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Practice Test for XAT - 7 - CAT MCQ


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30 Questions MCQ Test - Practice Test for XAT - 7

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Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 1

Group Question

Read the definitions given below and select the best match between the numbered sentences and definitions.


Premise: A proposition from which another statement is inferred or follows as a conclusion.
Assumption: Something, which is accepted as true.
Fact: Something, which can be checked.
Reason: A cause, explanation or justification for an action or event.
Conclusion: An end, finish or summarization of process or argument. Proposition: A statement that expresses judgement or opinion.
Question: A sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit opinion.
Inductive Inference: An end, finish or summarization reached for “the whole”, based on “a particular” real incidence.
Deductive Inference: An end, finish or summarization reached based on the combining and recombining of two or more than two assumptions.

 

We should not pretend that we are endowed with the same abilities as doing so perpetuates the myth that people can help themselves to the same degree if they just try hard enough (1). This is the cause for much inaction in society (2). You’re not a heart surgeon? (3) That’s your fault for not working hard enough in school! (4) You didn’t make it as a concert pianist? (5) You must not have wanted it that badly (6). Societal inequality is thus, justified on the grounds that anyone who is willing to put in the requisite time and effort can succeed and should be rewarded with a good life, whereas those who struggle to make ends meet are to blame for their situations and should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps (7). If we acknowledge that people differ in what they have to contribute, then we have an argument for a society in which all human beings are entitled to a life that includes access to decent housing, health care, and education, simply because they are human (8). Our abilities might not be identical, and our needs surely differ, but our basic human rights are universal (9).

 


Q. The best match would be:

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 1

Solution: The entire argument made in this passage critiques the Assumption that we are all endowed with the same abilities. Statement 1 provides a strong line of reasoning against this Assumption. It provides the justification for the action of the perpetuation of the myth that individuals can help themselves “... if they just try hard enough.”. Therefore, statement 1 is a Reason and not an Assumption. Eliminate option 1.
Statement 2 provides the cause for inaction in society and is a Reason.
Statements 3 and 5 clearly are Questions.
Though flawed, statements 4 and 6 provide reasons for the failures implied in statements 3 and 5. They do not refer to something that is accepted as true and though they may seem to be a third person’s judgement or opinion, they have been worded to justify the failures mentioned above. This eliminates options 2 and 4.
Statement 7 provides the cause for the event of societal inequality and is a Reason. The argument made in this passage rests only on one Assumption. Statement 7 does not combine or recombine two or more assumptions. Therefore, it is not a Deductive Inference. Eliminate option 5.
Statement 8 sets the Premise for the conclusion that “...our basic human rights are universal.”.
Statement 9 completes the line of thought presented through the argument made in this passage in the form of a Conclusion.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 2

Premise: A proposition from which another statement is inferred or follows as a conclusion.
Assumption: Something, which is accepted as true.
Fact: Something, which can be checked.
Reason: A cause, explanation or justification for an action or event.
Conclusion: An end, finish or summarization of process or argument. Proposition: A statement that expresses judgement or opinion.
Question: A sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit opinion.
Inductive Inference: An end, finish or summarization reached for “the whole”, based on “a particular” real incidence.
Deductive Inference: An end, finish or summarization reached based on the combining and recombining of two or more than two assumptions.

 

The 2014 Human Development Report is methodologically more  sophisticated in that, for the first time it calculates the gender development index independently of reference to males (1). Equally, ‘Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience’ would resonate among millions of ordinary people (2). Across countries and continents, several of them are still recovering from recent natural and man-made catastrophes (3). The 2004 Asian Tsunami, the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, the 2007-2008 food, financial and banking collapse, and the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster preceded by an earthquake, among others, have brought humanity closer as it grapples with a common predicament underpinned by climate change and globalisation (4). These challenges also lay bare the imperatives of fashioning an internationally coordinated response in an inter-connected world (5).

 


Q. The best match would be:

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 2

Solution: Statement 1 puts forth the author’s opinion on the 2014 Human Development Report. According to the author, this report is methodologically more sophisticated...”. Therefore, this statement makes for a proposition. Though the latter half of the statement is factual, the crux of it lies in the author’s opinion of the report.
Eliminate options 1 and 5.
The second statement also elucidates the author’s opinion about the target population, which will reckon with the report. The statement is not something that can be accepted as true without additional knowledge. Therefore, it is not an assumption. Eliminate option 2. Statement 3 elaborates on the condition of the ordinary people mentioned in statement 2 and can be verified. Therefore, it makes for a fact. The statement does not display the author’s personal judgement or opinion and does not make for a proposition. Eliminate option 3.
Statement 4 is an inductive inference about humanity coming closer together on account of the catastrophes triggered by climate change and globalization, which are real incidences.
Similarly, the call to action suggested of an internationally coordinated response, which has been suggested in statement 5 is also an inductive inference. It refers to the whole and is once again based on real incidences.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

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Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 3

Each of the questions below contains a paragraph followed by alternative  summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the paragraph.


After the invasion of Persia by the Mongol Empire, a regional Turko- Perso-Mongol dynasty formed. Just as the eastern Mongol dynasties inter-married with locals and adopted the local religion of Buddhism and the Chinese culture, this group adopted the local religion of Islam and the Persian culture. The first Mughal King, Babur, established the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent. Upon invading this region, the Mughals starting with Emperor Akbar inter-married with the local Hindu tribes and Persian settlers creating a dynasty of combined Turko-Persian, Mongolian and Hindu Rajput backgrounds. King Babur and his descendants did this to create peace among the different religions in the region. In accordance to Islamic values, Babur focused on setting a good example for the Mughal Dynasty by emphasizing religious tolerance. 

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 3

Solution: Option 1 is the only option that correctly summarizes facts from the passage without stating elaborate examples or unnecessary information. Option 2 is incorrect because it assumes that the practice of inter-religion marrying was borrowed from the Mongols. This is not mentioned in the passage.
Option 3 is incorrect because it states the example of Akbar’s marriages without hitting the focal point of the passage that is the motive behind such actions.
Option 4 is too extreme and hence incorrect. Words like ‘flourished’ are ideas from outside the passage and should not be a part of this summary. Option 5 incorrectly assumes that the motive behind the Mughal invasion was their need to spread their own religion and learn from the people of the acquired lands.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 4

Group Question

Answer the questions based on the passage given below.


The legend takes us back to the time when the gods of Egypt went about in the country, and mingled with men and were thoroughly acquainted with their desires and needs. The king who reigned over Egypt was Ra, the Sun-god, who was not, however, the first of the Dynasty of Gods who ruled the land. His predecessor on the throne was Hephaistos, who, according to Manetho, reigned 9000 years, whilst Ra reigned only 992 years; Panodorus makes his reign to have lasted less than 100 years. Be this as it may, it seems that the "self-created and self-begotten" god Ra had been ruling over mankind for a very long time, for his subjects were murmuring against him, and they were complaining that he was old, that his bones were like silver, his body like gold, and his hair like lapis-lazuli. When Ra heard these murmurings he ordered his bodyguard to summon all the gods who had been with him in the primeval World-ocean, and to bid them privately to assemble in the Great House, which can be no other than the famous temple of Heliopolis. This statement is interesting, for it proves that the legend is of Heliopolitan origin, like the cult of Ra itself, and that it does not belong, at least in so far as it applies to Ra, to the Predynastic Period. When Ra entered the Great Temple, the gods made obeisance to him, and took up their positions on each side of him, and informed him that they awaited his words. Addressing Nu, the personification of the World-ocean, Ra bade them to take notice of the fact that the men and women whom his Eye had created were murmuring against him. He then asked them to consider the matter and to devise a plan of action for him, for he was unwilling to slay the rebels without hearing what his gods had to say. In reply the gods advised Ra to send forth his Eye to destroy the blasphemers, for there was no eye on earth that could resist it, especially when it took the form of the goddess Hathor. Ra accepted their advice and sent forth his Eye in the form of Hathor to destroy them, and, though the rebels had fled to the mountains in fear, the Eye pursued them and overtook them and destroyed them. Hathor rejoiced in her work of destruction, and on her return was praised by Ra, for what she had done.
The slaughter of men began at Suten-henen (Herakleopolis), and during the night Hathor waded about in the blood of men. Ra asserted his intention of being master of the rebels, and this is probably referred to in the Book of the Dead, Chapter XVII., in which it is said that Ra rose as king for the first time in Suten-henen. Osiris also was crowned at Suten-henen, and in this city lived the great Bennu bird, or Phoenix, and the "Crusher of Bones" mentioned in the Negative Confession.


