CAT 2017 VARC Slot 2 Question Paper(Available) :Download Solutions with Answer Key PDFs

Question 1:

In the author's view, cities promote human creativity for all the following reasons EXCEPT that they

• (A) contain spaces that enable people to meet and share new ideas.
• (B) expose people to different and novel ideas, because they are home to varied groups of people.
• (C) provide the financial and institutional networks that enable ideas to become reality.
• (D) provide access to cultural activities that promote new and creative ways of thinking.

The author uses 'ironic' in the third paragraph to point out that

• (A) people need social contact rather than isolation to nurture their creativity
• (B) institutions created to promote creativity eventually stifle it
• (C) the larger the creative population in a city, the more likely it is to be stifled
• (D) large bureaucracies and institutions are the inevitable outcome of successful cities

The central idea of this passage is that

• (A) social interaction is necessary to nurture creativity
• (B) creativity and ideas are gradually declining in all societies
• (C) the creativity divide is widening in societies in line with socio-economic trends
• (D) more people should work in jobs that engage their creative faculties

Jane Jacobs believed that cities that are more creative

• (A) have to struggle to retain their creativity
• (B) have to 'squelch' unproductive people and promote creative ones
• (C) have leaders and institutions that do not block creativity
• (D) typically do not start off as creative hubs

The 1968 study is used here to show that

• (A) as they get older, children usually learn to be more creative
• (B) schooling today does not encourage creative thinking in children
• (C) the more children learn, the less creative they become
• (D) technology today prevents children from being creative

The author's conclusions about the most 'creative cities' in the US (paragraph 6) are based on his assumption that

• (A) people who work with their hands are not doing creative work.
• (B) more than half the population works in non-creative jobs.
• (C) only artists, musicians, writers, and so on should be valued in a society.
• (D) most cities ignore or waste the creativity of low-wage workers

The purpose of this passage is to

• (A) introduce readers to a relatively unknown ecosystem: the subnivium
• (B) explain how the subnivium works to provide shelter and food to several species
• (C) outline the effects of climate change on the subnivium
• (D) draw an analogy between the effect of blankets on humans and of snow cover on species living in the subnivium

All of the following statements are true EXCEPT

• (A) Snow depth and snow density both influence the stability of the subnivium.
• (B) Climate change has some positive effects on the subnivium.
• (C) The subnivium maintains a steady temperature that can be 30 to 40 degrees warmer than the winter air temperature.
• (D) Researchers have established the adverse effects of dwindling snow cover on the subnivium.

Based on this extract, the author would support which one of the following actions?

• (A) The use of snow machines in winter to ensure snow cover of at least eight inches.
• (B) Government action to curb climate change.
• (C) Adding nutrients to the soil in winter.
• (D) Planting more shrubs in areas of short snow season.

In paragraph 6, the author provides the examples of crowberry and alpine azalea to demonstrate that

• (A) Despite frigid temperatures, several species survive in temperate and Arctic regions.
• (B) Due to frigid temperatures in the temperate and Arctic regions, plant species that survive tend to be shrubs rather than trees.
• (C) The crowberry and alpine azalea are abundant in temperate and Arctic regions.
• (D) The stability of the subnivium depends on several interrelated factors, including shrubs on the forest floor.

Which one of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

• (A) In an ecosystem, altering any one element has a ripple effect on all others.
• (B) Climate change affects temperate and Arctic regions more than equatorial or arid ones.
• (C) A compact layer of wool is warmer than a similarly compact layer of goose down.
• (D) The loss of the subnivium, while tragic, will affect only temperate and Arctic regions.

In paragraph 1, the author uses blankets as a device to

• (A) evoke the bitter cold of winter in the minds of readers.
• (B) explain how blankets work to keep us warm.
• (C) draw an analogy between blankets and the snowpack.
• (D) alert readers to the fatal effects of excessive exposure to the cold.

Which of the following statements best reflects the author's argument?

• (A) Hybrid and electric vehicles signal the end of the age of internal combustion engines.
• (B) Elon Musk is a remarkably gifted salesman.
• (C) The private car represents an unattainable myth of independence.
• (D) The future Uber car will be environmentally friendlier than even the Tesla.

