Q.1 The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage. Tamsin Blanchard, curator of Fashion Open Studio, an initiative by a campaign group showcasing the work of ethical designers says, “We're all drawn to an exquisite piece of embroidery, a colourful textile or even a style of dressing that might have originated from another heritage. [But] this magpie mentality, where all of culture and history is up for grabs as 'inspiration', has accelerated since the proliferation of social media...Where once a fashion student might research the history and traditions of a particular item of clothing with care and respect, we now have a world where images are lifted from image libraries without a care for their cultural significance. It's easier than ever to steal a motif or a craft technique and transfer it on to a piece of clothing that is either mass produced or appears on a runway without credit or compensation to their original communities."
A. Copying an embroidery design or pattern of textile from native communities who own them is tantamount to stealing, and they need to be compensated.
B. Media has encouraged mass production; images are copied effortlessly without care or concern for the interests of ethnic communities.
C. Taking fashion ideas from any cultural group without their consent is a form of appropriation without giving due credit, compensation, and respect.
D. Cultural collaboration is the need of the hour. Beautiful design ideas of indigenous people need to be showcased and shared worldwide.
Detailed Analysis:
The main points of the paragraph are: i) The copying of fashion ideas unique to particular cultures or heritages is rising in this age of social media. ii) The original communities are not credited and compensated when their unique ideas are used. Option A: This is a distorted option. It is generalizing that copying a fashion idea is tantamount to stealing(not specifying whether it is done with or without the consent of the original communities.).Thus, this is not the correct option. Option B: Again, this is a very general and extreme option. Also, it is a distorted inference that the media has encouraged mass production. Thus, this is also not the correct option. Option C: Since this includes both the main points, this is the correct option. Option D: This is a distorted option and does not include the main ideas of the paragraph. Thus, the correct option is C.
Q.2 The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) below, when properly sequenced, would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer: 1. If I wanted to sit indoors and read, or play Sonic the Hedgehog on a red-hot SegaMega Drive, I would often be made to feel guilty about not going outside to “enjoy it while it lasts”. 2. My mum, quite reasonably, wanted me and my sister out of the house, in the sun. 3. Tales of my mum’s idyllic-sounding childhood in the Sussex countryside, where trees were climbed by 8 am and streams navigated by lunchtime, were passed down to us like folklore. 4. To an introverted kid, that felt like a threat - and the feeling has stayed with me.
A. 4213
B. 3241
C. 4312
D. 2314
Detailed Analysis:
A brief reading of sentences 1 and 4 tells us that they form a pair. In sentence 1, the author described how he/she was made to feel guilty about not going outside while staying Indoors. Statement 4 describes how it felt like a threat for an introverted kid. Thus, 1-4 is a pair. Now, out of sentences 2 and 3, 2 initiates the topic of discussion[how the author was impelled by her mother to go in the sun]. Statement 3 gives the information about the tales and folklore given to the author to impel. Thus, 2-3 is a pair. 1 is a direct follow-up to 3; hence, the correct order is 2-3-1-4.
Q.3 There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit. Sentence: When people socially learn from each other, they often learn without understanding why what they’re copying—the beliefs and behaviours and technologies and know-how—works. Paragraph: ___(1)___. The dual-inheritance theory ….says....that inheritance is itself an evolutionary system. It has variation. What makes us a new kind of animal, and so different and successful as a species, is we rely heavily on social learning, to the point where socially acquired information is effectively a second line of inheritance, the first being our genes…. ___(2)___. People tend to home in on who seems to be the smartest or most successful person around, as well as what everybody seems to be doing—the majority of people have something worth learning. ___(3)___. When you repeat this process over time, you can get, around the world, cultural packages—beliefs or behaviours or technology or other solutions—that are adapted to the local conditions. People have different psychologies, effectively. ___(4)___.
A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Option 3
D. Option 4
Detailed Analysis:
The sentence would best fit Blank 2 because it ties together the ideas presented in the paragraph. The paragraph describes the dual inheritance theory. In the first two lines, the author states the theory. The given sentence extends the idea and gives the implication of the theory. After blank 2, the author exemplifies the implication given in the sentence(problem sentence) in the following line. Thus, the correct option is B.
Q.4 The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage. To defend the sequence of alphabetisation may seem bizarre, so obvious is its application that it is hard to imagine a reference, catalogue or listing without it. But alphabetical order was not an immediate consequence of the alphabet itself. In the Middle Ages, deference for ecclesiastical tradition left scholars reluctant to categorise things according to the alphabet — to do so would be a rejection of the divine order. The rediscovery of the ancient Greek and Roman classics necessitated more efficient ways of ordering, searching and referencing texts. Government bureaucracy in the 16th and 17th centuries quickened the advance of alphabetical order, bringing with it pigeonholes, notebooks and card indexes.
