XAT 2022: Previous Year Question Paper with Solutions

 Page 1


XAT 2022
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
1. Which of the following sentences are grammatically CORRECT ?
1. Have you any clothes to dispose of?
2. I saw a pleasant dream last night.
3. I have done it many a times safely.
4. Students struggle to cope up with academic pressure.
5. You need not give negative feedback to your employees.
6. My friend is good at playing football.
A    4,5,6
B    1,5,6
C    2,3,4
D    3,4,5
E    1,2,3
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
Sentences 1, 5 and 6 are grammatically correct. The correct statements for 2, 3 and 4 are:
2: I had a pleasant dream last night.
3: I have done it many a time safely.
4: Students struggle to cope with academic pressure.
Answer is option B.
  
2. Read the poem carefully, and answer the following question.
I smiled at you because I thought that you
Were someone else; you smiled back; and there
grew
Between two strangers in a library
Something that seems like love; but you loved
me
(If that’s the word) because you thought that I
Was other than I was. And by and by
We found we’d been mistaken all the while
From that first glance, that first mistaken smile
Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the poem?
A    The idea of love is different for the parties involved.
B    Love may start with small acts like glancing and smiling.
C    We make mistakes in love.
D    We don’t fall in love with others but with ourselves.
E    We fall in love with strangers.
A n s w e r : D
  
.
Page 2


XAT 2022
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
1. Which of the following sentences are grammatically CORRECT ?
1. Have you any clothes to dispose of?
2. I saw a pleasant dream last night.
3. I have done it many a times safely.
4. Students struggle to cope up with academic pressure.
5. You need not give negative feedback to your employees.
6. My friend is good at playing football.
A    4,5,6
B    1,5,6
C    2,3,4
D    3,4,5
E    1,2,3
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
Sentences 1, 5 and 6 are grammatically correct. The correct statements for 2, 3 and 4 are:
2: I had a pleasant dream last night.
3: I have done it many a time safely.
4: Students struggle to cope with academic pressure.
Answer is option B.
  
2. Read the poem carefully, and answer the following question.
I smiled at you because I thought that you
Were someone else; you smiled back; and there
grew
Between two strangers in a library
Something that seems like love; but you loved
me
(If that’s the word) because you thought that I
Was other than I was. And by and by
We found we’d been mistaken all the while
From that first glance, that first mistaken smile
Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the poem?
A    The idea of love is different for the parties involved.
B    Love may start with small acts like glancing and smiling.
C    We make mistakes in love.
D    We don’t fall in love with others but with ourselves.
E    We fall in love with strangers.
A n s w e r : D
  
.
3. Carefully read the following statement:
The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it_____ for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship
to rule is that _____ are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the
________ is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. This is because lies, by their very
nature, have to be changed, and a lying government has ________ to rewrite its own history.
Which of the following options will BEST fill up the above blanks meaningfully?
A    Possible, people, consequence, constantly
B    Absurd, subjects, beauty, no reason
C    Unique, senators, reason, enough
D    Necessary, citizens, joy, unusually
E    Unpleasant, plebeians, fact, forced
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
Among the given options, we can see that only option A fits to given context.
Answer is option A.
4. Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
Geologists have been investigating a potential cycle in geological events for a long time. Back in the 1920s and 30s, scientists of
the era had suggested that the geological record had a 30-million-year cycle, while in the 1980s and 90s researchers used the
best-dated geological events at the time to give them a range of the length between 'pulses' of 26.2 to 30.6 million years. Now,
everything seems to be in order -27.5 million years is right about where we'd expect. A study late last year suggested that this
27.5-million-year mark is when mass extinctions happen, too.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
A    Not all species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
B    “Pulse” between geological events is constant
C    All species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
D    Geological disasters happen sporadically
E    Mass extinctions and “geological pulse” are correlated
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
The paragraph talks about how geological events occur in a cycle, and research has found the period of the cycle to be around
27.5million years. It also mentions that mass extinctions occur at this 27.5millions years, too.
From this we can see that geological events and mass extinctions both occur around the same time and thus are correlated to each
other. Hence, option E is the answer.
Option A: the passage mentions that mass extinctions happen every 27.5million years, but it is not the main idea of the passage.
Option B: The passage says that the length between pulses is 26.2 and 30.6million years and in general occurs around 27.5million years.
Thus, it is not a constant value.
Option C: It is incorrect since the paragraph only talks about mass extinction. Whether all species go extinct or not is not mentioned.
Option D: The passage is talking about geological events occurring in a cycle. Hence, it is incorrect.
         
