Odd One Out CAT Previous Year Questions with Answer PDF

Odd One Out holds significance within the CAT VARC section, and it has consistently reappeared over the years. This document provides you with Previous Year Questions of CAT exam related to Odd One Out in CAT serving as a valuable resource for practice.

Q1: Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
1. In English, there is no systematic rule for the naming of numbers; after ten, we have "eleven" and "twelve" and then the teens: "thirteen", "fourteen", "fifteen" and so on.
2. Even more confusingly, some English words invert the numbers they refer to: the word "fourteen" puts the four first, even though it appears last.
3. It can take children a while to learn all these words, and understand that "fourteen" is different from "forty".
4. For multiples of 10, English speakers switch to a different pattern: "twenty", "thirty", "forty" and so on.
5. If you didn't know the word for "eleven", you would be unable to just guess it – you might come up with something like "one-teen".    [2023]
Ans: 3
Sol: All given sentences except 3 relate to the lack of systematic rules for the naming of numbers in English. Option 3 is about how children take a while to learn these words, which is a slightly different idea. So, option 3 is the odd one out.

Q2: Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
1. Having an appreciation for the workings of another person's mind is considered a prerequisite for natural language acquisition, strategic social interaction, reflexive thought, and moral judgment.
2. It is a 'theory of mind' though some scholars prefer to call it 'mentalizing' or 'mindreading', which is important for the development of one's cognitive abilities.
3. Though we must speculate about its evolutionary origin, we do have indications that the capacity evolved sometime in the last few million years.
4. This capacity develops from early beginnings in the first year of life to the adult's fast and often effortless understanding of others' thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
5. One of the most fascinating human capacities is the ability to perceive and interpret other people's behaviour in terms of their mental states.   [2023]
Ans: 2
Sol: If we were to arrange the given sentences in a paragraph, sentence 5 is the best choice to begin the paragraph as it states the main idea. Sentence 5 talks about 'the ability to perceive and interpret other people's behaviour in terms of their mental states'. Sentence 4 follows 5 as it expands on how 'this capacity' develops. Sentence 1 follows 4, explaining how this capacity is useful and 3 concludes the paragraph commenting on when the stated capacity evolved.
Option 2 is the odd one out, as it talks about the importance of mentalizing on the development of one's cognitive abilities. This is not related to the other sentences.

Q3: Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
1. Self-care particularly links to loneliness, behavioural problems, and negative academic outcomes.
2. "Latchkey children" refers to children who routinely return home from school to empty homes and take care of themselves for extended periods of time.
3. Although self-care generally points to negative outcomes, it is important to consider that the bulk of research has yet to track long-term consequences.
4. In research and practice, the phrase "children in self-care" has come to replace latchkey in an effort to more accurately reflect the nature of their circumstances.
5. Although parents might believe that self-care would be beneficial for development, recent research has found quite the opposite.  [2023]
Ans: 3
Sol: Of the given sentences, only sentence 3 maintains that self-care may not necessarily result in negative outcomes.
24 is a strong link. These sentences discuss the main focus of the paragraph-children who routinely return home from school to empty homes and take care of themselves for extended periods of time.
51 is also a strong link, with 5 stating that self-care is not beneficial for development and 1 explaining why so.
2451 makes a cogent paragraph.
Sentence 3 is the odd one out.

Q4: Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
1. The banning of Northern Lights could be considered a precursor to censoring books for "moral", world view or religious reasons.
2. Attempts to ban books are attempts to silence authors who have summoned immense courage in telling their stories.
3. Now the banning and challenging of books in the US has escalated to an unprecedented level.
4. The widely acclaimed fantasy novel Northern Lights was banned in some parts of the US, and was the second most challenged book in the US.
5. The American Library Association documented an unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022, about 2,500 unique titles.  [2023]
Ans: 2
Sol: All sentences except 2 focus on the banning and challenging of books in the US. Option 2 focuses on authors who have summoned courage in telling their stories. This is a related but slightly different idea.
Sentence 3 is the best opening sentence as it is the most general one. 5 adds to 3, supporting 3 with data. Sentences 4 and 1 discuss a specific case-- the banning of the book Northern Lights. 3541 makes a cogent paragraph.

