Previous Year Questions 2023: Logical Reasoning | CLAT Past Year Papers (2008-2024) PDF Download

Q7: Which of the following is the author most likely to agree with?
(a) The Covid-19 pandemic was an unmitigated disaster for the newspaper industry.
(b) The Covid-19 pandemic had negative as well as positive effects on the newspaper industry.
(c) The Covid-19 pandemic only had good effects on the newspaper industry.
(d) The Covid-19 pandemic had no effect at all on the newspaper industry.
Ans: (b)
Sol: As per the passage: “An earlier survey, which attempted to examine the impact of the lockdown on ‘reading patterns,’ had found that the number of readers who used to spend over an hour on newspapers every day had risen to 38%, up from 16% in the pre-lockdown period.” Hence, the increase in the number of readers during Covid shows a benefit to the print media.
Hence, it negates statements (a) and (d).
Considering the other side projected by the author throws light on the setbacks faced by the newspapers during the Covid era. Refer to the sentence: “Ironically, the pandemic, which saw a resurgence in collective trust in newspapers, adversely affected the print media as traditional advertisers, reeling under the economic fallouts of Covid-19, cut back on advertisements.” Hence, it can be concluded that the pandemic has had both positive and negative impacts on the print media.

Q8: Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s arguments?
(a) Social media is a reliable source of true and accurate news and information.
(b) Social media is a highly unreliable source of news and information and should not be trusted.
(c) Social media is a good way for people to stay connected with each other.
(d) Social media is a speedier source of information than newspapers.
Ans: (a)
Sol: As per the author, social media is a harbinger of lies. Statement (a) weakens the author’s view on social media. Hence, it is correct. However, option (b) supports the author’s view on social media. Option (c) implies that social media is a good way for people to stay connected with each other. As per the passage, the author has not mentioned anything with respect to social media’s application to people. As per the author, social media is a speedier source of information. Hence, option (d) strengthens the author’s argument and is an incorrect option.

Q9: Which of the following would be an effective way of making print media more competitive?
(a) Slowing down the process of print media production.
(b) Using more expensive printing methods that achieve better print quality, even if it results in newspapers becoming more expensive.
(c) Only publishing newspapers on alternate days.
(d) Developing ways of ensuring that print media can reach readers more speedily.
Ans: (d)
Sol: If the print media slows down, it will even aggravate the problem. As per the author: “Newspapers have been outpaced by speedier, but also spurious, sources of information.” Hence, options (a) and (c) both are not an effective way of making print media more competitive. Simultaneously, the concern of the author here in the passage is that print media has been outpaced by speedier sources of information. Hence, option (d) can be an effective way to make print media more competitive. As per the passage, there is no price comparison done between print media and social media accessibility; hence, we can’t conclude whether using more expensive printing methods will make print media more competitive or not. Hence, option (c) is also incorrect.

Q10: Based on the author’s arguments, which of the following, if true, would have resulted in the weakening, rather than deepening of public trust in newspapers since the pandemic?
(a) Newspapers were very careful in ensuring they reported accurate and true news during the lockdowns.
(b) Newspapers played a leading role in exposing lies and misinformation spread during the lockdown.
(c) Newspapers actively disseminated misinformation during the lockdowns and made no efforts to expose lies spread by others.
(d) Newspapers alerted the public to the fact that a number of sources were spreading crude forms of misinformation during the pandemic.
Ans: (c)
Sol: As per the author, “The post-truth era is, expectedly, marked by a discerning erosion of public trust in sources of information. Mass media — both traditional and new-age avatars — has borne the brunt of this mistrust.” If newspapers are vigilant in ensuring they report accurate and true news during the lockdown, it will surely deepen public trust. Hence, option (a) is incorrect. Simultaneously, option (d) also mentions altering the public, which will again lead to weakening of public trust. Consider option (b). Any option that exposes lies and misinformation spread during the lockdown will definitely deepen the public’s trust in it. If newspapers, like other sources of information, start disseminating misinformation, it will lead to weakening of public trust in newspapers. Hence, option (c) is correct.