The legend now goes on to describe an act of Ra, the significance of which is difficult to explain. The god ordered messengers to be brought to him, and when they arrived, he commanded them to run like the wind to Abu, or the city of Elephantine, and to bring him large quantities of the fruit called tataat. What kind of fruit this was is not clear, but Brugsch thought they were "mandrakes," the so-called "love-apples," and this translation of tataat may be used provisionally. The mandrakes were given to Sekti, a goddess of Heliopolis, to crush and grind up, and when this was done they were mixed with human blood, and put in a large brewing of beer which the women slaves had made from wheat. In all they made 7,000 vessels of beer. When Ra saw the beer he approved of it, and ordered it to be carried up the river to where the goddess Hathor was still, it seems, engaged in slaughtering men. During the night he caused this beer to be poured out into the meadows of the Four Heavens, and when Hathor came she saw the beer with human blood and mandrakes in it, and drank of it and became drunk, and paid no further attention to men and women. In welcoming the goddess, Ra, called her "Amit," i.e., "beautiful one," and from this time onward "beautiful women were found in the city of Amit," which was situated in the Western Delta, near Lake Mareotis. Ra also ordered that in future at every one of his festivals vessels of "sleep-producing beer" should be made, and that their number should be the same as the number of the handmaidens of Ra. Those who took part in these festivals of Hathor and Ra drank beer in very large quantities, and under the influence of the "beautiful women," i.e., the priestesses, who were supposed to resemble Hathor in their physical attractions, the festal celebrations degenerated into drunken and licentious orgies. Soon after this Ra complained that he was smitten with pain, and that he was weary of the children of men. He thought them a worthless remnant, and wished that more of them had been slain. The gods about him begged him to endure, and reminded him that his power was in proportion to his will. Ra was, however, unconsoled, and he complained that his limbs were weak for the first time in his life. Thereupon the god Nu told Shu to help Ra, and he ordered Nut to take the great god Ra on her back. Nut changed herself into a cow, and with the help of Shu, Ra got on her back. As soon as men saw that Ra was on the back of the Cow of Heaven, and was about to leave them, they became filled with fear and repentance, and cried out to Ra to remain with them and to slay all those who had blasphemed against him. But the Cow moved on her way, and carried Ra to Het-Ahet, a town of the nome of Mareotis, where in later days the right leg of Osiris was said to be preserved. Meanwhile darkness covered the land. When day broke the men who had repented of their blasphemies appeared with their bows, and slew the enemies of Ra. At this result Ra was pleased, and he forgave those who had repented because of their righteous slaughter of his enemies. From this time onwards human sacrifices were offered up at the festivals of Ra celebrated in this place, and at Heliopolis and in other parts of Egypt.

 

 

Q. What are the causes of a festival which resulted in Licentious orgies?

a. Ra rose for the first time as king in Heliopolis.

b. Sekti brought the tataat, crushed them, mixed them with human blood and gave this to Hathor who became drunk. Ra was then pleased with her.

c. The manifestation of Ra’s Eye had destroyed the blasphemers.

d. The city near lake Mareotis had beautiful women who resembled goddess Hathor. They drank sleep-inducing beer like their goddess.

e. Ra was old but was still victorious.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 4

Solution: Option 2 is correct, that is e,c and a as this is mentioned in the passage.
Statement b is incorrect; Sekti did not bring the tataats, the messengers did that.
Statement d is incorrect because the beautiful women did not drink beer.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 5

The legend takes us back to the time when the gods of Egypt went about in the country, and mingled with men and were thoroughly acquainted with their desires and needs. The king who reigned over Egypt was Ra, the Sun-god, who was not, however, the first of the Dynasty of Gods who ruled the land. His predecessor on the throne was Hephaistos, who, according to Manetho, reigned 9000 years, whilst Ra reigned only 992 years; Panodorus makes his reign to have lasted less than 100 years. Be this as it may, it seems that the "self-created and self-begotten" god Ra had been ruling over mankind for a very long time, for his subjects were murmuring against him, and they were complaining that he was old, that his bones were like silver, his body like gold, and his hair like lapis-lazuli. When Ra heard these murmurings he ordered his bodyguard to summon all the gods who had been with him in the primeval World-ocean, and to bid them privately to assemble in the Great House, which can be no other than the famous temple of Heliopolis. This statement is interesting, for it proves that the legend is of Heliopolitan origin, like the cult of Ra itself, and that it does not belong, at least in so far as it applies to Ra, to the Predynastic Period. When Ra entered the Great Temple, the gods made obeisance to him, and took up their positions on each side of him, and informed him that they awaited his words. Addressing Nu, the personification of the World-ocean, Ra bade them to take notice of the fact that the men and women whom his Eye had created were murmuring against him. He then asked them to consider the matter and to devise a plan of action for him, for he was unwilling to slay the rebels without hearing what his gods had to say. In reply the gods advised Ra to send forth his Eye to destroy the blasphemers, for there was no eye on earth that could resist it, especially when it took the form of the goddess Hathor. Ra accepted their advice and sent forth his Eye in the form of Hathor to destroy them, and, though the rebels had fled to the mountains in fear, the Eye pursued them and overtook them and destroyed them. Hathor rejoiced in her work of destruction, and on her return was praised by Ra, for what she had done.
The slaughter of men began at Suten-henen (Herakleopolis), and during the night Hathor waded about in the blood of men. Ra asserted his intention of being master of the rebels, and this is probably referred to in the Book of the Dead, Chapter XVII., in which it is said that Ra rose as king for the first time in Suten-henen. Osiris also was crowned at Suten-henen, and in this city lived the great Bennu bird, or Phoenix, and the "Crusher of Bones" mentioned in the Negative Confession.


