Practice Questions
- Currently people in the United States eat, on the average, 1,431 pounds of food per year, 35 pounds more than in 1980. This increase is, at least in part, because people between the ages of 15 and 64 have accounted for an increasing share of the population.Which of the following can be properly inferred from the passage above?
A. More than half of the current population of the United States is between the ages of 15 and 64.
B. The population has risen since 1980.
C. Children below the age of 15 require, on the average, more food than do people over the age of 64.
D. Before 1980, children below the age of 15 outnumbered people between the age of 15 and 64.
E. Individuals between the ages of 15 and 64 consume, on the average, more food than do those younger or older. - “There is no reason to rule out the possibility of life on Uranus. We must, then, undertake the exploration of that planet”.
The argument above assumes that
A. life exists on Uranus.
B. Uranus is the only other planet in the solar system capable of supporting life.
C. Uranian life would be readily recognizable as life.
D. The search for life is a sufficient motive for space exploration.
E. No one has previously proposed the exploration of Uranus. - Sue: Commercial flights currently contribute more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in one year than does the whole of Africa. If we want to reduce global warming we need to restrict the number of flights we take.
Dave: Did you know that by taking one inter-continental flight you cause more pollution than you would in twelve months of car travel?
Dave’s response to Sue’s comment serves to
A. Reinforce Sue’s contention that flights are a major contributor to increased carbon dioxide levels .
B. Add more weight to her contention that we should reduce the number of flights we take.
C. Mitigate the force of her argument by suggesting that there is an alternative approach.
D. Suggest an alternative that will reduce the effect of pollution.
E. Question whether she really understands the severity of global warming. - It is not unusual to see the ball fall into a black slot on a roulette wheel four times in a row. But for it to fall five or six times in a row into the same color is very unusual. Therefore you can win money by waiting for a run of five of the same color and then betting against that color.
If the roulette wheel in question is a fair wheel, which of the following observations or facts, if it were true, would best reveal a fallacy in the logic?
A. If there were a reliable way to win at roulette it would be well-known by now.
B. It is hard for a player to keep track of what went before for the time required.
C. The probability of getting a particular color decreases with the number of times the color has appeared.
D. The probability of getting a particular color is always the same no matter what has gone before.
E. A person who makes money this way once or twice, will carry on to lose that money after a few more times. - India’s baffling array of state and national labor laws date to the 1940s: one provides for the type and number of spittoons in a factory. Another says an enterprise with more than 100 workers needs government permission to scale back or close. Many Indian businesses stay small in order to remain beyond the reach of the laws. Big firms use temporary workers to avoid them. Less than 15% of Indian workers have legal job security. The new government can sidestep the difficult politics of curbing privileges by establishing a new, simpler labor contract that gives basic protection to workers but makes lay-offs less costly to firms. It would apply only to new hires; the small proportion of existing workers with gold-star protections would keep them.
Which of the following options best summarizes the main idea of the paragraph?
A. More Indian workers can get permanent jobs and legal job security if existing labor laws are reformed.
B. Effective labor law reform can encourage many Indian businesses to grow to more than 100 workers.
C. Outdated Indian labor laws need to be simplified to provide basic protection to workers and curb privileges.
D. The difficult politics of curbing privileges can be avoided if the changes in the labor law only apply to the new hires. - A study published in 2006 by Friedrich Schneider on the world’s shadow economies dealt briefly with the “tax morality” of Germans. According to the study, two-thirds of the Germans surveyed regarded tax evasion as a “trivial offence,” while only one-third judged stealing a newspaper this way. Indian tax morality is similar, but it makes a distinction between expatriate illicit money, which is viewed as a serious crime perpetrated by the very corrupt, and money held within India, which is perceived as a practical measure.
Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the above?
(i) Two-thirds of the Germans evade tax and consider it only a trivial offence.
(ii) Stealing a newspaper is a bigger crime in Germany than tax evasion.
(iii) As long as the money is held in India, illicit money is accepted as practical by Indians.
(iv) Indians regard tax evasion, especially holding illicit money abroad, as a serious crime.
A. i, ii, iv
B. i and iv
C. only iii
D. iii and iv - Data on planes returning from bombing missions was used to study of the vulnerability of airplanes to enemy fire. Analyzing the pattern and frequency of hits from enemy gunfire, it was seen that some parts of planes were hit disproportionately more often than other parts. How could these planes be optimally reinforced with armor plating? There were tradeoffs to consider. Every addition of plating added to the weight of the plane, decreasing its performance. Therefore, reinforcements needed to be added only to the most vulnerable areas of the planes.
Which of the following can be concluded from the above?
A. The parts hit disproportionately more than the others have to be reinforced as those received the maximum amount of damage.
B. No conclusion can be drawn as the data set is incomplete. There is no data on the planes shot down.
C. The parts with the least damage have to be reinforced, as the returning planes have survived attacks to the most damaged areas.
D. Reinforcements have to be added to all areas of the plane. - Oklahoma is not perceived as overpopulated because, in spite of a horrendous drought, it is not facing famine. Famine in Oklahoma is inconceivable because it receives a fair price for its exports, it has not leased its land to foreign countries, the poorest of the poor receive a helping hand from the government, and farmers and ranchers receive federal assistance in times of droughts. It is a lack of these factors in Horn of Africa, plus political insecurity in Somalia, which explain the famine – not overpopulation.
Which of the following options best summarizes the main idea of the paragraph?
