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Q.No: 1
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2020 Slot-2

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
The rural-urban continuum and the heterogeneity of urban settings pose an obvious challenge to identifying urban areas and measuring urbanization rates in a consistent way within and across countries. An objective methodology for distinguishing between urban and rural areas that is based on one or two metrics with fixed thresholds may not adequately capture the wide diversity of places. A richer combination of criteria would better describe the multifaceted nature of a city’s function and its environment, but the joint interpretation of these criteria may require an element of human judgment.

A
Current methodologies used to define urban and rural areas are no longer relevant to our being able to study trends in urbanisation.
B
Distinguishing between urban and rural areas might call for some judgement on the objective methodology being used to define a city’s functions.
C
With the diversity of urban landscapes, measurable criteria for defining urban areas may need to be supplemented with human judgement.
D
The difficulty of accurately identifying urban areas means that we need to create a rich combination of criteria that can be applied to all urban areas.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
The heterogeneity of urban settings, measurement of urbanization and an element of human judgment are mentioned only in option 3, hence, it is the answer. Other options are incorrect.
Q.No: 2
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2020 Slot-2

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
With the Treaty of Westphalia, the papacy had been confined to ecclesiastical functions, and the doctrine of sovereign equality reigned. What political theory could then explain the origin and justify the functions of secular political order? In his Leviathan, published in 1651, three years after the Peace of Westphalia, Thomas Hobbes provided such a theory. He imagined a “state of nature” in the past when the absence of authority produced a “war of all against all.” To escape such intolerable insecurity, he theorized, people delivered their rights to a sovereign power in return for the sovereign’s provision of security for all within the state’s border. The sovereign state’s monopoly on power was established as the only way to overcome the perpetual fear of violent death and war.

A
Thomas Hobbes theorized that sovereign states emerged out of people’s voluntary desire to overcome the sense of insecurity and establish the doctrine of sovereign equality.
B
Thomas Hobbes theorized the emergence of sovereign states based on a transactional relationship between people and sovereign state that was necessitated by a sense of insecurity of the people.
C
Thomas Hobbes theorized the voluntary surrender of rights by people as essential for emergence of sovereign states.
D
Thomas Hobbes theorized the emergence of sovereign states as a form of transactional governance to limit the power of the papacy.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
Option 1 is incorrect because people delivered their rights to a sovereign power in return for the sovereign’s provision of security. Option 3 is incorrect because sovereign states were already in existence. Option 4 is incorrect because papacy is not mentioned in Hobbes theory. Only option 2 best summarizes the given passage.
Q.No: 3
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2020 Slot-3

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Brown et al. (2001) suggest that ‘metabolic theory may provide a conceptual foundation for much of ecology just as genetic theory provides a foundation for much of evolutionary biology’. One of the successes of genetic theory is the diversity of theoretical approaches and models that have been developed and applied. A Web of Science (v. 5.9. Thomson Reuters) search on genetic* + theor* + evol* identifies more than 12000 publications between 2005 and 2012. Considering only the 10 most-cited papers within this 12000 publication set, genetic theory can be seen to focus on genome dynamics, phylogenetic inference, game theory and the regulation of gene expression. There is no one fundamental genetic equation, but rather a wide array of genetic models, ranging from simple to complex, with differing inputs and outputs, and divergent areas of application, loosely connected to each other through the shared conceptual foundation of heritable variation.

A
Genetic theory has a wide range of theoretical approaches and application and is foundational to evolutionary biology and Metabolic theory has the potential to do the same for ecology.
B
Genetic theory has a wide range of theoretical approaches and applications and Metabolic theory must have the same in the field of ecology.
C
Genetic theory provides an example of how a range of theoretical approaches and applications can make a theory successful.
D
Genetic theory has evolved to spawn a wide range of theoretical models and applications but Metabolic theory need not evolve in a similar manner in the field of ecology.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
The essence of the passage is captured in the opening line itself ‘‘metabolic theory may provide a conceptual foundation for much of ecology just as genetic theory provides a foundation for much of evolutionary biology’. It then goes on to talk about the various applications of genetic theory. Thus, the correct summarization is provided by option 1. The use of ‘must’ makes option 2 wrong. 3 is factually incorrect. There is no contrast presented between metabolic theory and genetic theory. Thus, 4 is also wrong.
Q.No: 4
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2020 Slot-3

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

The dominant hypotheses in modern science believe that language evolved to allow humans to exchange factual information about the physical world. But an alternative view is that language evolved, in modern humans at least, to facilitate social bonding. It increased our ancestors’ chances of survival by enabling them to hunt more successfully or to cooperate more extensively. Language meant that things could be explained and that plans and past experiences could be shared efficiently.

