformed into a truly European entity.

Option A is supported by the passage, which mentions shows like "Lupin," a French crime caper on Netflix, becoming global hits.

Option C: The passage specifically mentions that, according to Ampere, a media-analysis company, in 2015, about 75% of Netflix’s original content was American, but now the figure is half. This indicates a shift in the geographical distribution of Netflix's original programming, with a decrease in the proportion of American content.

Option D is true as the passage mentions that streaming services like Netflix account for about a third of all viewing hours, challenging the dominance of national broadcasters.

Option A is the correct answer because the passage emphasizes that the rise of Netflix in Europe is seen as a unifying force. The author notes that Netflix and similar streaming services, by pumping the same content into homes across the continent, contribute to making culture a cross-border endeavor. This is described as a shared experience among Europeans, as they binge-watch the same series. The idea is that having a common cultural experience, facilitated by platforms like Netflix, can be a unifying factor among the diverse populations of Europe. Therefore, the rise of Netflix is portrayed in a positive light as a force that brings people together through shared cultural consumption.

The passage mentions that certain genres, particularly murder mysteries and dramatic conflicts like "bloodthirsty maelstroms between arch Romans and uppity tribesmen," have a more universal appeal. This suggests that themes involving suspense, mystery, and conflicts can transcend cultural boundaries and be attractive to a broader audience.

Therefore, a murder mystery drama set in North Africa and France aligns with the passage's implication that such themes have a more universal appeal, making it likely to be successful with audiences across the diverse countries of the EU. So Option C is the correct answer.

Option A is incorrect as the passage states that comedy does not travel well.

Option B: While science fiction may have a global appeal, the passage emphasizes genres like murder mysteries having a more universal appeal.

Option D: The passage doesn't discuss the appeal of romantic dramas, and the trans-Atlantic setting may not necessarily align with the passage's suggestion that certain themes work better across borders within Europe.

The author concludes that the rise of Netflix in Europe is seen as a unifying force, emphasizing shared experiences through common series. If research were to show a wide variance in the popularity and viewing of Netflix shows across different EU countries (Option A), it would suggest that the impact of Netflix on cultural unity is not as consistent or unifying as the author implies. The wide variance could indicate that cultural preferences or barriers within different EU countries limit the effectiveness of Netflix as a unifying force across the entire region.Therefore Option A is the correct answer.

Option B: While this finding could have implications for Netflix's business, it doesn't necessarily address the cultural unifying aspect mentioned in the author's conclusion.

Option C: This finding doesn't directly relate to the author's conclusion about Netflix serving as a unifying force within Eur

Option D: While this finding highlights audience preferences, it doesn't directly address the author's conclusion regarding the cross-border unifying role of Netflix in Europe.

Option C is the correct answer because the mention of "the Davos elite" in the passage serves to illustrate the perceived hypocrisy of wealthy individuals who profess to adhere to liberal values while simultaneously amassing the majority of the wealth. The author points to the contradiction between the elite's participation in events like discussions on creating a shared future and their exclusive access to privileges, symbolized by the use of private planes. This highlights the critique that the liberal rich, represented by the Davos elite, may not align their actions with the egalitarian ideals they claim to support, emphasizing a discrepancy between rhetoric and behavior.

Option A is incorrect because the passage does not explicitly connect the decline in liberal values to the rich benefiting, but rather to internal contradictions and hubris.

Option B is incorrect as the passage does not focus on how the debate around liberalism is captured by the rich; instead, it critiques the actions of the Davos elite.
Option D is incorrect because the passage does not suggest that the rise in liberalism has led to greater interest in shared futures from unlikely social classes; rather, it critiques the behavior of the Davos elite as hypocritical.

All the options, other than A, are direct signs of declining or ineffective liberalism. 
Option B: Creation of business aristocracy, the author in the first paragraph says that liberalism promoted a meritocratic aristocracy and then went ahead to argue why the meritocratic aristocracy is not a good replacement of the old aristocracy. Creation of a business aristocracy and the rise of vast companies are against the ideals of liberalism. 
Option C: Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd, this clearly shows the non-functionality of liberalism and is a pretty valid argument for the decline of liberalism. 
Option D: The gap between liberalism’s claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry’ is now so wide that ‘the lie can no longer be accepted, this lines says that the gap between want liberalism asked us to do and what is actually different are two very different thing. This too can be an evidence of liberalism's decline. 

Option A: And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery, while this line does talk about the technological advancement in a negative sense, it does not necessarily provide evidence of the decline of liberalism per se. Instead, it highlights a potential consequence or critique within the context of technological advances. The negative impact of technology on certain types of work might be seen as a challenge that needs to be addressed within the liberal framework rather than direct evidence of the decline of liberalism.
The same challenge could be seen at a time when liberalism was prospering and thus is not an evidence of its decline.