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Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.
Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.
Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack of
  • a)
    understanding
  • b)
    initiative
  • c)
    seriousness
  • d)
    enjoyment
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that f...
It is given, "But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose." So, it is correct.
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Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that f...
Initiative as a Key Factor in Conversation
Initiative is a crucial element in engaging and dynamic conversations. In the passage, the author emphasizes that many people among his acquaintances are capable of talking well but lack initiative and deliberate purpose. Let's delve deeper into why initiative plays a vital role in conversation:

Initiative Leads to Engaging Conversations:
- When individuals take the initiative in a conversation, they drive the discussion forward, ensuring that it remains interesting and engaging.
- Initiating topics, sharing personal anecdotes, and asking thought-provoking questions can help keep the conversation lively and stimulating.

Lack of Initiative Results in Dullness:
- Without initiative, conversations can quickly become monotonous and uninteresting, leading to a lack of engagement from all parties involved.
- People who fail to take the initiative may struggle to keep the conversation flowing, resulting in moments of awkward silence or disinterest.

Initiative Enhances Communication Skills:
- Taking the initiative in conversations can also help individuals improve their communication skills over time.
- By actively participating in discussions, initiating new topics, and expressing their thoughts clearly, individuals can become more confident and effective communicators.
In conclusion, initiative is a key factor that can make the difference between a vibrant, engaging conversation and a dull, uninspiring one. By taking the initiative in conversation, individuals can not only enhance their communication skills but also ensure that their interactions are more meaningful and enjoyable.
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DIRECTIONS for questions: The passage given below is accompanied by a set of six questions. Choose the best answer to each question.Do art critics have a point anymore? Can they contribute anything to the development of art? For a long time, I've ducked this question. If you'd asked me any time over the past few years, I'd have replied that criticism does not seriously influence art. It has its own justification, however, as literature. If literature seems a pompous word, let's say entertainment. The appetite to read about art is almost as insatiable as the need to look at it; the critic provides a service that gives a chance to talk, think and tell stories about art and artists. Maybe it doesn't have any impact on art but it does occupy a place in the culture. That's what I would have said, until recently.But that's a weak defence of criticism. The truth is that critics have been in retreat for a long time. In British art, they faced a cataclysmic loss of standing just before I came on the scene. When I was a student, the art critic whose books I bought was Peter Fuller, founder of the magazine Modern Painters and a savage critic of most trends in contemporary art. I enjoyed the provocative seriousness of his essays. I also loved the writing of Robert Hughes, another critic whose eloquence was - and is - very much at the expense of current art.Not much newspaper criticism comes near their mark, but what critics did share, in the late 1980s, was a similar scepticism about new fashions, a "seriousness" defined by suspicion. And of course, history played a joke on these critics - even on Fuller and Hughes. While high moral disdain for shallow modern art was pouring from the printing presses, a generation of British artists led by Damien Hirst were getting away with anything they wanted - again and again and again. Words were crushed by images. Critics were reduced to the status of promoters. They had no other role.Today I think there is an opportunity for critics again - and a need. The sheer volume and range of art that we're fed in a culture obsessed with galleries is so vast and confusing that a critic can get stuck in and make a difference. It really is time to stand up for what is good against what is meretricious. And it really is possible to find examples of excellence as well as stupidity. In other words, this is a great time to be a critic - to try to show people what really matters.Yes, there's a staggering volume of mediocre art being talked up by fools. But there are real talents and real ideas too. The critic's task is to identify what is good and defend it come hell or high water - and to honestly denounce the bad. Art history can help in this task by enriching your perspective. Writing can give you flexibility in how and when you want to engage.But engage we must. Engage we will.Q. The author uses the metaphorical expression ‘words were crushed by images’ to describe how

