XAT 2013: Previous Year Question Paper with Solutions

 Page 1


XAT 2013
Verbal and Logical ability
1. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option that follows:
............. wolf, meeting with .....lamb astray from .....fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify
to ....... lamb ........... wolf's right to eat him.
A    a, a, the, the, the
B    the, a, the, a, the
C    a, a, a, the, the
D    the, the, the, the, the
E    the, a, the, a, a
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
'A' should precede the wolf and the lamb since they are introduced for the first time. The 'fold' describes the lamb's fold. Therefore, the
article 'the' should be used. Since the wolf and the lamb have already been introduced, the last 2 blanks should be filled with 'the'. 
The correct order is a, a, the, the, the. Option A is the right answer. 
  
2. . .............. bat who fell upon.................. ground and was caught by................ weasel pleaded to be spared his life. ...... ..weasel
refused, saying that he was by nature ................... enemy of all birds. .................. bat assured him that he was not ..................
bird, but ............... mouse, and thus was set free.
A    a, the, a, the, the, the, the, a
B    a, the, a, the, a, the, a, a
C    the, a, a, the, the, a, the, the
D    a, the, a, the, the, the, a, a
E    the, a, a, a, the, the, a, a
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
'A' should be used to fill the first blank since the bat is introduced for the first time. The article 'the' should be used before 'ground' since
the ground is a general term (like the Earth, the Sky). 'A' should be used before the weasel. 'The' should be used before the weasel since
the weasel has already been introduced. 'the' should be used before enemy since it states a general concept. 'The' should be used before
'bat' since it has already been introduced. 'A' should be used before both 'bird' and 'rat' since the bat describes himself to be a member of
a large group. 
A, the, a, the, the, the , a, a is the correct order. Therefore, option D is the right answer.
3. He got .......... next morning, to be sure, and had his meals ................ usual, though he ate .................. and had more, I am afraid,
than his usual supply of rum, for he helped himself...... the bar, scowling and blowing.............. his nose, and no one
dared................... cross him.
A    Down, like, a little, out of, out, to
B    Down, as, little, of, out, to
  
.
Page 2


XAT 2013
Verbal and Logical ability
1. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option that follows:
............. wolf, meeting with .....lamb astray from .....fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify
to ....... lamb ........... wolf's right to eat him.
A    a, a, the, the, the
B    the, a, the, a, the
C    a, a, a, the, the
D    the, the, the, the, the
E    the, a, the, a, a
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
'A' should precede the wolf and the lamb since they are introduced for the first time. The 'fold' describes the lamb's fold. Therefore, the
article 'the' should be used. Since the wolf and the lamb have already been introduced, the last 2 blanks should be filled with 'the'. 
The correct order is a, a, the, the, the. Option A is the right answer. 
  
2. . .............. bat who fell upon.................. ground and was caught by................ weasel pleaded to be spared his life. ...... ..weasel
refused, saying that he was by nature ................... enemy of all birds. .................. bat assured him that he was not ..................
bird, but ............... mouse, and thus was set free.
A    a, the, a, the, the, the, the, a
B    a, the, a, the, a, the, a, a
C    the, a, a, the, the, a, the, the
D    a, the, a, the, the, the, a, a
E    the, a, a, a, the, the, a, a
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
'A' should be used to fill the first blank since the bat is introduced for the first time. The article 'the' should be used before 'ground' since
the ground is a general term (like the Earth, the Sky). 'A' should be used before the weasel. 'The' should be used before the weasel since
the weasel has already been introduced. 'the' should be used before enemy since it states a general concept. 'The' should be used before
'bat' since it has already been introduced. 'A' should be used before both 'bird' and 'rat' since the bat describes himself to be a member of
a large group. 
A, the, a, the, the, the , a, a is the correct order. Therefore, option D is the right answer.
3. He got .......... next morning, to be sure, and had his meals ................ usual, though he ate .................. and had more, I am afraid,
than his usual supply of rum, for he helped himself...... the bar, scowling and blowing.............. his nose, and no one
dared................... cross him.
A    Down, like, a little, out of, out, to
B    Down, as, little, of, out, to
  
