Instructions
Scientists recently discovered that Emperor Penguins—one of Antarctica’s most celebrated species—employ a particularly unusual technique for surviving the daily chill. As detailed in an article published today in the journal Biology Letters, the birds minimize heat loss by keeping the outer surface of their plumage below the temperature of the surrounding air. At the same time, the penguins’ thick plumage insulates their body and keeps it toasty. . . . The researchers analyzed thermographic images . . . taken over roughly a month during June 2008. During that period, the average air temperature was 0.32 degrees Fahrenheit. At the same time, the majority of the plumage covering the penguins’ bodies was even colder: the surface of their warmest body part, their feet, was an average 1.76 degrees Fahrenheit, but the plumage on their heads, chests and backs were -1.84, -7.24 and -9.76 degrees Fahrenheit respectively. Overall, nearly the entire outer surface of the penguins’ bodies was below freezing at all times, except for their eyes and beaks. The scientists also used a computer simulation to determine how much heat was lost or gained from each part of the body - and discovered that by keeping their outer surface below air temperature, the birds might paradoxically be able to draw very slight amounts of heat from the air around them. The key to their trick is the difference between two different types of heat transfer: radiation and convection. The penguins do lose internal body heat to the surrounding air through thermal radiation, just as our bodies do on a cold day. Because their bodies (but not surface plumage) are warmer than the surrounding air, heat gradually radiates outward over time, moving from a warmer material to a colder one. To maintain body temperature while losing heat, penguins, like all warm-blooded animals, rely on the metabolism of food. The penguins, though, have an additional strategy. Since their outer plumage is even colder than the air, the simulation showed that they might gain back a little of this heat through thermal convection—the transfer of heat via the movement of a fluid (in this case, the air). As the cold Antarctic air cycles around their bodies, slightly warmer air comes into contact with the plumage and donates minute amounts of heat back to the penguins, then cycles away at a slightly colder temperature. Most of this heat, the researchers note, probably doesn’t make it all the way through the plumage and back to the penguins’ bodies, but it could make a slight difference. At the very least, the method by which a penguin’s plumage wicks heat from the bitterly cold air that surrounds it helps to cancel out some of the heat that’s radiating from its interior. And given the Emperors’ unusually demanding breeding cycle, every bit of warmth counts. . . . Since [penguins trek as far as 75 miles to the coast to breed and male penguins] don’t eat anything during [the incubation period of 64 days], conserving calories by giving up as little heat as possible is absolutely crucial.
Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following can be responsible for Emperor Penguins losing body heat?
Explanation
Option A: It has been mentioned that food metabolism is used to maintain body temperature. But it cannot be inferred that heat is lost due to food metabolism.
Option B: The colder temperature of plumage results in slight heat gain from the surrounding air. Hence this option is incorrect.
Option C: In the last paragraph of the passage, it has been mentioned that heat is very important for the breeding of Emperor Penguins. So it can be inferred that this conserved heat might be used in the reproductive process of Emperor Penguins. Hence C is the answer.
Option D: Consider the line: "Since their outer plumage is..........................thermal convection—the transfer of heat via the movement of a fluid (in this case, the air)." It is clear that the process of thermal convection is responsible for heat gain and not heat loss. Hence D is incorrect.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:All of the following, if true, would negate the findings of the study reported in the passage EXCEPT
Explanation
The primary findings of the study conclude that Emperor Penguins reduce the heat loss by keeping the temperature of the outer surface of their plumage lower than the surrounding air. In fact, they gain a little heat from the surrounding air through thermal convection.
Option A: If the plumage did not allow thermal convection, it would contradict the findings of the study. Hence A is not the answer.
Option B: Since the transfer of heat takes place through the plumage, variation in the average temperature of feet will not affect the conclusions of the study. Hence B is the answer.
Option C: The average temperature of plumage should be lower than that of the air. It has been mentioned in the passage that the temperatures of the plumage on their heads, chests and backs were -1.84, -7.24 and -9.76 degrees Fahrenheit respectively. If the temperature of the air is -10 degrees Fahrenheit, Penguins would not be able to gain the heat. Hence, this will negate the study findings.