Q5: Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
1. Although hard skills have traditionally ruled the roost, some companies are moving away from choosing prospective hires based on technical abilities alone.
2. Companies are shaking off the old definition of an ideal candidate and ditching the idea of looking for the singularly perfect candidate altogether.
3. Now, some job descriptions are frequently asking for candidates to demonstrate soft skills, such as leadership or teamwork.
4. That's not to say that practical know-how is no longer required – some jobs still call for highly specific expertise
5. The move towards prioritising soft skills "is a natural response to three years of the pandemic" says a senior recruiter at Cenlar FSB.  [2023]
Ans: 2
Sol: All sentences other than sentence 2 relate to skills- hard and soft skills- companies are looking for in prospective hires. Sentence 2, which talks about the ideal/perfect candidate, is the odd one out.
If the sentences were to be put in a paragraph, 1 would be the opening sentence. 1 says some companies are moving away from choosing prospective hires based on technical abilities alone. 3 follows 1, stating that some job descriptions are frequently asking for candidates to demonstrate soft skills. 5 adds to 3 and 4 concludes the paragraph.

Q6: Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
1. Boa Senior, who lived through the 2004 tsunami, the Japanese occupation and diseases brought by British settlers, was the last native of the island chain who was fluent in Bo.
2. The indigenous population has been steadily collapsing since the island chain was colonised by British settlers in 1858 and used for most of the following 100 years as a colonial penal colony.
3. Taking its name from a now-extinct tribe, Bo is one of the 10 Great Andamanese languages, which are thought to date back to pre-Neolithic human settlement of south-east Asia.
4. The last speaker of an ancient tribal language has died in the Andaman Islands, breaking a 65,000-year link to one of the world's oldest cultures.
5. Though the language has been closely studied by researchers of linguistic history, Boa Senior spent the last few years of her life unable to converse with anyone in her mother tongue.   [2023]
Ans: 2
Sol: All sentences except 2 relate to either the language Bo or its last speaker, Boa Senior. Sentence 2, which is about the collapse of the indigenous population on the island, is the odd one out.
If the sentences were to be arranged in a paragraph, 4 is the best starting sentence. 4 mentions 'an ancient tribal language'. 3 names this language and so it follows 4. These sentences are followed by 1 and 5, both of which relate to Boa Senior, the last speaker of the language.

Q7: Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:    [2021]
1. There is a dark side to academic research, especially in India, and at its centre is the phenomenon of predatory journals.
2. But in truth, as long as you pay, you can get anything published.
3. In look and feel thus, they are exactly like any reputed journal.
4. They claim to be indexed in the most influential databases, say they possess editorial boards that comprise top scientists and researchers, and claim to have a rigorous peer-review structure.
5. But a large section of researchers and scientists across the world are at the receiving end of nothing short of an academic publishing scam.
Ans: 5
Sol: The given collection of statements focuses on predatory journals. The author begins by mentioning the subject {Statement 1} in a grim tone. He highlights the kind of claims that these journals state: presence in 'influential databases', quality 'editorial boards' and a 'rigorous peer-review structure' {Statement 4}. On the surface, 'they are exactly like any reputed journal' {Statement 3}. However, the ground reality is starkly different: paying money allows you to publish anything in such predatory journal {Statement 2}. Hence, arrangement 1432 forms a coherent paragraph with predatory journals as the centre of attention.
Statement 5 deviates from this subject. Although the topic seems to be about academic publishing, the focus is no longer on predatory journals, but instead, it becomes a bit broader. Since there is a mismatch in scope, we discern Statement 5 as the odd one out.

Q8: Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:    [2021]
1. The legal status of resources mined in space remains ambiguous; and while the market for asteroid minerals is currently nonexistent, this is likely to change as technical hurdles diminish.
2. Outer space is a commons, and all of it is open for exploration, however, space law developed in the 1950s and 60s is state-centric and arguably ill-suited to a commercial future.
3. Laws adopted by the US and Luxembourg are first steps, but they only protect firms from competing claims by their compatriots; a Chinese company will not be bound by US law.
4. Critics say the US is conferring rights that it has no authority to confer; Russia in particular has condemned this, citing the US’ disrespect for international law.
5. At issue now is commercial activity, as private firms—rather than nation states — look to space for profit.