.
C    
Downstairs, as, little, out of, out of, through
D    Downstairs, like, a little, out, of, to
E    Down, like, a little, of, of through
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The first blank can be filled using 'down' or 'downstairs'. The second blank should be filled using 'as'. 'As usual' is a phrase and hence,
'as' should fill the second blank. The third blank can be filled using 'little' or 'a little'. The 4th blank can be filled with 'out', 'of', or 'out of'.
The last blank should be filled by 'to'. Therefore, option B is the right answer. 
4. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1.Whether due to haste or design, the new laws are marked by vagueness, leaving officials all down the organization's
bureaucratic chain great latitude in enforcing them.
2.The opacity of the language leaves the law open to manipulation on political grounds.
A    Statement 2 can be induced from statement 1.
B    Statement 1 can be induced from statement 2.
C    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 1.
D    Statement 1 can be deduced from statement 2.
E    Statements 1 and 2 are independent.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Statement 1 talks about 'the new laws' being vaguely worded. Statement 2 talks about 'the law' being open to manipulation due to its
language. Sentence 1 and 2 are unrelated since 1 talks about a set of new laws (plural) and 2 talks about the law (a particular law that
should have been introduced in some other statement, singular). Therefore, the 2 statements are independent and hence, option E is the
right answer. 
         
5. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1. If there is any endeavour whose fruits should be freely available, that endeavour is surely publicly financed science.
2. There is a widespread feeling that the journal publishers who have mediated the scientific exchange for the past century or
more are becoming an impediment to free distribution of knowledge.
3. Internet revolution is happening, making knowledge transfer cheaper. Technology permits it; researchers and politicians want
it, more public money can be spent on it.
A    Statement 2 definitely illustrates statement 1.
B    Statement 3 is a facilitating condition for statement 1
C    Statement 3 states a condition under which statement 1 would be invalid
D    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 3 but independent of Statement 1.
E    Statement I, 2 and 3 are necessarily independent.
A n s w e r : B
  
.
Page 3


XAT 2013
Verbal and Logical ability
1. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option that follows:
............. wolf, meeting with .....lamb astray from .....fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify
to ....... lamb ........... wolf's right to eat him.
A    a, a, the, the, the
B    the, a, the, a, the
C    a, a, a, the, the
D    the, the, the, the, the
E    the, a, the, a, a
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
'A' should precede the wolf and the lamb since they are introduced for the first time. The 'fold' describes the lamb's fold. Therefore, the
article 'the' should be used. Since the wolf and the lamb have already been introduced, the last 2 blanks should be filled with 'the'. 
The correct order is a, a, the, the, the. Option A is the right answer. 
  
2. . .............. bat who fell upon.................. ground and was caught by................ weasel pleaded to be spared his life. ...... ..weasel
refused, saying that he was by nature ................... enemy of all birds. .................. bat assured him that he was not ..................
bird, but ............... mouse, and thus was set free.
A    a, the, a, the, the, the, the, a
B    a, the, a, the, a, the, a, a
C    the, a, a, the, the, a, the, the
D    a, the, a, the, the, the, a, a
E    the, a, a, a, the, the, a, a
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
'A' should be used to fill the first blank since the bat is introduced for the first time. The article 'the' should be used before 'ground' since
the ground is a general term (like the Earth, the Sky). 'A' should be used before the weasel. 'The' should be used before the weasel since
the weasel has already been introduced. 'the' should be used before enemy since it states a general concept. 'The' should be used before
'bat' since it has already been introduced. 'A' should be used before both 'bird' and 'rat' since the bat describes himself to be a member of
a large group. 
A, the, a, the, the, the , a, a is the correct order. Therefore, option D is the right answer.
3. He got .......... next morning, to be sure, and had his meals ................ usual, though he ate .................. and had more, I am afraid,
than his usual supply of rum, for he helped himself...... the bar, scowling and blowing.............. his nose, and no one
dared................... cross him.
A    Down, like, a little, out of, out, to
B    Down, as, little, of, out, to
  