The author points out all of the following about electric cars EXCEPT

• (A) Their reliance on rare materials for batteries will support despotic rule.
• (B) They will reduce air and noise pollution.
• (C) They will not decrease the number of traffic jams.
• (D) They will ultimately undermine rather than further driver autonomy.

According to the author, the main reason for Tesla's remarkable sales is that

• (A) in the long run, the Tesla is more cost effective than fossil fuel-driven cars.
• (B) the US government has announced a tax subsidy for Tesla buyers.
• (C) the company is rapidly upscaling the number of specialised charging stations for customer convenience.
• (D) people believe in the autonomy represented by private cars.

The author comes to the conclusion that

• (A) car drivers will no longer own cars but will have to use public transport.
• (B) cars will be controlled by technology that is more efficient than car drivers.
• (C) car drivers dream of autonomy but the future may be public transport.
• (D) electrically powered bicycles are the only way to achieve autonomy in transportation.

In paragraphs 5 and 6, the author provides the example of Uber to argue that

• (A) in the future, electric cars will be equipped with mechanisms that prevent collisions.
• (B) in the future, traffic jams will not exist.
• (C) in the future, the private car will be transformed into a form of public transport.
• (D) in the future, Uber rides will outstrip Tesla sales.

In paragraph 6, the author mentions electrically powered bicycles to argue that

• (A) if Elon Musk were a true visionary, he would invest funds in developing electric bicycles.
• (B) our fantasies of autonomy might unexpectedly require us to consider electric bicycles.
• (C) in terms of environmental friendliness and safety, electric bicycles rather than electric cars are the future.
• (D) electric buses are the best form of public transport.

Which one of the following best describes what the passage is trying to do?

• (A) It describes why people continue to use typewriters even in the digital age.
• (B) It argues that typewriters will continue to be used even though they are an obsolete technology.
• (C) It highlights the personal benefits of using typewriters.
• (D) It shows that computers offer fewer options.

According to the passage, some governments still use typewriters because:

• (A) they do not want to abandon old technologies that may be useful in the future.
• (B) they want to ensure that typewriter production lines remain in business.
• (C) they like the nostalgic appeal of typewriter.
• (D) they can control who reads the document.

The writer praises typewriters for all the following reasons EXCEPT

• (A) Unlike computers, they can only be used for typing.
• (B) You cannot revise what you have typed on a typewriter.
• (C) Typewriters are noisier than computers.
• (D) Typewriters are messier to use than computers.

The primary purpose of the passage is:

• (A) to explain the presence of reindeer antler combs in Denmark.
• (B) to contradict the widely-accepted beginning date for the Viking Age in Britain, and propose an alternate one.
• (C) to challenge the popular perception of Vikings as raiders by using evidence that suggests their early trade relations with Europe.
• (D) to argue that besides being violent pillagers, Vikings were also skilled craftsmen and efficient traders.

The evidence – "Most of the artifacts also date to the 780s, but some are as old as 725" – has been used in the passage to argue that:

• (A) the beginning date of the Viking Age should be changed from 793 to 725.
• (B) the Viking raids started as early as 725.
• (C) some of the antler artifacts found in Denmark and Great Britain could have come from Scandinavia.
• (D) the Vikings' trade relations with Europe pre-date the Viking raids.

All of the following hold true for Vikings EXCEPT

• (A) Vikings brought reindeer from Norway to Denmark for trade purposes.
• (B) Before becoming the raiders of northern Europe, Vikings had trade relations with European nations.
• (C) Antler combs, regarded by the Vikings as a symbol of good health, were part of the Viking culture.
• (D) Vikings, once upon a time, had trade relations with Denmark and Scandinavia.

Identify the most appropriate summary for the paragraph.

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North American walnut sphinx moth caterpillars (Amorpha juglandis) look like easy meals for birds, but they have a trick up their sleeves—they produce whistles that sound like bird alarm calls, scaring potential predators away. At first, scientists suspected birds were simply startled by the loud noise. But a new study suggests a more sophisticated mechanism: the caterpillar’s whistle appears to mimic a bird alarm call, sending avian predators scrambling for cover. When pecked by a bird, the caterpillars whistle by compressing their bodies like an accordion and forcing air out through specialized holes in their sides. The whistles are impressively loud—they have been measured at over 80 dB from 5 cm away from the caterpillar—considering they are made by a two-inch long insect.