Ans: 4
Sol: A brief reading of the sentences suggests that the paragraph is about the inadequacy of laws about commercial activities in space in the wake of rapid technological developments in the same field. All sentences, other than 4, talk about this inadequacy or highlight why the laws are inadequate. Option 4 is out of context here, as it talks about the US disrespecting international law. It does not relate to the inadequacy of space law for commercial activities, and hence, is the answer.

Q9: Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:    [2021]
1. The care with which philosophers examine arguments for and against forms of biotechnology makes this an excellent primer on formulating and assessing moral arguments.
2. Although most people find at least some forms of genetic engineering disquieting, it is not easy to articulate why: what is wrong with re-engineering our nature?
3. Breakthroughs in genetics present us with the promise that we will soon be able to prevent a host of debilitating diseases, and the predicament that our newfound genetic knowledge may enable us to enhance our genetic traits.
4. To grapple with the ethics of enhancement, we need to confront questions that verge on theology, which is why modern philosophers and political theorists tend to shrink from them.
5. One argument is that the drive for human perfection through genetics is objectionable as it represents a bid for mastery that fails to appreciate the gifts of human powers and achievements.
Ans: 1
Sol: The sentences have been taken from Harvard's Justice, and have been modified considerably. Since a paragraph has not been directly taken here, the better way of elimination here would be to evaluate the major points of each sentence and see which one runs tangent to the discussion at hand. (During the examination, one must try both ways to solve: arranging and eliminating.)
1. Using the debate on biotechnology to evaluate moral arguments.
2. Why is bioengineering disputed?
3. The promise of bioengineering.
4. Ethics of bioengineering based on theology.
5. The theological argument.
We can see here that the last four sentences try to examine why bioengineering is disputed in spite of its huge potential. Then reasons are given about the question on its ethicality, and how it is closely associated with theology on the matter.
1 however runs tangential to the discussion. The main focus is bioengineering while 1 aims to shift the focus and use the debate on the matter as a stepping stone to reach another goal: evaluating/formulating moral arguments. Hence, 1 is the odd one out here.

Q10: Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:    [2021]
1. It has taken on a warm, fuzzy glow in the advertising world, where its potential is being widely discussed, and it is being claimed as the undeniable wave of the future.
2. There is little enthusiasm for this in the scientific arena; for them marketing is not a science, and only a handful of studies have been published in scientific journals.
3. The new, growing field of neuromarketing attempts to reveal the inner workings of consumer behaviour and is an extension of the study of how choices and decisions are made.
4. Some see neuromarketing as an attempt to make the "art" of advertising into a science, being used by marketing experts to back up their proposals with some form of real data.
5. The marketing gurus have already started drawing on psychology in developing tests and theories, and advertising people have borrowed the idea of the focus group from social scientists.
Ans: 5
Sol: A brief reading of the sentences tells us that the paragraph must be about the industry of neuromarketing, which is still in its embryonic phase. 3 can be the opening sentence to the paragraph, as it introduces the topic at hand. All the other sentences need a sentence before them that introduces what is being talked about.
1,4, and 2 then go on to talk about the opinion of differernt associated parties on the matter. It has taken the advertising industry by storm. Others feel that this 'art' is being masked as a science, and many lack enthusiasm on the matter.
5 however, does not fit in here. The reason is that it talks about 'psychology', which is different from the use of neural science. Even if one is not familiar with the difference, we can see that it goes a step forward to talk about the application of a science, whereas the paragraph is mostly concerned with a growing science and how it is shaping public opinion. Hence, 5 is the odd one out.

Q11: Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:    [2021]
1. A typical example is Wikipedia, where the overwhelming majority of contributors are male and so the available content is skewed to reflect their interests.
2. Without diversity of thought and representation, society is left with a distorted picture of future options, which are likely to result in augmenting existing inequalities.
3. Gross gender inequality in the technology sector is problematic, not only for the industry-wide marginalisation of women, but because technology designs embody the values of their makers.
4. While redressing unequal representation in the workplace is a step in the right direction, broader social change is needed to address the structural inequalities embedded within the current organisation of work and employment.
5. If technology merely reflects the perspectives of the male stereotype, then new technologies are unlikely to accommodate the diverse social contexts within which they operate.
Ans: 4
Sol: A brief reading of the sentences suggests that the paragraph must be about the disparity in the representation of different genders. Sentences 1,2,3, and 5 are concerned with the problems that arise when the representation of females is less.  
4, however, runs tangent to the discussion at hand. It talks about 'structural inequalities'. This sentence, if included in the paragraph, would render it incomplete as all the other sentences talk about gender inequality and not structural inequality. Thus, 4 is out of context here.

