RCs: 31 to 40 Questions for CAT with Answers PDF

Parents often express a desire for their children's happiness, but seldom do they articulate a wish for their lives to be meaningful. Yet, it is meaning that many of us seek for ourselves, fearing its absence. We dread meaninglessness and get depressed when we lose a sense of meaning. But what exactly is this elusive state we call meaning, and why do we crave it so intensely?
Happiness and meaningfulness frequently overlap, yet they are distinct states. A survey of nearly 400 US citizens revealed that while happiness is tied to the present, meaningfulness involves linking past, present, and future. Happiness is associated with getting what one wants and needs, whereas meaningfulness seems to stem from contributing to others and expressing oneself. Struggles and stresses, while diminishing happiness, appear to enhance meaningfulness. The pursuit of a meaningful life, therefore, might be seen as an endeavor to create a lasting form of happiness, despite the challenges it entails.
The survey posed questions about the extent to which people thought their lives were happy and the extent to which they thought they were meaningful. By asking a large number of other questions, researchers were able to see which factors went with happiness and which went with meaningfulness. Almost half of the variation in meaningfulness was explained by happiness, and vice versa. Nevertheless, using statistical controls, researchers were able to isolate the 'pure' effects of each one that were not based on the other.
Five sets of major differences between happiness and meaningfulness were found. The first had to do with getting what you want and need. Not surprisingly, satisfaction of desires was a reliable source of happiness. But it had nothing — maybe even less than nothing — to add to a sense of meaning. People are happier to the extent that they find their lives easy rather than difficult. Good health is a factor that contributes to happiness but not to meaningfulness. Healthy people are happier than sick people, but the lives of sick people do not lack meaning.
The second set of differences involved time frame. Meaning and happiness are apparently experienced quite differently in time. Happiness is about the present; meaning is about the future, or, more precisely, about linking past, present, and future. The more time people spent thinking about the future or the past, the more meaningful, and less happy, their lives were. Time spent imagining the future was linked especially strongly to higher meaningfulness and lower happiness. Conversely, the more time people spent thinking about the here and now, the happier they were.
Social life was the locus of our third set of differences. As you might expect, connections to other people turned out to be important both for meaning and for happiness. Being alone in the world is linked to low levels of happiness and meaningfulness, as is feeling lonely. Nevertheless, it was the particular character of one’s social connections that determined which state they helped to bring about. Simply put, meaningfulness comes from contributing to other people, whereas happiness comes from what they contribute to you.
A fourth category of differences had to do with struggles, problems, stresses, and the like. In general, these went with lower happiness and higher meaningfulness. Highly meaningful lives encounter plenty of negative events, which of course reduce happiness. Stress and negative life events were two powerful blows to happiness, despite their significant positive association with a meaningful life.
The final category of differences had to do with the self and personal identity. Activities that express the self are an important source of meaning but are mostly irrelevant to happiness. Expressing yourself, defining yourself, building a good reputation and other self-oriented activities are more about meaning than happiness.
Q1: According to the passage, what is a significant difference between happiness and meaningfulness?
(a) Happiness is linked to the future, while meaningfulness is linked to the present.
(b) Happiness is derived from contributing to others, whereas meaningfulness is derived from others contributing to you.
(c) Happiness is about getting what one wants and needs, while meaningfulness involves linking past, present, and future.
(d) Happiness is unaffected by struggles and stresses, while meaningfulness is diminished by them.
Ans: (c)
Sol: The passage explicitly states that happiness is tied to the present and is associated with getting what one wants and needs. In contrast, meaningfulness is described as involving the linking of past, present, and future, suggesting a more complex and temporal dimension.

Q2: The survey mentioned in the passage suggests that meaningfulness:
(a) Cannot coexist with happiness.
(b) Is independent of one's social connections.
(c) Is enhanced by contributing to others.
(d) Is reduced when one expresses oneself.
Ans: (c)
Sol: The passage discusses how meaningfulness comes from contributing to other people, whereas happiness comes from what others contribute to you. This distinction highlights the outward versus inward orientation of the two states.

Q3: What does the passage imply about the relationship between happiness and the present?
(a) Focusing on the present can maximize happiness.
(b) Reflecting on the present diminishes happiness.
(c) The present has no impact on happiness.
(d) Happiness is only attainable by ignoring the present.
Ans: (a)
Sol: The passage indicates that happiness is about the present and that people are happier when they focus on the here and now. This suggests that being present-focused is beneficial for happiness.

Q4: Based on the passage, which of the following statements is true?
(a) Meaningfulness is more stable and lasting than happiness.
(b) Happiness is a prerequisite for a meaningful life.
(c) Struggles and stresses have no significant impact on meaningfulness.
(d) Meaningfulness is solely determined by one's health and wealth.
Ans: (a)
Sol: The passage contrasts the fleeting, present-focused nature of happiness with the more stable and lasting aspect of meaningfulness, which extends into the future and the past. This implies that meaningfulness has a more enduring quality compared to happiness.

Q5: According to the passage, how does the self and personal identity relate to happiness and meaningfulness?
(a) Activities that express the self are important for both happiness and meaningfulness.
(b) Self-oriented activities are more about happiness than meaning.
(c) Expressing oneself is mostly irrelevant to happiness but is an important source of meaning.
(d) Building a good reputation contributes equally to happiness and meaningfulness.
Ans: (c)
Sol: The passage states that activities that express the self are mostly irrelevant to happiness but are an important source of meaning. This suggests that self-expression and personal identity play a significant role in meaningfulness but not in happiness.