Option D: All the temperatures mentioned in this option are higher than the temperature of the air, but the study assumes the surrounding air temperature to be higher. This option will also negate the study findings.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following best explains the purpose of the word “paradoxically” as used by the author?
Explanation
The word "paradoxically" has been used by the author to indicate the two contradictory characteristics mentioned in the statement.
Option A: This option states the exact opposite conclusion mentioned in the passage. As per the passage, penguins keep their plumage colder to keep their body warmer. Hence A is incorrect.
Option B: It has been mentioned that the penguins lose heat through radiation and gain heat through convection. Hence B is incorrect.
Option C: Although this statement is true, it does not contain self-contradictory parts. It has been mentioned that the heat loss and heat gain happen through the given processes but one has no relation to the other. Hence C is not the answer.
Option D: This statement combines two contradictory qualities. The penguins are keeping their plumage colder, which is responsible for the heat gain from the surrounding air and making their body warmer. Hence D is the answer.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:In the last sentence of paragraph 3, “slightly warmer air” and “at a slightly colder temperature” refer to ______ AND ______ respectively:
Explanation
Option A: Consider the sentence: "As the cold Antarctic air cycles around their bodies, slightly warmer air comes into contact with the plumage and donates minute amounts of heat back to the penguins, then cycles away at a slightly colder temperature." It has been mentioned in the passage that the plumage temperature is lower than the surrounding air temperature. Hence, "slightly warmer air" refers to the Antarctica air that surrounds the plumage and "at a slightly colder temperature" refers to the fall in temperature due to heat loss.
Option B: The process of convections and not radiation is involved in this case. Hence the first part of the option is incorrect. B is not the answer.
Option C: The passage does not mention air trapped in plumage. Hence this option is rejected.
Option D: "slightly warmer air" refers to the Antarctica air and not the air inside the penguins' bodies. Hence D is incorrect.
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Instructions
Contemporary internet shopping conjures a perfect storm of choice anxiety. Research has consistently held that people who are presented with a few options make better, easier decisions than those presented with many. . . . Helping consumers figure out what to buy amid an endless sea of choice online has become a cottage industry unto itself. Many brands and retailers now wield marketing buzzwords such as curation, differentiation, and discovery as they attempt to sell an assortment of stuff targeted to their ideal customer. Companies find such shoppers through the data gold mine of digital advertising, which can catalog people by gender, income level, personal interests, and more. Since Americans have lost the ability to sort through the sheer volume of the consumer choices available to them, a ghost now has to be in the retail machine, whether it’s an algorithm, an influencer, or some snazzy ad tech to help a product follow you around the internet. Indeed, choice fatigue is one reason so many people gravitate toward lifestyle influencers on Instagram— the relentlessly chic young moms and perpetually vacationing 20-somethings—who present an aspirational worldview, and then recommend the products and services that help achieve it. . . . For a relatively new class of consumer-products start-ups, th ere’s another method entirely. Instead of making sense of a sea of existing stuff, these companies claim to disrupt stuff as Americans know it. Casper (mattresses), Glossier (makeup), Away (suitcases), and many others have sprouted up to offer consumers freedom from choice: The companies have a few aesthetically pleasing and supposedly highly functional options, usually at mid-range prices. They’re selling nice things, but maybe more importantly, they’re selling a confidence in those things, and an ability to opt out of the stuff rat race. . . . One-thousand-dollar mattresses and $300 suitcases might solve choice anxiety for a certain tier of consumer, but the companies that sell them, along with those that attempt to massage the larger stuff economy into something navigable, are still just working within a consumer market that’s broken in systemic ways. The presence of so much stuff in America might be more valuable if it were more evenly distributed, but stuff’s creators tend to focus their energy on those who already have plenty. As options have expanded for people with disposable income, the opportunity to buy even basic things such as fresh food or quality diapers has contracted for much of America’s lower classes. For start-ups that promise accessible simplicity, their very structure still might eventually push them toward overwhelming variety. Most of these companies are based on hundreds of millions of dollars of venture capital, the investors of which tend to expect a steep growth rate that can’t be achieved by selling one great mattress or one great sneaker. Casper has expanded into bedroom furniture and bed linens. Glossier, after years of marketing itself as no-makeup makeup that requires little skill to apply, recently launched a full line of glittering color cosmetics. There may be no way to opt out of stuff by buying into the right thing.
Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which one of the following best sums up the overall purpose of the examples of Casper and Glossier in the passage?
Explanation
Option A: The startups Casper and Glossier are certainly breaking the trend of choice anxiety. Yet, the author argues that they are turning into something that they intended to disrupt. Hence, this does not capture the purpose of the author.
Option B: The author argues that even these startups are targeting select few mid-range customers rather than the lower classes. Hence, this option directly contradicts the author's claim.
Option C: These startups initially started as an exception to offering a wide variety of choices. Yet, due to limited customers, and want of steep growth, they might transform into a type of company that they intended to disrupt. Hence, this option correctly resounds the authors fear and captures his purpose of argument. Hence C is correct
Option D: This option is largely vague and can have multiple interpretations. One interpretation can be that these startups are targeting a selected band of customers and do not have offering for lower-class customers. Hence, there is no uniform distribution.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:All of the following, IF TRUE, would weaken the author’s claims EXCEPT
Explanation
Option A: Paragraph 1 says "choice fatigue is one reason so many people gravitate toward lifestyle influencers on Instagram". Hence, as per the passage, a company with wide range of products and a lifestyle influencer is likely to perform better than a company with only wide range of products. Hence, this statement negates the claim of the author.
Option B: "As options have expanded for people with disposable income, the opportunity to buy even basic things such as fresh food or quality diapers has contracted for much of America’s lower classes." The author argues that variety of products are offered only for a certain class of consumers other than the lower class. If variety of options indeed helped the poor, then his argument is weakened.
Option C: "Research has consistently held that people who are presented with a few options make better, easier decisions than those presented with many". "Americans have lost the ability to sort through the sheer volume". Clearly, people are overwhelmed by options and prefer lesser variety. Hence, option C is contradictory.
Option D: This option is largely vague and leaves unanswered questions behind. Also, the author doesn't make any comparison between the growth of these two type of companies. The author only says that, as the company targets only few consumers, for the want of growth they are likely to expand to variety of products. As there is no information about their growths, this option neither strengthens nor weakens the claim.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Based on the passage, all of the following can be inferred about consumer behaviour EXCEPT that
Explanation
Option A: Paragraph 1 says "Since Americans have lost the ability to sort through the sheer volume of the consumer choices available to them" Since the product options are overwhelming, they are unable to sort through the options. Hence, option A can be inferred from the passage.
Option B: Paragraph 1 says "Research has consistently ..... industry unto itself." As people experience choice anxiety due to overwhelming options, they are unable to trust products while selecting. Hence, they look-out for celebrities and curators to make a decision.
Option C: There is no such comparison in the passage that shows people's preference towards products by startups. Hence, option C cannot be inferred.
Option D: Paragraph 1 says "a ghost now has to be in the retail machine, whether it’s an algorithm, an influencer, or some snazzy ad tech to help a product follow you around the internet". Due to our inability to sort, we depend on influencers or we are vulnerable to snazzy ads to purchase products. Hence, D can be inferred.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:A new food brand plans to launch a series of products in the American market. Which of the following product plans is most likely to be supported by the author of the passage?
Explanation
The author principally argues for lesser choices. He says that choice anxiety is overwhelming and people make better decisions with lesser choices.
He is also critical about companies targeting only certain band of well-off customers and critiques them for not offering products for consumers of lower classes.
Hence, a product group with lesser variety, and targeted to lower class customers would be most acceptable to the author.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following hypothetical statements would add the least depth to the author’s prediction of the fate of start-ups offering few product options?
Explanation
By "Depth", the author suggests a scenario that adds value or supplies additional information which supports his claim.
Option A: If the startup products grow exponentially and are self-sufficient and do not expand to other products, this scenario directly contradicts the author's probable prediction of these companies. Hence, it would add the least depth to the author's argument. A is the correct answer.