Q12: Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:    [2021]
1. They often include a foundation course on navigating capitalism with Chinese characteristics and have replaced typical cases from US corporates with a focus on how Western theories apply to China’s buzzing local firms.
2. The best Chinese business schools look like their Western rivals but are now growing distinct in terms of what they teach and the career boost they offer.
3. Western schools have enhanced their offerings with double degrees, popular with domestic and overseas students alike—and boosted the prestige of their Chinese partners.
4. For students, a big draw is the chance to rub shoulders with captains of China’s private sector.
5. Their business courses now largely cater to the growing demand from China Inc which has become more global, richer and ready to recruit from this sinocentric student body.
Ans: 3
Sol: A brief reading of the sentences tells us that the paragraph is about Chinese business schools and how they stand in comparison to their western counterparts. 2 mentions that thought they have a similar outlook, Chinese business schools have a different curriculum and are also different in what they have to offer. 1, 4, and 5 further talk about the peculiarity of the Chinese schools.
3, however, runs tangent to the discussion. It shifts the focus from Chinese schools and describes western schools. Hence, 3 is out of the context here.

Q13: Five jumbled-up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:

1. Machine learning models are prone to learning human-like biases from the training data that feeds these algorithms.
2. Hate speech detection is part of the ongoing effort against oppressive and abusive language on social media.
3. The current automatic detection models miss out on something vital: context.
4. It uses complex algorithms to flag racist or violent speech faster and better than human beings alone.
5. For instance, algorithms struggle to determine if group identifiers like “gay” or “black” are used in offensive or prejudiced ways because they’re trained on imbalanced datasets with unusually high rates of hate speech.
   [CAT 2020 Slot 3]

Ans: The Correct answer is Option 3.
Sol: If the sentences were to be arranged in a paragraph, 2. would be the best opening sentence as it sets the context. 2 and 4 is a link: 2 talks about hate speech detection while 4 explains how it works. 1 and 5 is also a link: sentence 1 talks about biases arising due to training data. 5 gives an example of how flawed training data affects algorithms. 2,3,1,5 is a possible sequence.3 is the odd one out.

Q14: Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:

1. The logic of displaying one’s inner qualities through outward appearance was based on a distinction between being a woman and being feminine.
2. ‘Appearance’ became a signifier of conduct – to look was to be and conformity to the feminine ideal was measured by how well women could use the tools of the fashion and beauty industries.
3. The makeover-centric media sets out subtly and not-so-subtly, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ways to be a woman, layering these over inequalities of race and class.
4. The denigration of working-class women and women of colour often centres on their perceived failure to embody feminine beauty.
5. ‘Woman’ was considered a biological category, but femininity was a ‘process’ by which women became specific kinds of women. 
   [CAT 2020 Slot 3]

Ans: The correct option is  3. 
Sol: The sentences relate to the subject of being a woman versus being feminine. 5 and 2 is a links. The sentences are structured similarly and state what signifies what. Sentence 1 relates to the same idea. 1,5,2 is a possible sequence. Between 3 and 4, 4 fits better to the idea in 2–the measure of the feminine ideal.
3, which is about how the ‘make-over centric media’ set out to define ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ways to be a woman, is the odd one here.