.
C    
Downstairs, as, little, out of, out of, through
D    Downstairs, like, a little, out, of, to
E    Down, like, a little, of, of through
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The first blank can be filled using 'down' or 'downstairs'. The second blank should be filled using 'as'. 'As usual' is a phrase and hence,
'as' should fill the second blank. The third blank can be filled using 'little' or 'a little'. The 4th blank can be filled with 'out', 'of', or 'out of'.
The last blank should be filled by 'to'. Therefore, option B is the right answer. 
4. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1.Whether due to haste or design, the new laws are marked by vagueness, leaving officials all down the organization's
bureaucratic chain great latitude in enforcing them.
2.The opacity of the language leaves the law open to manipulation on political grounds.
A    Statement 2 can be induced from statement 1.
B    Statement 1 can be induced from statement 2.
C    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 1.
D    Statement 1 can be deduced from statement 2.
E    Statements 1 and 2 are independent.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Statement 1 talks about 'the new laws' being vaguely worded. Statement 2 talks about 'the law' being open to manipulation due to its
language. Sentence 1 and 2 are unrelated since 1 talks about a set of new laws (plural) and 2 talks about the law (a particular law that
should have been introduced in some other statement, singular). Therefore, the 2 statements are independent and hence, option E is the
right answer. 
         
5. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1. If there is any endeavour whose fruits should be freely available, that endeavour is surely publicly financed science.
2. There is a widespread feeling that the journal publishers who have mediated the scientific exchange for the past century or
more are becoming an impediment to free distribution of knowledge.
3. Internet revolution is happening, making knowledge transfer cheaper. Technology permits it; researchers and politicians want
it, more public money can be spent on it.
A    Statement 2 definitely illustrates statement 1.
B    Statement 3 is a facilitating condition for statement 1
C    Statement 3 states a condition under which statement 1 would be invalid
D    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 3 but independent of Statement 1.
E    Statement I, 2 and 3 are necessarily independent.
A n s w e r : B
  
.
6. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
I. Business schools are ideally positioned to point out when an action that provides a benefit for an individual comes at a cost to
society, but in reality they rarely bother.
2. It is part of the malaise that has befallen the political debate on capitalism, which has been taken over by special interests and
people who have no faith in a real market-based system.
3. When governments favours the private sector it is all too often by being "pro-business" rather than "pro-market", meaning that
favourable conditions are provided to particular institutions rather than to institutions broadly.
A    Statements 1 and 2 are necessarily dependent.
B    Statements 2 and 3 are necessarily dependent.
C    Statements 2 and 3 may be dependent.
D    Statements 1, 2 and 3 cannot be independent.
E    All the three statements are necessarily independent.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The second statement starts with the pronoun 'it'. The third statement talks about the government favouring private sector. Therefore,
the 'it' in the second statement most probably refers to the favours extended by the government. Sentences 2 and 3 are dependent.
Sentence 1 talks about business schools and is unrelated to the remaining 2 sentences (which talk about the government and politics).
Therefore, option B is the right answer.
7. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
To be a great manager requires, strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and demands a can-do attitude.
A    requires strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and demands
B    requires strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and
C    requires strong inter-personal skills, demands the ability to think fast, and
D    requiring strong inter-personal skill, an ability to think fast, and demands
E    demands strong inter-personal skills, an ability to think fast, but with
A n s w e r : B
        
8. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
The tremendous insight of Einstein was that the passage of time does not appear to be the same while standing still as it does to
a person traveling at a speed which is a significant fraction of the speed of light
A    while standing still as it does to a person traveling
B    to a person standing still as to a person traveling
C    to a person who is standing still as a person who is traveling
D    while standing still as to traveling
E    to a person standing still as to a person who travels
A n s w e r : B
  