Q11: What would be the impact on the readership and revenues of the print media if the image were not dominant over text as a cultural phenomenon?
(a) Print media would not suffer as much of a reduction in readership and revenue as readers shifted to other formats.
(b) Print media would suffer a greater reduction in readership and revenue as readers shifted to other formats.
(c) There would be no impact on the readership and revenues of the print industry.
(d) There would be an increased demand from readers that newspapers carry more images and less text.
Ans: (a)
Sol: If the images were not dominant over text as a cultural phenomenon, then it is evident as per the author that readership of print media would not have suffered, and the readers would not be looking out for other formats. Hence, option (a) is correct. As per the author in the passage, “The dominance of the image over text as a cultural phenomenon is another formidable challenge.” The inclination of readers towards image rather than text is one of the prime reasons for the shift in the preference of the source of media opted by people. Hence, option (b) is incorrect. As per option (c), there will be no impact on the readership; which is also incorrect because, as per the author, readership of print media is hampered by the cultural phenomenon a lot. As per option (d), if newspapers have more images and less text, it will increase their readership. In the passage, the author has not mentioned anything related to this thing that will happen if the print media has more images and less text. Hence, this can’t be inferred from the passage.

Q12: How does the author suggest newspapers can overcome the problem of being outpaced by speedier sources of information?
(a) They offer direct means by which newspapers can become faster to publish and deliver to readers.
(b) They encourage a complete and immediate shift to digital media as a way of ensuring newspapers are not outpaced by other sources of information.
(c) They offer ways to reduce production costs, which would offset the losses caused by readers shifting allegiance to faster sources of information.
(d) They offer alternative means for newspapers to become competitive and profitable, but do not solve the problem of how newspapers can become faster sources of information.
Ans: (d)
Sol: As per the author, to become competitive, newspapers can re-explore the revenue model, put emphasis on in-depth analysis of news, and print eye-catching layouts, which has been suggested by the author in the passage. The author has not described any method which can improve the speed of print media publication; hence, option (a) is incorrect. The prime concern of the author in the passage is to encourage print media, and if they encourage a complete and immediate shift to digital media, it will not serve as a solution. Hence, option (b) is also incorrect. Referring to the lines of the passage, “Survival strategies, especially the revenue model, must be re-explored, and the emphasis shifted to in-depth analyses of news as well as eye-catching layouts now that newspapers are slower to reach news to the audience.” It doesn’t refer to any way which emphasizes the reduction of production costs. Hence, option (c) is also incorrect. Simultaneously, option (d) conveys the idea proposed by the author appropriately in which alternative means for newspapers to become competitive.

3. In this moment, the developed countries — I point to them, because these countries have already burnt massive amounts of carbon dioxide for energy to build their economies — are faced with a real energy conundrum. On the one hand, developed countries are battered because of a fastheating planet; temperatures have gone through the roof; droughts and extreme weather events are hitting them as well. On the other hand, ordinary people in these countries are worried, not just because of climate change but because of the lack of energy to heat their homes this coming winter. In the US, gas prices went up in summer, so much so that people travelled less and consumption of fuel dropped. But now prices are down and it is business as usual.
The fact is that this energy disruption has provided the much-needed vault to the beleaguered fossil fuel industry. Governments are asking this industry to supply more. Europe has baptised natural gas, a fossil fuel less polluting than coal but still a major emitter of carbon dioxide, as “clean”. The US has passed a climate bill, which will invest in renewable energy but conditional to increased spends on oil and gas and the opening up of millions of hectares of federal land for drilling. Through this bill the US will do more than ever before to build a manufacturing base for renewable energy, particularly solar. Europe, even in this desperate scramble for gas, is working to ramp up its investment in renewable power. So, it is the worst of times. It could be the best of times, but there are some caveats. One, this renewed interest in fossil fuels must remain temporary and transient. Given the nature of economies, once the investment has been made in this new infrastructure or the supply of fossil fuel has increased from new oil and gas discoveries, it will be difficult to wean off. Two, these countries should not be entitled to more use of fossil fuels in our world of shrunk carbon budgets. They need to reduce emissions drastically and leave whatever little carbon budget space that is remaining to poorer countries to use, thereby satisfying such poorer countries’ demands. 
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “New energy conundrum”, by Sunita Narain, Down To Earth]

