Practice Test for XAT - 6 - CAT MCQ

Analyze the following passage and provide appropriate answers for the questions that follow.

The Levels of Being exhibit certain characteristics in a manner which can be termed as progressions. Perhaps the most striking progression is the movement from Passivity to Activity. At the lowest level, that of "minerals" or inanimate matter, there is pure passivity. A stone is wholly passive, a pure object, totally dependent on circumstances and "contingent". It can do nothing, organize nothing, utilize nothing. Even radioactive material is passive.

At the level of "animal", through the appearance of consciousness, there is a striking shift from passivity to activity. The processes of life are speeded up; activity becomes more autonomous, as evidenced by free and often purposeful movement such as swift action to obtain food and escape danger. The power of doing, organizing and utilizing is immeasurably extended; there is evidence of an “inner life”, of happiness and unhappiness, confidence, fear, expectation, disappointment and so forth. Any being with an inner life cannot be a mere object: it is a subject itself, capable even of treating other beings as mere objects, as the cat treats the mouse.

At the human level, there is a subject that says “I” — a person: another marked change from passivity to activity, from object to subject. To treat a person as if he or she were a mere object is a perversity, not to say a crime. No matter how such a person may be weighed down and enslaved by circumstances, there is always the possibility of self-assertion and rising above circumstances. There is no definable limit to his possibilities, even though there are practical limitations which he has to recognize and respect.

This progressive movement from passivity to activity, which we observe in the Levels of Being, is indeed striking, but it is not complete. A large weight of passivity remains even in the most sovereign and autonomous human person; while he is undoubtedly a subject, he remains in many respects an object -dependent, contingent, pushed around by circumstances. Aware of this, mankind has always used its imagination, or its intuitive powers, to complete the process, to extrapolate (as we might say today) the observed curve to its completion. Thus, was conceived a Being, wholly active, wholly sovereign and autonomous; a Person above all merely human persons, in no way an object, above all circumstances and contingencies, entirely in control of everything: a personal God, the "Unmoved Mover". The Levels of Being are thus, seen as pointing to the invisible existence of a level (or Levels) of Being above the human.

Q.

 Consider the statement given below as true:

 “A plant is mainly, but not totally, passive; it grows toward the light and extends its Marks roots toward moisture and nutrients in the soil.”

Which of the following statements would concur with the above idea and the theme of the passage?

Analyze the following passage and provide appropriate answers for the questions that follow.

The Levels of Being exhibit certain characteristics in a manner which can be termed as progressions. Perhaps the most striking progression is the movement from Passivity to Activity. At the lowest level, that of "minerals" or inanimate matter, there is pure passivity. A stone is wholly passive, a pure object, totally dependent on circumstances and "contingent". It can do nothing, organize nothing, utilize nothing. Even radioactive material is passive.

At the level of "animal", through the appearance of consciousness, there is a striking shift from passivity to activity. The processes of life are speeded up; activity becomes more autonomous, as evidenced by free and often purposeful movement such as swift action to obtain food and escape danger. The power of doing, organizing and utilizing is immeasurably extended; there is evidence of an “inner life”, of happiness and unhappiness, confidence, fear, expectation, disappointment and so forth. Any being with an inner life cannot be a mere object: it is a subject itself, capable even of treating other beings as mere objects, as the cat treats the mouse.

At the human level, there is a subject that says “I” — a person: another marked change from passivity to activity, from object to subject. To treat a person as if he or she were a mere object is a perversity, not to say a crime. No matter how such a person may be weighed down and enslaved by circumstances, there is always the possibility of self-assertion and rising above circumstances. There is no definable limit to his possibilities, even though there are practical limitations which he has to recognize and respect.

This progressive movement from passivity to activity, which we observe in the Levels of Being, is indeed striking, but it is not complete. A large weight of passivity remains even in the most sovereign and autonomous human person; while he is undoubtedly a subject, he remains in many respects an object -dependent, contingent, pushed around by circumstances. Aware of this, mankind has always used its imagination, or its intuitive powers, to complete the process, to extrapolate (as we might say today) the observed curve to its completion. Thus, was conceived a Being, wholly active, wholly sovereign and autonomous; a Person above all merely human persons, in no way an object, above all circumstances and contingencies, entirely in control of everything: a personal God, the "Unmoved Mover". The Levels of Being are thus, seen as pointing to the invisible existence of a level (or Levels) of Being above the human.

 Consider the statement given below as true:

 “A plant is mainly, but not totally, passive; it grows toward the light and extends its Marks roots toward moisture and nutrients in the soil.”

Q.

The author of this passage is least likely to agree with which of the following statements?

Analyze the following passage and provide appropriate answers for the questions that follow.

The Levels of Being exhibit certain characteristics in a manner which can be termed as progressions. Perhaps the most striking progression is the movement from Passivity to Activity. At the lowest level, that of "minerals" or inanimate matter, there is pure passivity. A stone is wholly passive, a pure object, totally dependent on circumstances and "contingent". It can do nothing, organize nothing, utilize nothing. Even radioactive material is passive.

At the level of "animal", through the appearance of consciousness, there is a striking shift from passivity to activity. The processes of life are speeded up; activity becomes more autonomous, as evidenced by free and often purposeful movement such as swift action to obtain food and escape danger. The power of doing, organizing and utilizing is immeasurably extended; there is evidence of an “inner life”, of happiness and unhappiness, confidence, fear, expectation, disappointment and so forth. Any being with an inner life cannot be a mere object: it is a subject itself, capable even of treating other beings as mere objects, as the cat treats the mouse.

At the human level, there is a subject that says “I” — a person: another marked change from passivity to activity, from object to subject. To treat a person as if he or she were a mere object is a perversity, not to say a crime. No matter how such a person may be weighed down and enslaved by circumstances, there is always the possibility of self-assertion and rising above circumstances. There is no definable limit to his possibilities, even though there are practical limitations which he has to recognize and respect.