.
Page 4


XAT 2013
Verbal and Logical ability
1. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option that follows:
............. wolf, meeting with .....lamb astray from .....fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify
to ....... lamb ........... wolf's right to eat him.
A    a, a, the, the, the
B    the, a, the, a, the
C    a, a, a, the, the
D    the, the, the, the, the
E    the, a, the, a, a
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
'A' should precede the wolf and the lamb since they are introduced for the first time. The 'fold' describes the lamb's fold. Therefore, the
article 'the' should be used. Since the wolf and the lamb have already been introduced, the last 2 blanks should be filled with 'the'. 
The correct order is a, a, the, the, the. Option A is the right answer. 
  
2. . .............. bat who fell upon.................. ground and was caught by................ weasel pleaded to be spared his life. ...... ..weasel
refused, saying that he was by nature ................... enemy of all birds. .................. bat assured him that he was not ..................
bird, but ............... mouse, and thus was set free.
A    a, the, a, the, the, the, the, a
B    a, the, a, the, a, the, a, a
C    the, a, a, the, the, a, the, the
D    a, the, a, the, the, the, a, a
E    the, a, a, a, the, the, a, a
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
'A' should be used to fill the first blank since the bat is introduced for the first time. The article 'the' should be used before 'ground' since
the ground is a general term (like the Earth, the Sky). 'A' should be used before the weasel. 'The' should be used before the weasel since
the weasel has already been introduced. 'the' should be used before enemy since it states a general concept. 'The' should be used before
'bat' since it has already been introduced. 'A' should be used before both 'bird' and 'rat' since the bat describes himself to be a member of
a large group. 
A, the, a, the, the, the , a, a is the correct order. Therefore, option D is the right answer.
3. He got .......... next morning, to be sure, and had his meals ................ usual, though he ate .................. and had more, I am afraid,
than his usual supply of rum, for he helped himself...... the bar, scowling and blowing.............. his nose, and no one
dared................... cross him.
A    Down, like, a little, out of, out, to
B    Down, as, little, of, out, to
  
.
C    
Downstairs, as, little, out of, out of, through
D    Downstairs, like, a little, out, of, to
E    Down, like, a little, of, of through
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The first blank can be filled using 'down' or 'downstairs'. The second blank should be filled using 'as'. 'As usual' is a phrase and hence,
'as' should fill the second blank. The third blank can be filled using 'little' or 'a little'. The 4th blank can be filled with 'out', 'of', or 'out of'.
The last blank should be filled by 'to'. Therefore, option B is the right answer. 
4. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1.Whether due to haste or design, the new laws are marked by vagueness, leaving officials all down the organization's
bureaucratic chain great latitude in enforcing them.
2.The opacity of the language leaves the law open to manipulation on political grounds.
A    Statement 2 can be induced from statement 1.
B    Statement 1 can be induced from statement 2.
C    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 1.
D    Statement 1 can be deduced from statement 2.
E    Statements 1 and 2 are independent.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Statement 1 talks about 'the new laws' being vaguely worded. Statement 2 talks about 'the law' being open to manipulation due to its
language. Sentence 1 and 2 are unrelated since 1 talks about a set of new laws (plural) and 2 talks about the law (a particular law that
should have been introduced in some other statement, singular). Therefore, the 2 statements are independent and hence, option E is the
right answer. 
         
5. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1. If there is any endeavour whose fruits should be freely available, that endeavour is surely publicly financed science.
2. There is a widespread feeling that the journal publishers who have mediated the scientific exchange for the past century or
more are becoming an impediment to free distribution of knowledge.
3. Internet revolution is happening, making knowledge transfer cheaper. Technology permits it; researchers and politicians want
it, more public money can be spent on it.
A    Statement 2 definitely illustrates statement 1.
B    Statement 3 is a facilitating condition for statement 1
C    Statement 3 states a condition under which statement 1 would be invalid
D    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 3 but independent of Statement 1.
E    Statement I, 2 and 3 are necessarily independent.
A n s w e r : B
  
.
6. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
I. Business schools are ideally positioned to point out when an action that provides a benefit for an individual comes at a cost to
society, but in reality they rarely bother.
2. It is part of the malaise that has befallen the political debate on capitalism, which has been taken over by special interests and
people who have no faith in a real market-based system.
3. When governments favours the private sector it is all too often by being "pro-business" rather than "pro-market", meaning that
favourable conditions are provided to particular institutions rather than to institutions broadly.
A    Statements 1 and 2 are necessarily dependent.
B    Statements 2 and 3 are necessarily dependent.
C    Statements 2 and 3 may be dependent.
D    Statements 1, 2 and 3 cannot be independent.
E    All the three statements are necessarily independent.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The second statement starts with the pronoun 'it'. The third statement talks about the government favouring private sector. Therefore,
the 'it' in the second statement most probably refers to the favours extended by the government. Sentences 2 and 3 are dependent.
Sentence 1 talks about business schools and is unrelated to the remaining 2 sentences (which talk about the government and politics).
Therefore, option B is the right answer.
7. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
To be a great manager requires, strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and demands a can-do attitude.
A    requires strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and demands
B    requires strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and
C    requires strong inter-personal skills, demands the ability to think fast, and
D    requiring strong inter-personal skill, an ability to think fast, and demands
E    demands strong inter-personal skills, an ability to think fast, but with
A n s w e r : B
        
8. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
The tremendous insight of Einstein was that the passage of time does not appear to be the same while standing still as it does to
a person traveling at a speed which is a significant fraction of the speed of light
A    while standing still as it does to a person traveling
B    to a person standing still as to a person traveling
C    to a person who is standing still as a person who is traveling
D    while standing still as to traveling
E    to a person standing still as to a person who travels
A n s w e r : B
  
.
9. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
Economic theory fails to explain the extent to which savings from personal income has Shifted to short-term bonds, money-
market funds, and other near-term investments by the instability in the futures market.
A    to which savings from personal income has shifted
B    of savings from personal income that has been shifted
C    of savings from personal income shifting
D    to which savings from personal income have shifted
E    to which savings from personal income have been shifted
A n s w e r : E
10. Read the following sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.
1. I was scarcely in position ere my enemies began to arrive, seven or eight of them, running hard, their feet beating out of time
along the road and the man with the lantern some paces in front.
2. My curiosity, in a sense, was stronger than my fear, for I could not remain where I was, but crept back to the bank again,
whence, sheltering my head behind a bush of broom, I might command the road before our door.
3. Three men ran together, hand in hand; and I made out, even through the mist, that the middle man of this trio was the blind
beggar.
4. The next moment his voice showed me that I was right.
A    1,2,3, 4
B    2, 1, 3, 4
C    1,2,4,3
D    1,3,4,2
E    1,4,2,3
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
Sentences 3 and 4 form a mandatory pair. The author assumes that the man running in the middle is the blind beggar. His assumption
gets confirmed on hearing the voice of the beggar. 
2 and 1 form a pair. The author first moves out of his position and goes behind the bush. While he is hiding behind the bush, he sees his
enemies running on the road. The author thinks that the man running in the middle is the blind beggar and confirms the same on hearing
his voice. 
2134 is the correct order and hence, option B is the right answer. 
   