Q13: Which of the following is the author most likely to agree with?
(a) People in the US are not worried at all about climate change.
(b) People in the US are worried about climate change, and these concerns affect their energy consumption habits more than anything else.
(c) Climate change has resulted in the increase of energy prices across the world, and as a result, governments have had to invest in finding newer sources of renewable energy.
(d) Changes in the energy consumption habits of people in the US are affected more by energy prices than concerns of climate change.
Ans: (d)
Sol: Refer to the lines of the passage, “ordinary people in these countries are worried, not just because of climate change but because of the lack of energy to heat their homes this coming winter.” Hence, option (a) is something we can’t agree with as per the passage. As per the passage, “In the US, gas prices went up in summer, so much so that people traveled less and consumption of fuel dropped. But now prices are down, and it is business as usual.” People in the US are not concerned and affected by climate change; the changes in consumption are because of the price hike. Hence, option (b) is incorrect, and option (d), which registers change in energy consumption habits because of the price hike, is most likely to agree with. As per the passage, “The US has passed a climate bill, which will invest in renewable energy but conditional to increased spending on oil and gas and the opening up of millions of hectares of federal land for drilling.” Hence, seeking out renewable energy sources is not a result of climate change and price hike.

Q14: Which of the following is most similar to the author’s statements about developed countries’ renewed interest in fossil fuels?
(a) Developed countries should not, under any circumstances, invest any resources in fossil fuel energy extraction, and must immediately put a halt to all fossil fuel consumption.
(b) Things could improve if developed countries recognise the difficulty of moving away from reliance on such sources of energy and make a conscious effort to move to alternate or renewable energy sources quickly.
(c) Since investments in energy extraction of any kind are very expensive, developed countries must ensure that they make permanent and continuing investments in fossil fuels.
(d) Developing countries must not, under any circumstances, consume fossil fuels, and leave whatever carbon budget space is remaining to richer countries to use.
Ans: (b)
Sol: As per the author in the passage, developed countries, not the developing countries, reduce emissions drastically and leave whatever little carbon budget space that is remaining to poorer countries to use. Hence, option (d) is incorrect. As per the author in the passage, “One, this renewed interest in fossil fuels must remain temporary and transient. Given the nature of economies, once the investment has been made in this new infrastructure or the supply of fossil fuel has increased from new oil and gas discoveries, it will be difficult to wean off.” Hence, option (c) is what the author will differ with. However, as per the author, the condition of the energy crunch might improve if developed countries explore and move to alternative energy sources. Hence, option (b) is correct, and option (a) contradicts the author’s view.

Q15: If the information in the passage above is correct, which of the following must necessarily be true?
(a) The fossil fuel industry in developing countries will face reduced sales in the short term, with increased sales in the long term.
(b) The cost of making, installing, and using solar panels will reduce substantially in the coming years.
(c) Passing a bill in the US is a huge effort, and it would not have been possible to pass the new climate bill unless the current energy crisis had compelled lawmakers to do so.
(d) The fossil fuel industry in developing countries will see an increase in business, at least in the short term.
Ans: (d)
Sol: The condition and state of developed countries that the author is discussing in the passage clearly implies that the world is facing a shortage of fuel and is seeking out alternate sources of energy. Simultaneously, the author has mentioned in the passage that there is very little carbon budget space across the world, which will substantially increase the demand for fossil fuels across the world. Hence, option (a) can’t be true, but option (d) must be true as per the author. Again, in the passage, the author has not discussed anything about the cost of setting up or installation of solar panels; hence, (b) is also incorrect.