This progressive movement from passivity to activity, which we observe in the Levels of Being, is indeed striking, but it is not complete. A large weight of passivity remains even in the most sovereign and autonomous human person; while he is undoubtedly a subject, he remains in many respects an object -dependent, contingent, pushed around by circumstances. Aware of this, mankind has always used its imagination, or its intuitive powers, to complete the process, to extrapolate (as we might say today) the observed curve to its completion. Thus, was conceived a Being, wholly active, wholly sovereign and autonomous; a Person above all merely human persons, in no way an object, above all circumstances and contingencies, entirely in control of everything: a personal God, the "Unmoved Mover". The Levels of Being are thus, seen as pointing to the invisible existence of a level (or Levels) of Being above the human.

 Consider the statement given below as true:

 “A plant is mainly, but not totally, passive; it grows toward the light and extends its Marks roots toward moisture and nutrients in the soil.”

Q.

The statement, “The Levels of Being are thus, seen as pointing to the invisible existence of a level (or Levels) of Being above the human” implies that:     

Analyze the following passage and provide appropriate answers for the questions that follow.

The Levels of Being exhibit certain characteristics in a manner which can be termed as progressions. Perhaps the most striking progression is the movement from Passivity to Activity. At the lowest level, that of "minerals" or inanimate matter, there is pure passivity. A stone is wholly passive, a pure object, totally dependent on circumstances and "contingent". It can do nothing, organize nothing, utilize nothing. Even radioactive material is passive.

At the level of "animal", through the appearance of consciousness, there is a striking shift from passivity to activity. The processes of life are speeded up; activity becomes more autonomous, as evidenced by free and often purposeful movement such as swift action to obtain food and escape danger. The power of doing, organizing and utilizing is immeasurably extended; there is evidence of an “inner life”, of happiness and unhappiness, confidence, fear, expectation, disappointment and so forth. Any being with an inner life cannot be a mere object: it is a subject itself, capable even of treating other beings as mere objects, as the cat treats the mouse.

At the human level, there is a subject that says “I” — a person: another marked change from passivity to activity, from object to subject. To treat a person as if he or she were a mere object is a perversity, not to say a crime. No matter how such a person may be weighed down and enslaved by circumstances, there is always the possibility of self-assertion and rising above circumstances. There is no definable limit to his possibilities, even though there are practical limitations which he has to recognize and respect.

This progressive movement from passivity to activity, which we observe in the Levels of Being, is indeed striking, but it is not complete. A large weight of passivity remains even in the most sovereign and autonomous human person; while he is undoubtedly a subject, he remains in many respects an object -dependent, contingent, pushed around by circumstances. Aware of this, mankind has always used its imagination, or its intuitive powers, to complete the process, to extrapolate (as we might say today) the observed curve to its completion. Thus, was conceived a Being, wholly active, wholly sovereign and autonomous; a Person above all merely human persons, in no way an object, above all circumstances and contingencies, entirely in control of everything: a personal God, the "Unmoved Mover". The Levels of Being are thus, seen as pointing to the invisible existence of a level (or Levels) of Being above the human.

 Consider the statement given below as true:

 “A plant is mainly, but not totally, passive; it grows toward the light and extends its Marks roots toward moisture and nutrients in the soil.”

Q.

Replace the italicized phrase with the best alternative. The price of the tickets for the Pink Floyd concert went up to 200$ but most fans could care about it

Analyze the following passage and provide appropriate answers for the questions that follow.

The Levels of Being exhibit certain characteristics in a manner which can be termed as progressions. Perhaps the most striking progression is the movement from Passivity to Activity. At the lowest level, that of "minerals" or inanimate matter, there is pure passivity. A stone is wholly passive, a pure object, totally dependent on circumstances and "contingent". It can do nothing, organize nothing, utilize nothing. Even radioactive material is passive.

At the level of "animal", through the appearance of consciousness, there is a striking shift from passivity to activity. The processes of life are speeded up; activity becomes more autonomous, as evidenced by free and often purposeful movement such as swift action to obtain food and escape danger. The power of doing, organizing and utilizing is immeasurably extended; there is evidence of an “inner life”, of happiness and unhappiness, confidence, fear, expectation, disappointment and so forth. Any being with an inner life cannot be a mere object: it is a subject itself, capable even of treating other beings as mere objects, as the cat treats the mouse.

At the human level, there is a subject that says “I” — a person: another marked change from passivity to activity, from object to subject. To treat a person as if he or she were a mere object is a perversity, not to say a crime. No matter how such a person may be weighed down and enslaved by circumstances, there is always the possibility of self-assertion and rising above circumstances. There is no definable limit to his possibilities, even though there are practical limitations which he has to recognize and respect.

This progressive movement from passivity to activity, which we observe in the Levels of Being, is indeed striking, but it is not complete. A large weight of passivity remains even in the most sovereign and autonomous human person; while he is undoubtedly a subject, he remains in many respects an object -dependent, contingent, pushed around by circumstances. Aware of this, mankind has always used its imagination, or its intuitive powers, to complete the process, to extrapolate (as we might say today) the observed curve to its completion. Thus, was conceived a Being, wholly active, wholly sovereign and autonomous; a Person above all merely human persons, in no way an object, above all circumstances and contingencies, entirely in control of everything: a personal God, the "Unmoved Mover". The Levels of Being are thus, seen as pointing to the invisible existence of a level (or Levels) of Being above the human.

 Consider the statement given below as true:

 “A plant is mainly, but not totally, passive; it grows toward the light and extends its Marks roots toward moisture and nutrients in the soil.”

Q.