The legend now goes on to describe an act of Ra, the significance of which is difficult to explain. The god ordered messengers to be brought to him, and when they arrived, he commanded them to run like the wind to Abu, or the city of Elephantine, and to bring him large quantities of the fruit called tataat. What kind of fruit this was is not clear, but Brugsch thought they were "mandrakes," the so-called "love-apples," and this translation of tataat may be used provisionally. The mandrakes were given to Sekti, a goddess of Heliopolis, to crush and grind up, and when this was done they were mixed with human blood, and put in a large brewing of beer which the women slaves had made from wheat. In all they made 7,000 vessels of beer. When Ra saw the beer he approved of it, and ordered it to be carried up the river to where the goddess Hathor was still, it seems, engaged in slaughtering men. During the night he caused this beer to be poured out into the meadows of the Four Heavens, and when Hathor came she saw the beer with human blood and mandrakes in it, and drank of it and became drunk, and paid no further attention to men and women. In welcoming the goddess, Ra, called her "Amit," i.e., "beautiful one," and from this time onward "beautiful women were found in the city of Amit," which was situated in the Western Delta, near Lake Mareotis. Ra also ordered that in future at every one of his festivals vessels of "sleep-producing beer" should be made, and that their number should be the same as the number of the handmaidens of Ra. Those who took part in these festivals of Hathor and Ra drank beer in very large quantities, and under the influence of the "beautiful women," i.e., the priestesses, who were supposed to resemble Hathor in their physical attractions, the festal celebrations degenerated into drunken and licentious orgies. Soon after this Ra complained that he was smitten with pain, and that he was weary of the children of men. He thought them a worthless remnant, and wished that more of them had been slain. The gods about him begged him to endure, and reminded him that his power was in proportion to his will. Ra was, however, unconsoled, and he complained that his limbs were weak for the first time in his life. Thereupon the god Nu told Shu to help Ra, and he ordered Nut to take the great god Ra on her back. Nut changed herself into a cow, and with the help of Shu, Ra got on her back. As soon as men saw that Ra was on the back of the Cow of Heaven, and was about to leave them, they became filled with fear and repentance, and cried out to Ra to remain with them and to slay all those who had blasphemed against him. But the Cow moved on her way, and carried Ra to Het-Ahet, a town of the nome of Mareotis, where in later days the right leg of Osiris was said to be preserved. Meanwhile darkness covered the land. When day broke the men who had repented of their blasphemies appeared with their bows, and slew the enemies of Ra. At this result Ra was pleased, and he forgave those who had repented because of their righteous slaughter of his enemies. From this time onwards human sacrifices were offered up at the festivals of Ra celebrated in this place, and at Heliopolis and in other parts of Egypt.

 

 

Q. What was the reason for which human sacrifices were made at a certain festival?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 5

Solution: Option 2 is correct as it has been mentioned explicitly in the passage.
Option 1 is incorrect because Ra had not forgiven all the blasphemers but had forgiven only those men who had repented. Option 3 is incorrect because Nut is a “she” and not a “he” as mentioned in the option.
Option 4 is incorrect because the passage does not mention that Ra was feeling stronger after the killing of the rebels.
Option 5 is incorrect because it is not mentioned in the passage. Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 6

The legend takes us back to the time when the gods of Egypt went about in the country, and mingled with men and were thoroughly acquainted with their desires and needs. The king who reigned over Egypt was Ra, the Sun-god, who was not, however, the first of the Dynasty of Gods who ruled the land. His predecessor on the throne was Hephaistos, who, according to Manetho, reigned 9000 years, whilst Ra reigned only 992 years; Panodorus makes his reign to have lasted less than 100 years. Be this as it may, it seems that the "self-created and self-begotten" god Ra had been ruling over mankind for a very long time, for his subjects were murmuring against him, and they were complaining that he was old, that his bones were like silver, his body like gold, and his hair like lapis-lazuli. When Ra heard these murmurings he ordered his bodyguard to summon all the gods who had been with him in the primeval World-ocean, and to bid them privately to assemble in the Great House, which can be no other than the famous temple of Heliopolis. This statement is interesting, for it proves that the legend is of Heliopolitan origin, like the cult of Ra itself, and that it does not belong, at least in so far as it applies to Ra, to the Predynastic Period. When Ra entered the Great Temple, the gods made obeisance to him, and took up their positions on each side of him, and informed him that they awaited his words. Addressing Nu, the personification of the World-ocean, Ra bade them to take notice of the fact that the men and women whom his Eye had created were murmuring against him. He then asked them to consider the matter and to devise a plan of action for him, for he was unwilling to slay the rebels without hearing what his gods had to say. In reply the gods advised Ra to send forth his Eye to destroy the blasphemers, for there was no eye on earth that could resist it, especially when it took the form of the goddess Hathor. Ra accepted their advice and sent forth his Eye in the form of Hathor to destroy them, and, though the rebels had fled to the mountains in fear, the Eye pursued them and overtook them and destroyed them. Hathor rejoiced in her work of destruction, and on her return was praised by Ra, for what she had done.
The slaughter of men began at Suten-henen (Herakleopolis), and during the night Hathor waded about in the blood of men. Ra asserted his intention of being master of the rebels, and this is probably referred to in the Book of the Dead, Chapter XVII., in which it is said that Ra rose as king for the first time in Suten-henen. Osiris also was crowned at Suten-henen, and in this city lived the great Bennu bird, or Phoenix, and the "Crusher of Bones" mentioned in the Negative Confession.


The legend now goes on to describe an act of Ra, the significance of which is difficult to explain. The god ordered messengers to be brought to him, and when they arrived, he commanded them to run like the wind to Abu, or the city of Elephantine, and to bring him large quantities of the fruit called tataat. What kind of fruit this was is not clear, but Brugsch thought they were "mandrakes," the so-called "love-apples," and this translation of tataat may be used provisionally. The mandrakes were given to Sekti, a goddess of Heliopolis, to crush and grind up, and when this was done they were mixed with human blood, and put in a large brewing of beer which the women slaves had made from wheat. In all they made 7,000 vessels of beer. When Ra saw the beer he approved of it, and ordered it to be carried up the river to where the goddess Hathor was still, it seems, engaged in slaughtering men. During the night he caused this beer to be poured out into the meadows of the Four Heavens, and when Hathor came she saw the beer with human blood and mandrakes in it, and drank of it and became drunk, and paid no further attention to men and women. In welcoming the goddess, Ra, called her "Amit," i.e., "beautiful one," and from this time onward "beautiful women were found in the city of Amit," which was situated in the Western Delta, near Lake Mareotis. Ra also ordered that in future at every one of his festivals vessels of "sleep-producing beer" should be made, and that their number should be the same as the number of the handmaidens of Ra. Those who took part in these festivals of Hathor and Ra drank beer in very large quantities, and under the influence of the "beautiful women," i.e., the priestesses, who were supposed to resemble Hathor in their physical attractions, the festal celebrations degenerated into drunken and licentious orgies. Soon after this Ra complained that he was smitten with pain, and that he was weary of the children of men. He thought them a worthless remnant, and wished that more of them had been slain. The gods about him begged him to endure, and reminded him that his power was in proportion to his will. Ra was, however, unconsoled, and he complained that his limbs were weak for the first time in his life. Thereupon the god Nu told Shu to help Ra, and he ordered Nut to take the great god Ra on her back. Nut changed herself into a cow, and with the help of Shu, Ra got on her back. As soon as men saw that Ra was on the back of the Cow of Heaven, and was about to leave them, they became filled with fear and repentance, and cried out to Ra to remain with them and to slay all those who had blasphemed against him. But the Cow moved on her way, and carried Ra to Het-Ahet, a town of the nome of Mareotis, where in later days the right leg of Osiris was said to be preserved. Meanwhile darkness covered the land. When day broke the men who had repented of their blasphemies appeared with their bows, and slew the enemies of Ra. At this result Ra was pleased, and he forgave those who had repented because of their righteous slaughter of his enemies. From this time onwards human sacrifices were offered up at the festivals of Ra celebrated in this place, and at Heliopolis and in other parts of Egypt.