DIRECTIONS for questions: The passage given below is accompanied by a set of six questions. Choose the best answer to each question.Do art critics have a point anymore? Can they contribute anything to the development of art? For a long time, I've ducked this question. If you'd asked me any time over the past few years, I'd have replied that criticism does not seriously influence art. It has its own justification, however, as literature. If literature seems a pompous word, let's say entertainment. The appetite to read about art is almost as insatiable as the need to look at it; the critic provides a service that gives a chance to talk, think and tell stories about art and artists. Maybe it doesn't have any impact on art but it does occupy a place in the culture. That's what I would have said, until recently.But that's a weak defence of criticism. The truth is that critics have been in retreat for a long time. In British art, they faced a cataclysmic loss of standing just before I came on the scene. When I was a student, the art critic whose books I bought was Peter Fuller, founder of the magazine Modern Painters and a savage critic of most trends in contemporary art. I enjoyed the provocative seriousness of his essays. I also loved the writing of Robert Hughes, another critic whose eloquence was - and is - very much at the expense of current art.Not much newspaper criticism comes near their mark, but what critics did share, in the late 1980s, was a similar scepticism about new fashions, a "seriousness" defined by suspicion. And of course, history played a joke on these critics - even on Fuller and Hughes. While high moral disdain for shallow modern art was pouring from the printing presses, a generation of British artists led by Damien Hirst were getting away with anything they wanted - again and again and again. Words were crushed by images. Critics were reduced to the status of promoters. They had no other role.Today I think there is an opportunity for critics again - and a need. The sheer volume and range of art that we're fed in a culture obsessed with galleries is so vast and confusing that a critic can get stuck in and make a difference. It really is time to stand up for what is good against what is meretricious. And it really is possible to find examples of excellence as well as stupidity. In other words, this is a great time to be a critic - to try to show people what really matters.Yes, there's a staggering volume of mediocre art being talked up by fools. But there are real talents and real ideas too. The critic's task is to identify what is good and defend it come hell or high water - and to honestly denounce the bad. Art history can help in this task by enriching your perspective. Writing can give you flexibility in how and when you want to engage.But engage we must. Engage we will.Q. The author justifies art criticism in the first para of the passage by saying that art criticism

DIRECTIONS for questions: The passage given below is accompanied by a set of six questions. Choose the best answer to each question.Do art critics have a point anymore? Can they contribute anything to the development of art? For a long time, I've ducked this question. If you'd asked me any time over the past few years, I'd have replied that criticism does not seriously influence art. It has its own justification, however, as literature. If literature seems a pompous word, let's say entertainment. The appetite to read about art is almost as insatiable as the need to look at it; the critic provides a service that gives a chance to talk, think and tell stories about art and artists. Maybe it doesn't have any impact on art but it does occupy a place in the culture. That's what I would have said, until recently.But that's a weak defence of criticism. The truth is that critics have been in retreat for a long time. In British art, they faced a cataclysmic loss of standing just before I came on the scene. When I was a student, the art critic whose books I bought was Peter Fuller, founder of the magazine Modern Painters and a savage critic of most trends in contemporary art. I enjoyed the provocative seriousness of his essays. I also loved the writing of Robert Hughes, another critic whose eloquence was - and is - very much at the expense of current art.Not much newspaper criticism comes near their mark, but what critics did share, in the late 1980s, was a similar scepticism about new fashions, a "seriousness" defined by suspicion. And of course, history played a joke on these critics - even on Fuller and Hughes. While high moral disdain for shallow modern art was pouring from the printing presses, a generation of British artists led by Damien Hirst were getting away with anything they wanted - again and again and again. Words were crushed by images. Critics were reduced to the status of promoters. They had no other role.Today I think there is an opportunity for critics again - and a need. The sheer volume and range of art that we're fed in a culture obsessed with galleries is so vast and confusing that a critic can get stuck in and make a difference. It really is time to stand up for what is good against what is meretricious. And it really is possible to find examples of excellence as well as stupidity. In other words, this is a great time to be a critic - to try to show people what really matters.Yes, there's a staggering volume of mediocre art being talked up by fools. But there are real talents and real ideas too. The critic's task is to identify what is good and defend it come hell or high water - and to honestly denounce the bad. Art history can help in this task by enriching your perspective. Writing can give you flexibility in how and when you want to engage.But engage we must. Engage we will.Q. Which of the following has been dubbed as a weak defence of art criticism by the author in the first sentence of the second para?

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Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for CAT 2024 is part of CAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the CAT exam syllabus. Information about Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for CAT 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for CAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for CAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows.Really good talk is one of the greatest pleasures and yet how rarely one comes across it. There are a good many people among my acquaintances who, on occasions, are capable of talking well. But what they seem to lack is initiative and deliberate purpose. If people would only look upon conversation in a more serious light, much would be gained. I do not of course mean, heaven forbid, that people should try to converse seriously; that results in the worst kind of dreariness in feeling, as Stevenson said that one has the brain of a sheep and the eyes of a boiled codfish. What I mean is that the more seriously one takes an argument, the more amusing it becomes. What I wish is that people would apply the same sort of seriousness to talk that they apply to golf and bridge, just as they desire to improve their game, brood over their mistakes, try to do better. Why is it that so many people would think it effeminate to try to improve their talk, yet think it manly and rational to try to shoot better? Of course, it must be done with a natural zest and enjoyment or it is useless. It is all very well to know beforehand the kind of line you would wish to take; but spontaneity is a necessary ingredient to talk and to make up one's mind to get certain stories in, is to deprive talk of its fortuitous charm.Q. Many people, who converse well, sometimes become dull due to lack ofa)understandingb)initiativec)seriousnessd)enjoymentCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice CAT tests.
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