Q16: Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s argument about why travel and fuel consumption in the US reduced in summer?
(a) People like to travel regardless of season, and the only thing that would prevent them from travelling at any time of the year would be high costs.
(b) Airlines raised ticket prices as a response to increase in fuel prices, and therefore, fewer people were able to buy air tickets to travel.
(c) Strict lockdowns were imposed in the US in summer, because of which people travelled less; further, temperatures were moderate, and this meant people had to use less fuel to heat or warm their homes.
(d) Widespread geopolitical tensions in the first half of the year meant that fuel prices were at an all-time high in summer; but prices have now eased off somewhat, making fuel slightly more affordable in the US.
Ans: (c)
Sol: As per the author, “In the US, gas prices went up in summer, so much so that people traveled less and consumption of fuel dropped.” Option (d) is somehow supporting the idea proposed by the author by adding that due to geopolitical tensions, fuel prices went up in summer; but now they have eased off. Option (c) is completely and strongly contradicting the factor proposed by the author in the passage and is connecting the traveling frequency of people with lockdowns. Hence, it is the correct option. Option (a) says that irrespective of any time of the year, if fuel costs increase, the travel frequency will decrease, which is out of the horizon discussed in the passage. Option (b) is particularly discussing airfare, which is again beyond the scope of the passage. Hence, it is an incorrect option.

Q17: Which of the following, if true, would resolve the ‘conundrum’ the author says developed countries face now?
(a) The development of adequate renewable power sources in the near term that would lead to a reduction in consumption of fossil fuels.
(b) Finding new sources of fossil fuels that will ensure there is no shortage of energy to heat homes in the winter.
(c) Switching immediately to renewable power sources, even if it leads to a shortage in energy supply for people.
(d) Providing adequate aid to poorer countries so that they can develop renewable power sources for their use.
Ans: (a)
Sol: The word ‘conundrum’ means difficulty or challenge. In the passage, the author is discussing the difficulty of limited and depreciating energy sources in developed nations. The solution the author has proposed in the passage is to seek out alternate sources of energy. Option (a) if considered to be true, will provide a decent solution to the challenge of the energy crunch discussed in the passage. Option (b) is discussing new sources of fossil fuels to resolve the shortage of energy, but it will not resolve the concern raised by the author in the passage, as it is just discussing providing heat to the homes during winters and not considering the challenge related to fuel. Option (c) sounds a bit impractical as per the passage, as switching to renewable power sources is only possible when you have ample sources to cater to the need for the entire nation. The conundrum discussed in the passage is about the developed countries, hence option (d) too is an incorrect statement as per the passage.

Q18: Assuming the aim of the US climate bill is to reduce fossil fuel consumption, which of the following would be the strongest argument that it will fail to achieve such an aim?
(a) The bill promotes investments in renewable energy but does not provide for enough increase in investments in developing more sources of fossil fuel-powered energy.
(b) The bill is written in technical language, which ordinary people cannot easily understand.
(c) The bill is self-defeating, since it makes investments in renewable energy conditional to more expenditure on oil and gas and making millions of hectares of federal land available for drilling, which would lead to an increased consumption of fossil fuels.
(d) The bill does not provide any means of increasing carbon budgets, thereby making more room for fossil fuel consumption.
Ans: (c)
Sol: The climate bill proposed in the passage says, “The US has passed a climate bill, which will invest in renewable energy but conditional to increased spending on oil and gas and the opening up of millions of hectares of federal land for drilling.” Out of the given four arguments, option (c) is the strongest that aims against the agenda of the US climate bill to invest in renewable energy and simultaneously increase expenditure on drilling the federal land. The bill itself contradicts its cause and the effect is reciprocating. Options (a), (b), and (d) are somehow irrelevant and don’t support or even contradict the climate bill effect.