A. Unlike the alphabet, once the efficacy of the alphabetic sequence became apparent to scholars and administrators, its use became widespread.
B. The alphabetic order took several centuries to gain common currency because of religious beliefs and a lack of appreciation of its efficacy in the ordering of things.
C. The ban on the use by scholars of any form of categorisation - but the divinely ordained one - delayed the adoption of the alphabetic sequence by several centuries.
D. While adoption of the written alphabet was easily accomplished, it took scholars several centuries to accept the alphabetic sequence as a useful tool in their work.
Detailed Analysis:
The main ideas of the paragraph are: i) The alphabetical order did not directly follow the discovery of alphabets. ii) Scholars were reluctant to categorize the alphabet in the middle ages because of the fear of rejection of the divine order. iii) Only after the rediscovery of Greek and Roman classics and the Government bureaucracy in later centuries did the categorization happen. Option A misses capturing the point of why scholars were reluctant to categorize things according to the alphabet Option C is factually incorrect in mentioning the ban on the use. Option D can be eliminated on the same grounds as option A. Option B captures the essence of the main points most aptly and hence, is the best answer. Thus, the correct option is B
Q.5 The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) below, when properly sequenced, would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer: 1. The more we are able to accept that our achievements are largely out of our control, the easier it becomes to understand that our failures, and those of others, are too. 2. But the raft of recent books about the limits of merit is an important correction to the arrogance of contemporary entitlement and an opportunity to reassert the importance of luck, or grace, in our thinking. 3. Meritocracy as an organising principle is an inevitable function of a free society, as we are designed to see our achievements as worthy of reward. 4. And that in turn should increase our humility and the respect with which we treat our fellow citizens, helping ultimately to build a more compassionate society.
A. 3214
B. 4312
C. 1324
D. 4132
Detailed Analysis:
A brief reading of the sentences suggests that the paragraph is about the limits to considering meritocracy as an organising principle in a free society. Statement 3 introduces the topic at hand by stating the inevitability of meritocracy. Statement 2 initiates the main idea by citing the general idea given in recent books about the limits of merit and its applicability. Thus, 3-2 will form a pair. Statement 1 extends this idea by giving the benefits of understanding the limits, and statement 4 follows this by applying this to build a more compassionate society. Thus, the correct sequence will be 3-2-1-4
Q.6 The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) below, when properly sequenced, would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer: 1. Various industrial sectors including retail, transit systems, enterprises, educational institutions, event organizing, finance, travel etc. have now started leveraging these beacons solutions to track and communicate with their customers. 2. A beacon fixed on to a shop wall enables the retailer to assess the proximity of the customer, and come up with a much targeted or personalized communication like offers, discounts and combos on products in each shelf. 3. Smartphones or other mobile devices can capture the beacon signals, and distance can be estimated by measuring received signal strength. 4. Beacons are tiny and inexpensive, micro-location-based technology devices that can send radio frequency signals and notify nearby Bluetooth devices of their presence and transmit information.
A. 4312
B. 1234
C. 1234
D. 4213
Detailed Analysis:
A brief reading of the sentences suggests that the paragraph is about beacons and their applications. Statement 4 introduces the topic by giving the definition and its utility. Statement 3 sheds light on the working of beacons. Thus, statement 3 will follow statement 4. Sentences 1 and 2 discuss the utility of these beacons in different industrial sectors, with statement 2 explaining how the beacon would help retailers. Thus, the correct order will be 4-3-1-2.
Q.7 There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit. Sentence: This has meant a lot of uncertainty around what a wide-scale return to office might look like in practice. Paragraph: Bringing workers back to their desks has been a rocky road for employers and employees alike. The evolution of the pandemic has meant that best-laid plans have often not materialised. ___(1)___ The flow of workers back into offices has been more of a trickle than a steady stream. ___(2)___ Yet while plenty of companies are still working through their new policies, some employees across the globe are now back at their desks, whether on a full-time or hybrid basis. ___(3)___ That means we’re beginning to get some clarity on what return-to-office means - what’s working, as well as what has yet to be settled. ___(4)___
A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Option 3
D. Option 4
Detailed Analysis:
The sentence would best fit in Blank 2 because it ties together the ideas presented in the paragraph. The paragraph describes the problems in getting back the employees in the office. In the first two lines, the author mentions this problem. The given sentence gives the effect of the problems and hence will occupy the blank 2. Also, after blank 2, the author changes the flow of the idea and starts describing the present scenario regarding the steps taken by the companies to face this issue. Thus, the correct option is B.