Q15: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
Choose its number as your answer and key it in.
(1) One argument is that actors that do not fit within a single, well-defined category may suffer an “illegitimacy discount”.
(2) Others believe that complex identities confuse audiences about an organization’s role or purpose.
(3) Some organizations have complex and multidimensional identities that span or combine categories, while other organizations possess narrow identities.
(4) Identity is one of the most important features of organizations, but there exist opposing views among sociologists about how identity affects organizational performance.
(5) Those who think that complex identities are beneficial point to the strategic advantages of ambiguity, and organizations’ potential to differentiate themselves from competitors.
CAT 2019 Slot 1
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (1)
Sol: Statement 1 says that actors who do not fit within a certain category such as "humour", "action" etc will face certain difficulty
Statement 2 has a negative tone. It starts with "others" indicating that the preceding statement is likely to have a positive tone.
Statement 4 is a good opening statement as it sets the agenda for the passage by saying that there are opposing views with regard to effects of identities in organisations.
Statement 5 is a favourable view to complex identities, a positive tone. Hence 52 is a logical block.
Statement 3 cannot open the paragraph as the succeeding statement 4 will be disconnected to the central idea of statement 1. Statement 3 can neither be a conclusion as it is too generic. Hence, statement 3 can logically occur only after statement 4 and before the logical block 52.
4 - Idea of organizational identity introduced
3 - One of the features of organisational identities explained
52 - Two opposing views expressed Statement 1 is unrelated to organisational identity as it speaks about stereotyping the actors. Hence statement 1 is odd one out

Q16: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
Choose its number as your answer and key it in.
(1) His idea to use sign language was not a completely new idea as Native Americans used hand gestures to communicate with other tribes.
(2) Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, for example, observed that men who are deaf are incapable of speech.
(3) People who were born deaf were denied the right to sign a will as they were “presumed to understand nothing; because it is not possible that they have been able to learn to read or write.”
(4) Pushback against this prejudice began in the 16th century when Pedro Ponce de León created a formal sign language for the hearing impaired.
(5) For millennia, people with hearing impairments encountered marginalization because it was believed that language could only be learned by hearing the spoken word.
CAT 2019 Slot 1
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (2)
Sol: Statement 34 makes a logical block as statement 4 speaks about "this prejudice" against deaf people. While statement 3 highlights the prejudice by saying that they were considered to be dumb and not allowed to sign a will.
The idea of sign language is continued in statement 1 where the pronoun "he" refers to pedro and the statement discusses about the origin of the sign language.
Statement 5 is a good opening statement as it introduces the idea of discrimination against deaf and this idea is continued by an example in statement 3. Hence these statements can be arranged in the order 5341.
Statement 2 is a good standalone opening statement. Yet, this statement cannot be succeeded by any of the other statements as it is a misfit in the paragraph. Hence statement 2 is the odd one out.

Q17: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out. Choose its number as your answer and key it in.
(1) A particularly interesting example of inference occurs in many single panel comics.
(2) It’s the creator’s participation and imagination that makes the single-panel comic so engaging and so rewarding.
(3) Often, the humor requires you to imagine what happened in the instant immediately before or immediately after the panel you’re being shown.
(4) To get the joke, you actually have to figure out what some of these missing panels must be.
(5) It is as though the cartoonist devised a series of panels to tell the story and has chosen to show you only one - and typically not even the funniest.
CAT 2019 Slot 2 
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (2)
Sol: After reading all the sentences it is clear that the paragraph talks about how to understand the humor behind the single panel comics.
The sentence 1 sets the platform for the author to explain how to infer humour in a single panel comic.
Consider the sentences 3, 4, 5. Those sentences are aimed at the reader.
"3. Often, the humor requires you to imagine what happened in the instant immediately before or immediately after the panel you’re being shown."
"4. To get the joke, you actually have to figure out what some of these missing panels must be."
"5. It is as though the cartoonist devised a series of panels to tell the story and has chosen to show you only one - and typically not even the funniest."
Sentence 2 on the other hand is a stand alone sentence that does not fit in with the rest of the paragraph. Hence, it is an odd sentence.

Q18: Five sentences related to a topic are given below in a jumbled order. Four of them form a coherent and unified paragraph. Identify the odd sentence that does not go with the four. Key in the number of the options that you choose.
(1) Socrates told us that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ and that to ‘know thyself’ is the path to true wisdom
(2) It suggests that you should adopt an ancient rhetorical method favored by the likes of Julius Caesar and known as ‘illeism’ - or speaking about yourself in the third person.
(3) Research has shown that people who are prone to rumination also often suffer from impaired decision making under pressure and are at a substantially increased risk of depression.
(4) Simple rumination - the process of churning your concerns around in your head - is not the way to achieve self-realization.
(5) The idea is that this small change in perspective can clear your emotional fog, allowing you to see past your biases.
CAT 2019 Slot 2
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (1)
Sol: After reading all the sentences, it can be reasonably inferred that the passage talks about how rumination is not the way to achieve-self realization, but another method favored by Caesar, 'illeism' would help a person see past his biases.
Sentence 4 introduces the idea of rumination. Hence this sentence would serve as the introductory sentence. Sentence 3 follows sentence 4 because it indicates the results of the research done on rumination. Sentence 2 would be the next logical progression, since it puts forth an alternative to rumination, known as illeism. Sentence 2 and sentence 5 would form a block as sentence 5 explains the consequences of adopting the ancient method of illeism, mentioned in sentence 2.
4-3-2-5 would be the correct ordering of the sentences. Sentence 1 does not fit in with the passage and hence, it is the correct answer.