Six words are given below:

I.       Paragon

II.       Prognostic

III.       Palaver

IV.       Portent

V.       Presentiment

VI.       Premonition

Which of the above words have similar meanings?

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

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers. The reason remains a mystery and challenges the idea that resources necessarily improve health.

Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion of the above  argument?

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

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers. The reason remains a mystery and challenges the idea that resources necessarily improve health.

Q.

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion?

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

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers. The reason remains a mystery and challenges the idea that resources necessarily improve health.

Q.

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word/set of words from the given options.

The directive and the moral__________ in life are simple and uncomplicated; you are alive dosomething.

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

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers. The reason remains a mystery and challenges the idea that resources necessarily improve health.

Q.

The question 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.  Along with their partner Sysmedia, Autoscript developed a prompter that required no peripheral to control the scroll of the prompter.

B. The voice-activated prompter simply scrolled at the speed of the presenter’s speech.

C. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Autoscript pioneered TFT monitors rather than the traditional CRTs for Teleprompters.

D. This enabled significantly less weight on the camera itself and more portability.

E.  A further breakthrough in 2005 introduced Voice Activated Prompting.

F. They also introduced high-brightness monitors enabling prompters to be used in direct sunlight.

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

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers. The reason remains a mystery and challenges the idea that resources necessarily improve health.

Q.

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.  To ensure peace with non-Chinese powers, the Han court developed a mutually beneficial “tributary system”.

B.  The empire expanded westward to the Tarim Basin, with military expeditions as far west as beyond the Caspian Sea, making possible a relatively safe and secure caravan and mercantile traffic across Central Asia.

C.  Non-Chinese states were allowed to remain autonomous in exchange for symbolic acceptance of Han overlordship in which tributary ties were confirmed and strengthened through intermarriages at the ruling level and periodic exchanges of gifts and goods.

D. The paths of caravan traffic came to be known as the “Silk Road” because the route was used to export Chinese silk.

E. The Han Dynasty was notable also for its military prowess.

F. Chinese armies also invaded and annexed parts of northern Korea and northern Vietnam toward the end of the 2^nd century BC.

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

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers. The reason remains a mystery and challenges the idea that resources necessarily improve health.

Q. Select the odd man out from the given alternatives.

Answer the question based on the passage given below.

People with higher intelligence test scores in childhood and early adulthood tend to live longer. This result has been found among people from Australia, Denmark, England and Wales, Scotland, Sweden, and the United States. In fact, it has been found within every population that has been studied. Indeed, the impact of intelligence on mortality rivals well-known risk factors for illness and death, such as high blood pressure, being overweight, high blood glucose, and high cholesterol. Its effect is almost as important as that of smoking. Differences in human intelligence have environmental and genetic causes. An intelligence test score in early life is

partly a record of what the environment has wrought on the brain and the rest of the body up to that time. Babies who have lower birth weights, for example, are more prone to chronic illnesses later in life. They also have, on average, slightly lower intelligence. But tests of whether birth weight might explain some of the link between intelligence and mortality have found no connection. Parents’ occupations are also related to their child’s intelligence and later risk of illness: children from more privileged backgrounds tend to have higher intelligence and better health, and to live longer. However, there is no convincing evidence that parental background explains the link between higher intelligence and longer life. Other researchers have viewed intelligence test scores as possibly more than just an indicator of an efficient brain. After all, the brain is just one organ of the body, so people whose brains work well in early life may also have other organs and systems that are more efficient than others’. But this “system integrity” idea is somewhat vague and difficult to test. The best we have done to date has been to examine whether people’s reaction speeds are related to intelligence and to mortality. They are. Reaction-time tests involve little thinking, and merely ask people to respond as fast as they can to simple stimuli. People who react faster have, on average, higher intelligence scores and live longer. But we need to think of better measures of the body’s integrity to test this idea more fully.

A third potential explanation is that intelligence is about good decision-making. Every day, as we live our lives, we make decisions about our health: what, when, and how much to eat; how much exercise to take; how to look after ourselves if we have an illness; and so forth. Therefore, the reason that intelligence and death are linked might be that people with higher intelligence in childhood make better decisions about health, and have healthier behaviors. As adults, they tend to have better diets, exercise more, gain less weight, have fewer hangovers, and so on. So far, so good. But we do not yet have the full story. There have not been any studies with data on childhood intelligence, lots of subsequent data on adult health behaviors, and then a long-term follow-up for deaths. And only such a study could tell us whether it is these healthy behaviors that explain the link between intelligence and death. A fourth type of explanation is that people with higher intelligence in childhood tend to attain better educational qualifications, work in more professional jobs, have higher incomes, and live in more affluent areas. These variables are related to living longer, too. So, perhaps that’s it: higher intelligence buys people into safer and more health-friendly environments. Certainly, in some studies, social class in adulthood seems to explain a lot of the link between intelligence and death. The problem is that this “explanation” is statistical. We are still not sure whether, say, education and occupation “explain” the effect of intelligence on health, or whether they are, in effect, merely surrogate measures of intelligence. Researchers have also searched for clues about the intelligence- mortality link in specific types of death. This has been revealing. Lower intelligence in early life is associated with a greater likelihood of dying from, for example, cardiovascular disease, accidents, suicide, and homicide. The evidence for cancer is less certain. As we have come across these specific findings, we have realized that each link might need a different explanation.

Finally, we know that how intelligent we are and how long we shall live are caused by both environmental and genetic influences. There are experimental designs, using twins, that can find out the extent to which intelligence and mortality are linked because they share environmental and genetic influences. Among the most informative exercises we can undertake in cognitive epidemiology is to obtain a large group of twins on whom there is data on early-life intelligence and who were tracked for a long time to find out who had died. We haven’t yet

come across a large enough group of twins with such data. Finding one is a priority. The ultimate aim of this research is to find out what intelligent people have and do that enables them to live longer. Once we know that, we will be able to share and apply that knowledge with the aim of achieving optimal health for all.