A
Since its origin, language has been continuously evolving to higher forms, from being used to identify objects to ensuring human survival by enabling our ancestors to bond and cooperate.
B
Most believe that language originated from a need to articulate facts, but others think it emerged from the need to promote social cohesion and cooperation, thus enabling human survival.
C
Experts are challenging the narrow view of the origin of language, as being merely used to describe facts and label objects, to being necessary to promote more complex interactions among humans.
D
From the belief that humans invented language to process factual information, scholars now think that language was the outcome of the need to ensure social cohesion and thus human survival.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
The passage is making two points:
a. The prominent view is that language evolved to facilitate exchange of factual information about the world.
b. Another view holds that it evolved to facilitate social bonding which ensured the survival of the human race.
Only the second option captures these essential aspects of the argument. Option 1 is incorrect because there is no discussion on the evolution of language. There is no element of challenging of viewpoints. By the same logic even option 4 gets negated.
Q.No: 5
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2020 Slot-3

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Aesthetic political representation urges us to realize that ‘the representative has autonomy with regard to the people represented’ but autonomy then is not an excuse to abandon one’s responsibility. Aesthetic autonomy requires cultivation of ‘disinterestedness’ on the part of actors which is not indifference. To have disinterestedness, that is, to have comportment towards the beautiful that is devoid of all ulterior references to use – requires a kind of aesthetic commitment; it is the liberation of ourselves for the release of what has proper worth only in itself.

A
Disinterestedness, as distinct from indifference, is the basis of political representation.
B
Disinterestedness is different from indifference as the former means a non-subjective evaluation of things which is what constitutes aesthetic political representation.
C
Aesthetic political representation advocates autonomy for the representatives drawing from disinterestedness, which itself is different from indifference.
D
Aesthetic political representation advocates autonomy for the representatives manifested through disinterestedness which itself is different from indifference.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
The key aspects of the passage are – what constitutes aesthetic political representation and the meaning of disinterestedness in this respect. This is why 3 is correct. Option 1 distorts the flow of ideas while ‘constitutes’ makes 2 incorrect. The passage states that aesthetic autonomy requires the development of disinterestedness.
Q.No: 6
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2022 Slot-1

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

Petitioning is an expeditious democratic tradition, used frequently in prior centuries, by which citizens can bring issues directly to governments. As expressions of collective voice, they support procedural democracy by shaping agendas. They can also recruit citizens to causes, give voice to the voteless, and apply the discipline of rhetorical argument that clarifies a point of view. By contrast, elections are limited in several respects: they involve only a few candidates, and thus fall far short of a representative democracy. Further, voters' choices are not specific to particular policies or laws, and elections are episodic, whereas the voice of the people needs to be heard and integrated constantly into democratic government.

A
Citizens become less inclined to petitioning as it enables vocal citizens to shape political agendas, but this needs to change to strengthen democracies today.
B
Petitioning has been important to democratic functioning, as it supplements the electoral process by enabling ongoing engagement with the government.
C
By giving citizens greater control over shaping political and democratic agendas, political petitions are invaluable as they represent an ideal form of a representative democracy.
D
Petitioning is definitely more representative of the collective voice, and the functioning of democratic government could improve if we relied more on petitioning rather than holding periodic elections.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
The passage is not promoting petitioning over elections. It is simply saying that it is an important democratic process. As expressions of collective voice, petitions support procedural democracy by shaping agendas. This makes 2 the correct summary. There is no mention of citizens’ inclinations. 3 is extreme and 4 is a distortion.
Q.No: 7
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2022 Slot-1

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

It's not that modern historians of medieval Africa have been ignorant about contacts between Ethiopia and Europe; they just had the power dynamic reversed. The traditional narrative stressed Ethiopia as weak and in trouble in the face of aggression from external forces, so Ethiopia sought military assistance from their fellow Christians to the north. But the real story, buried in plain sight in medieval diplomatic texts, simply had not yet been put together by modern scholars. Recent research pushes scholars of medieval Europe to imagine a much more richly connected medieval world: at the beginning of the so-called Age of Exploration, there is evidence that the kings of Ethiopia were sponsoring their own missions of diplomacy, faith and commerce.