• (A) North American walnut sphinx moth caterpillars will whistle periodically to ward off predator birds – they have a specialized vocal tract that helps them whistle.
• (B) North American walnut sphinx moth caterpillars can whistle very loudly; the loudness of their whistles is shocking as they are very small insects.
• (C) North American walnut sphinx moth caterpillars, in a case of acoustic deception, produce whistles that mimic bird alarm calls to defend themselves.
• (D) North American walnut sphinx moth caterpillars, in a case of deception and camouflage, produce whistles that mimic bird alarm calls to defend themselves.

Identify the most appropriate summary for the paragraph.

\medskip
Both Socrates and Bacon were very good at asking useful questions. In fact, Socrates is largely credited with coming up with a way of asking questions, 'the Socratic method,' which itself is at the core of the 'scientific method,' popularised by Bacon. The Socratic method disproves arguments by finding exceptions to them, and can therefore lead your opponent to a point where they admit something that contradicts their original position. In common with Socrates, Bacon stressed it was as important to disprove a theory as it was to prove one – and real-world observation and experimentation were key to achieving both aims. Bacon also saw science as a collaborative affair, with scientists working together, challenging each other.

• (A) Both Socrates and Bacon advocated clever questioning of the opponents to disprove their arguments and theories.
• (B) Both Socrates and Bacon advocated challenging arguments and theories by observation and experimentation.
• (C) Both Socrates and Bacon advocated confirming arguments and theories by finding exceptions.
• (D) Both Socrates and Bacon advocated examining arguments and theories from both sides to prove them.

Identify the most appropriate summary for the paragraph.

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A fundamental property of language is that it is slippery and messy and more liquid than solid, a gelatinous mass that changes shape to fit. As Wittgenstein would remind us, "usage has no sharp boundary." Oftentimes, the only way to determine the meaning of a word is to examine how it is used. This insight is often described as the "meaning is use" doctrine. There are differences between the "meaning is use" doctrine and a dictionary-first theory of meaning. "The dictionary’s careful fixing of words to definitions, like butterflies pinned under glass, can suggest that this is how language works. The definitions can seem to ensure and fix the meaning of words, just as the gold standard can back a country’s currency." What Wittgenstein found in the circulation of ordinary language, however, was a free-floating currency of meaning. The value of each word arises out of the exchange. The lexicographer abstracts a meaning from that exchange, which is then set within the conventions of the dictionary definition.

• (A) Dictionary definitions are like 'gold standards' – artificial, theoretical and dogmatic. Actual meaning of words is their free-exchange value.
• (B) Language is already slippery; given this, accounting for 'meaning in use' will only exasperate the problem. That is why lexicographers 'fix' meanings.
• (C) Meaning is dynamic; definitions are static. The 'meaning in use' theory helps us understand that definitions of words are culled from their meaning in exchange and use and not vice versa.
• (D) The meaning of words in dictionaries is clear, fixed and less dangerous and ambiguous than the meaning that arises when words are exchanged between people.

The five sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) given in this question, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper order for the sentence and key in this sequence of five numbers as your answer.



1. The implications of retelling of Indian stories, hence, takes on new meaning in a modern India.

2. The stories we tell reflect the world around us.

3. We cannot help but retell the stories that we value – after all, they are never quite right for us – in our time.

4. And even if we manage to get them quite right, they are only right for us – other people living around us will have different reasons for telling similar stories.

5. As soon as we capture a story, the world we were trying to capture has changed.

The five sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) given in this question, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper order for the sentence and key in this sequence of five numbers as your answer.


1. Before plants can take life from atmosphere, nitrogen must undergo transformations similar to ones that food undergoes in our digestive machinery.

2. In its aerial form nitrogen is insoluble, unusable and is in need of transformation.

3. Lightning starts the series of chemical reactions that need to happen to nitrogen, ultimately helping it nourish our earth.