Q.

Which of the following is correct according to the passage?

Answer the question based on the passage given below.

People with higher intelligence test scores in childhood and early adulthood tend to live longer. This result has been found among people from Australia, Denmark, England and Wales, Scotland, Sweden, and the United States. In fact, it has been found within every population that has been studied. Indeed, the impact of intelligence on mortality rivals well-known risk factors for illness and death, such as high blood pressure, being overweight, high blood glucose, and high cholesterol. Its effect is almost as important as that of smoking. Differences in human intelligence have environmental and genetic causes. An intelligence test score in early life is

partly a record of what the environment has wrought on the brain and the rest of the body up to that time. Babies who have lower birth weights, for example, are more prone to chronic illnesses later in life. They also have, on average, slightly lower intelligence. But tests of whether birth weight might explain some of the link between intelligence and mortality have found no connection. Parents’ occupations are also related to their child’s intelligence and later risk of illness: children from more privileged backgrounds tend to have higher intelligence and better health, and to live longer. However, there is no convincing evidence that parental background explains the link between higher intelligence and longer life. Other researchers have viewed intelligence test scores as possibly more than just an indicator of an efficient brain. After all, the brain is just one organ of the body, so people whose brains work well in early life may also have other organs and systems that are more efficient than others’. But this “system integrity” idea is somewhat vague and difficult to test. The best we have done to date has been to examine whether people’s reaction speeds are related to intelligence and to mortality. They are. Reaction-time tests involve little thinking, and merely ask people to respond as fast as they can to simple stimuli. People who react faster have, on average, higher intelligence scores and live longer. But we need to think of better measures of the body’s integrity to test this idea more fully.

A third potential explanation is that intelligence is about good decision-making. Every day, as we live our lives, we make decisions about our health: what, when, and how much to eat; how much exercise to take; how to look after ourselves if we have an illness; and so forth. Therefore, the reason that intelligence and death are linked might be that people with higher intelligence in childhood make better decisions about health, and have healthier behaviors. As adults, they tend to have better diets, exercise more, gain less weight, have fewer hangovers, and so on. So far, so good. But we do not yet have the full story. There have not been any studies with data on childhood intelligence, lots of subsequent data on adult health behaviors, and then a long-term follow-up for deaths. And only such a study could tell us whether it is these healthy behaviors that explain the link between intelligence and death. A fourth type of explanation is that people with higher intelligence in childhood tend to attain better educational qualifications, work in more professional jobs, have higher incomes, and live in more affluent areas. These variables are related to living longer, too. So, perhaps that’s it: higher intelligence buys people into safer and more health-friendly environments. Certainly, in some studies, social class in adulthood seems to explain a lot of the link between intelligence and death. The problem is that this “explanation” is statistical. We are still not sure whether, say, education and occupation “explain” the effect of intelligence on health, or whether they are, in effect, merely surrogate measures of intelligence. Researchers have also searched for clues about the intelligence- mortality link in specific types of death. This has been revealing. Lower intelligence in early life is associated with a greater likelihood of dying from, for example, cardiovascular disease, accidents, suicide, and homicide. The evidence for cancer is less certain. As we have come across these specific findings, we have realized that each link might need a different explanation.

Finally, we know that how intelligent we are and how long we shall live are caused by both environmental and genetic influences. There are experimental designs, using twins, that can find out the extent to which intelligence and mortality are linked because they share environmental and genetic influences. Among the most informative exercises we can undertake in cognitive epidemiology is to obtain a large group of twins on whom there is data on early-life intelligence and who were tracked for a long time to find out who had died. We haven’t yet

come across a large enough group of twins with such data. Finding one is a priority. The ultimate aim of this research is to find out what intelligent people have and do that enables them to live longer. Once we know that, we will be able to share and apply that knowledge with the aim of achieving optimal health for all.

Q.

Which of the following would the author agree with?

Answer the question based on the passage given below.

People with higher intelligence test scores in childhood and early adulthood tend to live longer. This result has been found among people from Australia, Denmark, England and Wales, Scotland, Sweden, and the United States. In fact, it has been found within every population that has been studied. Indeed, the impact of intelligence on mortality rivals well-known risk factors for illness and death, such as high blood pressure, being overweight, high blood glucose, and high cholesterol. Its effect is almost as important as that of smoking. Differences in human intelligence have environmental and genetic causes. An intelligence test score in early life is

partly a record of what the environment has wrought on the brain and the rest of the body up to that time. Babies who have lower birth weights, for example, are more prone to chronic illnesses later in life. They also have, on average, slightly lower intelligence. But tests of whether birth weight might explain some of the link between intelligence and mortality have found no connection. Parents’ occupations are also related to their child’s intelligence and later risk of illness: children from more privileged backgrounds tend to have higher intelligence and better health, and to live longer. However, there is no convincing evidence that parental background explains the link between higher intelligence and longer life. Other researchers have viewed intelligence test scores as possibly more than just an indicator of an efficient brain. After all, the brain is just one organ of the body, so people whose brains work well in early life may also have other organs and systems that are more efficient than others’. But this “system integrity” idea is somewhat vague and difficult to test. The best we have done to date has been to examine whether people’s reaction speeds are related to intelligence and to mortality. They are. Reaction-time tests involve little thinking, and merely ask people to respond as fast as they can to simple stimuli. People who react faster have, on average, higher intelligence scores and live longer. But we need to think of better measures of the body’s integrity to test this idea more fully.

