XAT 2018: Previous Year Question Paper with Solutions

 Page 1


XAT 2018
English
Instructions [1 - 3 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
If history doesn’t follow any stable rules, and if we cannot predict its future course, why study it? It often seems that the chief aim of
science is to predict the future - meteorologists are expected to forecast whether tomorrow will bring rain or sunshine; economists
should know whether devaluing the currency will avert or precipitate an economic crisis; good doctors foresee whether chemotherapy or
radiation therapy will be more successful in curing lung cancer. Similarly, historians are asked to examine the actions of our ancestors
so that we can repeat their wise decisions and avoid their mistakes. But it never works like that because the present is just too different
from the past. It is a wast of time to study Hannibal’s tactics in the Second Punic War so as to copy them in the Third World War. What
worked well in cavalry battles will not necessarily be of much benefit in cyber warfare. Science is not just about predicting the future,
though. Scholars in all fields often seek to broaden our horizons, thereby opening before us new and unknown futures. This is especially
true of history. Though historians occasionally try their hand at prophecy (without notable success), the study of history aims above all
to make us aware of possibilities we don’t normally consider. Historians study the past not in order to repeat it, but in order to be
liberated from it. Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and
managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable. We
forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society,
but also our thoughts, fears and dreams. The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and
directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and
inescapable part of who we are. Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures. Studying history aims
to loosen the grip of the past. It enables us to turn our head this way and that, and begin to notice possibilities that our ancestors could
not imagine, or didn’t want us to imagine. By observing the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our very thoughts
and dreams took shape - and we can begin to think and dream differently. Studying history will not tell us what to choose, but at least it
gives us more options.
1. Based on the passage, which of the following options would be the most appropriate for citizens to learn history?
A    British names of streets in India should not be changed.
B    Every street in India should display a plaque that lists all its previous names.
C    British names of streets in India should be changed to Indian names along with an explanation of their history.
D    Names of Indian streets should be based on suggestions generated through an opinion poll.
E    Names of Indian streets should be periodically changed.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
In the passage the author reiterates the fact that studying history widens our vision and the penultimate sentence of the passage states
that by studying the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our thoughts and dreams took shape and we begin to
think and dream differently. Hence, if every street in India were to display a plague that lists all its previous names, it would help us
realise how our very own thoughts and dreams took shape and thereby, help us begin to think and dream differently. Therefore, only
option B would be the most appropriate for the citizens to learn history. Options A and C restrict themselves only to British names of
streets and do not speak about the history of India prior to British rule and hence they can be eliminated. Options D and E fail to explain
why it would be appropriate for citizens to learn history so they can be eliminated to.
  
2. Which of the following options is the closest to the essence of the passage?
A    History, unlike Physics, does not help predict future.
B    History deals with long time periods.
C    History documents the past events related to specific people.
  
.
Page 2


XAT 2018
English
Instructions [1 - 3 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
If history doesn’t follow any stable rules, and if we cannot predict its future course, why study it? It often seems that the chief aim of
science is to predict the future - meteorologists are expected to forecast whether tomorrow will bring rain or sunshine; economists
should know whether devaluing the currency will avert or precipitate an economic crisis; good doctors foresee whether chemotherapy or
radiation therapy will be more successful in curing lung cancer. Similarly, historians are asked to examine the actions of our ancestors
so that we can repeat their wise decisions and avoid their mistakes. But it never works like that because the present is just too different
from the past. It is a wast of time to study Hannibal’s tactics in the Second Punic War so as to copy them in the Third World War. What
worked well in cavalry battles will not necessarily be of much benefit in cyber warfare. Science is not just about predicting the future,
though. Scholars in all fields often seek to broaden our horizons, thereby opening before us new and unknown futures. This is especially
true of history. Though historians occasionally try their hand at prophecy (without notable success), the study of history aims above all
to make us aware of possibilities we don’t normally consider. Historians study the past not in order to repeat it, but in order to be
liberated from it. Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and
managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable. We
forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society,
but also our thoughts, fears and dreams. The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and
directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and
inescapable part of who we are. Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures. Studying history aims
to loosen the grip of the past. It enables us to turn our head this way and that, and begin to notice possibilities that our ancestors could
not imagine, or didn’t want us to imagine. By observing the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our very thoughts
and dreams took shape - and we can begin to think and dream differently. Studying history will not tell us what to choose, but at least it
gives us more options.
1. Based on the passage, which of the following options would be the most appropriate for citizens to learn history?
A    British names of streets in India should not be changed.
B    Every street in India should display a plaque that lists all its previous names.
C    British names of streets in India should be changed to Indian names along with an explanation of their history.
D    Names of Indian streets should be based on suggestions generated through an opinion poll.
E    Names of Indian streets should be periodically changed.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
In the passage the author reiterates the fact that studying history widens our vision and the penultimate sentence of the passage states
that by studying the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our thoughts and dreams took shape and we begin to
think and dream differently. Hence, if every street in India were to display a plague that lists all its previous names, it would help us
realise how our very own thoughts and dreams took shape and thereby, help us begin to think and dream differently. Therefore, only
option B would be the most appropriate for the citizens to learn history. Options A and C restrict themselves only to British names of
streets and do not speak about the history of India prior to British rule and hence they can be eliminated. Options D and E fail to explain
why it would be appropriate for citizens to learn history so they can be eliminated to.
  
2. Which of the following options is the closest to the essence of the passage?
A    History, unlike Physics, does not help predict future.
B    History deals with long time periods.
C    History documents the past events related to specific people.
  