  
.
Page 3


XAT 2022
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
1. Which of the following sentences are grammatically CORRECT ?
1. Have you any clothes to dispose of?
2. I saw a pleasant dream last night.
3. I have done it many a times safely.
4. Students struggle to cope up with academic pressure.
5. You need not give negative feedback to your employees.
6. My friend is good at playing football.
A    4,5,6
B    1,5,6
C    2,3,4
D    3,4,5
E    1,2,3
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
Sentences 1, 5 and 6 are grammatically correct. The correct statements for 2, 3 and 4 are:
2: I had a pleasant dream last night.
3: I have done it many a time safely.
4: Students struggle to cope with academic pressure.
Answer is option B.
  
2. Read the poem carefully, and answer the following question.
I smiled at you because I thought that you
Were someone else; you smiled back; and there
grew
Between two strangers in a library
Something that seems like love; but you loved
me
(If that’s the word) because you thought that I
Was other than I was. And by and by
We found we’d been mistaken all the while
From that first glance, that first mistaken smile
Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the poem?
A    The idea of love is different for the parties involved.
B    Love may start with small acts like glancing and smiling.
C    We make mistakes in love.
D    We don’t fall in love with others but with ourselves.
E    We fall in love with strangers.
A n s w e r : D
  
.
3. Carefully read the following statement:
The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it_____ for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship
to rule is that _____ are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the
________ is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. This is because lies, by their very
nature, have to be changed, and a lying government has ________ to rewrite its own history.
Which of the following options will BEST fill up the above blanks meaningfully?
A    Possible, people, consequence, constantly
B    Absurd, subjects, beauty, no reason
C    Unique, senators, reason, enough
D    Necessary, citizens, joy, unusually
E    Unpleasant, plebeians, fact, forced
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
Among the given options, we can see that only option A fits to given context.
Answer is option A.
4. Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
Geologists have been investigating a potential cycle in geological events for a long time. Back in the 1920s and 30s, scientists of
the era had suggested that the geological record had a 30-million-year cycle, while in the 1980s and 90s researchers used the
best-dated geological events at the time to give them a range of the length between 'pulses' of 26.2 to 30.6 million years. Now,
everything seems to be in order -27.5 million years is right about where we'd expect. A study late last year suggested that this
27.5-million-year mark is when mass extinctions happen, too.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
A    Not all species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
B    “Pulse” between geological events is constant
C    All species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
D    Geological disasters happen sporadically
E    Mass extinctions and “geological pulse” are correlated
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
The paragraph talks about how geological events occur in a cycle, and research has found the period of the cycle to be around
27.5million years. It also mentions that mass extinctions occur at this 27.5millions years, too.
From this we can see that geological events and mass extinctions both occur around the same time and thus are correlated to each
other. Hence, option E is the answer.
Option A: the passage mentions that mass extinctions happen every 27.5million years, but it is not the main idea of the passage.
Option B: The passage says that the length between pulses is 26.2 and 30.6million years and in general occurs around 27.5million years.
Thus, it is not a constant value.
Option C: It is incorrect since the paragraph only talks about mass extinction. Whether all species go extinct or not is not mentioned.
Option D: The passage is talking about geological events occurring in a cycle. Hence, it is incorrect.
         