A third potential explanation is that intelligence is about good decision-making. Every day, as we live our lives, we make decisions about our health: what, when, and how much to eat; how much exercise to take; how to look after ourselves if we have an illness; and so forth. Therefore, the reason that intelligence and death are linked might be that people with higher intelligence in childhood make better decisions about health, and have healthier behaviors. As adults, they tend to have better diets, exercise more, gain less weight, have fewer hangovers, and so on. So far, so good. But we do not yet have the full story. There have not been any studies with data on childhood intelligence, lots of subsequent data on adult health behaviors, and then a long-term follow-up for deaths. And only such a study could tell us whether it is these healthy behaviors that explain the link between intelligence and death. A fourth type of explanation is that people with higher intelligence in childhood tend to attain better educational qualifications, work in more professional jobs, have higher incomes, and live in more affluent areas. These variables are related to living longer, too. So, perhaps that’s it: higher intelligence buys people into safer and more health-friendly environments. Certainly, in some studies, social class in adulthood seems to explain a lot of the link between intelligence and death. The problem is that this “explanation” is statistical. We are still not sure whether, say, education and occupation “explain” the effect of intelligence on health, or whether they are, in effect, merely surrogate measures of intelligence. Researchers have also searched for clues about the intelligence- mortality link in specific types of death. This has been revealing. Lower intelligence in early life is associated with a greater likelihood of dying from, for example, cardiovascular disease, accidents, suicide, and homicide. The evidence for cancer is less certain. As we have come across these specific findings, we have realized that each link might need a different explanation.

Finally, we know that how intelligent we are and how long we shall live are caused by both environmental and genetic influences. There are experimental designs, using twins, that can find out the extent to which intelligence and mortality are linked because they share environmental and genetic influences. Among the most informative exercises we can undertake in cognitive epidemiology is to obtain a large group of twins on whom there is data on early-life intelligence and who were tracked for a long time to find out who had died. We haven’t yet

come across a large enough group of twins with such data. Finding one is a priority. The ultimate aim of this research is to find out what intelligent people have and do that enables them to live longer. Once we know that, we will be able to share and apply that knowledge with the aim of achieving optimal health for all.

Q.

Why does the author mention the need for further studies involving twins?

I. Twins have similar genetic and environmental factors influencing them.

II.To ascertain the effects on genetic and environmental make-up.

III.To establish a link between what causes intelligent people to live longer.

Answer the question based on the passage given below.

People with higher intelligence test scores in childhood and early adulthood tend to live longer. This result has been found among people from Australia, Denmark, England and Wales, Scotland, Sweden, and the United States. In fact, it has been found within every population that has been studied. Indeed, the impact of intelligence on mortality rivals well-known risk factors for illness and death, such as high blood pressure, being overweight, high blood glucose, and high cholesterol. Its effect is almost as important as that of smoking. Differences in human intelligence have environmental and genetic causes. An intelligence test score in early life is

partly a record of what the environment has wrought on the brain and the rest of the body up to that time. Babies who have lower birth weights, for example, are more prone to chronic illnesses later in life. They also have, on average, slightly lower intelligence. But tests of whether birth weight might explain some of the link between intelligence and mortality have found no connection. Parents’ occupations are also related to their child’s intelligence and later risk of illness: children from more privileged backgrounds tend to have higher intelligence and better health, and to live longer. However, there is no convincing evidence that parental background explains the link between higher intelligence and longer life. Other researchers have viewed intelligence test scores as possibly more than just an indicator of an efficient brain. After all, the brain is just one organ of the body, so people whose brains work well in early life may also have other organs and systems that are more efficient than others’. But this “system integrity” idea is somewhat vague and difficult to test. The best we have done to date has been to examine whether people’s reaction speeds are related to intelligence and to mortality. They are. Reaction-time tests involve little thinking, and merely ask people to respond as fast as they can to simple stimuli. People who react faster have, on average, higher intelligence scores and live longer. But we need to think of better measures of the body’s integrity to test this idea more fully.

A third potential explanation is that intelligence is about good decision-making. Every day, as we live our lives, we make decisions about our health: what, when, and how much to eat; how much exercise to take; how to look after ourselves if we have an illness; and so forth. Therefore, the reason that intelligence and death are linked might be that people with higher intelligence in childhood make better decisions about health, and have healthier behaviors. As adults, they tend to have better diets, exercise more, gain less weight, have fewer hangovers, and so on. So far, so good. But we do not yet have the full story. There have not been any studies with data on childhood intelligence, lots of subsequent data on adult health behaviors, and then a long-term follow-up for deaths. And only such a study could tell us whether it is these healthy behaviors that explain the link between intelligence and death. A fourth type of explanation is that people with higher intelligence in childhood tend to attain better educational qualifications, work in more professional jobs, have higher incomes, and live in more affluent areas. These variables are related to living longer, too. So, perhaps that’s it: higher intelligence buys people into safer and more health-friendly environments. Certainly, in some studies, social class in adulthood seems to explain a lot of the link between intelligence and death. The problem is that this “explanation” is statistical. We are still not sure whether, say, education and occupation “explain” the effect of intelligence on health, or whether they are, in effect, merely surrogate measures of intelligence. Researchers have also searched for clues about the intelligence- mortality link in specific types of death. This has been revealing. Lower intelligence in early life is associated with a greater likelihood of dying from, for example, cardiovascular disease, accidents, suicide, and homicide. The evidence for cancer is less certain. As we have come across these specific findings, we have realized that each link might need a different explanation.

Finally, we know that how intelligent we are and how long we shall live are caused by both environmental and genetic influences. There are experimental designs, using twins, that can find out the extent to which intelligence and mortality are linked because they share environmental and genetic influences. Among the most informative exercises we can undertake in cognitive epidemiology is to obtain a large group of twins on whom there is data on early-life intelligence and who were tracked for a long time to find out who had died. We haven’t yet

come across a large enough group of twins with such data. Finding one is a priority. The ultimate aim of this research is to find out what intelligent people have and do that enables them to live longer. Once we know that, we will be able to share and apply that knowledge with the aim of achieving optimal health for all.