.
D    
There is no strict cause and effect relationship in history.
E    History has the potential to make us eclectic.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Refer lo lines 9 and 10 of the passage - "Scholars in all fields....This is especially true of history" - and the last four lines of the passage,
from which it can be understood that studying history helps us to think and dream differently and it gives us more options. Hence it can
be said that option E is closest to the main idea which the author intends to convey. Option A can be understood from the passage but it
does not bring out the main idea of the passage. Options B, C and D are too generalised statements.
3. Read the following sentences:
1. A historian successfully predicted a political crisis based on similar events of the last century.
2. Using the latest technology, doctors could decipher the microbe causing the disease.
3. Students who prepared for an examination by perusing past 10 years' question papers did not do well in the examination.
4. A tribe in Andaman learns to predict epidemic outbreaks by listening to the stories of how their ancestors predicted the past
outbreaks.
Which of the statement(s) above, if true would contradict the view of the author?
A    1 and 2 only
B    3 and 4 only
C    2 and 3 only
D    1 and 4 only
E    1, 2 and 4 only
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
Statements 4 and 6 are contradicted by the lines 4 to 6 of the passage. Statement 3 does not contradict the author's view because the
author encourages the study of history, as studying history broadens our prespective. Hence it cannot be categorically stated that
studying the past leads to dismal performance. Hence option D is the correct answer.
Instructions [4 - 7 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Rene Descartes’ assertion that ideas may be held true with certainty if they are “clear and distinct” provides the context for Peirce’s title,
“How to Make Our Ideas Clear.” Peirce argued that an idea may seem clear if it is familiar. Distinctness depends on having good
definitions, and while definitions are desirable they do not yield any new knowledge or certainty of the truth of empirical propositions.
Peirce argues that thought needs more than a sense of clarity; it also needs a method for making ideas clear. Once we have made an
idea clear, then we can begin the task of determining its truth. The method that Peirce offers came to be known as the pragmatic
method and the epistemology on which it depends is pragmatism. Peirce rejected Descartes’ method of doubt. We cannot doubt
something, for the sake of method, that we do not doubt in fact. In a later essay, he would state as his rule “Dismiss make-believes.”
This refers to Descartes’ method of doubting things, in the safety of his study, such things as the existence of the material world, which
he did not doubt when he went out on the street. Peirce proposed that a philosophical investigation can begin from only one state of
mind, namely, the state of mind in which we find ourselves when we begin. If any of us examines our state of mind, we find two kinds of
thoughts: beliefs and doubts. Peirce had presented the interaction of doubt and belief in an earlier essay “The Fixation of Belief”.
Beliefs and doubts are distinct. Beliefs consist of states of mind in which we would make a statement; doubts are states in which we
would ask a question. We experience a doubt as a sense of uneasiness and hesitation. Doubt serves as an irritant that causes us to
appease it by answering a question and thereby fixing a belief and putting the mind to rest on that issue. A common example of a doubt
would be arriving in an unfamiliar city and not being sure of the location of our destination address in relation to our present location.
We overcome this doubt and fix a belief by getting the directions. Once we achieve a belief, we can take the necessary action to reach
our destination. Peirce defines a belief subjectively as something of which we are aware and which appeases the doubt. Objectively, a
belief is a rule of action. The whole purpose of thought consists in overcoming a doubt and attaining a belief. Peirce acknowledges that
some people like to think about things or argue about them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism
does not constitute thought. The beliefs that we hold determine how we will act. If we believe, rightly or wrongly, that the building that
we are trying to reach sits one block to our north, we will walk in that direction. We have beliefs about matters of fact, near and far. For
example, we believe in the real objects in front of us and we believe generally accepted historical statements. We also believe in
relations of ideas such as that seven and five equal twelve. In addition to these we have many beliefs about science, politics,
  
.
Page 3


XAT 2018
English
Instructions [1 - 3 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
If history doesn’t follow any stable rules, and if we cannot predict its future course, why study it? It often seems that the chief aim of
science is to predict the future - meteorologists are expected to forecast whether tomorrow will bring rain or sunshine; economists
should know whether devaluing the currency will avert or precipitate an economic crisis; good doctors foresee whether chemotherapy or
radiation therapy will be more successful in curing lung cancer. Similarly, historians are asked to examine the actions of our ancestors
so that we can repeat their wise decisions and avoid their mistakes. But it never works like that because the present is just too different
from the past. It is a wast of time to study Hannibal’s tactics in the Second Punic War so as to copy them in the Third World War. What
worked well in cavalry battles will not necessarily be of much benefit in cyber warfare. Science is not just about predicting the future,
though. Scholars in all fields often seek to broaden our horizons, thereby opening before us new and unknown futures. This is especially
true of history. Though historians occasionally try their hand at prophecy (without notable success), the study of history aims above all
to make us aware of possibilities we don’t normally consider. Historians study the past not in order to repeat it, but in order to be
liberated from it. Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and
managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable. We
forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society,
but also our thoughts, fears and dreams. The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and
directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and
inescapable part of who we are. Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures. Studying history aims
to loosen the grip of the past. It enables us to turn our head this way and that, and begin to notice possibilities that our ancestors could
not imagine, or didn’t want us to imagine. By observing the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our very thoughts
and dreams took shape - and we can begin to think and dream differently. Studying history will not tell us what to choose, but at least it
gives us more options.
1. Based on the passage, which of the following options would be the most appropriate for citizens to learn history?
A    British names of streets in India should not be changed.
B    Every street in India should display a plaque that lists all its previous names.
C    British names of streets in India should be changed to Indian names along with an explanation of their history.
D    Names of Indian streets should be based on suggestions generated through an opinion poll.
E    Names of Indian streets should be periodically changed.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
In the passage the author reiterates the fact that studying history widens our vision and the penultimate sentence of the passage states
that by studying the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our thoughts and dreams took shape and we begin to
think and dream differently. Hence, if every street in India were to display a plague that lists all its previous names, it would help us
realise how our very own thoughts and dreams took shape and thereby, help us begin to think and dream differently. Therefore, only
option B would be the most appropriate for the citizens to learn history. Options A and C restrict themselves only to British names of
streets and do not speak about the history of India prior to British rule and hence they can be eliminated. Options D and E fail to explain
why it would be appropriate for citizens to learn history so they can be eliminated to.
  