  
.
5. Carefully read the following statement:
When I ask people to name three recently implemented technologies that most impact our world today, they usually propose the
computers, the Internet and the laser. All three were unplanned, ___________, and_____________ upon their discovery and remained
__________ well after their initial use.
Which of the following options will BEST fill up the above blanks meaningfully?
A    Unpredicted, Unappreciated, Unappreciated
B    Amazing, Shocking, Shocking
C    Surprising, Fulfilling, Unfulfilling
D    Astonishing, Amazing, Amazing
E    Astonishing, Superb, Superb
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
The context of the given paragraph describes that discoveries are unplanned. The words unpredicted and unappreciated are in line with
unplanned and are appropriate in the given context. All other adjectives in the given options don't take the idea of unplanned discoveries
forward.
Answer is option A.
6. Which of the following sentences have INCORRECT usage of preposition?
1. The manager was sitting at the desk.
2. My work is superior to yours.
3. I prefer coffee than tea.
4. She was accused for stealing gold.
5. This is an exception to the rule.
6. They are leaving to England soon.
A    1,2,3
B    3,4,5
C    3,4,6
D    2,3,4
E    1,3,6
A n s w e r : C
Explanation:
Statements 3, 4 and 6 are incorrect. Correct statements are:
3: I prefer coffee to tea.
4: She was accused of stealing gold.
6: They are leaving for England soon.
Answer is option C.
7. Arrange the following sentences in a LOGICAL sequence:
1. But when it comes to companies that lack computer programmers, the government is far more sympathetic.
2. As a result, limited access to foreign talent is a common gripe of tech founders and venture capitalists.
3. And, demand for the latter has soared among British startups.
4. This is less inconsistent than it may seem.
5. An HGV driver takes between six and ten weeks to train; a competent coder several years.
A    3,4,2,1,5
B    
1,4,5,3,2
  
.
Page 4


XAT 2022
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
1. Which of the following sentences are grammatically CORRECT ?
1. Have you any clothes to dispose of?
2. I saw a pleasant dream last night.
3. I have done it many a times safely.
4. Students struggle to cope up with academic pressure.
5. You need not give negative feedback to your employees.
6. My friend is good at playing football.
A    4,5,6
B    1,5,6
C    2,3,4
D    3,4,5
E    1,2,3
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
Sentences 1, 5 and 6 are grammatically correct. The correct statements for 2, 3 and 4 are:
2: I had a pleasant dream last night.
3: I have done it many a time safely.
4: Students struggle to cope with academic pressure.
Answer is option B.
  
2. Read the poem carefully, and answer the following question.
I smiled at you because I thought that you
Were someone else; you smiled back; and there
grew
Between two strangers in a library
Something that seems like love; but you loved
me
(If that’s the word) because you thought that I
Was other than I was. And by and by
We found we’d been mistaken all the while
From that first glance, that first mistaken smile
Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the poem?
A    The idea of love is different for the parties involved.
B    Love may start with small acts like glancing and smiling.
C    We make mistakes in love.
D    We don’t fall in love with others but with ourselves.
E    We fall in love with strangers.
A n s w e r : D
  
