Put the CAT in the bag

Updated on: Monday, September 06, 2010

CAT puts you on the threshold of entry into the IIMs and over a hundred other top MBA institutes. Last week we brought you part of the Verbal Ability mock paper. We end our series of papers on CAT with this continuation of the Verbal Ability section. Before we end, do remember that CAT becomes difficult because of the preconceived notions about the test and the environment it’s held in and not because of its content. You CAN bell the CAT it’s just a matter of perception. Good luck!

VERBAL ABILITY

Directions for questions 1 and 2: There are two blanks in each of the following sentences. From the pairs of words given below, choose the pair that fills the blanks most appropriately.

1. In ______ the government for going to war for ______ objectives without a clear plan, the Winograd Commission of enquiries followed in the footsteps of earlier commissions that held nothing back while exposing the failures of Israeli regimes.
(1) eulogising .......... ambiguous
(2) criticising .......... lofty
(3) indicting .......... unobtainable
(4) censuring ..........praiseworthy
(5) extolling .......... questionable

2. Apart from ______ emissions in developed economies, policy makers are hopeful that carbon trading will help provide the finance to clean up heavy industry in poor countries where economic expansion is set to ______ emission levels.
(1) reducing .......... increase
(2) controlling ......... decrease
(3) checking .......... explode
(4) augmenting .......expand
(5) eliminating .......... push

Directions for questions 3 and 4: The following question has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

3. The police probe revealed that specially procured equipment, meant for troops posted in high-altitude areas, had found its way into the open market. These included sub-zero weather jackets, expensive snow boots, thermal trousers and even parachutes. It was this that set off alarm bells ringing in the defence ministry in Delhi. ____
(1) The efforts put in by the army intelligence mechanism helped uncover this pilferage and the army is now co-operating with the police.
(2) Immediately the top brass were ordered to closely monitor the situation and initiate action.
(3) The first raids were conducted without the knowledge of the military, to ensure that the guilty did not destroy crucial evidence.
(4) The demand for such equipment went up significantly when the army started maintaining posts in the higher reaches.
(5) The scam is appalling because it involves pilfering equipment meant for troops deployed in one of the most inhospitable battlefields in the world.

4. Zanzibar in its time had great wealth. Its trading vessels, single and twin-masted dhows at first, transported cloves and cinnamon, timber and ivory from the harbour in Stone Town across the Indian Ocean. Ageing palaces on the water front testify to the affluence of Zanzibar’s former ruling class.______
(1) It was actually the British who drew the world’s attention to Zanzibar’s slavery.
(2) Otherwise, there is today the all too usual African picture of decay, buildings lapsing into dereliction with the new construction
visible.
(3) The basis of Zanzibar’s tourist appeal is a vibrant fusion which is both relaxing and stimulating.
(4) One of the most attractive tourist destinations around the world is the island of Zanzibar which is now a part of Tanzania.
(5) Zanzibar depends heavily on tourism which is a mixed blessing as old buildings are turned into hotels.

Directions for questions 5 and 6: Identify the incorrect sentence or sentences.

5. (A) I was teaching English in Peru, for four months.
(B) My mother had frequently talked about coming to visit from England.
(C) When she had arrived finally we ventured into Bolivia.
(D) We went trekking through the countryside, watching fantastic sunsets.
(1) A, B and D (2) Only D (3) B and C (4) A and C (5) Only B

6. (A) As globalisation has made rapid strides over the years, the world has shrunk.
(B) Trade barriers have significantly been dismantled.
(C) The whole world has become one market.
(D) Our debut in going global, with a foray over Thailand, prepared us for this new world order.
(1) A, B and D (2) Only D (3) C and D (4) A and B (5) Only A

Directions for question 7: In each question, there are five sentences/paragraphs. The sentence/ paragraph labelled A is in its correct place. The four that follow are labelled B, C, D and E, and need to be arranged in logical order to form a coherent paragraph/passage. From the given options, choose the most appropriate option.

7. (A) The dreaded backlash has begun as militant anti-government street demonstrations, sparked by anger over mounting job losses and fear of an uncertain future, erupt across Europe in the face of a deepening economic crisis.
(B) The growing unrest has already claimed its first casualty with the collapse of Iceland’s right wing government under sustained public pressure.
(C) Although it is still early days and the talk of the 1960s style of protests that brought Europe to its knees is a bit premature, the warning signals are clearly up as people ‘gear up’ for ‘direct action.’
(D) And it is spreading tremors in Britain, France, Greece and a host of former communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe including Russia. This is their first taste of how brutal free market capitalism can be and they don’t like it.
(E) The anger has been fuelled by the perception that the governments are too busy bailing out banks and big businesses to bother about the common people
(1) BCED (2) CEBD (3) CEDB (4) ECBD (5) BECD

Answers: Verbal Ability
1. 3 2. 1
3. 2 4. 2
5. 4 6. 1
7. 4

Put the CAT in the bag

More Education news