2. Which of the following options is the closest to the essence of the passage?
A    History, unlike Physics, does not help predict future.
B    History deals with long time periods.
C    History documents the past events related to specific people.
  
.
D    
There is no strict cause and effect relationship in history.
E    History has the potential to make us eclectic.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Refer lo lines 9 and 10 of the passage - "Scholars in all fields....This is especially true of history" - and the last four lines of the passage,
from which it can be understood that studying history helps us to think and dream differently and it gives us more options. Hence it can
be said that option E is closest to the main idea which the author intends to convey. Option A can be understood from the passage but it
does not bring out the main idea of the passage. Options B, C and D are too generalised statements.
3. Read the following sentences:
1. A historian successfully predicted a political crisis based on similar events of the last century.
2. Using the latest technology, doctors could decipher the microbe causing the disease.
3. Students who prepared for an examination by perusing past 10 years' question papers did not do well in the examination.
4. A tribe in Andaman learns to predict epidemic outbreaks by listening to the stories of how their ancestors predicted the past
outbreaks.
Which of the statement(s) above, if true would contradict the view of the author?
A    1 and 2 only
B    3 and 4 only
C    2 and 3 only
D    1 and 4 only
E    1, 2 and 4 only
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
Statements 4 and 6 are contradicted by the lines 4 to 6 of the passage. Statement 3 does not contradict the author's view because the
author encourages the study of history, as studying history broadens our prespective. Hence it cannot be categorically stated that
studying the past leads to dismal performance. Hence option D is the correct answer.
Instructions [4 - 7 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Rene Descartes’ assertion that ideas may be held true with certainty if they are “clear and distinct” provides the context for Peirce’s title,
“How to Make Our Ideas Clear.” Peirce argued that an idea may seem clear if it is familiar. Distinctness depends on having good
definitions, and while definitions are desirable they do not yield any new knowledge or certainty of the truth of empirical propositions.
Peirce argues that thought needs more than a sense of clarity; it also needs a method for making ideas clear. Once we have made an
idea clear, then we can begin the task of determining its truth. The method that Peirce offers came to be known as the pragmatic
method and the epistemology on which it depends is pragmatism. Peirce rejected Descartes’ method of doubt. We cannot doubt
something, for the sake of method, that we do not doubt in fact. In a later essay, he would state as his rule “Dismiss make-believes.”
This refers to Descartes’ method of doubting things, in the safety of his study, such things as the existence of the material world, which
he did not doubt when he went out on the street. Peirce proposed that a philosophical investigation can begin from only one state of
mind, namely, the state of mind in which we find ourselves when we begin. If any of us examines our state of mind, we find two kinds of
thoughts: beliefs and doubts. Peirce had presented the interaction of doubt and belief in an earlier essay “The Fixation of Belief”.
Beliefs and doubts are distinct. Beliefs consist of states of mind in which we would make a statement; doubts are states in which we
would ask a question. We experience a doubt as a sense of uneasiness and hesitation. Doubt serves as an irritant that causes us to
appease it by answering a question and thereby fixing a belief and putting the mind to rest on that issue. A common example of a doubt
would be arriving in an unfamiliar city and not being sure of the location of our destination address in relation to our present location.
We overcome this doubt and fix a belief by getting the directions. Once we achieve a belief, we can take the necessary action to reach
our destination. Peirce defines a belief subjectively as something of which we are aware and which appeases the doubt. Objectively, a
belief is a rule of action. The whole purpose of thought consists in overcoming a doubt and attaining a belief. Peirce acknowledges that
some people like to think about things or argue about them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism
does not constitute thought. The beliefs that we hold determine how we will act. If we believe, rightly or wrongly, that the building that
we are trying to reach sits one block to our north, we will walk in that direction. We have beliefs about matters of fact, near and far. For
example, we believe in the real objects in front of us and we believe generally accepted historical statements. We also believe in
relations of ideas such as that seven and five equal twelve. In addition to these we have many beliefs about science, politics,
  
.
economics, religion and so on. Some of our beliefs may be false since we are capable of error. To believe something means to think that
it is true.
4. According to Peirce, for a particular thought, which of the following statements will be correct?
A    A belief always leads to a doubt.
B    A doubt always leads to a belief.
C    A doubt and a belief may co-exist.
D    A belief and a doubt are not related.
E    A doubt may lead to a belief.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Refer to the lines 5 and 6 of paragraph 2 "Peirce defines a belief subjectively as something of which we are aware and which appeases
the doubt." From this it can be inferred that a doubt may lead to a belief. The word "subjectively" suggests that a doubt may lead to a
belief. Hence it cannot be said categorically that a doubt always leads to a belief.
         