4. Nitrogen – an essential food for plants – is an abundant resource, with about 22 million tons of it floating over each square mile of earth.

5. One of the most dramatic examples in nature of ill wind that blows goodness is lightning.

The six sentences (labelled 1,2,3,4,5 and 6) given in this question, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper order for the sentence and key in this sequence of six numbers as your answer.


1. This has huge implications for the health care system as it operates today, where depleted resources and time lead to patients rotating in and out of doctor's offices, oftentimes receiving minimal care or concern (what is commonly referred to as "bed side manner") from doctors.

2. The placebo effect is when an individual's medical condition or pain shows signs of improvement based on a fake intervention that has been presented to them as a real one and used to be regularly dismissed by researchers as a psychological effect.

3. The placebo effect is not solely based on believing in treatment, however, as the clinical setting in which treatments are administered is also paramount.

4. That the mind has the power to trigger biochemical changes because the individual believes that a given drug or intervention will be effective could empower chronic patients through the notion of our bodies' capacity for self-healing.

5. Placebo effects are now studied not just as foils for "real" interventions but as a potential portal into the self-healing powers of the body.

6. [This sentence is missing from the original image and is therefore not considered in the given answer choice.]

The five sentences (labelled 1,2,3,4, and 5) given in this question, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper order for the sentence and key in this sequence of five numbers as your answer.


1. Johnson treated English very practically, as a living language, with many different shades of meaning and adopted his definitions on the principle of English common law – according to precedent.

2. Masking a profound inner torment, Johnson found solace in compiling the words of a language that was, in its coarse complexity and comprehensive genius, the precise analogue of his character.

3. Samuel Johnson was a pioneer who raised common sense to heights of genius, and a man of robust popular instincts whose watchwords were clarity, precision and simplicity.

4. The 18th century English reader, in the new world of global trade and global warfare, needed a dictionary with authoritative acts of definition of words of a language that was becoming seeded throughout the first British empire by a vigorous and practical champion.

5. The Johnson who challenged Bishop Berkeley’s solipsist theory of the nonexistence of matter by kicking a large stone (“I refute it thus”) is the same Johnson for whom language must have a daily practical use.

Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph. Identify the odd one out. Choose its number as your answer and key it in.


1. Although we are born with the gift of language, research shows that we are surprisingly unskilled when it comes to communicating with others.

2. We must carefully orchestrate our speech if we want to achieve our goals and bring our dreams to fruition.

3. We often choose our words without thought, oblivious of the emotional effects they can have on others.

4. We talk more than we need to, ignoring the effect we are having on those listening to us.

5. We listen poorly, without realizing it, and we often fail to pay attention to the subtle meanings conveyed by facial expressions, body gestures, and the tone and cadence of our voice.

Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph. Identify the odd one out. Choose its number as your answer and key it in.


1. Over the past fortnight, one of its finest champions managed to pull off a similar impression.

2. Wimbledon's greatest illusion is the sense of timelessness it evokes.

3. At 35 years and 342 days, Roger Federer became the oldest man to win the singles title in the Open Era – a full 14 years after he first claimed the title as a scruffy, pony-tailed upstart.

4. Once he had survived the opening week, the second week witnessed the range of a rested Federer's genius.

5. Given that his method isn't reliant on explosive athleticism or muscular ball-striking, both vulnerable to decay, there is cause to believe that Federer will continue to enchant for a while longer.

Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph. Identify the odd one out. Choose its number as your answer and key it in.



1. Those geometric symbols and aerodynamic swooshes are more than just skin deep.

2. The Commonwealth Bank logo – a yellow diamond, with a black chunk sliced out in one corner – is so recognisable that the bank doesn't even use its full name in its advertising.

3. It's not just logos with hidden shapes; sometimes brands will have meanings or stories within them that are deliberately vague or lost in time, urging you to delve deeper to solve the riddle.

4. Graphic designers embed cryptic references because it adds a story to the brand; they want people to spend more time with a brand and have that idea that they are an insider if they can understand the hidden message.

5. But the Comm Bank logo has more to it than meets the eye, as squirrelled away in that diamond is the Southern Cross constellation.