.
3. Carefully read the following statement:
The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it_____ for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship
to rule is that _____ are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the
________ is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. This is because lies, by their very
nature, have to be changed, and a lying government has ________ to rewrite its own history.
Which of the following options will BEST fill up the above blanks meaningfully?
A    Possible, people, consequence, constantly
B    Absurd, subjects, beauty, no reason
C    Unique, senators, reason, enough
D    Necessary, citizens, joy, unusually
E    Unpleasant, plebeians, fact, forced
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
Among the given options, we can see that only option A fits to given context.
Answer is option A.
4. Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
Geologists have been investigating a potential cycle in geological events for a long time. Back in the 1920s and 30s, scientists of
the era had suggested that the geological record had a 30-million-year cycle, while in the 1980s and 90s researchers used the
best-dated geological events at the time to give them a range of the length between 'pulses' of 26.2 to 30.6 million years. Now,
everything seems to be in order -27.5 million years is right about where we'd expect. A study late last year suggested that this
27.5-million-year mark is when mass extinctions happen, too.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
A    Not all species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
B    “Pulse” between geological events is constant
C    All species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
D    Geological disasters happen sporadically
E    Mass extinctions and “geological pulse” are correlated
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
The paragraph talks about how geological events occur in a cycle, and research has found the period of the cycle to be around
27.5million years. It also mentions that mass extinctions occur at this 27.5millions years, too.
From this we can see that geological events and mass extinctions both occur around the same time and thus are correlated to each
other. Hence, option E is the answer.
Option A: the passage mentions that mass extinctions happen every 27.5million years, but it is not the main idea of the passage.
Option B: The passage says that the length between pulses is 26.2 and 30.6million years and in general occurs around 27.5million years.
Thus, it is not a constant value.
Option C: It is incorrect since the paragraph only talks about mass extinction. Whether all species go extinct or not is not mentioned.
Option D: The passage is talking about geological events occurring in a cycle. Hence, it is incorrect.
         
  
.
5. Carefully read the following statement:
When I ask people to name three recently implemented technologies that most impact our world today, they usually propose the
computers, the Internet and the laser. All three were unplanned, ___________, and_____________ upon their discovery and remained
__________ well after their initial use.
Which of the following options will BEST fill up the above blanks meaningfully?
A    Unpredicted, Unappreciated, Unappreciated
B    Amazing, Shocking, Shocking
C    Surprising, Fulfilling, Unfulfilling
D    Astonishing, Amazing, Amazing
E    Astonishing, Superb, Superb
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
The context of the given paragraph describes that discoveries are unplanned. The words unpredicted and unappreciated are in line with
unplanned and are appropriate in the given context. All other adjectives in the given options don't take the idea of unplanned discoveries
forward.
Answer is option A.
6. Which of the following sentences have INCORRECT usage of preposition?
1. The manager was sitting at the desk.
2. My work is superior to yours.
3. I prefer coffee than tea.
4. She was accused for stealing gold.
5. This is an exception to the rule.
6. They are leaving to England soon.
A    1,2,3
B    3,4,5
C    3,4,6
D    2,3,4
E    1,3,6
A n s w e r : C
Explanation:
Statements 3, 4 and 6 are incorrect. Correct statements are:
3: I prefer coffee to tea.
4: She was accused of stealing gold.
6: They are leaving for England soon.
Answer is option C.
7. Arrange the following sentences in a LOGICAL sequence:
1. But when it comes to companies that lack computer programmers, the government is far more sympathetic.
2. As a result, limited access to foreign talent is a common gripe of tech founders and venture capitalists.
3. And, demand for the latter has soared among British startups.
4. This is less inconsistent than it may seem.
5. An HGV driver takes between six and ten weeks to train; a competent coder several years.
A    3,4,2,1,5
B    
1,4,5,3,2
  
.
C    
3,5,1,2,4
D    1,2,5,3,4
E    3,5,4,2,1
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
5-3-2 forms a logical sequence as the "demand for latter" mentioned in 3 refers to the "coder" mentioned in 5. Sentence 2 mentions the
result of this high demand.
The only option that has 5-3-2 as a sequence is B.
Hence, the answer is option B.
        