 

 

Q. Goddess Hathor was:

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 6

Solution: Option 1 is incorrect because Goddess Hathor was not of heliopolitan origin.
Option 2 is also incorrect because she was also not the Goddess of Suten Henen.
Option 3 is also incorrect because nowhere is it mentioned in the passage that Hathor was the Goddess of the drunken yards.
Option 4 is incorrect because Hathor did not kill all the blasphemers. Option 5 is correct and is mentioned in the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 7

The legend takes us back to the time when the gods of Egypt went about in the country, and mingled with men and were thoroughly acquainted with their desires and needs. The king who reigned over Egypt was Ra, the Sun-god, who was not, however, the first of the Dynasty of Gods who ruled the land. His predecessor on the throne was Hephaistos, who, according to Manetho, reigned 9000 years, whilst Ra reigned only 992 years; Panodorus makes his reign to have lasted less than 100 years. Be this as it may, it seems that the "self-created and self-begotten" god Ra had been ruling over mankind for a very long time, for his subjects were murmuring against him, and they were complaining that he was old, that his bones were like silver, his body like gold, and his hair like lapis-lazuli. When Ra heard these murmurings he ordered his bodyguard to summon all the gods who had been with him in the primeval World-ocean, and to bid them privately to assemble in the Great House, which can be no other than the famous temple of Heliopolis. This statement is interesting, for it proves that the legend is of Heliopolitan origin, like the cult of Ra itself, and that it does not belong, at least in so far as it applies to Ra, to the Predynastic Period. When Ra entered the Great Temple, the gods made obeisance to him, and took up their positions on each side of him, and informed him that they awaited his words. Addressing Nu, the personification of the World-ocean, Ra bade them to take notice of the fact that the men and women whom his Eye had created were murmuring against him. He then asked them to consider the matter and to devise a plan of action for him, for he was unwilling to slay the rebels without hearing what his gods had to say. In reply the gods advised Ra to send forth his Eye to destroy the blasphemers, for there was no eye on earth that could resist it, especially when it took the form of the goddess Hathor. Ra accepted their advice and sent forth his Eye in the form of Hathor to destroy them, and, though the rebels had fled to the mountains in fear, the Eye pursued them and overtook them and destroyed them. Hathor rejoiced in her work of destruction, and on her return was praised by Ra, for what she had done.
The slaughter of men began at Suten-henen (Herakleopolis), and during the night Hathor waded about in the blood of men. Ra asserted his intention of being master of the rebels, and this is probably referred to in the Book of the Dead, Chapter XVII., in which it is said that Ra rose as king for the first time in Suten-henen. Osiris also was crowned at Suten-henen, and in this city lived the great Bennu bird, or Phoenix, and the "Crusher of Bones" mentioned in the Negative Confession.


The legend now goes on to describe an act of Ra, the significance of which is difficult to explain. The god ordered messengers to be brought to him, and when they arrived, he commanded them to run like the wind to Abu, or the city of Elephantine, and to bring him large quantities of the fruit called tataat. What kind of fruit this was is not clear, but Brugsch thought they were "mandrakes," the so-called "love-apples," and this translation of tataat may be used provisionally. The mandrakes were given to Sekti, a goddess of Heliopolis, to crush and grind up, and when this was done they were mixed with human blood, and put in a large brewing of beer which the women slaves had made from wheat. In all they made 7,000 vessels of beer. When Ra saw the beer he approved of it, and ordered it to be carried up the river to where the goddess Hathor was still, it seems, engaged in slaughtering men. During the night he caused this beer to be poured out into the meadows of the Four Heavens, and when Hathor came she saw the beer with human blood and mandrakes in it, and drank of it and became drunk, and paid no further attention to men and women. In welcoming the goddess, Ra, called her "Amit," i.e., "beautiful one," and from this time onward "beautiful women were found in the city of Amit," which was situated in the Western Delta, near Lake Mareotis. Ra also ordered that in future at every one of his festivals vessels of "sleep-producing beer" should be made, and that their number should be the same as the number of the handmaidens of Ra. Those who took part in these festivals of Hathor and Ra drank beer in very large quantities, and under the influence of the "beautiful women," i.e., the priestesses, who were supposed to resemble Hathor in their physical attractions, the festal celebrations degenerated into drunken and licentious orgies. Soon after this Ra complained that he was smitten with pain, and that he was weary of the children of men. He thought them a worthless remnant, and wished that more of them had been slain. The gods about him begged him to endure, and reminded him that his power was in proportion to his will. Ra was, however, unconsoled, and he complained that his limbs were weak for the first time in his life. Thereupon the god Nu told Shu to help Ra, and he ordered Nut to take the great god Ra on her back. Nut changed herself into a cow, and with the help of Shu, Ra got on her back. As soon as men saw that Ra was on the back of the Cow of Heaven, and was about to leave them, they became filled with fear and repentance, and cried out to Ra to remain with them and to slay all those who had blasphemed against him. But the Cow moved on her way, and carried Ra to Het-Ahet, a town of the nome of Mareotis, where in later days the right leg of Osiris was said to be preserved. Meanwhile darkness covered the land. When day broke the men who had repented of their blasphemies appeared with their bows, and slew the enemies of Ra. At this result Ra was pleased, and he forgave those who had repented because of their righteous slaughter of his enemies. From this time onwards human sacrifices were offered up at the festivals of Ra celebrated in this place, and at Heliopolis and in other parts of Egypt.

 

 

Q. Which of the following statements is true?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 7

Solution: Option 5 is correct, because, it is said, that, “...carried Ra to Het- Ahet...” and “...festivals of Ra celebrated in this place...” in the last paragraph of the passage. Option 1 is incorrect because Hephaistos reigned before Ra and not after him. Option 2 is incorrect as Ra was advised to send forth his Eye because no one could resist it. Option 3 is incorrect because the author thought tataats were mandrakes, or love apples. Option 4 is incorrect because Phoenix lived in Suten Henen not Lake Mareotis. Hence, the correct answer is option 5.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 8

The legend takes us back to the time when the gods of Egypt went about in the country, and mingled with men and were thoroughly acquainted with their desires and needs. The king who reigned over Egypt was Ra, the Sun-god, who was not, however, the first of the Dynasty of Gods who ruled the land. His predecessor on the throne was Hephaistos, who, according to Manetho, reigned 9000 years, whilst Ra reigned only 992 years; Panodorus makes his reign to have lasted less than 100 years. Be this as it may, it seems that the "self-created and self-begotten" god Ra had been ruling over mankind for a very long time, for his subjects were murmuring against him, and they were complaining that he was old, that his bones were like silver, his body like gold, and his hair like lapis-lazuli. When Ra heard these murmurings he ordered his bodyguard to summon all the gods who had been with him in the primeval World-ocean, and to bid them privately to assemble in the Great House, which can be no other than the famous temple of Heliopolis. This statement is interesting, for it proves that the legend is of Heliopolitan origin, like the cult of Ra itself, and that it does not belong, at least in so far as it applies to Ra, to the Predynastic Period. When Ra entered the Great Temple, the gods made obeisance to him, and took up their positions on each side of him, and informed him that they awaited his words. Addressing Nu, the personification of the World-ocean, Ra bade them to take notice of the fact that the men and women whom his Eye had created were murmuring against him. He then asked them to consider the matter and to devise a plan of action for him, for he was unwilling to slay the rebels without hearing what his gods had to say. In reply the gods advised Ra to send forth his Eye to destroy the blasphemers, for there was no eye on earth that could resist it, especially when it took the form of the goddess Hathor. Ra accepted their advice and sent forth his Eye in the form of Hathor to destroy them, and, though the rebels had fled to the mountains in fear, the Eye pursued them and overtook them and destroyed them. Hathor rejoiced in her work of destruction, and on her return was praised by Ra, for what she had done.
The slaughter of men began at Suten-henen (Herakleopolis), and during the night Hathor waded about in the blood of men. Ra asserted his intention of being master of the rebels, and this is probably referred to in the Book of the Dead, Chapter XVII., in which it is said that Ra rose as king for the first time in Suten-henen. Osiris also was crowned at Suten-henen, and in this city lived the great Bennu bird, or Phoenix, and the "Crusher of Bones" mentioned in the Negative Confession.