Option B: Lets consider that startups with few product options already exist. In such a case, these startups are no exceptions. For the sake of steep growth and surviving, they might have to expand into different product categories. Hence it adds some depth to the author's prediction.
Option C: "There may be no way to opt-out of stuff by buying into the right thing." The author is clearly displeased with startups ending up with overwhelming variety. Losing regular customers for better growth further invigorates the author's claim against numerous choices. Hence, it adds some value to his criticism.
Option D: If the government doubles their tax rates, as these startups are dependent on select customers for income, they might have to venture into other products and varieties to accentuate their returns and keep the company afloat. Hence, their fate would likely end up the way author predicted it to be.
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Instructions
As defined by the geographer Yi-Fu Tuan, topophilia is the affective bond between people and place. His 1974 book set forth a wide ranging exploration of how the emotive ties with the material environment vary greatly from person to person and in intensity, subtlety, and mode of expression. Factors influencing one’s depth of response to the environment include cultural background, gender, race, and historical circumstance, and Tuan also argued that there is a biological and sensory element. Topophilia might not be the strongest of human emotions— indeed, many people feel utterly indifferent toward the environments that shape their lives - but when activated it has the power to elevate a place to become the carrier of emotionally charged events or to be perceived as a symbol. Aesthetic appreciation is one way in which people respond to the environment. A brilliantly colored rainbow after gloomy afternoon showers, a busy city street alive with human interaction—one might experience the beauty of such landscapes that had seemed quite ordinary only moments before or that are being newly discovered. This is quite the opposite of a second topophilia bond, namely that of the acquired taste for certain landscapes and places that one knows well. When a place is home, or when a space has become the locus of memories or the means of gaining a livelihood, it frequently evokes a deeper set of attachments than those predicated purely on the visual. A third response to the environment also depends on the human senses but may be tactile and olfactory, namely a delight in the feel and smell of air, water, and the earth. Topophilia—and its very close conceptual twin, sense of place—is an experience that, however elusive, has inspired recent architects and planners. Most notably, new urbanism seeks to counter the perceived placelessness of modern suburbs and the decline of central cities through neo-traditional design motifs. Although motivated by good intentions, such attempts to create places rich in meaning are perhaps bound to disappoint. As Tuan noted, purely aesthetic responses often are suddenly revealed, but their intensity rarely is long lasting. Topophilia is difficult to design for and impossible to quantify, and its most articulate interpreters have been self-reflective philosophers such as Henry David Thoreau, evoking a marvelously intricate sense of place at Walden Pond, and Tuan, describing his deep affinity for the desert. Topophilia connotes a positive relationship, but it often is useful to explore the darker affiliations between people and place. Patriotism, literally meaning the love of one’s terra patria or homeland, has long been cultivated by governing elites for a range of nationalist projects, including war preparation and ethnic cleansing. Residents of upscale residential developments have disclosed how important it is to maintain their community’s distinct identity, often by casting themselves in a superior social position and by reinforcing class and racial differences. And just as a beloved landscape is suddenly revealed, so too may landscapes of fear cast a dark shadow over a place that makes one feel a sense of dread or anxiety—or topophobia.
Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:In the last paragraph, the author uses the example of “Residents of upscale residential developments” to illustrate the:
Explanation
"Residents of upscale residential developments have disclosed how important it is to maintain their community’s distinct identity, often by casting themselves in a superior social position and by reinforcing class and racial differences."
Option A: The option implies that the clients are made to feel at home. While the phrase “Residents of upscale residential developments” is used to capture the intent of social dominance of a particular class. Hence this option is incorrect.
Option B: The option implies that jingoism of a certain class might lead to topophobia. The option is yet again unrelated.
Option C: Residents of upscale residential developments intend to promote their community by reinforcing sectarian differences. This exclusivism(Practice of being exclusive/important) is clearly captured in the option. Hence C is correct.
Option D: Sensitive response indicates a considerate response where other's sentiments are considered. While these residents are inconsiderate and consider themself superior. Also, the option doesn't capture the purpose clearly. Hence, incorrect
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which one of the following comes closest in meaning to the author’s understanding of topophilia?