5. "A candidate has applied for XAT". According to Peirce, it indicates that:
A    The candidate has a belief in the XAT application process.
B    The candidate has a belief that XAT is a good test of ability.
C    The candidate is doubtful about her/his performance in XAT.
D    The candidate believes that s/he will perform well in XAT.
E    The candidate has a doubt about her/his performance in other MBA entrance examinations.
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
It is stated in the passage that once we achieve a belief, we can take the necessary action to reach our destination. From this it is
explicit that a candidate believes that he/she has faith in the application process and that is the reason why he/she has applied for XAT.
A candidate's trust in the application process leads him or her to apply for the exam that is the main reason which prompts him or her to
apply for the exam that is the main reason which prompts him or her to apply for the exam. Hence option (A) is the best answer to this
question.
6. Which of the following words is the closest in meaning to "dilettantism"?
A    Belief
B    Doubt
C    Guess
D    Surety
E    Unlikelihood
A n s w e r : C
Explanation:
The word "dilettantism" means amateurism or inexpertness. Pierce acknowledges that some people like to think about things or argue
about them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism does not constitute thought. By refering to people
  
.
Page 4


XAT 2018
English
Instructions [1 - 3 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
If history doesn’t follow any stable rules, and if we cannot predict its future course, why study it? It often seems that the chief aim of
science is to predict the future - meteorologists are expected to forecast whether tomorrow will bring rain or sunshine; economists
should know whether devaluing the currency will avert or precipitate an economic crisis; good doctors foresee whether chemotherapy or
radiation therapy will be more successful in curing lung cancer. Similarly, historians are asked to examine the actions of our ancestors
so that we can repeat their wise decisions and avoid their mistakes. But it never works like that because the present is just too different
from the past. It is a wast of time to study Hannibal’s tactics in the Second Punic War so as to copy them in the Third World War. What
worked well in cavalry battles will not necessarily be of much benefit in cyber warfare. Science is not just about predicting the future,
though. Scholars in all fields often seek to broaden our horizons, thereby opening before us new and unknown futures. This is especially
true of history. Though historians occasionally try their hand at prophecy (without notable success), the study of history aims above all
to make us aware of possibilities we don’t normally consider. Historians study the past not in order to repeat it, but in order to be
liberated from it. Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and
managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable. We
forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society,
but also our thoughts, fears and dreams. The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and
directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and
inescapable part of who we are. Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures. Studying history aims
to loosen the grip of the past. It enables us to turn our head this way and that, and begin to notice possibilities that our ancestors could
not imagine, or didn’t want us to imagine. By observing the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our very thoughts
and dreams took shape - and we can begin to think and dream differently. Studying history will not tell us what to choose, but at least it
gives us more options.
1. Based on the passage, which of the following options would be the most appropriate for citizens to learn history?
A    British names of streets in India should not be changed.
B    Every street in India should display a plaque that lists all its previous names.
C    British names of streets in India should be changed to Indian names along with an explanation of their history.
D    Names of Indian streets should be based on suggestions generated through an opinion poll.
E    Names of Indian streets should be periodically changed.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
In the passage the author reiterates the fact that studying history widens our vision and the penultimate sentence of the passage states
that by studying the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our thoughts and dreams took shape and we begin to
think and dream differently. Hence, if every street in India were to display a plague that lists all its previous names, it would help us
realise how our very own thoughts and dreams took shape and thereby, help us begin to think and dream differently. Therefore, only
option B would be the most appropriate for the citizens to learn history. Options A and C restrict themselves only to British names of
streets and do not speak about the history of India prior to British rule and hence they can be eliminated. Options D and E fail to explain
why it would be appropriate for citizens to learn history so they can be eliminated to.
  
2. Which of the following options is the closest to the essence of the passage?
A    History, unlike Physics, does not help predict future.
B    History deals with long time periods.
C    History documents the past events related to specific people.
  