4. While men and women are both considered to be more capable as they get older, only women bear the brunt of being seen as “less warm” as they age, new research has found. This series of studies is reportedly the first to look at both gender and age to determine how perceptions of women and men differ. “It’s just stunning... These stereotypes are so hard-wired and deeply entrenched that they come out even when absolutely identical information is provided about a man and a woman,” Jennifer Chatman, Distinguished Professor of Management at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, said. In an analysis of professors’ evaluations, female professors witnessed a decline as they moved from their 30s to 40s, hitting an all-time low around the age of 47. All this while, the evaluation of male professors remained consistent. 
Interestingly, after the age of 47, the evaluations for women increased again, becoming equal with those of men around the early 60s. “At that point, there are different stereotypes of women, and they may benefit from being seen as more grandmotherly,” said Laura Kray, faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership at Berkeley Haas and an author of the study. Women around the age of mid 30s to late 40s also face what is called “the motherhood penalty,” where assumptions around parenting duties lead people to believe women are less committed to their careers than men. This has several repercussions, most particularly evident in hiring, promotions and wages. Women executives further pointed out that they face “hyper-scrutiny” and “scepticism” which harks back to perceptions of likeability versus agency. Gendered networks in the workplace, with men gaining greater access to senior leaders, become cemented mid-career, pose another difficulty for working women. 
Negative perceptions of women in middle -age can also be linked to stereotypes around menopause. In 2008, psychologists studied the attitudes of people towards women in different reproductive stages. They found that while the pregnant women or the woman with the baby were thought about in glowing terms, menopausal women were associated with negative emotions, illness and ageing. 
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “How Stereotypes Affect Middle-Aged Women’s Careers”, by Ananya Singh, The Swaddle]

Q19: Which of the following is most likely to be true if the author’s statements about gendered networks in the workplace are true?
(a) Mid-career women do not find it as easy to get access to senior leaders, who are usually male, as their male colleagues. They therefore find career progression or new opportunities easier to come by.
(b) Mid-career women find it easier to get access to senior leaders, who are usually male, as their male colleagues. They therefore find career progression or new opportunities easier to come by.
(c) Mid-career women do not find it as easy to get access to senior leaders, who are usually male, as their male colleagues. They therefore find career progression or new opportunities harder to come by.
(d) Mid-career women find it easier to get access to senior leaders, who are usually male, as their male colleagues. They therefore do not find career progression or new opportunities harder to come by.
Ans: (c) 
Sol: The term "gendered" means, "reflecting the experience, prejudices, or orientations of one sex more than the other.” As per the author, “Gendered networks in the workplace, with men gaining greater access to senior leaders, becoming cemented mid-career, pose another difficulty for working women.” Considering option (a), it weakens the statement proposed by the author as it contradicts and states that women will find career progression easily by gendered networks. Option (b) and option (d) again contradict the author’s perspective of gendered networks. As per option (b), women find it easier to get access to senior male leaders and find opportunities easily. Option (c) completely supports the perspective of gendered networks put forth by the author. It strengthens the concept of a gendered network and stretches it to convey that career progression is harder to come by for mid-career women as a result of gendered networks.

Q20: Which of the following is most likely to be an outcome of what the author describes as the "motherhood penalty"?
(a) People are more hesitant to hire men from their mid 30s to their late 40s but may be more willing to hire women of a similar age.
(b) People are more hesitant to hire women from their mid 30s to their late 40s but may be more willing to hire men of a similar age.
(c) Women from their mid 30s to their late 40s always prioritize parenting responsibilities and so are not really interested in pursuing a career.
(d) Women who have children are less committed to their careers than men.
Ans: (b) 
Sol: As per the author, the motherhood penalty is a state of mothers when the people around them start questioning their commitment towards work and career. As an outcome, they tend to give more opportunities to men of the same age. Hence, option (a) is contradicting the statement proposed by the author. On the other hand, option (b) could be the outcome of the motherhood penalty; if women hiring decreases as a penalty of motherhood, then the option left with employers is to hire men. Option (c) is more of an assumption which could lay the foundation of the argument put forward in the passage. However, the passage doesn’t provide any empirical evidence for it. Hence, it can’t be concluded as per the author’s view. Option (d) does not convey the intended idea.