8. Arrange the following sentences in a LOGICAL sequence:
1. In America, primary-age pupils are on average five months behind where they would usually be in maths, and four months in
reading, according to McKinsey, a consultancy.
2. As a new school year gets under way in many countries, the harm caused by months of closure is becoming ever clearer.
3. The crisis will accelerate that trend.
4. The damage is almost certainly worse in places such as India and Mexico, where the disruption to schooling has been greater.
5. Even before pandemic, parents around the world were growing more willing to pay for extra lessons in the hope of boosting
their children’s education.
A    2,1,4,5,3
B    5,1,3,2,4
C    3,5,2,4,1
D    2,3,1,4,5
E    5,3,2,1,4
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
2-1-4 forms a logical sequence as the harm mentioned in 2 is explained in 1 and 4.
5-3 forms a logical sequence as the trend mentioned in 3 is referencing the willingness of parents to pay for extra lessons mentioned in
5.
2 is a better opening line than 5 as it introduces the main point discussed in the passage.
Hence, the required sequence is 2-1-4-5-3.
9. Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
One theory of accidents is what experts call the Swiss Cheese model. A slab of swiss cheese has several holes, randomly and
unevenly distributed over its surface. If several slabs are stacked together, it would be impossible for something to slip through
unless all the holes happen to line up.
If even one slab doesn’t align, the impending catastrophe will meet a layer of resistance, and the worst is averted. Aviation
professionals will tell you that plane crashes never happen for a single reason. There may be an identifiable primary factor, but
it’s usually a chain of events, an array of circumstances neatly piling up.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
A    Averting catastrophe is actually easier than it seems
B    Any historically relevant event is an accident because it involves a chain of preceding events
C    
Accidents cannot be averted since a chain of events have to be averted to avert accidents
  
.
Page 5


XAT 2022
Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
1. Which of the following sentences are grammatically CORRECT ?
1. Have you any clothes to dispose of?
2. I saw a pleasant dream last night.
3. I have done it many a times safely.
4. Students struggle to cope up with academic pressure.
5. You need not give negative feedback to your employees.
6. My friend is good at playing football.
A    4,5,6
B    1,5,6
C    2,3,4
D    3,4,5
E    1,2,3
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
Sentences 1, 5 and 6 are grammatically correct. The correct statements for 2, 3 and 4 are:
2: I had a pleasant dream last night.
3: I have done it many a time safely.
4: Students struggle to cope with academic pressure.
Answer is option B.
  
2. Read the poem carefully, and answer the following question.
I smiled at you because I thought that you
Were someone else; you smiled back; and there
grew
Between two strangers in a library
Something that seems like love; but you loved
me
(If that’s the word) because you thought that I
Was other than I was. And by and by
We found we’d been mistaken all the while
From that first glance, that first mistaken smile
Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the poem?
A    The idea of love is different for the parties involved.
B    Love may start with small acts like glancing and smiling.
C    We make mistakes in love.
D    We don’t fall in love with others but with ourselves.
E    We fall in love with strangers.
A n s w e r : D
  
.
3. Carefully read the following statement:
The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen. What makes it_____ for a totalitarian or any other dictatorship
to rule is that _____ are not informed; how can you have an opinion if you are not informed? If everybody always lies to you, the
________ is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. This is because lies, by their very
nature, have to be changed, and a lying government has ________ to rewrite its own history.
Which of the following options will BEST fill up the above blanks meaningfully?
A    Possible, people, consequence, constantly
B    Absurd, subjects, beauty, no reason
C    Unique, senators, reason, enough
D    Necessary, citizens, joy, unusually
E    Unpleasant, plebeians, fact, forced
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
Among the given options, we can see that only option A fits to given context.
Answer is option A.
4. Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
Geologists have been investigating a potential cycle in geological events for a long time. Back in the 1920s and 30s, scientists of
the era had suggested that the geological record had a 30-million-year cycle, while in the 1980s and 90s researchers used the
best-dated geological events at the time to give them a range of the length between 'pulses' of 26.2 to 30.6 million years. Now,
everything seems to be in order -27.5 million years is right about where we'd expect. A study late last year suggested that this
27.5-million-year mark is when mass extinctions happen, too.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
A    Not all species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
B    “Pulse” between geological events is constant
C    All species go extinct once every 27.5 million years
D    Geological disasters happen sporadically
E    Mass extinctions and “geological pulse” are correlated
A n s w e r : E
Explanation:
The paragraph talks about how geological events occur in a cycle, and research has found the period of the cycle to be around
27.5million years. It also mentions that mass extinctions occur at this 27.5millions years, too.
From this we can see that geological events and mass extinctions both occur around the same time and thus are correlated to each
other. Hence, option E is the answer.
Option A: the passage mentions that mass extinctions happen every 27.5million years, but it is not the main idea of the passage.
Option B: The passage says that the length between pulses is 26.2 and 30.6million years and in general occurs around 27.5million years.
Thus, it is not a constant value.
Option C: It is incorrect since the paragraph only talks about mass extinction. Whether all species go extinct or not is not mentioned.
Option D: The passage is talking about geological events occurring in a cycle. Hence, it is incorrect.
         