.
D    
There is no strict cause and effect relationship in history.
E    History has the potential to make us eclectic.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Refer lo lines 9 and 10 of the passage - "Scholars in all fields....This is especially true of history" - and the last four lines of the passage,
from which it can be understood that studying history helps us to think and dream differently and it gives us more options. Hence it can
be said that option E is closest to the main idea which the author intends to convey. Option A can be understood from the passage but it
does not bring out the main idea of the passage. Options B, C and D are too generalised statements.
3. Read the following sentences:
1. A historian successfully predicted a political crisis based on similar events of the last century.
2. Using the latest technology, doctors could decipher the microbe causing the disease.
3. Students who prepared for an examination by perusing past 10 years' question papers did not do well in the examination.
4. A tribe in Andaman learns to predict epidemic outbreaks by listening to the stories of how their ancestors predicted the past
outbreaks.
Which of the statement(s) above, if true would contradict the view of the author?
A    1 and 2 only
B    3 and 4 only
C    2 and 3 only
D    1 and 4 only
E    1, 2 and 4 only
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
Statements 4 and 6 are contradicted by the lines 4 to 6 of the passage. Statement 3 does not contradict the author's view because the
author encourages the study of history, as studying history broadens our prespective. Hence it cannot be categorically stated that
studying the past leads to dismal performance. Hence option D is the correct answer.
Instructions [4 - 7 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Rene Descartes’ assertion that ideas may be held true with certainty if they are “clear and distinct” provides the context for Peirce’s title,
“How to Make Our Ideas Clear.” Peirce argued that an idea may seem clear if it is familiar. Distinctness depends on having good
definitions, and while definitions are desirable they do not yield any new knowledge or certainty of the truth of empirical propositions.
Peirce argues that thought needs more than a sense of clarity; it also needs a method for making ideas clear. Once we have made an
idea clear, then we can begin the task of determining its truth. The method that Peirce offers came to be known as the pragmatic
method and the epistemology on which it depends is pragmatism. Peirce rejected Descartes’ method of doubt. We cannot doubt
something, for the sake of method, that we do not doubt in fact. In a later essay, he would state as his rule “Dismiss make-believes.”
This refers to Descartes’ method of doubting things, in the safety of his study, such things as the existence of the material world, which
he did not doubt when he went out on the street. Peirce proposed that a philosophical investigation can begin from only one state of
mind, namely, the state of mind in which we find ourselves when we begin. If any of us examines our state of mind, we find two kinds of
thoughts: beliefs and doubts. Peirce had presented the interaction of doubt and belief in an earlier essay “The Fixation of Belief”.
Beliefs and doubts are distinct. Beliefs consist of states of mind in which we would make a statement; doubts are states in which we
would ask a question. We experience a doubt as a sense of uneasiness and hesitation. Doubt serves as an irritant that causes us to
appease it by answering a question and thereby fixing a belief and putting the mind to rest on that issue. A common example of a doubt
would be arriving in an unfamiliar city and not being sure of the location of our destination address in relation to our present location.
We overcome this doubt and fix a belief by getting the directions. Once we achieve a belief, we can take the necessary action to reach
our destination. Peirce defines a belief subjectively as something of which we are aware and which appeases the doubt. Objectively, a
belief is a rule of action. The whole purpose of thought consists in overcoming a doubt and attaining a belief. Peirce acknowledges that
some people like to think about things or argue about them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism
does not constitute thought. The beliefs that we hold determine how we will act. If we believe, rightly or wrongly, that the building that
we are trying to reach sits one block to our north, we will walk in that direction. We have beliefs about matters of fact, near and far. For
example, we believe in the real objects in front of us and we believe generally accepted historical statements. We also believe in
relations of ideas such as that seven and five equal twelve. In addition to these we have many beliefs about science, politics,
  
.
economics, religion and so on. Some of our beliefs may be false since we are capable of error. To believe something means to think that
it is true.
4. According to Peirce, for a particular thought, which of the following statements will be correct?
A    A belief always leads to a doubt.
B    A doubt always leads to a belief.
C    A doubt and a belief may co-exist.
D    A belief and a doubt are not related.
E    A doubt may lead to a belief.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Refer to the lines 5 and 6 of paragraph 2 "Peirce defines a belief subjectively as something of which we are aware and which appeases
the doubt." From this it can be inferred that a doubt may lead to a belief. The word "subjectively" suggests that a doubt may lead to a
belief. Hence it cannot be said categorically that a doubt always leads to a belief.
         
5. "A candidate has applied for XAT". According to Peirce, it indicates that:
A    The candidate has a belief in the XAT application process.
B    The candidate has a belief that XAT is a good test of ability.
C    The candidate is doubtful about her/his performance in XAT.
D    The candidate believes that s/he will perform well in XAT.
E    The candidate has a doubt about her/his performance in other MBA entrance examinations.
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
It is stated in the passage that once we achieve a belief, we can take the necessary action to reach our destination. From this it is
explicit that a candidate believes that he/she has faith in the application process and that is the reason why he/she has applied for XAT.
A candidate's trust in the application process leads him or her to apply for the exam that is the main reason which prompts him or her to
apply for the exam that is the main reason which prompts him or her to apply for the exam. Hence option (A) is the best answer to this
question.
6. Which of the following words is the closest in meaning to "dilettantism"?
A    Belief
B    Doubt
C    Guess
D    Surety
E    Unlikelihood
A n s w e r : C
Explanation:
The word "dilettantism" means amateurism or inexpertness. Pierce acknowledges that some people like to think about things or argue
about them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism does not constitute thought. By refering to people
  
.
who don't care to find out a true belief, it can be understood that Pierce is referring to people who indulge in mere guess work. Hence,
from the given options the word "guess" is closest in meaning to the word dilettante.
7. A person thinks that s/he has to keep awake for twenty hours in a day to score well in an examination, but is awake for only
fifteen hours.
For the above statement, which of the following options will be right, according to Peirce?
A    This person believes in a minimum sleep of 10 hours.
B    This person does not have a true belief.
C    It is a counter-argument of Pierce theory.
D    It is only a thought, a pure thought, nothing to do with action.
E    The person does not have a doubt.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
It is stated in the second paragraph of the passage that Pierce acknowledges that some people like to think about things or argue about
them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism does not constitute thought. From this it can be inferred
that a person thinks that he/she has to keep awake for twenty hours in a day to score well in an examination, but is awake for only
fifteen hours, that the person is merely holding a thought without caring to find a true belief. Hence option B is the appropriate answer to
this question.
        