Q.

Which of the following, if true, would conclusively undermine the author’s stand and recommendations for future research?

Q.

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word/set of words from the given options.

Though his friend and family never lost an opportunity to______ him to concentrate on

his studies and not waste his time, his inability to______ from his______ behaviour

made him______ to everyone around him.

Q.

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word/set of words from the given options.

Indian Crafts mirror the___________ and finesse of their creator. Whilst the history of

Indian art is steeped in traditions,___________ craft reflects a/n___________ of the

traditional and___________ .

Q.

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

If Reggie goes to the party, then Veronica goes to the party. If Veronica goes to the party, then Archie goes to the party. If Archie goes to the party, then Betty goes to the party.

If all of the above statements are true, which of the following is also true?

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

In the event that we find proof that aliens exist, Stephen Hawking says we should not attempt to contact them. ‘We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imagine the aliens might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become

nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.’ Given the history of encounters between earthly civilizations in which the more advanced enslave or destroy the less developed, Hawking concluded: ‘If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Europeans first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.’

Q.

Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Hawking’s argument the most?

Read the following passage and answer the questions.

In the event that we find proof that aliens exist, Stephen Hawking says we should not attempt to contact them. ‘We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imagine the aliens might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become

nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.’ Given the history of encounters between earthly civilizations in which the more advanced enslave or destroy the less developed, Hawking concluded: ‘If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Europeans first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.’

Q.

Which of the following, if true, would weaken Hawking’s argument the most?

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

Over the past decade the world’s corporate pecking order has been disturbed by the arrival of a new breed of plucky multinationals from the emerging world. These companies have not only taken on Western incumbents, snapped up Western companies and launched exciting new products, but they have challenged some of the West’s most cherished notions of how companies ought to organise themselves. Many emerging-market multinationals are focused companies that are admired in the West: the likes of India’s Infosys Technologies, Brazil’s Embraer and South Africa’s MTN. But others are highly diversified. In some ways these groups look like throwbacks to old-fashioned Western conglomerates such as ITT. But in other ways they are sui generis: much more diversified and readier to blur the line between public and private. The most remarkable of these is India’s Tata group, active in everything from cars to chemicals and from hotels to steel; Tata is so big that several of its companies are important multinationals in their own right. But others are also global forces: they include Alfa from Mexico, Koc Holding from Turkey and the Votorantim Group of Brazil. And dozens more are trying to break free of their national moorings. Tarun Khanna, of the Harvard Business School, calculates that such organisations are the most common business form in emerging markets. In India about a third of companies belong to wider entities. In Hong Kong 15 families control more than two-thirds of the stockmarket.

There are plenty of reasons to doubt the durability of these business groups. Many of them have thrived because they have close relations with their national governments. They are far too susceptible to scandal (witness the current furore in India over the sale of mobile-phone licences to favoured groups involving bribes). Others are incapable of managing their diverse portfolios. Western stockmarkets habitually apply a discount to conglomerates’ shares. Yet there is more to these groups than cronyism. A growing number of them are proving that they can compete in global markets as well as in sometimes rigged local ones. The Boston Consulting Group lists the rise of diversified global conglomerates as one of five trends that will shape the future of business. Mr Khanna reckons firms that belong to India’s business groups frequently outperform free-standing companies. Such groups developed partly to deal with the problems of operating in places where governments are frequently incompetent and markets are hopelessly underdeveloped. Western management gurus love to advise companies to stick to their knitting. But in emerging markets your knitting may be your ability to stitch your way around underdeveloped markets rather than just your ability to manufacture a particular product.

The business groups are nimble decision-takers and have proved strikingly successful at seizing opportunities in other emerging markets. Koc’s food-retailing business, Migros, has expanded throughout the Balkans and the former Soviet Union. Carlos Slim has extended his telecoms empire across Latin America. Tata also suggests that there may be yet another advantage in

diversification: the ability to develop skills across a wide range of businesses. Not only are various Tata companies trying to produce “frugal” products such as the Nano, an ultra-cheap car. They are pooling their resources: Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Chemicals and Titan Industries co-operated to produce the world’s cheapest water purifier. In the long run most of these emerging conglomerates are likely to follow the same path as Western companies: focusing on their core activities and buying ever more services from the market. But Western companies also need to recognise that—for the time being at least—these diversified giants have plenty to offer. Western firms may need to form joint ventures with “old-fashioned” conglomerates in order to win entry to fast-growing emerging markets. They may even find that they have to embrace diversification as they try to compete in these markets. The best emerging-market companies have learned a great deal from the West in recent years. It is time for Western multinationals to return the compliment.

Q.

Which of the following could be the best example of emerging-market multinationals “stitching their way around” in underdeveloped markets?

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

Over the past decade the world’s corporate pecking order has been disturbed by the arrival of a new breed of plucky multinationals from the emerging world. These companies have not only taken on Western incumbents, snapped up Western companies and launched exciting new products, but they have challenged some of the West’s most cherished notions of how companies ought to organise themselves. Many emerging-market multinationals are focused companies that are admired in the West: the likes of India’s Infosys Technologies, Brazil’s Embraer and South Africa’s MTN. But others are highly diversified. In some ways these groups look like throwbacks to old-fashioned Western conglomerates such as ITT. But in other ways they are sui generis: much more diversified and readier to blur the line between public and private. The most remarkable of these is India’s Tata group, active in everything from cars to chemicals and from hotels to steel; Tata is so big that several of its companies are important multinationals in their own right. But others are also global forces: they include Alfa from Mexico, Koc Holding from Turkey and the Votorantim Group of Brazil. And dozens more are trying to break free of their national moorings. Tarun Khanna, of the Harvard Business School, calculates that such organisations are the most common business form in emerging markets. In India about a third of companies belong to wider entities. In Hong Kong 15 families control more than two-thirds of the stockmarket.