Q19: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out. Choose its number as your answer and key it in.
(1) Ocean plastic is problematic for a number of reasons, but primarily because marine animals eat it.
(2) The largest numerical proportion of ocean plastic falls in small size fractions.
(3) Aside from clogging up the digestive tracts of marine life, plastic also tends to adsorb pollutants from the water column.
(4) Plastic in the oceans is arguably one of the most important and pervasive environmental problems today.
(5) Eating plastic has a number of negative consequences such as the retention of plastic particles in the gut for longer periods than normal food particles.
CAT 2019 Slot 2
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (2)
Sol: After reading all the sentences it can be inferred that the passage talks about the impact of ocean plastic on marine organisms.
Sentence 4 introduces the important and pervasive environmental problem of having plastic in the oceans. Hence it is the first sentence of the passage. Sentence 1 gives the reason behind why ocean plastic is problematic, elucidating that marine animals eat it. Hence it should follow sentence 4. Sentence 5 gives the consequences of marine animals eating ocean plastic. Sentence 3 further elaborates sentence 5 and follows it.
Hence the correct order of sentences is 4-1-5-3. Sentence 2 does not fit in with the rest of the passage and is the correct option.

Q20: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
(1) In many cases time inconsistency is what prevents our going from intention to action.
(2) For people to continuously postpone getting their children immunized, they would need to be constantly fooled by themselves.
(3) In the specific case of immunization, however, it is hard to believe that time inconsistency by itself would be sufficient to make people permanently postpone the decision if they were fully cognizant of its benefits.
(4) In most cases, even a small cost of immunization was large enough to discourage most people.
(5) Not only do they have to think that they prefer to spend time going to the camp next month rather than today, they also have to believe that they will indeed go next month.
CAT 2018 Slot 1
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (4)
Sol: All sentences except sentence 4 talk about how time inconsistency prevents people from immunizing their children. Sentence 4 states that the cost of immunization acts as a deterrent which is not in line with the other 4 sentences.
1 should be the opening sentence since it is a general statement introducing time inconsistency. Sentence 1 should be followed by sentence 3 since it explains how time inconsistency, in itself, acts as a deterrent in the specific case of immunization. Sentences 2 and 5 form a pair. Sentence 2 states how people should be fooling themselves to postpone their child's immunization. Sentence 5 explains how they should be fooling themselves to not get their child immunized.
Sentences 1325 can be put together into a coherent paragraph. Therefore, 4 is the correct answer.

Q21: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
(1) Displacement in Bengal is thus not very significant in view of its magnitude.
(2) A factor of displacement in Bengal is the shifting course of the Ganges leading to erosion of river banks.
(3) The nature of displacement in Bengal makes it an interesting case study.
(4) Since displacement due to erosion is well spread over a long period of time, it remains invisible.
(5) Rapid displacement would have helped sensitize the public to its human costs.
CAT 2018 Slot 1
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (5)
Sol: On reading the sentences, we can infer that the paragraph revolves around the displacement of people in Bengal due to erosion. 3 should be the opening sentence since it introduces the topic of discussion - displacement in Bengal. 3 should be followed by sentence 2 since it elaborates that the displacement is due to the shifting of the course of the Ganges and the erosion. We have to decide the pair between 5, 4, and 1.
Sentence 4 is definitely a part of the paragraph since it fits well with both the sentences. Also, it states an important detail - the displacement is spread out over a period of time and hence, remains invisible. Since the displacement is not rapid, its magnitude is not significant. Sentences 4 and 1 form a pair and hence, sentence 5 is the one out of context.