Instructions [8 - 10 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
It is sometimes said that consciousness is a mystery in the sense that we have no idea what it is. This is clearly not true. What could be
better known to us than our own feelings and experiences? The mystery of consciousness is not what consciousness is, but why it is.
Modern brain imaging techniques have provided us with a rich body of correlations between physical processes in the brain and the
experiences had by the person whose brain it is. We know, for example, that a person undergoing stimulation in her or his ventromedial
hypothalamus feels hunger. The problem is that no one knows why these correlations hold. It seems perfectly conceivable that
ventromedial hypothalamus stimulation could do its job in the brain without giving rise to any kind of feeling at all. No one has even the
beginnings of an explanation of why some physical systems, such as the human brain, have experiences. This is the difficulty David
Chalmers famously called ‘the hard problem of consciousness’.
Materialists hope that we will one day be able to explain consciousness in purely physical terms. But this project now has a long history
of failure. The problem with materialist approaches to the hard problem is that they always end up avoiding the issue by redefining what
we mean by ‘consciousness’. They start off by declaring that they are going to solve the hard problem, to explain experience; but
somewhere along the way they start using the word ‘consciousness’ to refer not to experience but to some complex behavioural
functioning associated with experience, such as the ability of a person to monitor their internal states or to process information about
the environment. Explaining complex behaviours is an important scientific endeavour. But the hard problem of consciousness cannot
be solved by changing the subject.
In spite of these difficulties, many scientists and philosophers maintain optimism that materialism will prevail. At every point in this
glorious history, it is claimed, philosophers have declared that certain phenomena are too special to be explained by physical science -
light, chemistry, life - only to be subsequently proven wrong by the relentless march of scientific progress.
Before Galileo it was generally assumed that matter had sensory qualities: tomatoes were red, paprika was spicy, flowers were sweet
smelling. How could an equation capture the taste of spicy paprika? And if sensory qualities can’t be captured in a mathematical
vocabulary, it seemed to follow that a mathematical vocabulary could never capture the complete nature of matter. Galileo’s solution
was to strip matter of its sensory qualities and put them in the soul (as we might put it, in the mind). The sweet smell isn’t really in the
flowers, but in the soul (mind) of the person smelling them … Even colours for Galileo aren’t on the surfaces of the objects themselves,
but in the soul of the person observing them. And if matter in itself has no sensory qualities, then it’s possible in principle to describe
the material world in the purely quantitative vocabulary of mathematics. This was the birth of mathematical physics.
But of course Galileo didn’t deny the existence of the sensory qualities. If Galileo were to time travel to the present day and be told that
scientific materialists are having a problem explaining consciousness in purely physical terms, he would no doubt reply, “Of course they
do, I created physical science by taking consciousness out of the physical world!”
  
.
Page 5


XAT 2018
English
Instructions [1 - 3 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
If history doesn’t follow any stable rules, and if we cannot predict its future course, why study it? It often seems that the chief aim of
science is to predict the future - meteorologists are expected to forecast whether tomorrow will bring rain or sunshine; economists
should know whether devaluing the currency will avert or precipitate an economic crisis; good doctors foresee whether chemotherapy or
radiation therapy will be more successful in curing lung cancer. Similarly, historians are asked to examine the actions of our ancestors
so that we can repeat their wise decisions and avoid their mistakes. But it never works like that because the present is just too different
from the past. It is a wast of time to study Hannibal’s tactics in the Second Punic War so as to copy them in the Third World War. What
worked well in cavalry battles will not necessarily be of much benefit in cyber warfare. Science is not just about predicting the future,
though. Scholars in all fields often seek to broaden our horizons, thereby opening before us new and unknown futures. This is especially
true of history. Though historians occasionally try their hand at prophecy (without notable success), the study of history aims above all
to make us aware of possibilities we don’t normally consider. Historians study the past not in order to repeat it, but in order to be
liberated from it. Each and every one of us has been born into a given historical reality, ruled by particular norms and values, and
managed by a unique economic and political system. We take this reality for granted, thinking it is natural, inevitable and immutable. We
forget that our world was created by an accidental chain of events, and that history shaped not only our technology, politics and society,
but also our thoughts, fears and dreams. The cold hand of the past emerges from the grave of our ancestors, grips us by the neck and
directs our gaze towards a single future. We have felt that grip from the moment we were born, so we assume that it is a natural and
inescapable part of who we are. Therefore we seldom try to shake ourselves free, and envision alternative futures. Studying history aims
to loosen the grip of the past. It enables us to turn our head this way and that, and begin to notice possibilities that our ancestors could
not imagine, or didn’t want us to imagine. By observing the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our very thoughts
and dreams took shape - and we can begin to think and dream differently. Studying history will not tell us what to choose, but at least it
gives us more options.
1. Based on the passage, which of the following options would be the most appropriate for citizens to learn history?
A    British names of streets in India should not be changed.
B    Every street in India should display a plaque that lists all its previous names.
C    British names of streets in India should be changed to Indian names along with an explanation of their history.
D    Names of Indian streets should be based on suggestions generated through an opinion poll.
E    Names of Indian streets should be periodically changed.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
In the passage the author reiterates the fact that studying history widens our vision and the penultimate sentence of the passage states
that by studying the accidental chain of events that led us here, we realise how our thoughts and dreams took shape and we begin to
think and dream differently. Hence, if every street in India were to display a plague that lists all its previous names, it would help us
realise how our very own thoughts and dreams took shape and thereby, help us begin to think and dream differently. Therefore, only
option B would be the most appropriate for the citizens to learn history. Options A and C restrict themselves only to British names of
streets and do not speak about the history of India prior to British rule and hence they can be eliminated. Options D and E fail to explain
why it would be appropriate for citizens to learn history so they can be eliminated to.
  
2. Which of the following options is the closest to the essence of the passage?
A    History, unlike Physics, does not help predict future.
B    History deals with long time periods.
C    History documents the past events related to specific people.
  