Q21: If professors’ evaluations are the most important criteria in awarding promotions, then which of the following would be the most likely outcome, based on the information provided in the passage?
(a) Male professors are likely to be promoted at an even rate throughout their career, while women professors would experience a lower likelihood of promotion in the mid-career stage.
(b) Since there is a wide disparity between the evaluations that male and female professors receive, the practice of relying upon such evaluations will quickly be abandoned.
(c) Male and female professors will receive promotions at a similar rate throughout the course of their career.
(d) Women professors are likely to be promoted at an even rate throughout their career, while male professors would experience a lower likelihood of promotion in the mid-career stage.
Ans: (a)
Sol: As per the author in the passage, “In an analysis of professors’ evaluations, female professors witnessed a decline as they moved from their 30s to 40s, hitting an all-time low around the age of 47. All this while, the evaluation of male professors remained consistent.” According to the passage, this disparity will lead to the promotion of male professors as compared to the females. Hence, option (a) is correct. Options (b), (c), and (d) highlight outcomes which are unlikely to happen as per the passage. The author in the passage is depicting the instance that extends the idea of male professors getting more opportunities as compared to their female counterparts because of professors’ evaluations.

Q22: Which of the following is the author most likely to disagree with?
(a) Women going through menopause often quit the workforce voluntarily.
(b) Women going through menopause are more likely to be perceived negatively at the workplace and to have difficulty achieving professional success.
(c) Women going through menopause should be permitted to take a mid-career sabbatical.
(d) Women going through menopause are more likely to be perceived positively at the workplace and to achieve professional success.
Ans: (d) 
Sol: Refer to these lines from the passage: “They found that while pregnant women or the woman with the baby were thought about in glowing terms, menopausal women were associated with negative emotions, illness, and aging.” This shows that, as per the author in the passage, people’s behavior changes towards women when they are about to reach their menopause age. Management is biased towards male employees. Hence, option (b) supports the author’s idea proposed in the passage, whereas option (d) is the option with which the author will be most likely to disagree. It directly contradicts the facts proposed by the author in the passage. Throughout the passage, the author mentions the various ways through which middle-aged women are not getting enough opportunities because of their responsibilities, motherhood, etc. It is not mentioned anywhere about women quitting their jobs or taking sabbaticals. Hence, options (a) and (c) are incorrect.

Q23: Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the main argument in the passage?
(a) Several independent studies conducted in different countries have shown that women in the workplace are perceived positively and are favourably treated as they age.
(b) Several independent studies conducted in different countries have shown that women in the workplace are perceived negatively and are unfairly treated as they age.
(c) The studies mentioned in the passage have been discredited after they were published, and no reliance should be placed on them.
(d) The studies mentioned in the passage were conducted on very small sample sets and cannot be used to make general statements about the difference in perception between men and women.
Ans: (b) 
Sol: In a nutshell, throughout the passage, the author is discussing the differences women face, especially with their careers. They are perceived negatively, especially when they are in their late 40s. Hence, options (a) and (d) are incorrect. Option (c) is beyond the scope of the passage. Option (b) supports the main argument in the passage. It strengthens the idea that women in the workplace are perceived negatively and treated unfairly.

Q24: Which of the following, if true, would most weaken Laura Kray’s arguments?
(a) Women professors perceived as being ‘grandmotherly’ are regarded as being likeable and caring.
(b) Women professors perceived as being ‘grandmotherly’ are treated better by their colleagues and students.
(c) Women professors perceived as being ‘grandmotherly’ are regarded as being slow, inefficient, and outdated in their field.
(d) Women professors perceived as being ‘grandmotherly’ are regarded very highly and receive much more respect than younger women professors.
Ans: (c) 
Sol: As per Laura Kray, “At that point, there are different stereotypes of women, and they may benefit from being seen as more grandmotherly.” Evaluation of male professors remains consistent, whereas women professors are perceived to be grandmotherly when they are in their early 60s. Options (a), (b), and (c) all strengthen Laura’s argument and extend it further by adding that women professors are treated better by their colleagues and receive much more respect than younger women professors. Option (c) somehow contradicts Laura’s argument related to women professors, as it states they are regarded as being slow and inefficient.