The legend now goes on to describe an act of Ra, the significance of which is difficult to explain. The god ordered messengers to be brought to him, and when they arrived, he commanded them to run like the wind to Abu, or the city of Elephantine, and to bring him large quantities of the fruit called tataat. What kind of fruit this was is not clear, but Brugsch thought they were "mandrakes," the so-called "love-apples," and this translation of tataat may be used provisionally. The mandrakes were given to Sekti, a goddess of Heliopolis, to crush and grind up, and when this was done they were mixed with human blood, and put in a large brewing of beer which the women slaves had made from wheat. In all they made 7,000 vessels of beer. When Ra saw the beer he approved of it, and ordered it to be carried up the river to where the goddess Hathor was still, it seems, engaged in slaughtering men. During the night he caused this beer to be poured out into the meadows of the Four Heavens, and when Hathor came she saw the beer with human blood and mandrakes in it, and drank of it and became drunk, and paid no further attention to men and women. In welcoming the goddess, Ra, called her "Amit," i.e., "beautiful one," and from this time onward "beautiful women were found in the city of Amit," which was situated in the Western Delta, near Lake Mareotis. Ra also ordered that in future at every one of his festivals vessels of "sleep-producing beer" should be made, and that their number should be the same as the number of the handmaidens of Ra. Those who took part in these festivals of Hathor and Ra drank beer in very large quantities, and under the influence of the "beautiful women," i.e., the priestesses, who were supposed to resemble Hathor in their physical attractions, the festal celebrations degenerated into drunken and licentious orgies. Soon after this Ra complained that he was smitten with pain, and that he was weary of the children of men. He thought them a worthless remnant, and wished that more of them had been slain. The gods about him begged him to endure, and reminded him that his power was in proportion to his will. Ra was, however, unconsoled, and he complained that his limbs were weak for the first time in his life. Thereupon the god Nu told Shu to help Ra, and he ordered Nut to take the great god Ra on her back. Nut changed herself into a cow, and with the help of Shu, Ra got on her back. As soon as men saw that Ra was on the back of the Cow of Heaven, and was about to leave them, they became filled with fear and repentance, and cried out to Ra to remain with them and to slay all those who had blasphemed against him. But the Cow moved on her way, and carried Ra to Het-Ahet, a town of the nome of Mareotis, where in later days the right leg of Osiris was said to be preserved. Meanwhile darkness covered the land. When day broke the men who had repented of their blasphemies appeared with their bows, and slew the enemies of Ra. At this result Ra was pleased, and he forgave those who had repented because of their righteous slaughter of his enemies. From this time onwards human sacrifices were offered up at the festivals of Ra celebrated in this place, and at Heliopolis and in other parts of Egypt.

 

 

Q. Which of the following statements is true?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 8

Solution: Option 3 is correct, because there were murmurs that Ra had grown old and that his bones were like silver, his body like gold, and his hair like lapis-lazuli. Option 1 is incorrect: “Nut changed herself into a cow, and with the help of Shu, Ra got on her back”. Therefore Shu did help Ra. Option 2 is incorrect because 7000 vessels of beer were made only in the first instance. Thereafter Ra ordered that as many vessels of beer be made as there are Ra’s handmaidens and this figure is not known. Option 4 is incorrect because although beer brewed from wheat were made by women slaves, the beer was mixed with tataat which was mixed and ground by Sekti. Option 5 is incorrect because Ra had ordered his bodyguards to summon the Gods, he did not summon the Gods himself.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 9

Answer the question based on the passage given below.

A reason why human rights have been increasingly compromised in recent years is that war has metamorphosed. Al Qaeda and its epigones, whose commitment to human rights is nil, have pushed even liberal regimes into illiberal excesses. What human rights do the inmates of Guantanamo Bay have? Anti-immigrant and Islamophobic movements have sprung up in many parts of the world, fueled in part by a fear of terrorism.

 


Q. Which of the following is in agreement with the idea presented in the passage?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 9

Solution: The passage emphasizes on the need for human rights in the present global scenario citing various examples to support the same. Only option 4 is in consonance with this idea presented in the passage. “Liberation of those who came to power” has not been discussed in the passage. Eliminate option 1.
Option 2 has nothing to do with the passage.
Option 3 emphasizes on a “convention on human rights” which has not even been hinted upon in the passage.
There is no discussion of “globalization” in the passage. Eliminate option 5.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 10

From the five options given below, identify the analogous relationship shared by both the pairs.

Oenology is to wine as

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 10

Solution: “Oenology” is the science of viniculture, which is the study of “wines”.
The only option that displays the same relationship is option 1, “Oneirology” is the science of dreams. “Metaphysics” and “Teleology” are branches of study in philosophy and are not related to “metaphors” and “distance” respectively. “Sericulture” is the breeding and raising of silkworms while “philology” is the love of “literature”.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 11

The questions below consists of a set of labelled sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Choose the most logical order of sentences from the options.


A. Fortunately for audiences, disciplined players can use a variety of fingerings to introduce slight variations into the pitch of these higher notes.
B. The highest notes on a clarinet can have a piercing quality and can be difficult to tune precisely.
C. Different individual instruments can be expected to play differently in this respect.
D. This becomes critical if a number of instruments are required to play a high part in unison.
E. It is also common for high melody parts to be split into close harmony to avoid this issue.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 11

Solution: Between sentences A, B and E, B makes for the best introductory sentence since it introduces the topic that is discussed throughout the paragraph. This eliminates options 2, 4 and 5.
Sentence A should come before sentence E since E uses the word “also” and states an additional method to avoid “this” issue. Sentence A states the first method. Hence, The AE link is better than the EA link. Eliminate option 1.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 12

Read the sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.


A. Romantic misconceptions about the nature of mathematics lead to an intellectual environment hospitable to and even encouraging of poor mathematical education and psychological distaste for the subject and lie at the base of much innumeracy.
B. Alternatively, mathematics is sometimes endowed with a coercive character which is somehow capable of determining our future.
C. Rousseau’s disparagement of the English as ‘a nation of shopkeepers' persists as a belief that a concern with numbers and details numbs one to the big questions, to the grandeur of nature.
D. Mathematics is often taken to be mechanical, the work of low-level technicians who will report to the rest of us anything we absolutely must know.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 12

Solution: A makes more sense as the opening statement, as C is an example of the “misconceptions” mentioned in A. Eliminate options 4 and 5.
C and D are connected: the “concern with numbers and details” in C is similar to the “mechanical” work mentioned in D. Eliminate option 2.
B is presented as the “alternative” view, and therefore, cannot precede CD. Also, B makes most sense as the last statement, as none of the other statements follow from it. Eliminate option 1.
Therefore, the only possible correct sequence can be ACDB.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 13

Arrange the jumbled sentences in order:

 

A. So literally, I just wrote for myself or anybody that I knew personally well, writers who would be willing to appreciate it with a breadth of tolerance, a piece of work like Howl.
B. At the time, writing “Howl”—for instance like I assumed when writing it that it was something that could not be published because I wouldn’t want my daddy to see what was in there.
C. This is so complicated a matter.
D. The beginning of the fear with me was, what would my father say to something that I would write.
E. Has there been a time when fear of censorship or similar trouble has made your own expression difficult?
F. That was sort of a help for writing, because I assumed that it wouldn’t be published, therefore I could say anything that I wanted.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 13

Solution: The set of statements address the scenario that an author faced while writing “Howl”. All of the statements are written in first person except statement E which uses the second person singular pronoun “your”.
None of the other statements make good openings. Statement E does not make any sense when placed in between the statements. If placed first, the line of thought is that a topic is introduced and then an example is provided. Therefore it has to be the first in the order. All of the other statements are a response to the question asked in E. This eliminates options 1 and 3.
Between D, B and C as follow up choices to E, statement C is the most appropriate. Although statement B seems tempting as it uses the word “fear” which is also present in statement E, statement C sets context about the complication associated with the author's situation. Also, if we go with the arrangement of statements as showcased in option 4, then statement C ought to have been in the past tense to make sense logically and in order to continue with the grammatical tenure of the other statements. This eliminates options 2 and 4.
Statements F and A in the same order conclude the statements.
Thus, the correct order of the statements is ECDBFA.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 14

Select the odd man out from the given alternatives.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 14

Solution: The words in the options form the key words of proverbs in the English language as follows: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; A chain is only as strong as its weakest link; A friend in need is a friend indeed; A leopard cannot change its spots. One has to repeat the proverb verbatim and not change the words for it to remain a proverb.
For example, All that glitters is not gold is a proverb; All that shines is not gold is not a proverb and has lost the metaphorical meaning.
In option 3, the correct proverb is: A fool and his money are soon parted.
It is the odd one because the option states soon ‘lost’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 15

Group Question

The passage given below is followed by a set of questions. Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.