Q22: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the ODD ONE out. Choose its number as your answer and key it in.
(1) Translators are like bumblebees.
(2) Though long since scientifically disproved, this factoid is still routinely trotted out.
(3) Similar pronouncements about the impossibility of translation have dogged practitioners since Leonardo Bruni’s De interpretatione recta, published in 1424.
(4) Bees, unaware of these deliberations, have continued to flit from flower to flower, and translators continue to translate.
(5) In 1934, the French entomologist August Magnan pronounced the flight of the bumblebee to be aerodynamically impossible.\
CAT 2018 Slot 1
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (2)

Q23: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
(1) As India looks to increase the number of cities, our urban planning must factor in potential natural disasters and work out contingencies in advance.
(2) Authorities must revise data and upgrade infrastructure and mitigation plans even if their local area hasn’t been visited by a natural calamity yet.
(3) Extreme temperatures, droughts, and forest fires have more than doubled since 1980.
(4) There is no denying the fact that our baseline normal weather is changing.
(5) It is no longer a question of whether we will be hit by nature's fury but rather when.
CAT 2018 Slot 2
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (3)
Sol: If we read all the sentences together, we see that the author is arguing for India preparing itself in advance for future natural disasters.
Sentence 4, which introduces the broader context makes for a good opening line. Sentences 1 and 2 together make the main point that the author is trying to make through the paragraph - that India should prepare itself for future natural disasters. Sentence 5 emphasizes the main point by adding that natural disasters will occur in the future and thus makes for a good concluding line.
Sentence 3, that talks about extreme temperatures does not lead off to any of the other sentences nor does it add to any of the other sentences. Hence, it is the odd one.
Additional Explanation: 1-2 is a block, both are talking about things that authorities should do 45 are rhetorical opinions of the author on the weather. 3 is a fact.
We use facts to draw reasonable conclusions. This standalone fact cannot be used to draw any conclusion. The style of the author's writing in 4 and 5 are more opinionated than factual. So 3 is a misfit. Moreover, we cannot make a connection between 1-4, 1 says we need contingencies for natural disasters(suggestive) whereas, 4 says whether it is changing(rhetorical).

Q24: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out. Choose its number as your answer and key the number in:
(1) Our smartphones can now track our diets, our biological cycles, even our digestive systems and sleep-patterns.
(2) Researchers have even coined a new term, “orthosomnia”, to describe the insomnia brought on by paying too much attention to smartphones and sleep-tracking apps.
(3) Sleep, nature’s soft nurse, is a blissful, untroubled state all too easily disturbed by earthly worries or a guilty conscience.
(4) The existence of a market for such apps is unsurprising: shift work, a long-hours culture and blue light from screens have conspired to rob many of us of sufficient rest.
(5) A new threat to a good night’s rest has emerged - smart-phones, with sleep-tracking apps.
CAT 2018 - Slot 2
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (3)
Sol: The use of the word "such apps" in 4 indicates that 4 must be preceded by a line that mentions a type of app. We find this in 5 and 2. So the pairs could be 5-4 or 2-4. If we see the sentences 5 and 1 they introduce the topic under discussion and provide context for the details provided in 2 and 4. Hence, 1 and 5 should come at the start of the paragraph and 2-4 should be the end of the paragraph. Between 5 and 1, 5 provides a better opening line as it introduces the main topic of discussion. Hence, the order of the paragraph should be 5-1-2-4.
Sentence 3 which talks of "guilty conscience" is out of context with the rest of the paragraph.

Q25: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
(1) Much has been recently discovered about the development of songs in birds.
(2) Some species are restricted to a single song learned by all individuals, others have a range of songs.
(3) The most important auditory stimuli for the birds are the sounds of other birds.
(4) For all bird species there is a prescribed path to the development of the final song,
(5) A bird begins with the subsong, and passes through plastic song, until it achieves the species song.
CAT 2018 - Slot 2
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (3)
Sol: On reading the sentences, we can infer that the paragraph talks about the development of songs in birds.
1 should be the opening sentence since it introduces the topic of discussion, the development of songs in birds. 1 provides a proper introduction to the paragraph by stating that much has been discovered about the development of songs in birds.
4 should be the sentence that follows 1 since it states that the development of songs in birds follows a template process.
5 explains the mechanism in which the song is developed. Therefore, sentence 5 should follow sentence 4.
2 should be the last sentence since it states that some species restrict themselves to one song while other species have more than one song.
Sentences 1452 form a coherent paragraph. Sentence 3 talks about the sounds of birds while the other sentences are about how a species develops a song. Therefore, sentence 3 is the one out of context and hence, 3 is the right answer.