5. Why are we humans so susceptible to the doom and gloom of the news? Two reasons. The first is what psychologists call negativity bias: we’re more attuned to the bad than the good. Back in our hunting and gathering days, we were better off being frightened of a spider or a snake a hundred times too often than one time too few. Too much fear wouldn’t kill you; too little surely would. Second, we’re also burdened with an availability bias. If we can easily recall examples of a given thing, we assume that thing is relatively common. The fact that we’re bombarded daily with horrific stories about aircraft disasters, child snatchers and beheadings — which tend to lodge in the memory — completely skews our view of the world. In this digital age, the news we’re being fed is only getting more extreme. In the old days, journalists didn’t know much about their individual readers. They wrote for the masses. But the people behind Facebook, Twitter and Google know you well. They know what shocks and horrifies you, they know what makes you click. They know how to grab your attention and hold it so they can serve you the most lucrative helping of personalized ads. This modern media frenzy is nothing less than an assault on the mundane. Because, let’s be honest, the lives of most people are pretty predictable. Nice, but boring. So while we’d prefer having nice neighbours with boring lives, “boring’ won’t make you sit up and take notice. ‘Nice’ doesn’t sell ads. And so Silicon Valley keeps dishing us up ever more sensational clickbait, knowing full well, as a Swiss novelist once quipped, that “News is to the mind what sugar is to the body.” 
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2021.]

Q130: Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s arguments?
(a) Behavioural traits that helped us in the days when we were hunter-gatherers continue to be present in modern-day humans.
(b) Behavioural traits that helped us in the days when we were hunter-gatherers are no longer found in modern-day humans.
(c) The negativity bias makes us more likely to be affected by depressing or sad news.
(d) We have certain behavioural characteristics that affect how we perceive and are affected by sad news.
Ans: (b) 
Sol: In the passage, the author derives an analogy from the primitive age, stating, “Back in our hunting and gathering days, we were better off being frightened of a spider or a snake a hundred times too often than one time too few. Too much fear wouldn’t kill you; too little surely would.” Hence, as per the author, behavioral traits that helped us in the days when we were hunter-gatherers are still part of mankind. Option (a) supports the ideas proposed by the author, whereas option (b) contradicts it. Hence, option (b) is correct. Option (d) sums up and supports the author’s view about how humans respond. Considering option (c) refers to the lines of the passage, “The first is what psychologists call negativity bias: we’re more attuned to the bad than the good.” Hence, option (c) too supports the idea presented by the author in the passage.

Q131: Which of the following is the author most likely to agree with?
(a) Contemporary media continuously exposes us to exciting news and information, which may be just like the things we usually experience in our lives.
(b) Contemporary media continuously exposes us to exciting news and information, which may be very unlike the kinds of things we usually encounter in our lives.
(c) Contemporary media continuously exposes us to boring news and information, which may be very unlike the kinds of things we usually encounter in our lives.
(d) Contemporary media continuously exposes us to boring news and information, which may be just like the things we usually experience in our lives.
Ans: (b) 
Sol: As per the author, “In this digital age, the news we’re being fed is only getting more extreme.” Option (a) contradicts the idea proposed by the author, as it implies that social media projects reality in a mundane manner. Option (b) supports the author’s idea and extends it to the fact that contemporary media serves regular news in an exciting way. Hence, option (b) is most likely to agree with the author. Options (c) and (d) both contradict by saying that contemporary media exposes us to boring news and information.