The Earth's surface is a complex mosaic of exposures of different rock types that are assembled in an astonishing array of geometries and sequences. Individual rocks in the myriad of rock outcroppings, or in some instances shallow subsurface occurrences, contain certain materials or mineralogical information that can provide insight as to their “age”. For years investigators determined the relative ages of sedimentary rock strata on the basis of their positions in an outcrop and their fossil content. According to a long-standing principle of the geo-sciences, that of superposition, the oldest layer within a sequence of strata is at the base and the layers are progressively younger with ascending order. The relative ages of the rock strata deduced in this manner can be corroborated and at times refined by the examination of the fossil forms present. The tracing and matching of the fossil content of separate rock outcrops (i.e., correlation) eventually enabled investigators to integrate rock sequences in many areas of the world and construct a relative geologic time scale.

Scientific knowledge of the Earth's geologic history has advanced significantly since the development of radiometric dating, a method of age determination based on the principle that radioactive atoms in geologic materials decay at constant, known rates to daughter atoms. Radiometric dating has provided not only a means of numerically quantifying geologic time but also a tool for determining the age of various rocks that predate the appearance of life-forms. Some estimates suggest that as much as 70 percent of all rocks outcropping from the Earth's surface are sedimentary. Preserved in these rocks is the complex record of the many transgressions and regressions of the sea, as well as the fossil remains or other indications of now extinct organisms and the petrified sands and gravels of ancient beaches, sand dunes, and rivers. Modern scientific understanding of the complicated story told by the rock record is rooted in the long history of observations and interpretations of natural phenomena extending back to the early Greek scholars. Xenophanes of Colophon, for one, saw no difficulty in describing the various seashells and images of life-forms embedded in rocks as the remains of long-deceased organisms. In the correct spirit but for the wrong reasons, Herodotus felt that the small discoidal nummulitic petrifactions (actually the fossils of ancient lime-secreting marine protozoans) found in limestones outcropping at al-JTzah, Egypt, were the preserved remains of discarded lentils left behind by the builders of the pyramids. These early observations and interpretations represent the unstated origins of what was later to become a basic principle of uniformitarianism, the root of any attempt at linking the past (as preserved in the rock record) to the present. Loosely stated, the principle says that the various natural phenomena observed today must also have existed in the past.

 

 


Q. According to the passage, which of the following statements is/are not true?
A. A study of sedimentary rock strata and their fossil content helps determine their approximate age in years.
B. The sequence of sedimentary strata is always from the oldest to the youngest from the base.
C. The mineral content of a rock is useful in understanding their relative age in the geologic time scale.
D. Radiometric testing can determine the age of the rocks independent of their fossil content.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 15

Solution: Statements B is correct and can be inferred from, “According to a long-standing principle of the geo-sciences, that of superposition, the oldest layer within a sequence of strata is at the base and the layers are progressively younger with ascending order.” Statement C is correct because "... contain certain materials or mineralogical information that can provide insight as to their “age”’. Statement D is correct because radiometry is based on radioactive decay, fossil content is not necessary to determine the age of the rocks.
Statement A is incorrect because the study of strata and fossil content does not establish the “age in years” but only their relative age - which came first etc.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 16

The Earth's surface is a complex mosaic of exposures of different rock types that are assembled in an astonishing array of geometries and sequences. Individual rocks in the myriad of rock outcroppings, or in some instances shallow subsurface occurrences, contain certain materials or mineralogical information that can provide insight as to their “age”. For years investigators determined the relative ages of sedimentary rock strata on the basis of their positions in an outcrop and their fossil content. According to a long-standing principle of the geo-sciences, that of superposition, the oldest layer within a sequence of strata is at the base and the layers are progressively younger with ascending order. The relative ages of the rock strata deduced in this manner can be corroborated and at times refined by the examination of the fossil forms present. The tracing and matching of the fossil content of separate rock outcrops (i.e., correlation) eventually enabled investigators to integrate rock sequences in many areas of the world and construct a relative geologic time scale.

Scientific knowledge of the Earth's geologic history has advanced significantly since the development of radiometric dating, a method of age determination based on the principle that radioactive atoms in geologic materials decay at constant, known rates to daughter atoms. Radiometric dating has provided not only a means of numerically quantifying geologic time but also a tool for determining the age of various rocks that predate the appearance of life-forms. Some estimates suggest that as much as 70 percent of all rocks outcropping from the Earth's surface are sedimentary. Preserved in these rocks is the complex record of the many transgressions and regressions of the sea, as well as the fossil remains or other indications of now extinct organisms and the petrified sands and gravels of ancient beaches, sand dunes, and rivers. Modern scientific understanding of the complicated story told by the rock record is rooted in the long history of observations and interpretations of natural phenomena extending back to the early Greek scholars. Xenophanes of Colophon, for one, saw no difficulty in describing the various seashells and images of life-forms embedded in rocks as the remains of long-deceased organisms. In the correct spirit but for the wrong reasons, Herodotus felt that the small discoidal nummulitic petrifactions (actually the fossils of ancient lime-secreting marine protozoans) found in limestones outcropping at al-JTzah, Egypt, were the preserved remains of discarded lentils left behind by the builders of the pyramids. These early observations and interpretations represent the unstated origins of what was later to become a basic principle of uniformitarianism, the root of any attempt at linking the past (as preserved in the rock record) to the present. Loosely stated, the principle says that the various natural phenomena observed today must also have existed in the past.

 

 

Q. “For years investigators determined the relative ages of sedimentary  rock strata on the basis of their positions in an outcrop and their fossil content.” Which of the following is necessary for their findings to be true?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 16

Solution: Unless the sedimentary rocks are deposited horizontally the time scale drawn on the basis o f th eir “positions in an outcrop and their ... content” cannot be true.
From this point of view if one looks at the options, one can see that options 1,2,3 and 5 are irrelevant, and do not address the question asked at all.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 17

The Earth's surface is a complex mosaic of exposures of different rock types that are assembled in an astonishing array of geometries and sequences. Individual rocks in the myriad of rock outcroppings, or in some instances shallow subsurface occurrences, contain certain materials or mineralogical information that can provide insight as to their “age”. For years investigators determined the relative ages of sedimentary rock strata on the basis of their positions in an outcrop and their fossil content. According to a long-standing principle of the geo-sciences, that of superposition, the oldest layer within a sequence of strata is at the base and the layers are progressively younger with ascending order. The relative ages of the rock strata deduced in this manner can be corroborated and at times refined by the examination of the fossil forms present. The tracing and matching of the fossil content of separate rock outcrops (i.e., correlation) eventually enabled investigators to integrate rock sequences in many areas of the world and construct a relative geologic time scale.