Q.8 The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage. “It does seem to me that the job of comedy is to offend, or have the potential to offend, and it cannot be drained of that potential,” Rowan Atkinson said of cancel culture.“Every joke has a victim. That’s the definition of a joke. Someone or something or an idea is made to look ridiculous.” The Netflix star continued, “I think you’ve got to be very, very careful about saying what you’re allowed to make jokes about. You’ve always got to kick up? Really?” He added, “There are lots of extremely smug and selfsatisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
A. All jokes target someone and one should be able to joke about anyone in the society, which is inconsistent with cancel culture.
B. Every joke needs a victim and one needs to include people from lower down the society and not just the upper class.
C. Victims of jokes must not only be politicians and royalty, but also arrogant people from lower classes should be mentioned by comedians.
D. Cancel culture does not understand the role and duty of comedians, which is to deride and mock everyone
Detailed Analysis:
The main ideas of the passage are: i) The job of a joke is to offend its target(victim) irrespective of its status. ii) The cancel culture deems it inappropriate to joke about people deemed lower in society. Option A: This option includes both the main points and hence is the correct answer. Option B: This is a distorted option. The ideas in the paragraph are not intended to persuade to include people from the lower class in the joke. Thus, this is not the correct answer. Option C: Again, this is a distorted option and can be eliminated based on the explanation given in option B. Option D: This is also a distorted option, as nowhere in the passage the duties of a comedian are mentioned. Thus, this is not the correct option. Thus, the correct option is A.
Q.9 The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) below, when properly sequenced, would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer: 1. The trajectory of cheerfulness through the self is linked to the history of the word ‘cheer’ which comes from an Old French meaning ‘face’. 2. Translations of the Bible into vernacular languages, expanded the noun ‘cheer’ into the more abstract ‘cheerful-ness’, something that circulates as an emotional and social quality defining the self and a moral community. 3. When you take on a cheerful expression, no matter what the state of your soul, your cheerfulness moves into the self: the interior of the self is changed by the power of cheer. 4. People in the medieval ‘Canterbury Tales’ have a ‘piteous’ or a ‘sober’ cheer; ‘cheer’ is an expression and a body part, lying at the intersection of emotions and physiognomy
A. 3142
B. 1243
C. 2341
D. 1234
Detailed Analysis:
The given set of sentences talks about the concept of cheerfulness and how it can affect a person's internal state. It discusses the history of the word "cheer," which originally referred to a person's facial expression, and how it came to be associated with an abstract concept of positive emotion. The passage also notes that translations of the Bible into vernacular languages helped to expand the meaning of "cheer" to include a sense of cheerfulness or positivity as a quality of the self and a moral community. We note that sentences 1, 2 and 4 are part of the timeline the author traces, while statement 3 is a broad claim that would serve as an apt introduction. The idea of cheerfulness and self that is mentioned in 3 is linked to the " trajectory of cheerfulness through the self" highlighted in statement 1, allowing us to form the pair [3-1]. Note that 4 discusses how cheer came to be perceived as a trait at the intersection of emotion and a physical feature [as highlighted in 1 - where it has been categorised as a facial feature]. Sentence 2 then extends on this idea by how cheerfulness, over time, came to be considered as "an emotional and social quality." Hence, the correct arrangement is 3142.
Q.10 There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit. Sentence: Most were first-time users of a tablet and a digital app. Paragraph: Aage Badhein’s USP lies in the ethnographic research that constituted the foundation of its development process. Customizations based on learning directly from potential users were critical to making this self-paced app suitable for both a literate and non-literate audience. ___(1)___ The user interface caters to a Hindi-speaking audience who have minimal to no experience with digital services and devices. ___(2)___ The content and functionality of the app are suitable for a wide audience. This includes youth preparing for an independent role in life or a student ready to create a strong foundation of financial management early in her life. ___(3)___ Household members desirous of improving their family’s financial strength to reach their aspirations can also benefit. We piloted Aage Badhein in early 2021 with over 400 women from rural areas. ___(4)___ The digital solution generated a large amount of interest in the communities.
A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Option 3
D. Option 4
Detailed Analysis:
The sentence "Most were first-time users of a tablet and a digital app " would fit best in blank 4 because it provides information about the specific group of people who were involved in the pilot study for the app. The preceding sentence mentions that the app was piloted in early 2021 with over 400 women from rural areas, and the added sentence provides further detail about the specific experiences that these users had with technology. This information helps to clarify that the pilot study for the app involved a group of people who may be unfamiliar with digital devices and services, and it also helps to emphasize the potential impact that the app may have had on these users. Placing the sentence in blank 4 is logical because it provides relevant and specific information about the pilot study for the app, which is the topic being discussed in that part of the paragraph. By contrast, placing the sentence in any of the other blanks would be less logical because it would be introducing information that is not directly related to the main topic being discussed in those parts of the paragraph. Hence, Option D is the correct choice.