There are plenty of reasons to doubt the durability of these business groups. Many of them have thrived because they have close relations with their national governments. They are far too susceptible to scandal (witness the current furore in India over the sale of mobile-phone licences to favoured groups involving bribes). Others are incapable of managing their diverse portfolios. Western stockmarkets habitually apply a discount to conglomerates’ shares. Yet there is more to these groups than cronyism. A growing number of them are proving that they can compete in global markets as well as in sometimes rigged local ones. The Boston Consulting Group lists the rise of diversified global conglomerates as one of five trends that will shape the future of business. Mr Khanna reckons firms that belong to India’s business groups frequently outperform free-standing companies. Such groups developed partly to deal with the problems of operating in places where governments are frequently incompetent and markets are hopelessly underdeveloped. Western management gurus love to advise companies to stick to their knitting. But in emerging markets your knitting may be your ability to stitch your way around underdeveloped markets rather than just your ability to manufacture a particular product.

The business groups are nimble decision-takers and have proved strikingly successful at seizing opportunities in other emerging markets. Koc’s food-retailing business, Migros, has expanded throughout the Balkans and the former Soviet Union. Carlos Slim has extended his telecoms empire across Latin America. Tata also suggests that there may be yet another advantage in

diversification: the ability to develop skills across a wide range of businesses. Not only are various Tata companies trying to produce “frugal” products such as the Nano, an ultra-cheap car. They are pooling their resources: Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Chemicals and Titan Industries co-operated to produce the world’s cheapest water purifier. In the long run most of these emerging conglomerates are likely to follow the same path as Western companies: focusing on their core activities and buying ever more services from the market. But Western companies also need to recognise that—for the time being at least—these diversified giants have plenty to offer. Western firms may need to form joint ventures with “old-fashioned” conglomerates in order to win entry to fast-growing emerging markets. They may even find that they have to embrace diversification as they try to compete in these markets. The best emerging-market companies have learned a great deal from the West in recent years. It is time for Western multinationals to return the compliment.

Q.

According to the passage, which of the following could be among the “plenty of reasons to doubt the durability” of the emerging-market conglomerates?

I. Unethical accounting practices

II. Access to cheap capital in their country of origin

III. Their political connections

IV. The quality of management

Their disrespect for shareholder opinion

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

Over the past decade the world’s corporate pecking order has been disturbed by the arrival of a new breed of plucky multinationals from the emerging world. These companies have not only taken on Western incumbents, snapped up Western companies and launched exciting new products, but they have challenged some of the West’s most cherished notions of how companies ought to organise themselves. Many emerging-market multinationals are focused companies that are admired in the West: the likes of India’s Infosys Technologies, Brazil’s Embraer and South Africa’s MTN. But others are highly diversified. In some ways these groups look like throwbacks to old-fashioned Western conglomerates such as ITT. But in other ways they are sui generis: much more diversified and readier to blur the line between public and private. The most remarkable of these is India’s Tata group, active in everything from cars to chemicals and from hotels to steel; Tata is so big that several of its companies are important multinationals in their own right. But others are also global forces: they include Alfa from Mexico, Koc Holding from Turkey and the Votorantim Group of Brazil. And dozens more are trying to break free of their national moorings. Tarun Khanna, of the Harvard Business School, calculates that such organisations are the most common business form in emerging markets. In India about a third of companies belong to wider entities. In Hong Kong 15 families control more than two-thirds of the stockmarket.

There are plenty of reasons to doubt the durability of these business groups. Many of them have thrived because they have close relations with their national governments. They are far too susceptible to scandal (witness the current furore in India over the sale of mobile-phone licences to favoured groups involving bribes). Others are incapable of managing their diverse portfolios. Western stockmarkets habitually apply a discount to conglomerates’ shares. Yet there is more to these groups than cronyism. A growing number of them are proving that they can compete in global markets as well as in sometimes rigged local ones. The Boston Consulting Group lists the rise of diversified global conglomerates as one of five trends that will shape the future of business. Mr Khanna reckons firms that belong to India’s business groups frequently outperform free-standing companies. Such groups developed partly to deal with the problems of operating in places where governments are frequently incompetent and markets are hopelessly underdeveloped. Western management gurus love to advise companies to stick to their knitting. But in emerging markets your knitting may be your ability to stitch your way around underdeveloped markets rather than just your ability to manufacture a particular product.

The business groups are nimble decision-takers and have proved strikingly successful at seizing opportunities in other emerging markets. Koc’s food-retailing business, Migros, has expanded throughout the Balkans and the former Soviet Union. Carlos Slim has extended his telecoms empire across Latin America. Tata also suggests that there may be yet another advantage in

diversification: the ability to develop skills across a wide range of businesses. Not only are various Tata companies trying to produce “frugal” products such as the Nano, an ultra-cheap car. They are pooling their resources: Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Chemicals and Titan Industries co-operated to produce the world’s cheapest water purifier. In the long run most of these emerging conglomerates are likely to follow the same path as Western companies: focusing on their core activities and buying ever more services from the market. But Western companies also need to recognise that—for the time being at least—these diversified giants have plenty to offer. Western firms may need to form joint ventures with “old-fashioned” conglomerates in order to win entry to fast-growing emerging markets. They may even find that they have to embrace diversification as they try to compete in these markets. The best emerging-market companies have learned a great deal from the West in recent years. It is time for Western multinationals to return the compliment.

Q.