Scientific knowledge of the Earth's geologic history has advanced significantly since the development of radiometric dating, a method of age determination based on the principle that radioactive atoms in geologic materials decay at constant, known rates to daughter atoms. Radiometric dating has provided not only a means of numerically quantifying geologic time but also a tool for determining the age of various rocks that predate the appearance of life-forms. Some estimates suggest that as much as 70 percent of all rocks outcropping from the Earth's surface are sedimentary. Preserved in these rocks is the complex record of the many transgressions and regressions of the sea, as well as the fossil remains or other indications of now extinct organisms and the petrified sands and gravels of ancient beaches, sand dunes, and rivers. Modern scientific understanding of the complicated story told by the rock record is rooted in the long history of observations and interpretations of natural phenomena extending back to the early Greek scholars. Xenophanes of Colophon, for one, saw no difficulty in describing the various seashells and images of life-forms embedded in rocks as the remains of long-deceased organisms. In the correct spirit but for the wrong reasons, Herodotus felt that the small discoidal nummulitic petrifactions (actually the fossils of ancient lime-secreting marine protozoans) found in limestones outcropping at al-JTzah, Egypt, were the preserved remains of discarded lentils left behind by the builders of the pyramids. These early observations and interpretations represent the unstated origins of what was later to become a basic principle of uniformitarianism, the root of any attempt at linking the past (as preserved in the rock record) to the present. Loosely stated, the principle says that the various natural phenomena observed today must also have existed in the past.

 

 

Q. According to the author, Herodotus most likely...

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 17

Solution: The passage says that “Herodotus felt that the small discoidal nummulitic petrifactions - (actually the fossils of ancient lime- secreting marine protozoans) found in limestones outcropping at al- JTzah, Egypt, were the preserved remains of discarded lentils left behind by the builders of the pyramids” i.e., Herodotus believed that the disk like formations found in the lime stones were fossilised lentils, whereas they were actually fossils of marine protozoans - which points to the fact that Herodotus failed to realize the many regressions and transgressions of the - in other words, the place a- Jizah was once upon a time under the sea.
Option 2 states that the city was reclaimed from the sea which is nonsensical.
Options 3, 4 and 5 are incorrect as they contradict the information in the passage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 18

Fill in the blanks in the passage with the most appropriate set of words from the options for each blank.


In a ________ turn of events, as the two boys came face-to-face, the mischievous student who had started the rumor shouted out, “April Fools!” before Ryan threw a punch. Tony’s heartbeat slowed to the ______ of a slow waltz, and he noticed Mr. Edwards, the principal, moving in a _____ path as he weaved his way through the crowd of students who had gathered. When Mr. Edwards reached the boys they were laughing together at the practical joke- which was a _______ ending to a potentially harmful situation.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 18

Solution: “Fortuitous” means ‘happening by chance rather than intention’ and therefore, fits accurately into the first blank which refers to a turn of events. “Tempo” or ‘rhythm’ is mostly attributed to music and makes a suitable fit for the second blank swhich requires a noun rather than an adjective. Eliminate options 1, 2, 3 and 5. "Sinuous" means ‘having many curves and turns’ and can be attributed to a “path”. Therefore, “sinuous” aptly fits into the third blank which talks about a “path through a crowd of students”. “Poignant” means ‘evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret’ which fits suitably in the fourth blank that talks about an ending to the situation. Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 19

Fill in the blanks with prepositions:

The American and the girl ____ him sat ____ a table in the shade, _______ the building.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 19

Solution: The American and the girl are together, Therefore, the girl is "with" the American. “Sat at the table” is the most appropriate in terms of usage. All of the other options are not grammatically consistent with the rest of the sentence.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 20

Read each of the short passages given below and answer the question that follows each.


Let me begin with the ability to learn, and by convincing you that there is something to explain. Many social scientists believe that learning is some pinnacle of evolution that humans have scaled from the lowlands of instinct, so that our ability to learn can be explained by our exalted braininess. But biology says otherwise. Learning is found in organisms as simple as bacteria, and human intelligence may depend on our having more innate instincts, not fewer. Learning is an option, like camouflage or horns, that nature gives organisms as needed - when some aspect of the organisms’ environmental niche is so unpredictable that anticipation of its contingencies cannot be wired in.


Q. Which of the following hypothetical animals would certainly have the ability to learn, as per the above paragraph?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 20

Solution: While, according to this paragraph, bacteria do have the ability to learn, we cannot be certain that all similar organisms would definitely have it, so option 1 is wrong.
The point of the paragraph is that learning is not the province of ‘highly evolved’ animals like human beings, so option 2 is also wrong.
According to the last sentence, learning works when one aspect of the organisms’ environmental niche keeps changing. If its entire environment kept changing unpredictably, what would be the point of learning anything, as the next change would nullify the learnt lessons? So option 3 is incorrect.
Based on the paragraph, only option 4 is correct - learning would benefit an animal who had to adjust regularly to only one aspect of its environment.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 21

Answer the question based on the passage given below.

In the past decade or so, researchers have produced a significant body of research measuring the dreadfulness of a long commute. People with long transit times suffer from disproportionate pain, stress, obesity and dissatisfaction. The joy of living in a big, exurban house, or that extra income left over from your cheap rent? It is almost certainly not worth it.


Q. Which one is a major assumption in this argument?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 21

Solution: Option 1 is not an assumption, but a conclusion.
The same as above applies to option 2.
While the second half of option 4 is certainly an important assumption, the first half isn’t, and has no basis in the paragraph.
Option 5 is not an assumption, as it is a stated fact (albeit the other way around) in the second sentence.
Only option 3 is the correct assumption: the last two sentences essentially equate living in the exurbs to having a long commute.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 22

Answer the question based on the information given in the passage.

Sometime in the 1940s, Enrico Fermi was talking about the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence with some other physicists. They were impressed that life had evolved quickly and progressively on Earth. They figured our galaxy holds about 100 billion stars, and that an intelligent, exponentially-reproducing species could colonize the galaxy in just a few million years. They reasoned that extraterrestrial intelligence should be common by now. Fermi listened patiently, then asked, simply, ‘So, where is everybody?’ That is, if extraterrestrial intelligence is common, why haven’t we met any bright aliens yet? This conundrum became known as Fermi’s Paradox.

 

 

Q. Which of the following, if true, does not resolve Fermi’s Paradox?

I. Intelligent life may be abundant in the galaxy, but the huge interstellar distances make travelling to other solar systems impossible.

II. Human technological progress hints that intelligent societies that reach a particular technological level -i.e. the invention of nuclear weapons - may wind up destroying themselves in the long run.

III. Travelling to other stars requires moving faster than light, which violates the laws of physics, but it is still possible to send a message that way.

IV. Earth may be a strange aberration in a galaxy largely devoid of intelligent life.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 22

Solution: The paradox occurs because of the premise that the galaxy is teeming with intelligent life. By questioning that premise, statement IV neutralizes the paradox.
Statement I effectively answers Fermi’s question “Where is everybody?” - i.e. they are on their home planet, and unable to visit us.
Statement II suggests that intelligent life evolves quite often, but doesn’t last long, which is why we haven’t met any aliens. So it resolves the paradox.
Only statement III fails to resolve the paradox - the first half is similar to statement I, but the second half begs the question why the aliens aren’t simply sending us messages instead of visiting us personally.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 23

Group Question

A passage is followed by questions pertaining to the passage. Read the passage and answer the questions. Choose the most appropriate answer.


The biologist Lynn Margulis, famous for her work on endosymbiosis, contends that symbiosis is a major driving force behind evolution. She considers Darwin's notion of evolution, driven by competition, as incomplete and claims that evolution is strongly based on cooperation, interaction, and mutual dependence among organisms. According to Margulis and Dorion Sagan, "Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking."

 

 

Q. Which of the following comes closest to what Margulis has  to say about Life on the globe?   

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 23

Solution: The paragraph states “She considers Darwin's notion of evolution, driven by competition, as incomplete and claims that evolution is strongly based on co-operation, interaction, and mutual dependence among organisms. Thus it is clear that she means that different life forms survived by virtue of helping each other. Thus options 2, 3, 4 and 5 are incorrect. Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 24

The biologist Lynn Margulis, famous for her work on endosymbiosis, contends that symbiosis is a major driving force behind evolution. She considers Darwin's notion of evolution, driven by competition, as incomplete and claims that evolution is strongly based on cooperation, interaction, and mutual dependence among organisms. According to Margulis and Dorion Sagan, "Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking."