Q132: Based only on the author’s statement that “we’d prefer having nice neighbours with boring lives”, and the author’s argument about the nature of news that modern media exposes us to, which of the following would the author be most likely to agree with?
(a) Constantly being exposed to negative news gives us a warped perspective of the world.
(b) In our hunting and gathering days, it was better for us to be unnecessarily scared rather than being scared too little.
(c) The news modern media exposes us to is just like our day-to-day experiences.
(d) The news modern media exposes us to is very different from our day-to-day experiences.
Ans: (d) 
Sol: Options (a) and (b) are highlighting the human behavioral tendency projected by the author rather than the type of news that the media exposes. Hence, both are incorrect. As per the author, “They know how to grab your attention and hold it so they can serve you the most lucrative helping of personalized ads. This modern media frenzy is nothing less than an assault on the mundane.” As per the author, boring and nice news do not sell. In order to make it more lucrative, it has to be projected in a way different from our day-to-day life. Hence, option (d) is correct, and (c) is incorrect.

Q133: The author’s statements about negativity bias, if true, provide most support for which of the following conclusions?
(a) We are more likely to notice a story about a billionaire donating their money to charity than a story about an airplane crash.
(b) We are more likely to be attracted to a news article about a rise in life expectancy in our country than a news article about a murder in our city.
(c) We are more likely to notice a story about increasing pollution levels than a story about improving educational levels in schools.
(d) We are more likely to form our opinion of the world based on the information available to us rather than information we do not have access to.
Ans: (c) 
Sol: As per the author in the passage, humans are more receptive and attuned to the bad than the good. Our attention is grabbed more easily toward bad news than toward a pleasant happening. To this, the author has given the term: Negativity bias. Both options (a) and (b) contradict the idea of negativity bias of the author, whereas option (c) supports the concept. Option (d) is not in line with the concept of negativity bias proposed by the author.

Q134: Which of the following would be the most effective way of countering the effects of what the author describes as our ‘availability bias’?
(a) Ensuring that we do not seek out news sources and stories that we may not otherwise have been exposed to.
(b) Following only one news source and limiting our perspective of the world to that one source.
(c) Avoiding all positive news stories, and instead only reading news stories about disasters and tragedies.
(d) Ensuring that we seek out news sources and stories that we may not otherwise have been exposed to.
Ans: (d) Ensuring that we seek out news sources and stories that we may not otherwise have been exposed to.
Sol: As per the author, “The fact that we’re bombarded daily with horrific stories about aircraft disasters, child snatchers, and beheadings — which tend to lodge in the memory — completely skews our view of the world.” To overcome these effects of availability bias, one can ensure that one’s sources of information are dispersed and not restricted to a particular source and mode of information. Hence, option (a) is incorrect, as it supports the idea of availability bias. On the other hand, option (d) will counteract the restriction of availability bias by the author. Hence, option (d) is correct, as the more exposure readers have to different news sources, the less reliable a single source of information will be. Options (c) and (b) both will further deepen the idea of availability bias proposed by the author.

Q135: The author says that “The fact that we’re bombarded daily with horrific stories about aircraft disasters, child snatchers and beheadings — which tend to lodge in the memory — completely skews our view of the world.” The conclusion the author draws in this argument follows logically if which of the following is assumed?
(a) Our ideas about the world are shaped by the information we are exposed to.
(b) Modern media is concerned only with making massive profits.
(c) Modern journalists generate news stories much faster than in the old days.
(d) Humans once lived as hunter-gatherers.
Ans: (a) 
Sol: The statement proposed in this question is an extension of availability biases, an idea proposed by the author. The closing sentence, “this completely skews our view of the world,” depicts that the information we are reading and watching leaves a deep impact on us. If we assume our ideas about the world are shaped by the information we are exposed to, we can extend this assumption to the statement proposed by the author in the passage. Assumption (d) is irrelevant to the statement in the question, as it is related to the evolution of humans. Assumption (c) is setting an assumption ground related to the speed at which we get the news and the efficiency of modern journalism. Option (b) leads a ground with respect to finances, which again is irrelevant to the statement.