Based on the comparison in the passage, which of the following most accurately distinguishes an emerging-market multinational from a Western conglomerate?

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

Msangwe has been experiencing an economic down turn since 1998 till date. Many professionals notably teachers, have crossed borders seeking green pastures as their salaries are no longer able to sustain their families. Many teachers resigned between 1998 and 2013. The current situation in the national education system is characterized by rural-to-urban migration of teachers. This phenomenon raises questions on the growing rural-urban divide in education. This might be attributable to the decline in educational standards in Msangwe. Some major problems are low salaries, unfriendly relationships between teachers and parents and poor accommodation.

Stacie Morris is an official in the Ministry of Education. She and a group of her colleagues have been asked to survey rural areas in Msangwe and come up with new insights as well as solutions to Msangwe’s education problems. Stacie and the team start with the Zarlow district which hasn’t seen much reform in terms of infrastructure and primarily comprises of rural areas where most people have no access to basic facilities such as drinking water and electricity. They meet Max, a teacher in the public school in Zarlow. While the team is taking a look at the school premises with Max, they notice a parent walking over to them. She tells Max that she plans to withdraw her ward from the school due to the inadequate infrastructure which has exacerbated her child’s poor health. Max tries to reassure her in vain. Feeling defeated, he tells the team, “one student less means they’ll cut the budget again this month.”

Q.

What should the Principal of the school adopt as the most feasible course of action from the given options, to stop parents from withdrawing their wards from school?

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

Msangwe has been experiencing an economic down turn since 1998 till date. Many professionals notably teachers, have crossed borders seeking green pastures as their salaries are no longer able to sustain their families. Many teachers resigned between 1998 and 2013. The current situation in the national education system is characterized by rural-to-urban migration of teachers. This phenomenon raises questions on the growing rural-urban divide in education. This might be attributable to the decline in educational standards in Msangwe. Some major problems are low salaries, unfriendly relationships between teachers and parents and poor accommodation.

Stacie Morris is an official in the Ministry of Education. She and a group of her colleagues have been asked to survey rural areas in Msangwe and come up with new insights as well as solutions to Msangwe’s education problems. Stacie and the team start with the Zarlow district which hasn’t seen much reform in terms of infrastructure and primarily comprises of rural areas where most people have no access to basic facilities such as drinking water and electricity. They meet Max, a teacher in the public school in Zarlow. While the team is taking a look at the school premises with Max, they notice a parent walking over to them. She tells Max that she plans to withdraw her ward from the school due to the inadequate infrastructure which has exacerbated her child’s poor health. Max tries to reassure her in vain. Feeling defeated, he tells the team, “one student less means they’ll cut the budget again this month.”

Q.

 Stacie and her team have a discussion about the steps to be taken in order to improve the quality of education in places like Zarlow.

Which of the following is least likely to be one of them?

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

Msangwe has been experiencing an economic down turn since 1998 till date. Many professionals notably teachers, have crossed borders seeking green pastures as their salaries are no longer able to sustain their families. Many teachers resigned between 1998 and 2013. The current situation in the national education system is characterized by rural-to-urban migration of teachers. This phenomenon raises questions on the growing rural-urban divide in education. This might be attributable to the decline in educational standards in Msangwe. Some major problems are low salaries, unfriendly relationships between teachers and parents and poor accommodation.

Stacie Morris is an official in the Ministry of Education. She and a group of her colleagues have been asked to survey rural areas in Msangwe and come up with new insights as well as solutions to Msangwe’s education problems. Stacie and the team start with the Zarlow district which hasn’t seen much reform in terms of infrastructure and primarily comprises of rural areas where most people have no access to basic facilities such as drinking water and electricity. They meet Max, a teacher in the public school in Zarlow. While the team is taking a look at the school premises with Max, they notice a parent walking over to them. She tells Max that she plans to withdraw her ward from the school due to the inadequate infrastructure which has exacerbated her child’s poor health. Max tries to reassure her in vain. Feeling defeated, he tells the team, “one student less means they’ll cut the budget again this month.”

Q.

Stacie’s team presented its report on the state of education in rural areas in Msangwe. An official from the Ministry of Education called for a meeting of educationists from private schools, asking them to help make the situation better. You are present at the meeting as the Principal of a reputable private school in a city in Msangwe.

You are keen to help the situation in the most constructive manner possible. Therefore, you suggest:

Answer the following question based on the information given below.

A TURTLE lived in a pond at the foot of a hill. Two young wild Geese, looking for food, saw the Turtle, and talked with him. The next day the Geese came again to visit the Turtle and they became very well acquainted. Soon they were great friends.

"Friend Turtle," the Geese said one day, "we have a beautiful home far away. We are going to fly back to it tomorrow. It will be a long but pleasant journey. Will you go with us?"

"How could I? I have no wings," said the Turtle.

"Oh, we will take you, if only you can keep your mouth shut, and say not a word to anybody," they said.

"I can do that," said the Turtle. "Do take me with you. I will do exactly as you wish."

So the next day the Geese brought a stick and they held the ends of it. "Now take the middle of this in your mouth, and don't say a word until we reach home. If you open your mouth, you will not see another day.” they said.

The Geese then sprang into the air, with the Turtle between them, holding fast to the stick.

The village children saw the two Geese flying along with the Turtle and cried out: "Oh, see the Turtle up in the air! Look at the Geese carrying a Turtle by a stick! Have you ever seen anything more ridiculous in your life?"

The Turtle looked down and began to say, "Well, if my friends carry me, what business is that of yours?" when he let go, and fell dead at the feet of the children.

As the two Geese flew on, they heard the people say, when they came to see the poor Turtle, "That fellow could not keep his mouth shut. He had to talk, and so lost his life."

 Q.

Is it the geese’s fault that the turtle fell to its death?