 

 

Q. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 24

Solution: The passage states, “According to Margulis and Dorion Sagan, ‘Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking.’” We also know that Margulis is famous for her work in endysymbiosis. Thus we know that they have worked on the same field of science.
Option 1 is contrary to the passage.
In option 2, “incompetence” is a very strong word for “incompleteness” presented in the passage.
Option 3 is incorrect as Margulis is clearly not an amateur in endosymbiosis, more an expert.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 25

The biologist Lynn Margulis, famous for her work on endosymbiosis, contends that symbiosis is a major driving force behind evolution. She considers Darwin's notion of evolution, driven by competition, as incomplete and claims that evolution is strongly based on cooperation, interaction, and mutual dependence among organisms. According to Margulis and Dorion Sagan, "Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking."

 

 

Q. From the options given below, choose a description which has  the c|osest meaning to the idiom used in the sentence.

Getting his opinion on certain matters is like getting blood out of a stone.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 25

Solution: To say that something “is like getting blood out of a stone” would be to say that ‘it is very difficult’. “Arduous” refers to something that is ‘very difficult and burdensome’, “galling” is something that is ‘very irritating’, something said to be “deleterious” is ‘harmful or detrimental’, and a “facile” task is ‘a very easy one’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 26

Read the sentences and choose the option that best arranges them in a logical order.

 

A. If the nation thinks it desirable to change white institutions so that they are less uniformly white, that purpose links skin color to recruitment.
B. For example, if the nation thinks the public interest is served by maintaining a domestic sugar industry through subsidies, then a Michigan farmer who grows sugar beets is relevantly different from his neighbor who grows tomatoes.
C. If the nation thinks a modest program of redistributing income is legitimate, then it uses a social security payout formula that gives disproportionate return to low wage-earners over high wage-earners.
D. Purpose determines relevancy, and this is true whether or not the relevant differences are physical.

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 26

Solution: Comparing statements A and C (which are parallel in structure) with statement D, statement D is a better introduction. It introduces the concept “Purpose determines relevancy” in the context of “relevant differences are physical”.
Statement B with “For example” naturally follows this, since it provides an example of purpose determining relevancy. Statement B cannot be placed anywhere other than next to statement D. This automatically eliminates all options except option 2.
Statement C provides one more example on similar lines. Statement A also provides an example, but of the physical difference of “skin color.” Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 27

Read the following situation and choose the best possible alternative.

Mr. Kamlesh Anand is the Vice-President of MockDonalds, a fast food chain that has outlets across 120 cities in the country. Recently, there was an article in a newspaper that claimed that the oil used to cook one specific MockDonalds product- beefy burger- is derived from animal fat which is cheaper than that derived from vegetable fat - a fact which is not true. This information hurt the religious sentiments of a minority group leading to protests and extensive media coverage. 

 

 

Q. What is the immediate action Mr. Anand should take to ensure that things do not get out of hand?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 27

Solution: The immediate problem at hand is to make sure that the protests die down before further damage is done to the company name. Although the reason for the protests is untrue and unfair, Mr. Anand will have to make a decision that will placate the infuriated protesters and not harm the company’s image at the same time. These are the requirements of the most immediate action that has to be taken.
Option 2 seems like the most likely action that will achieve both these objectives.
Option 3 is inappropriate because the continued protests and extensive media coverage will pretty soon make this a national issue that is not restricted to only a certain set of people.
Option 1, although justified, is definitely not an immediate step as it does not direct any action towards the protests.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 28

Read the following situation and choose the best possible alternative.

Mr. K. S. Harihara has recently been appointed as the chairperson of the Housing and Area development committee for the city of Kochi. Ever since the recent real estate boom, a lot of people have queued up to buy plots in the Korvatti area of the city. The government rule states that if the number of potential buyers is more than the number of available plots, then the chairperson has to come up with a way of allocating plots to people keeping in the mind the interests of the buyers as well as the government.

 


Q. Which of these following options is best suited to resolve the issue of the fair allocation of plots?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 28

Solution: Since all of the above options are implementable and reasonably fair, we shall look at how one option rates over the other when a direct comparison is made.
Consider options 1 and 2. Option 1 definitely ensures fairness to the buyers but does nothing to benefit the government revenue as even buyers with meagre bid amounts may get selected. Option 2, on the other hand, ensures that maximum government revenue is generated from the project. However, there is a chance that it might not go down well with the buyers because of its cash-before-all nature.
Option 3, when compared to options 1 and 2, scores over both of them as it combines the advantages of both systems while taking the sheen off the glaring disadvantages.
Option 4, although correct in principle, does not really help the government in terms of revenue and also, is not as fair to the people who want to buy additional land in the city they already live in. Besides, this system might favour those who live in other cities and just want to purchase land not for accommodation but as an investment.
Option 5 has a definite edge over options 1 and 4 but does not help remove the disadvantages of both, so should be rejected. Again, it does nothing to benefit the government revenue, as even buyers with meagre bid amounts may get selected just because they cast their bid early.
Of all the options, option 3 is the most suitable.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 29

Answer the question based on the information given in the passage.

Mrs. Sheela Narayanan is a software developer in an MNC headquartered in Bangalore. She had taken a three month leave of absence for her marriage and has just resumed working. However, she has discovered that her module is now being handled by a subordinate, Kiran, whom she had trained before leaving. Kiran is not clear about the module handover and neither are the other team members. The manager seems to be happy with Kiran’s performance and, although has not said it to her, wants him to continue with the module.

 


Q. What should be an appropriate line of action for Mrs. Narayanan to follow?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 29

Solution: It is clear that the situation arises out of lack of proper communication among the team. At this point, Mrs. Narayanan has to take care not to take things into her own hands and make sure that she expresses her concerns to the person in charge i.e. the manager.
Option 1 is the only option that allows her to objectively analyze her manager’s point of view before taking any action.
Option 2 is unrelated to the issue as it does nothing to make things a bit more clear neither to Mrs. Narayanan nor to her team.
Option 3 is too extreme a line of action. Mrs. Narayanan will end up harbouring mistrust in the team if she chooses to mail the department lead.
Option 1 scores over both options 4 and 5 because the former helps Mrs. Narayanan understand her manager’s point of view while both the latter make her suggest actions to her manager which might not be in alignment with his decision.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 30

Read the following situation and choose the best possible alternative.

Sambhava was required to come to office on a holiday to supervise a routine client-side upload of his project. However, due to personal reasons, he could not make it. Unfortunately for him, there was a major error in the upload code and the upload had to be stopped prematurely. When Sambhava’s manager got wind of this situation, he called Sambhava and harshly reprimanded him. The manager did not listen to any excuse Sambhava had to offer as the mistake, he felt, was inexcusable and hung up before Sambhava could speak any further.

 

 


Q. What should be Sambhava’s response when he goes back to work?

Detailed Solution for Practice Test for XAT - 7 - Question 30

Solution: This situation is very tricky and a less than idealistic approach should be taken.
Extreme options like 1 and 5 can be eliminated right away as they would only increase the gap between Sambhava and his manager making things worse for themselves and the project.
Option 2 is also a bit on the weaker side because there are chances that the manager will start being harsh with Sambhava more and more even when the situation is less grave.
Option 3 takes the discussion in a loop. By repeating what has already happened before, there is little scope of taking the discussion forward. Option 4 is the best approach as it ensures that Sambhava apologizes for his mistake but also makes it clear to the manager that the fault was shared between both of them because of which the manager was not right in doing what he did.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

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