  
.
5. Carefully read the following statement:
When I ask people to name three recently implemented technologies that most impact our world today, they usually propose the
computers, the Internet and the laser. All three were unplanned, ___________, and_____________ upon their discovery and remained
__________ well after their initial use.
Which of the following options will BEST fill up the above blanks meaningfully?
A    Unpredicted, Unappreciated, Unappreciated
B    Amazing, Shocking, Shocking
C    Surprising, Fulfilling, Unfulfilling
D    Astonishing, Amazing, Amazing
E    Astonishing, Superb, Superb
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
The context of the given paragraph describes that discoveries are unplanned. The words unpredicted and unappreciated are in line with
unplanned and are appropriate in the given context. All other adjectives in the given options don't take the idea of unplanned discoveries
forward.
Answer is option A.
6. Which of the following sentences have INCORRECT usage of preposition?
1. The manager was sitting at the desk.
2. My work is superior to yours.
3. I prefer coffee than tea.
4. She was accused for stealing gold.
5. This is an exception to the rule.
6. They are leaving to England soon.
A    1,2,3
B    3,4,5
C    3,4,6
D    2,3,4
E    1,3,6
A n s w e r : C
Explanation:
Statements 3, 4 and 6 are incorrect. Correct statements are:
3: I prefer coffee to tea.
4: She was accused of stealing gold.
6: They are leaving for England soon.
Answer is option C.
7. Arrange the following sentences in a LOGICAL sequence:
1. But when it comes to companies that lack computer programmers, the government is far more sympathetic.
2. As a result, limited access to foreign talent is a common gripe of tech founders and venture capitalists.
3. And, demand for the latter has soared among British startups.
4. This is less inconsistent than it may seem.
5. An HGV driver takes between six and ten weeks to train; a competent coder several years.
A    3,4,2,1,5
B    
1,4,5,3,2
  
.
C    
3,5,1,2,4
D    1,2,5,3,4
E    3,5,4,2,1
A n s w e r : B
Explanation:
5-3-2 forms a logical sequence as the "demand for latter" mentioned in 3 refers to the "coder" mentioned in 5. Sentence 2 mentions the
result of this high demand.
The only option that has 5-3-2 as a sequence is B.
Hence, the answer is option B.
        
8. Arrange the following sentences in a LOGICAL sequence:
1. In America, primary-age pupils are on average five months behind where they would usually be in maths, and four months in
reading, according to McKinsey, a consultancy.
2. As a new school year gets under way in many countries, the harm caused by months of closure is becoming ever clearer.
3. The crisis will accelerate that trend.
4. The damage is almost certainly worse in places such as India and Mexico, where the disruption to schooling has been greater.
5. Even before pandemic, parents around the world were growing more willing to pay for extra lessons in the hope of boosting
their children’s education.
A    2,1,4,5,3
B    5,1,3,2,4
C    3,5,2,4,1
D    2,3,1,4,5
E    5,3,2,1,4
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
2-1-4 forms a logical sequence as the harm mentioned in 2 is explained in 1 and 4.
5-3 forms a logical sequence as the trend mentioned in 3 is referencing the willingness of parents to pay for extra lessons mentioned in
5.
2 is a better opening line than 5 as it introduces the main point discussed in the passage.
Hence, the required sequence is 2-1-4-5-3.
9. Read the passage carefully and answer the following question.
One theory of accidents is what experts call the Swiss Cheese model. A slab of swiss cheese has several holes, randomly and
unevenly distributed over its surface. If several slabs are stacked together, it would be impossible for something to slip through
unless all the holes happen to line up.
If even one slab doesn’t align, the impending catastrophe will meet a layer of resistance, and the worst is averted. Aviation
professionals will tell you that plane crashes never happen for a single reason. There may be an identifiable primary factor, but
it’s usually a chain of events, an array of circumstances neatly piling up.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the passage?
A    Averting catastrophe is actually easier than it seems
B    Any historically relevant event is an accident because it involves a chain of preceding events
C    
Accidents cannot be averted since a chain of events have to be averted to avert accidents
  