A
Medieval texts have documented how strong connections between the Christian communities of Ethiopia and Europe were invaluable in establishing military and trade links between the two civilisations.
B
Historians were under the illusion that Ethiopia needed military protection from their neighbours, but in fact the country had close commercial and religious connections with them.
C
Medieval texts have been ‘cherry-picked’ to promote a view of Ethiopia as weak and in need of Europe’s military help with aggressive neighbours, but recent studies reveal it was a well-connected and outward-looking culture.
D
Medieval historical sources selectively promoted the narrative that powerful European forces were called on to protect weak African civilisations such as Ethiopia, but this is far from reality.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
Option 3 is the most appropriate summary because the passage mentions how history was tweaked. Option 3 mentions how Ethiopiawas perceived to be weak but in reality, the picture was somewhat different.
Incorrect answers: Option 1 is narrow in scope.Option 2 is close but option 3 is a better answer because it provides a convincing summary of the given passage. Again, option (3) is better than option (4) because option (4) is a little sketchy. Option (3) is the most comprehensive summary.
Q.No: 8
Test Name : CAT Actual Paper 2022 Slot-1

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

All that we think we know about how life hangs together is really some kind of illusion that we have perpetrated on ourselves because of our limited vision. What appear to be inanimate objects such as stones turn out not only to be alive in the same way that we are, but also in many infinitesimal ways to be affected by stimuli just as humans are. The distinction between animate and inanimate simply cannot be made when you enter the world of quantum mechanics and try to determine how those apparent subatomic particles, of which you and everything else in our universe is composed, are all tied together. The point is that physics and metaphysics show there is a pattern to the universe that goes beyond our capacity to grasp it with our brains.

A
Quantum physics indicates that an astigmatic view of reality results in erroneous assumptions about the universe.
B
The inanimate world is both sentient and cognizant like its animate counterpart.
C
The effect of stimuli is similar in inanimate objects when compared to animate objects or living beings.
D
Arbitrary distinctions between inanimate and animate objects disappear at the scale at which quantum mechanics works.
Answer key/Solution
Solution:
Quantum Mechanics blur the distinction between the animate and inanimate objects. Option (4) therefore, is the most convincing summary of the given passage. Option (1) is verbose and therefore, can be counted as irrelevant. Option (2) is narrow in scope. Option (3) is wrong because it is again narrow in scope.
Solution:
The heterogeneity of urban settings, measurement of urbanization and an element of human judgment are mentioned only in option 3, hence, it is the answer. Other options are incorrect.

Solution:
Option 1 is incorrect because people delivered their rights to a sovereign power in return for the sovereign’s provision of security. Option 3 is incorrect because sovereign states were already in existence. Option 4 is incorrect because papacy is not mentioned in Hobbes theory. Only option 2 best summarizes the given passage.

Solution:
The essence of the passage is captured in the opening line itself ‘‘metabolic theory may provide a conceptual foundation for much of ecology just as genetic theory provides a foundation for much of evolutionary biology’. It then goes on to talk about the various applications of genetic theory. Thus, the correct summarization is provided by option 1. The use of ‘must’ makes option 2 wrong. 3 is factually incorrect. There is no contrast presented between metabolic theory and genetic theory. Thus, 4 is also wrong.

Solution:
The passage is making two points:
a. The prominent view is that language evolved to facilitate exchange of factual information about the world.
b. Another view holds that it evolved to facilitate social bonding which ensured the survival of the human race.
Only the second option captures these essential aspects of the argument. Option 1 is incorrect because there is no discussion on the evolution of language. There is no element of challenging of viewpoints. By the same logic even option 4 gets negated.

Solution:
The key aspects of the passage are – what constitutes aesthetic political representation and the meaning of disinterestedness in this respect. This is why 3 is correct. Option 1 distorts the flow of ideas while ‘constitutes’ makes 2 incorrect. The passage states that aesthetic autonomy requires the development of disinterestedness.

Solution:
The passage is not promoting petitioning over elections. It is simply saying that it is an important democratic process. As expressions of collective voice, petitions support procedural democracy by shaping agendas. This makes 2 the correct summary. There is no mention of citizens’ inclinations. 3 is extreme and 4 is a distortion.

Solution:
Option 3 is the most appropriate summary because the passage mentions how history was tweaked. Option 3 mentions how Ethiopiawas perceived to be weak but in reality, the picture was somewhat different.
Incorrect answers: Option 1 is narrow in scope.Option 2 is close but option 3 is a better answer because it provides a convincing summary of the given passage. Again, option (3) is better than option (4) because option (4) is a little sketchy. Option (3) is the most comprehensive summary.

Solution:
Quantum Mechanics blur the distinction between the animate and inanimate objects. Option (4) therefore, is the most convincing summary of the given passage. Option (1) is verbose and therefore, can be counted as irrelevant. Option (2) is narrow in scope. Option (3) is wrong because it is again narrow in scope.

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