Explanation
Option A: The entire passage deals with "TOPOPHILIA" and "TOPOGRAPHY" is unrelated. Also, the author says that we experience topophilia in three forms and that we are not born with it.
Option C: An illustration of topophobia doesn't represent the author's view on topophilia
Option D: The option speaks about glossophilia(Love of language) and is unrelated to topophilia
Option B: "Topophilia connotes a positive relationship, but it often is useful to explore the darker affiliations between people and place. Patriotism, literally meaning the love of one’s terra patria or homeland".
Despite a negative tone, the author says that one form of topophilia is patriotism. Even though not wholesome, it comes "closest" to the author's understanding of topophilia among the given options. Hence B is correct.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which one of the following best captures the meaning of the statement, “Topophilia is difficult to design for and impossible to quantify . . .”?
Explanation
"As Tuan noted, purely aesthetic responses often are suddenly revealed, but their intensity rarely is longlasting. Topophilia is difficult to design for and impossible to quantify". The author says that people's response to aesthetics is shortlived and usually subsides overtime. Hence, it is difficult to design or quantify.
Option A: "Amomie" means lack of morals or ethics. It is unrelated to the passage.
Option B: An objective analysis by architects does not explain the reason as to why it is difficult to quantify topophilia.
Option C: This statement is in the form of an opinion and does not explain the above statement.
Option D: Since every person has different topophilic attractions and have different responses to aesthetics. Capturing topophilia in the form of design is impossible. This option elaborates and explains the reason for quantifying topophilia. Hence option D is correct.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:The word “topophobia” in the passage is used:
Explanation
"And just as a beloved landscape is suddenly revealed, so too may landscapes of fear cast a dark shadow over a place that makes one feel a sense of dread or anxiety—or topophobia."
Option B speaks about topography, while Option C speaks about dread towards people.
Option D is unrelated to topophobia. Hence, all of them are incorrect
Option A clearly captures the essence of the last sentence in the passage.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following statements, if true, could be seen as not contradicting the arguments in the passage?
Explanation
Option A: "new urbanism seeks to... Although motivated by good intentions, such attempts to create places rich in meaning are perhaps bound to disappoint." The author says new urbanism that tries to induce sense of place is bound to fail. Since there is no mention of clients, irrespectively new urbanism is going to fail. Hence, it is contradicting the author.
Option B: "His 1974 book set forth a wide-ranging exploration of how the emotive ties with the material environment vary greatly from person to person and in intensity, subtlety, and mode of expression." This option is contradicting the passage yet again.
Option C: The author lists out three ways of experiencing topophilia but doesn't emphasize about any one way. Hence, even though not contradictory, this option is factually misquoting the passage.
Option D: "Topophilia connotes a positive relationship, but it often is useful to explore the darker affiliations between people and place. Patriotism, literally meaning the love of one’s terra patria or homeland.." Clearly, the author has a negative intonation when he says "darker affiliation". He presents patriotism as a darker manifestation of topophilia. Hence, this statement is correct and does not contradict the author. Hence option D is correct.