.
D    
There is no strict cause and effect relationship in history.
E    History has the potential to make us eclectic.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Refer lo lines 9 and 10 of the passage - "Scholars in all fields....This is especially true of history" - and the last four lines of the passage,
from which it can be understood that studying history helps us to think and dream differently and it gives us more options. Hence it can
be said that option E is closest to the main idea which the author intends to convey. Option A can be understood from the passage but it
does not bring out the main idea of the passage. Options B, C and D are too generalised statements.
3. Read the following sentences:
1. A historian successfully predicted a political crisis based on similar events of the last century.
2. Using the latest technology, doctors could decipher the microbe causing the disease.
3. Students who prepared for an examination by perusing past 10 years' question papers did not do well in the examination.
4. A tribe in Andaman learns to predict epidemic outbreaks by listening to the stories of how their ancestors predicted the past
outbreaks.
Which of the statement(s) above, if true would contradict the view of the author?
A    1 and 2 only
B    3 and 4 only
C    2 and 3 only
D    1 and 4 only
E    1, 2 and 4 only
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
Statements 4 and 6 are contradicted by the lines 4 to 6 of the passage. Statement 3 does not contradict the author's view because the
author encourages the study of history, as studying history broadens our prespective. Hence it cannot be categorically stated that
studying the past leads to dismal performance. Hence option D is the correct answer.
Instructions [4 - 7 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Rene Descartes’ assertion that ideas may be held true with certainty if they are “clear and distinct” provides the context for Peirce’s title,
“How to Make Our Ideas Clear.” Peirce argued that an idea may seem clear if it is familiar. Distinctness depends on having good
definitions, and while definitions are desirable they do not yield any new knowledge or certainty of the truth of empirical propositions.
Peirce argues that thought needs more than a sense of clarity; it also needs a method for making ideas clear. Once we have made an
idea clear, then we can begin the task of determining its truth. The method that Peirce offers came to be known as the pragmatic
method and the epistemology on which it depends is pragmatism. Peirce rejected Descartes’ method of doubt. We cannot doubt
something, for the sake of method, that we do not doubt in fact. In a later essay, he would state as his rule “Dismiss make-believes.”
This refers to Descartes’ method of doubting things, in the safety of his study, such things as the existence of the material world, which
he did not doubt when he went out on the street. Peirce proposed that a philosophical investigation can begin from only one state of
mind, namely, the state of mind in which we find ourselves when we begin. If any of us examines our state of mind, we find two kinds of
thoughts: beliefs and doubts. Peirce had presented the interaction of doubt and belief in an earlier essay “The Fixation of Belief”.
Beliefs and doubts are distinct. Beliefs consist of states of mind in which we would make a statement; doubts are states in which we
would ask a question. We experience a doubt as a sense of uneasiness and hesitation. Doubt serves as an irritant that causes us to
appease it by answering a question and thereby fixing a belief and putting the mind to rest on that issue. A common example of a doubt
would be arriving in an unfamiliar city and not being sure of the location of our destination address in relation to our present location.
We overcome this doubt and fix a belief by getting the directions. Once we achieve a belief, we can take the necessary action to reach
our destination. Peirce defines a belief subjectively as something of which we are aware and which appeases the doubt. Objectively, a
belief is a rule of action. The whole purpose of thought consists in overcoming a doubt and attaining a belief. Peirce acknowledges that
some people like to think about things or argue about them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism
does not constitute thought. The beliefs that we hold determine how we will act. If we believe, rightly or wrongly, that the building that
we are trying to reach sits one block to our north, we will walk in that direction. We have beliefs about matters of fact, near and far. For
example, we believe in the real objects in front of us and we believe generally accepted historical statements. We also believe in
relations of ideas such as that seven and five equal twelve. In addition to these we have many beliefs about science, politics,
  
.
economics, religion and so on. Some of our beliefs may be false since we are capable of error. To believe something means to think that
it is true.
4. According to Peirce, for a particular thought, which of the following statements will be correct?
A    A belief always leads to a doubt.
B    A doubt always leads to a belief.
C    A doubt and a belief may co-exist.
D    A belief and a doubt are not related.
E    A doubt may lead to a belief.
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
Refer to the lines 5 and 6 of paragraph 2 "Peirce defines a belief subjectively as something of which we are aware and which appeases
the doubt." From this it can be inferred that a doubt may lead to a belief. The word "subjectively" suggests that a doubt may lead to a
belief. Hence it cannot be said categorically that a doubt always leads to a belief.
         
5. "A candidate has applied for XAT". According to Peirce, it indicates that:
A    The candidate has a belief in the XAT application process.
B    The candidate has a belief that XAT is a good test of ability.
C    The candidate is doubtful about her/his performance in XAT.
D    The candidate believes that s/he will perform well in XAT.
E    The candidate has a doubt about her/his performance in other MBA entrance examinations.
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
It is stated in the passage that once we achieve a belief, we can take the necessary action to reach our destination. From this it is
explicit that a candidate believes that he/she has faith in the application process and that is the reason why he/she has applied for XAT.
A candidate's trust in the application process leads him or her to apply for the exam that is the main reason which prompts him or her to
apply for the exam that is the main reason which prompts him or her to apply for the exam. Hence option (A) is the best answer to this
question.
6. Which of the following words is the closest in meaning to "dilettantism"?
A    Belief
B    Doubt
C    Guess
D    Surety
E    Unlikelihood
A n s w e r : C
Explanation:
The word "dilettantism" means amateurism or inexpertness. Pierce acknowledges that some people like to think about things or argue
about them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism does not constitute thought. By refering to people
  
.
who don't care to find out a true belief, it can be understood that Pierce is referring to people who indulge in mere guess work. Hence,
from the given options the word "guess" is closest in meaning to the word dilettante.
7. A person thinks that s/he has to keep awake for twenty hours in a day to score well in an examination, but is awake for only
fifteen hours.
For the above statement, which of the following options will be right, according to Peirce?
A    This person believes in a minimum sleep of 10 hours.
B    This person does not have a true belief.
C    It is a counter-argument of Pierce theory.
D    It is only a thought, a pure thought, nothing to do with action.
E    The person does not have a doubt.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
It is stated in the second paragraph of the passage that Pierce acknowledges that some people like to think about things or argue about
them without caring to find a true belief, but he asserts that such dilettantism does not constitute thought. From this it can be inferred
that a person thinks that he/she has to keep awake for twenty hours in a day to score well in an examination, but is awake for only
fifteen hours, that the person is merely holding a thought without caring to find a true belief. Hence option B is the appropriate answer to
this question.
        