11. Read the following sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.
1. Finally he took a wrong turn and ran a few, steps past me, towards the hamlet, crying, "Johnny, Black Dog, Dirk," and other
names, "you won't leave old Pew, mates—not old Pew!"
2. This quarrel was the saving of us, for while it was still raging, another sound came from the top of the hill on the side of the
hamlet—the tramp of horses galloping.
3. And that was plainly the last signal of danger, for the buccaneers turned at once and ran, separating in every direction, one
seaward along the cove, one slant across the hill, and so on, so that in half a minute not a sign of them remained but Pew.
4. Him they had deserted, whether in sheer panic or out of revenge for his ill words and blows I know not; but there he remained
behind, tapping up and down the road in a frenzy, and groping and calling for his comrades.
5. Almost at the same time a pistol-shot, flash and report, came from the hedge side.
A    
5, 1, 3, 4, 2
  
.
Page 5


XAT 2013
Verbal and Logical ability
1. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option that follows:
............. wolf, meeting with .....lamb astray from .....fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify
to ....... lamb ........... wolf's right to eat him.
A    a, a, the, the, the
B    the, a, the, a, the
C    a, a, a, the, the
D    the, the, the, the, the
E    the, a, the, a, a
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
'A' should precede the wolf and the lamb since they are introduced for the first time. The 'fold' describes the lamb's fold. Therefore, the
article 'the' should be used. Since the wolf and the lamb have already been introduced, the last 2 blanks should be filled with 'the'. 
The correct order is a, a, the, the, the. Option A is the right answer. 
  
2. . .............. bat who fell upon.................. ground and was caught by................ weasel pleaded to be spared his life. ...... ..weasel
refused, saying that he was by nature ................... enemy of all birds. .................. bat assured him that he was not ..................
bird, but ............... mouse, and thus was set free.
A    a, the, a, the, the, the, the, a
B    a, the, a, the, a, the, a, a
C    the, a, a, the, the, a, the, the
D    a, the, a, the, the, the, a, a
E    the, a, a, a, the, the, a, a
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
'A' should be used to fill the first blank since the bat is introduced for the first time. The article 'the' should be used before 'ground' since
the ground is a general term (like the Earth, the Sky). 'A' should be used before the weasel. 'The' should be used before the weasel since
the weasel has already been introduced. 'the' should be used before enemy since it states a general concept. 'The' should be used before
'bat' since it has already been introduced. 'A' should be used before both 'bird' and 'rat' since the bat describes himself to be a member of
a large group. 
A, the, a, the, the, the , a, a is the correct order. Therefore, option D is the right answer.
3. He got .......... next morning, to be sure, and had his meals ................ usual, though he ate .................. and had more, I am afraid,
than his usual supply of rum, for he helped himself...... the bar, scowling and blowing.............. his nose, and no one
dared................... cross him.
A    Down, like, a little, out of, out, to
B    Down, as, little, of, out, to
  
.
C    
Downstairs, as, little, out of, out of, through
D    Downstairs, like, a little, out, of, to
E    Down, like, a little, of, of through
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The first blank can be filled using 'down' or 'downstairs'. The second blank should be filled using 'as'. 'As usual' is a phrase and hence,
'as' should fill the second blank. The third blank can be filled using 'little' or 'a little'. The 4th blank can be filled with 'out', 'of', or 'out of'.
The last blank should be filled by 'to'. Therefore, option B is the right answer. 
4. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1.Whether due to haste or design, the new laws are marked by vagueness, leaving officials all down the organization's
bureaucratic chain great latitude in enforcing them.
2.The opacity of the language leaves the law open to manipulation on political grounds.
A    Statement 2 can be induced from statement 1.
B    Statement 1 can be induced from statement 2.
C    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 1.
D    Statement 1 can be deduced from statement 2.
E    Statements 1 and 2 are independent.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Statement 1 talks about 'the new laws' being vaguely worded. Statement 2 talks about 'the law' being open to manipulation due to its
language. Sentence 1 and 2 are unrelated since 1 talks about a set of new laws (plural) and 2 talks about the law (a particular law that
should have been introduced in some other statement, singular). Therefore, the 2 statements are independent and hence, option E is the
right answer. 
         
5. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
1. If there is any endeavour whose fruits should be freely available, that endeavour is surely publicly financed science.
2. There is a widespread feeling that the journal publishers who have mediated the scientific exchange for the past century or
more are becoming an impediment to free distribution of knowledge.
3. Internet revolution is happening, making knowledge transfer cheaper. Technology permits it; researchers and politicians want
it, more public money can be spent on it.
A    Statement 2 definitely illustrates statement 1.
B    Statement 3 is a facilitating condition for statement 1
C    Statement 3 states a condition under which statement 1 would be invalid
D    Statement 2 can be deduced from statement 3 but independent of Statement 1.
E    Statement I, 2 and 3 are necessarily independent.
A n s w e r : B
  
.
6. Choose the most appropriate option after reading the following statements.
I. Business schools are ideally positioned to point out when an action that provides a benefit for an individual comes at a cost to
society, but in reality they rarely bother.
2. It is part of the malaise that has befallen the political debate on capitalism, which has been taken over by special interests and
people who have no faith in a real market-based system.
3. When governments favours the private sector it is all too often by being "pro-business" rather than "pro-market", meaning that
favourable conditions are provided to particular institutions rather than to institutions broadly.
A    Statements 1 and 2 are necessarily dependent.
B    Statements 2 and 3 are necessarily dependent.
C    Statements 2 and 3 may be dependent.
D    Statements 1, 2 and 3 cannot be independent.
E    All the three statements are necessarily independent.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The second statement starts with the pronoun 'it'. The third statement talks about the government favouring private sector. Therefore,
the 'it' in the second statement most probably refers to the favours extended by the government. Sentences 2 and 3 are dependent.
Sentence 1 talks about business schools and is unrelated to the remaining 2 sentences (which talk about the government and politics).
Therefore, option B is the right answer.
7. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
To be a great manager requires, strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and demands a can-do attitude.
A    requires strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and demands
B    requires strong inter-personal skills, the ability to think fast, and
C    requires strong inter-personal skills, demands the ability to think fast, and
D    requiring strong inter-personal skill, an ability to think fast, and demands
E    demands strong inter-personal skills, an ability to think fast, but with
A n s w e r : B
        
8. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
The tremendous insight of Einstein was that the passage of time does not appear to be the same while standing still as it does to
a person traveling at a speed which is a significant fraction of the speed of light
A    while standing still as it does to a person traveling
B    to a person standing still as to a person traveling
C    to a person who is standing still as a person who is traveling
D    while standing still as to traveling
E    to a person standing still as to a person who travels
A n s w e r : B
  
.
9. Read the following sentence and choose the best alternative which should replace the italicized part of the sentence.
Economic theory fails to explain the extent to which savings from personal income has Shifted to short-term bonds, money-
market funds, and other near-term investments by the instability in the futures market.
A    to which savings from personal income has shifted
B    of savings from personal income that has been shifted
C    of savings from personal income shifting
D    to which savings from personal income have shifted
E    to which savings from personal income have been shifted
A n s w e r : E
10. Read the following sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.
1. I was scarcely in position ere my enemies began to arrive, seven or eight of them, running hard, their feet beating out of time
along the road and the man with the lantern some paces in front.
2. My curiosity, in a sense, was stronger than my fear, for I could not remain where I was, but crept back to the bank again,
whence, sheltering my head behind a bush of broom, I might command the road before our door.
3. Three men ran together, hand in hand; and I made out, even through the mist, that the middle man of this trio was the blind
beggar.
4. The next moment his voice showed me that I was right.
A    1,2,3, 4
B    2, 1, 3, 4
C    1,2,4,3
D    1,3,4,2
E    1,4,2,3
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
Sentences 3 and 4 form a mandatory pair. The author assumes that the man running in the middle is the blind beggar. His assumption
gets confirmed on hearing the voice of the beggar. 
2 and 1 form a pair. The author first moves out of his position and goes behind the bush. While he is hiding behind the bush, he sees his
enemies running on the road. The author thinks that the man running in the middle is the blind beggar and confirms the same on hearing
his voice. 
2134 is the correct order and hence, option B is the right answer. 
   