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Instructions
"Free of the taint of manufacture" - that phrase, in particular, is heavily loaded with the ideology of what the Victorian socialist William Morris called the "anti-scrape", or an anticapitalist conservationism (not conservatism) that solaced itself with the vision of a preindustrial golden age. In Britain, folk may often appear a cosy, fossilised form, but when you look more closely, the idea of folk - who has the right to sing it, dance it, invoke it, collect it, belong to it or appropriate it for political or cultural ends - has always been contested territory. . . . In our own time, though, the word "folk" . . . has achieved the rare distinction of occupying fashionable and unfashionable status simultaneously. Just as the effusive floral prints of the radical William Morris now cover genteel sofas, so the revolutionary intentions of many folk historians and revivalists have led to music that is commonly regarded as parochial and conservative. And yet - as newspaper columns periodically rejoice - folk is hip again, influencing artists, clothing and furniture designers, celebrated at music festivals, awards ceremonies and on TV, reissued on countless record labels. Folk is a sonic "shabby chic", containing elements of the uncanny and eerie, as well as an antique veneer, a whiff of Britain's heathen dark ages. The very obscurity and anonymity of folk music's origins open up space for rampant imaginative fancies. . . . [Cecil Sharp, who wrote about this subject, believed that] folk songs existed in constant transformation, a living example of an art form in a perpetual state of renewal. "One man sings a song, and then others sing it after him, changing what they do not like" is the most concise summary of his conclusions on its origins. He compared each rendition of a ballad to an acorn falling from an oak tree; every subsequent iteration sows the song anew. But there is tension in newness. In the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms. Electrification, however, comes in many forms. For the early-20th-century composers such as Vaughan Williams and Holst, there were thunderbolts of inspiration from oriental mysticism, angular modernism and the body blow of the first world war, as well as input from the rediscovered folk tradition itself. For the second wave of folk revivalists, such as Ewan MacColl and AL Lloyd, starting in the 40s, the vital spark was communism's dream of a post-revolutionary New Jerusalem. For their younger successors in the 60s, who thronged the folk clubs set up by the old guard, the lyrical freedom of Dylan and the unchained melodies of psychedelia created the conditions for folkrock's own golden age, a brief Indian summer that lasted from about 1969 to 1971. . . . Four decades on, even that progressive period has become just one more era ripe for fashionable emulation and pastiche. The idea of a folk tradition being exclusively confined to oral transmission has become a much looser, less severely guarded concept. Recorded music and television, for today's metropolitan generation, are where the equivalent of folk memories are seeded. . . .
Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:At a conference on folk forms, the author of the passage is least likely to agree with which one of the following views?
Explanation
Cecil Sharp says "One man sings a song, and then others sing it after him, changing what they do not like". This signifies that folk music is constantly evolving. Hence, this adaptability contributes to its plurality. Hence the author is going to agree with option B
"Just as the effusive ..... on countless record labels" This indicates that - "Just as the radical views of Morris became popular and mainstream, similarly folk music which is considered parochial is becoming popular and conformist. This popularity is being rejoiced by media as "folk is hip again". Hence, option C correctly captures this sentiment.
"For the early-20th-century composers .... tradition itself." This line captures the idea that folk is also inspired by various philosophies and schools of thought. Hence, we can infer that folk is intellectually relevant in contemporary times. Option D is in coherence with the author's views.
Option A says that folk forms exhibit homogeneity. The author in the entire passage describes the diversity of folk and says it paves way for vivid imagination. "The very obscurity and anonymity of folk music's origins open up space for rampant imaginative fancies". Cecil Sharp cites an analogy of an oak tree to show the constant transformation of folk. Hence, this option is contradicting author's opinion and he is least likely to agree with it.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:The primary purpose of the reference to William Morris and his floral prints is to show:
Explanation
"Just as the effusive floral prints of the radical William Morris now cover genteel sofas, so the revolutionary intentions of many folk historians and revivalists have led to music that is commonly regarded as parochial and conservative.
Here the author compares two aspects. We know that William Morris is a radical conservationist as per para 1. (genteel refers to respectable/gentlemanly, genteel sofas refers to people in respectable place in life) As the footprints/views of William Morris becomes more popular i.e. as conservative folk forms once considered radical became more mainstream, similarly folk music which is considered parochial is now being revived by revivalists. The primary purpose is to show an analogy that a radical folk form became more mainstream/acceptable over time. This expression is best captured in option C
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:The author says that folk “may often appear a cosy, fossilised form” because:
Explanation
"Free of the taint of manufacture" ...... been contested territory."
The phrase "Free of the taint of manufacture" is likely to have emerged post-industrialisation when conservationinsts(conserving status quo especially natural resources) fancied a pre-industrial age and expressed nostalgic attachment towards it. Hence the main point of the first paragraph can be summarised as "Conservationists envisioned a cosy folk form inspired by preindustrial times".
Hence option B is the correct answer
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following statements about folk revivalism of the 1940s and 1960s cannot be inferred from the passage?