Q26: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
(1) The water that made up ancient lakes and perhaps an ocean was lost.
(2) Particles from the Sun collided with molecules in the atmosphere, knocking them into space or giving them an electric charge that caused them to be swept away by the solar wind.
(3) Most of the planet's remaining water is now frozen or buried, but clues over the past decade suggested that some liquid water, a presumed necessity for life, might survive in underground aquifers.
(4) Data from NASA's MAVEN orbiter show that solar storms stripped away most of Mars's once-thick atmosphere.
(5) A recent study reveals how Mars lost much of its early water, while another indicates that some liquid water remains.

CAT 2017
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (1)
Sol: On reading the sentences, we can infer that the paragraph is about how Mars lost most of its water.
Sentence 5 states that Mars has lost much of its water according to one study but some liquid water remains according to another. Therefore, the rest of the paragraph should explain about these 2 findings.
Sentences 4 and 2 together substantiate the first study. They try to explain how a solar storm swept away Mar's water content. Both the sentences talk about the solar storm. Sentence 3 talks about the water that is remaining on the planet.
Sentences 5423 can be put together into a coherent paragraph.
Therefore, sentence 1 is the odd one out.

Q27: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
(1) Neuroscientists have just begun studying exercise's impact within brain cells — on the genes themselves.
(2) Even there, in the roots of our biology, they' ve found signs of the body's influence on the mind.
(3) It turns out that moving our muscles produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, where they play pivotal roles in the mechanisms of our highest thought processes.
(4) In today's technology-driven, plasma-screened-in world, it's easy to forget that we are born movers-animals, in fact — because we' ve engineered movement right out of our lives.
(5) It's only in the past few years that neuroscientists have begun to describe these factors and how they work, and each new discovery adds awe-inspiring depth to the picture.

CAT 2017
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (4)
Sol: After reading all the sentences, we know that the passage is about the study of the effect of exercise on the mind by the neuroscientists.
Statement 1 is the opening sentence as it introduces the main idea and suggests that neuroscientists have started studying the effect of exercise on the mind.
Statement 2 discusses the findings of the study mentioned in statement 1.
Statement 3 further elaborates the finding and explains the reasons behind the effect of exercise on brain cells. Statement 5 is a conclusion sentence based on the study mentioned in the three sentences mentioned earlier. Thus, 1235 forms a meaningful paragraph.
Statement 4 focuses on our ignorance of movements due to the widespread use of technology. Other four sentences are about the relationship between exercise and brain cells. However, statement 4 is about a different topic. Therefore, statement 4 is an odd sentence which does not fit in the paragraph.
Hence, 4 is the correct answer.

Q28: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph.
Identify the odd one out.
(1) People who study children's language spend a lot of time watching how babies react to the speech they hear around them.
(2) They make films of adults and babies interacting, and examine them very carefully to see whether the babies show any signs of understanding what the adults say.
(3) They believe that babies begin to react to language from the very moment they are born.
(4) Sometimes the signs are very subtle — slight movements of the baby's eyes or the head or the hands.
(5) You'd never notice them if you were just sitting with the child, but by watching a recording over and over, you can spot them.

CAT 2017
Ans: Correct Answer is Option (3)
Sol: After reading all the sentences, we know that the paragraph is about the children's language and the signs that they show.
Statement 1 is the opening sentence as it introduces us to the method adopted to study children's language.
Statement 2 further explains the method how people study the signs given by children.
Statements 4 and 5 are about the signs mentioned in statement 2. Thus, all the four statements are related to the methodology adopted by people to study children's language. Therefore, these 4 sentences form a paragraph.
Statement 3 is about the reaction of children to a certain language. So, statement 3 is about a different topic and does not fit in the paragraph. Hence, 3 is the correct answer.