11. Read the following sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.
1. Finally he took a wrong turn and ran a few, steps past me, towards the hamlet, crying, "Johnny, Black Dog, Dirk," and other
names, "you won't leave old Pew, mates—not old Pew!"
2. This quarrel was the saving of us, for while it was still raging, another sound came from the top of the hill on the side of the
hamlet—the tramp of horses galloping.
3. And that was plainly the last signal of danger, for the buccaneers turned at once and ran, separating in every direction, one
seaward along the cove, one slant across the hill, and so on, so that in half a minute not a sign of them remained but Pew.
4. Him they had deserted, whether in sheer panic or out of revenge for his ill words and blows I know not; but there he remained
behind, tapping up and down the road in a frenzy, and groping and calling for his comrades.
5. Almost at the same time a pistol-shot, flash and report, came from the hedge side.
A    
5, 1, 3, 4, 2
  
.
B    
1, 2, 3, 5, 4
C    2, 5, 3, 4, 1
D    4, 3, 2, 5, I
E    2, 5, 4, 3, 1
A n s w e r : C
Explanation:
On reading the given sentences, we can infer that the paragraph is about how everyone started running after hearing the pistol sound. 
2 must be the opening sentence since it talks about the quarrel that happened before hearing the sound of the horses and the pistol
sound. 
5 must follow 2 since it starts that 'Almost at the same time' (the time at which they heard the horses).
3 should follow 5 since it states that the pistol sound was the last sign of danger and they started running in all directions deserting
Pew.
4 should follow 3 since the pronoun 'him' in the sentence refers to Pew.
1 must be the concluding sentence since it describes how Pew too started running shortly. 
The correct order is 25341. Therefore, option C is the right answer.
12. Read the following sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.
1. As chroniclers of an incremental process, they discover that additional research makes it harder, not easier, to answer
questions like: When was oxygen discovered? Who first conceived of energy conservation?
2. Simultaneously, these same historians confront growing difficulties in distinguishing the "scientific" component of past
observation and belief from what their predecessors had readily labeled "error" and "superstition."
3. Increasingly, a few of them suspect that these are simply the wrong sorts of questions to ask. Perhaps science does not
develop by the accumulation of individual discoveries and inventions.
4. In recent years, however, a few historians of science have been finding it more and more difficult to fulfill the functions that
the concept of development-by-accumulation assigns to them.
A    2,1,3,4
B    4,3,1,2
C    4,2,3,1
D    4,3,2,1
E    4,1,3,2
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
1-3 forms a logical pair as the questions mentioned in 3 are given in 1. Thus, options B, C and D are eliminated.
Among 4 and 2, 4 is a better opening statement as it introduces the problem faced by the historians of science.
Hence, the answer is option E.
Instructions [13 - 16 ]
Analyse the following passage and provide appropriate answers 
An example of a scientist who could measure without instruments is Enrico Fermi (1901-1954), a physicist who won the Nobel Prize in
physics in 1938. He had a well-developed knack for intuitive, even casual-sounding measurements. One renowned example of his
measurement skills was demonstrated at the first detonation of the atom bomb, the Trinity Test site, on July 16, 1945, where he was one
of the atomic scientists observing the blast from base camp. While final adjustments were being made to instruments used to measure
the yield of the blast, Fermi was making confetti out of a page of notebook paper. As the wind from the initial blast wave began to blow
through the camp, he slowly dribbled the confetti into the air, observing how far back it was scattered by the blast (taking the farthest
scattered pieces as being the peak of the pressure wave). Fermi concluded that the yield must be greater than 10 kilotons. This would
have been news since other initial observers of the blast did not know that lower limit. After much analysis of the instrument readings,
the final yield estimate was determined to be 18.6 kilotons. Like Eratosthenes, Fermi was aware of a rule relating one simple observation
—the scattering of confetti in the wind —to a quantity he wanted to measure.
  
.