Explanation
" In the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms." Purists oppose any altercation or adaptation of original folk from and they criticized the adaptations by rock too. Hence, option B can be inferred
Folk music was inspired by revolutionary intentions in 1940s, various philosophies and school of thoughts in 1960s, Freedom of expression(Bob dylan) and psychedalia.
This shows a constant transformation of folk reinforcing the beliefs of Cecil Sharp. Option C is correct.
Option D can be rightly inferred from the lyrical freedom of bob dylan and revolutionary intentions in 1940s.
Option A : "In the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms. Electrification, however, comes in many forms." Even though the electrification of folk by rock was rejected by purists, electrification came in many forms and not individually by Rock alone. Hence, electrification of folk music is not causated by rock alone. Hence option A cannot be inferred.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:All of the following are causes for plurality and diversity within the British folk tradition EXCEPT
Explanation
Option A and option D both signifies the inspiration of folk music from two different times. Folk is not limited to immediate past or to any specific time-line. This contributes to the plurality of folk music.
Option C talks about "fluidity". Fluidity indicates flexibility or different modes of oral rendition. For example different vocal styles can be generated by pitch, rhythm, style of rendition. Hence, the variance in oral transmission of music can lead to various iterations of one original form. Hence, this again contributes to the diversity and plurality of folk music.
Option B: Popularity or unpopularity is an opinion. An opinion in no way contributes to the diversity of a folk form. It might be regarded as diverse opinions but does not inherently contribute to the diversity of folk itself. Hence, option B does not contribute to folk's plurality.
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Instructions
In the past, credit for telling the tale of Aladdin has often gone to Antoine Galland . . . the first European translator of . . . Arabian Nights [which] started as a series of translations of an incomplete manuscript of a medieval Arabic story collection. . . But, though those tales were of medieval origin, Aladdin may be a more recent invention. Scholars have not found a manuscript of the story that predates the version published in 1712 by Galland, who wrote in his diary that he first heard the tale from a Syrian storyteller from Aleppo named Hanna Diyab. . . Despite the fantastical elements of the story, scholars now think the main character may actually be based on a real person’s real experiences. . . . Though Galland never credited Diyab in his published translations of the Arabian Nights stories, Diyab wrote something of his own: a travelogue penned in the mid-18th century. In it, he recalls telling Galland the story of Aladdin [and] describes his own hard knocks upbringing and the way he marveled at the extravagance of Versailles. The descriptions he uses were very similar to the descriptions of the lavish palace that ended up in Galland’s version of the Aladdin story. [Therefore, author Paulo Lemos] Horta believes that “Aladdin might be the young Arab Maronite from Aleppo, marveling at the jewels and riches of Versailles.” . . . For 300 years, scholars thought that the rags-to-riches story of Aladdin might have been inspired by the plots of French fairy tales that came out around the same time, or that the story was invented in that 18th century period as a byproduct of French Orientalism, a fascination with stereotypical exotic Middle Eastern luxuries that was prevalent then. The idea that Diyab might have based it on his own life — the experiences of a Middle Eastern man encountering the French, not vice-versa — flips the script. [According to Horta,] “Diyab was ideally placed to embody the overlapping world of East and West, blending the storytelling traditions of his homeland with his youthful observations of the wonder of 18th-century France.” . . . To the scholars who study the tale, its narrative drama isn’t the only reason storytellers keep finding reason to return to Aladdin. It reflects not only “a history of the French and the Middle East, but also [a story about] Middle Easterners coming to Paris and that speaks to our world today,” as Horta puts it. “The day Diyab told the story of Aladdin to Galland, there were riots due to food shortages during the winter and spring of 1708 to 1709, and Diyab was sensitive to those people in a way that Galland is not. When you read this diary, you see this solidarity among the Arabs who were in Paris at the time. . . . There is little in the writings of Galland that would suggest that he was capable of developing a character like Aladdin with sympathy, but Diyab’s memoir reveals a narrator adept at capturing the distinctive psychology of a young protagonist, as well as recognizing the kinds of injustices and opportunities that can transform the path of any youthful adventurer.”
Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:All of the following serve as evidence for the character of Aladdin being based on Hanna Diyab EXCEPT:
Explanation
The passage says "describes his own hard-knocks upbringing and the way he marvelled at the extravagance of Versailles. The descriptions he uses were very similar to the descriptions of the lavish palace that ended up in Galland’s version of the Aladdin story." Hence, option B and option C depicts the similarities of Hanna Diyab's life and Aladdin's character
Option D:“Diyab was ideally placed to embody the overlapping world of East and West, blending the storytelling traditions of his homeland with his youthful observations of the wonder of 18th-century France.”. Since Diyab is a middle eastern man who came to France, his cross-culture experience would make him ideal to embody the character of Aladdin.Hence, option D gives evidence for the claim aladdin is based on hana diyab's life.
Option A: Even though Diyab narrated the story, he might have read it somewhere or heard it from someone else, it doesn't necessarily give any insight about its relationship with his life.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following is the primary reason for why storytellers are still fascinated by the story of Aladdin?
Explanation
It reflects not only “a history of the French and the Middle East, but also [a story about] Middle Easterners coming to Paris and that speaks to our world today,”
The above statement indicates that the primary reason for scholars to go back to aladdin is the intrigue about middle easterners coming to paris.
Option B and D have references from third paragraph which is unrelated to the context.
While option C is one of the reasons, the primary reason as per the author is option A(traveller's experience indicates midleeasteners experience in france).
Option A can be considered as one of primary importance as he says "that speaks to the world today" highlighting the importance of middle-easterners coming to paris.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following does not contribute to the passage’s claim about the authorship of Aladdin?
Explanation
The narrative sensibility of Diyab’s travelogue indicates similarity in characters of Aladdin and Diyab in terms of sensibility, being considerate. Hence, option A strengthens the passage's claim about Aladdin's character having ties with that of Diyab
Option B, Galland's acknowledgement again indicates that Aladdin might be predated than 1712 and might have some roots associated with Diyab
Option D, The affluence in the story of Aladdin and Diyab's travelogue have major similarities. This suggests that Aladdin may be based on Diyab's life experiences. Hence, it supports the passage's claim about authorship.
As per option C, the french fairy tales inform us about the probable cause/motive behind writing Aladdin but doesn't lead to information regarding its authorship.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following explanations for the origins of the story of Aladdin?
Explanation
'"Galland wrote in his diary that he first heard the tale from a Syrian storyteller from Aleppo named Hanna Diyab Since he heard the story, option B is incorrect.
Also, the first paragraph implies that - While Arabian nights predates to medieval times, the earliest appearance of Aladdin is in 1712. Hence, option C and D are incorrect.
"Transmit" means passing from one person to another. This can imply that Diyab told it to Galland. Also, Aladdin is one of the stories of "Arabian Nights" (Others include Alibaba & 40 thieves, Sindbad). Hence option A is correct.
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Question for CAT PYQ 2019: Reading Comprehension- 2
Try yourself:Which of the following, if true, would invalidate the inversion that the phrase “flips the script” refers to?
Explanation
The second paragraph says that there are 2 possible motivations for writing the story of Aladdin, first being french fairy tales and second being French orientalism. He goes on to say, if aladdin is actually based on the life of hanna Diyab, then the idea of french orientalism is inversed.
"or that the story was invented in that 18th century period as a byproduct of French Orientalism, a fascination with stereotypical exotic Middle Eastern luxuries that was prevalent then. The idea that Diyab might have based it on his own life — the experiences of a Middle Eastern man encountering the French, not vice-versa — flips the script."
French Orientalism implies an intrigue of French towards Middle-eastern luxuries, while Diyab coming to france shows an interest of middle-easteners in France. Hence, the script is inversed if Aladdin's story is based on Hanna Diyab.
The question is looking for option which invalidates the inversion. This implies that the script shouldn't be inversed. This occurs when Aladdin's story is not based on Diyab.
Option C says that Diyab's travellogue doesn't bear any resemblance to Galland's Aladdin. This implies that Aladdin is not based on Diyab. Hence, the inversion of script doesn't occur/invalidated. None of the other options invalidate the script.
Hence, option C is correct
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