.
D    
A catastrophe can be averted if the preceding array of events meets resistance
E    Any disaster is a culmination of many events happening in a particular order
A n s w e r : D
Explanation:
The paragraph talks about how catastrophes result from a chain of events that may be identifiable beforehand.
The author also mentions, with the example of swiss cheese, "If even one slab doesn’t align, the impending catastrophe will meet a layer
of resistance, and the worst is averted." That if any of the events that lead to a disaster meet some resistance, the catastrophe can be
averted.
Hence, the answer is option D.
Instructions [10 - 12 ]
Read the passage carefully and answer the THREE questions that follow.
Comprehension:
Stupidity is a very specific cognitive failing. Crudely put, it occurs when you don’t have the right conceptual tools for the job. The result is
an inability to make sense of what ishappening and a resulting tendency to force phenomena into crude, distorting pigeonholes.
This is easiest to introduce with a tragic case. British high command during the First WorldWar frequently understood trench warfare
using concepts and strategies from the cavalrybattles of their youth. As one of Field Marshal Douglas Haig’s subordinates later
remarked,they thought of the trenches as ‘mobile operations at the halt’: i.e., as fluid battle lines withthe simple caveat that nothing in
fact budged for years. Unsurprisingly, this did not servethem well in formulating a strategy: they were hampered, beyond the shortage of
materialresources, by a kind of ‘conceptual obsolescence’, a failure to update their cognitive tools tofit the task in hand. In at least some
cases, intelligence actively abets stupidity by allowingpernicious rationalisation.
Stupidity will often arise in cases like this, when an outdated conceptual framework isforced into service, mangling the user’s grip on
some new phenomenon. It is important todistinguish this from mere error. We make mistakes for all kinds of reasons. Stupidity israther
one specific and stubborn cause of error. Historically, philosophers have worried agreat deal about the irrationality of not taking the
available means to achieve goals: Tomwants to get fit, yet his running shoes are quietly gathering dust. The stock solution to
Tom’squandary is simple willpower. Stupidity is very different from this. It is rather a lack of thenecessary means, a lack of the necessary
intellectual equipment. Combatting it will typicallyrequire not brute willpower but the construction of a new way of seeing our self and
ourworld. Such stupidity is perfectly compatible with intelligence: Haig was by any standard asmart man.
10. Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the author's view on stupidity?
A    Comprehending a problem by applying our existing world view is stupidity
B    The inability to avoid forcing our current views on a new situation is stupidity
C    Pushing our extant solution to fix an alien problem is stupidity
D    The inability to comprehend what is happening around us is stupidity
E    The novelty of the problem, in relation to our cognitive capacity, is the cause of stupidity
A n s w e r : A
Explanation:
According to the author, stupidity is the result of the inability to comprehend a new phenomenon and the tendency to apply an existing
but outdated conceptual framework to solve it. Option A rewords this idea.
The passage defines stupidity as the inability to comprehend a problem. Option B tries to define stupidity in terms of the inability to avoid
imposing our current views and option C in terms of comprehending a problem. So, both these options are incorrect. Option D is too
general. The author defines stupidity as the inability to comprehend new phenomena, not "what is happening around us". Option E while
partially true is not as comprehensive as A.
   
11. Which of the following statements BEST explains why stupidity for a smart person is“perfectly compatible with intelligence”?
A    
Intelligence is poorly defined, and is usually a perception, making it compatible withstupidity.
  
.