Instructions [8 - 10 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
It is sometimes said that consciousness is a mystery in the sense that we have no idea what it is. This is clearly not true. What could be
better known to us than our own feelings and experiences? The mystery of consciousness is not what consciousness is, but why it is.
Modern brain imaging techniques have provided us with a rich body of correlations between physical processes in the brain and the
experiences had by the person whose brain it is. We know, for example, that a person undergoing stimulation in her or his ventromedial
hypothalamus feels hunger. The problem is that no one knows why these correlations hold. It seems perfectly conceivable that
ventromedial hypothalamus stimulation could do its job in the brain without giving rise to any kind of feeling at all. No one has even the
beginnings of an explanation of why some physical systems, such as the human brain, have experiences. This is the difficulty David
Chalmers famously called ‘the hard problem of consciousness’.
Materialists hope that we will one day be able to explain consciousness in purely physical terms. But this project now has a long history
of failure. The problem with materialist approaches to the hard problem is that they always end up avoiding the issue by redefining what
we mean by ‘consciousness’. They start off by declaring that they are going to solve the hard problem, to explain experience; but
somewhere along the way they start using the word ‘consciousness’ to refer not to experience but to some complex behavioural
functioning associated with experience, such as the ability of a person to monitor their internal states or to process information about
the environment. Explaining complex behaviours is an important scientific endeavour. But the hard problem of consciousness cannot
be solved by changing the subject.
In spite of these difficulties, many scientists and philosophers maintain optimism that materialism will prevail. At every point in this
glorious history, it is claimed, philosophers have declared that certain phenomena are too special to be explained by physical science -
light, chemistry, life - only to be subsequently proven wrong by the relentless march of scientific progress.
Before Galileo it was generally assumed that matter had sensory qualities: tomatoes were red, paprika was spicy, flowers were sweet
smelling. How could an equation capture the taste of spicy paprika? And if sensory qualities can’t be captured in a mathematical
vocabulary, it seemed to follow that a mathematical vocabulary could never capture the complete nature of matter. Galileo’s solution
was to strip matter of its sensory qualities and put them in the soul (as we might put it, in the mind). The sweet smell isn’t really in the
flowers, but in the soul (mind) of the person smelling them … Even colours for Galileo aren’t on the surfaces of the objects themselves,
but in the soul of the person observing them. And if matter in itself has no sensory qualities, then it’s possible in principle to describe
the material world in the purely quantitative vocabulary of mathematics. This was the birth of mathematical physics.
But of course Galileo didn’t deny the existence of the sensory qualities. If Galileo were to time travel to the present day and be told that
scientific materialists are having a problem explaining consciousness in purely physical terms, he would no doubt reply, “Of course they
do, I created physical science by taking consciousness out of the physical world!”
  
.
8. Which of the following statements captures the essence of the passage?
A    Materialists redefine the hard problem by changing the issues.
B    The hard problem cannot be solved by materialists.
C    Materialists can explain the reasons humans see a particular colour.
D    Materialists and philosophers agree on the concept of consciousness.
E    The hard problem can best be solved by segregation.
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
The author argues throughout the passage that materialists cannot solve the hard problem of consciousness, which is backed by
Galileo's observations. Option A is a minor point. Option C is not true according to the passage. Option D is far-fetched. Option E has
been disapproved in the passage.
9. Which of the following options would most likely be an example of the hard problem?
A    Feeling the heat while holding a glass of hot water
B    Experiencing joy after doing well in an examination
C    What makes us tired after walking for 20 kilometres?
D    Why we prostrate in front of a deity?
E    Why do humans take birth?
A n s w e r : E
10. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
A    The passage argues that science could uncover all mysteries of the world.
B    The passage argues that science could uncover all mysteries of the world by giving alternative explanations.
C    The passage argues that science could never uncover all the mysteries of nature.
D    The passage argues that science and consciousness are two different domains.
E    
The passage argues that nature is so mysterious that humans are not even aware of the phenomena that can be
researched.
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
Option A is denied by 'Explaining complex behaviour in an important scientific endeavor. But the hard problem of consciousness cannot
be solved by changing the subject'. Option B is denied by 'But the hard problem of consciousness cannot be solved by changing the
subject'. Option C is denied by 'philosophers have declared that certain phenomena are too special to be explained by physical science...
only to be subsequently proven wrong by the relentless march of scientific progress'. Option E is denied by 'It is sometimes said that
consciousness is a mystery in the sense that we have no idea what it is. This is clearly not true'. Option D is supported by the last
sentence of the passage! Refer to 'I created physical science by taking consciousness out of the physical world'
   
Instructions [11 - 13 ]
Please read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Labor and capital are the opposite poles of capitalist society. This polarity begins in each enterprise and is realized on a national and
  
.