A. Hunger is caused by too many people pressing against finite resources.
B. In spite of drought and overpopulation, there is no famine in Oklahoma.
C. Overpopulation and famine are not causally related in the Horn of Africa.
D. Famine in the Horn of Africa is not only due to overpopulation but, more importantly, due to the lack of government assistance and political insecurity. - In Dec 2014, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey, asking 1507 people spread among all 50 states and the District of Columbia , “What do you think is more important – to protect the right of Americans to own guns or to control gun ownership?” For the first time in more than two decades, a higher percentage (52%) said it was more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns than to control gun ownership (46%). The researchers used 1993 as a reference point because it’s seen as the height of gun violence in America; they also noted that gun-related violence fell sharply in the 1990s and more gradually in later years. But Pew also noted that many Americans didn’t seem to agree with the numbers. A survey found that only 12 percent of respondents thought the gun crime rate was lower than it was in 1993 — and 56 percent thought it was higher.
It can be concluded from this survey result that:
A. Though gun crime is thought to be rising, a majority of people are against stricter background checks on gun purchases.
B. Most people are not in favor of proposals to restrict gun sales as gun-related violence is falling.
C. More Americans believe the right to own a gun should be protected, despite perceived increase in gun crime.
D. With falling gun crime, fewer Americans support controls on gun ownership. - Championing objectivity in writing—and, more precisely, decrying solipsism, narcissism, and self-absorption—can of course have legitimate uses. In the era of Twitter and Facebook, when we are given an infinite supply of blank fields to fill with our thoughts, we are all encouraged to think we are more interesting than we actually are. And yet there is a compelling argument to be made, more generally, that journalism’s putative standards of objectivity are sometimes wielded to check not subjectivity, per se, but unwanted subjectivities. The method of testing information – the approach to evidence- is meant to be objective, not the journalist. The key is in the discipline of the craft, not the aim.
Which of the following is the writer least likely to agree with?
A. By not taking sides in an argument a journalist can strive to be objective, a worthwhile aspiration even if it is not perfectly achieved.
B. Objective journalism is not one that is without bias, but one in which bias has to stand up to evidence and results.
C. All journalism has a point of view and a set of interests it advances.
D. Objectivity in writing is about making the story more than just about the writer. - Contrary to popular belief, the idea of evolution didn’t originate with Darwin, but was around for decades before he came along. His accomplishment was to come up with a workable scheme by which it likely occurred. Darwin, it must be said, had unusual exposure to the enormous diversity of life on earth for a man living in his time, through his voyage on the Beagle. However, his eureka moment came not through studying biology, but by reading the paper of an economist, Thomas Malthus, which showed that populations grow faster than the resources to sustain them. It was then that Darwin realized that only those best adapted to their environment would survive and pass on their traits to offspring.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
A. It is impossible to come up with big insights without crossing domains.
B. The idea of evolution did not originate with Darwin.
C. It is Malthus, not Darwin, who should be given credit for the theory of evolution.
D. It was the connections that Darwin uncovered more than the facts themselves that made his work important. - It has been argued by behavioral economists in all earnestness that poverty shapes mindsets. From here, it is a hop, skip, and jump to holding that the poor are poor because their poverty prevents them from thinking and acting in ways that can take them out of poverty. When behaviorist economics speaks of poverty as a “cognitive tax”, it writes ‘action’ — the political agency of the poor — out of the equation. In such a case, the focus as well as the onus of poverty-alleviation would shift from the state — from macroeconomic policy, from having to provide employment, health and education — to changing the behavior of the poor. The structural causes of poverty — rising inequality and unemployment — as well as the behavior of the owners of capital are evicted from the poverty debate, and no longer need be the focus of public policy.
Which of these options best summarizes the given paragraph?
A. Where decisions of the poor tend to be flawed from an economic point of view, behavioral economists believe that governments can intervene with policies aimed at nudging the poor towards the right decision.
B. By shifting the burden of poverty alleviation from the state onto the poor themselves, behavioral economists are ignoring both the structural causes of poverty as well as the behavior of the wealthy.
C. Given that poverty diminishes political agency and shapes mindsets, insights into how poverty affects behavior could have implications in public policy.
D. The focus of public policy ought to be in providing employment, health and education, rather than addressing rising inequality and changing the behavior of the poor. - Many scientific studies have found links between genius and mental illness, particularly bipolar disorder in which patients have violent mood swings between elation and depression. In one interesting Swedish study, 700,000 Swedes had intelligence tests at age 16 and again 10 years later. Those who scored well were four times more likely than the others to have developed bipolar disorder. The US neurologist James Fallon came up with a convincing argument based on his own findings in the field: the brain area involved in mood swings is the same area where creativity is born. This may explain why some people can draw previously unseen connections among ideas, images, shapes and the like.
Which of the following is inferred from the above?
A. Those with bipolar disorder are likely to be highly intelligent.
B. Most people who excel in creativity are likely suffering from a mental problem.
C. Often there is a correlation between mental illness and genius.
D. Mental disorders give birth to genius. - Any reporter worthy of the name would no sooner fiddle with direct quotes than a reputable photojournalist would alter his or her picture. News photographs are the equivalent of direct quotations and therefore are sacrosanct. To be sure, just as a writer can, in the interest of brevity or impact, choose which quotes to use in a story, so can a news photographer or picture editor crop out dead space in a news photo, or use the electronic equivalent of dodging or burning in to make a picture reproduce better. In this, I am reminded of what a Washington Times shooter once told me. On a computer outside the paper’s darkroom, she said, there was plastered this flat admonition and warning: “If you can’t do it in the darkroom, don’t do it here”.
Which of the following is the author least likely to agree with?
A. In photojournalism, editing news photographs by truncating dead space is licit.
B. The key elements of a news photograph, like the key words in a direct quote, are off limits to manipulation.
C. Journalists of repute choose amongst, but do not distort direct quotations.
D. It is permissible for a photojournalist to alter a news photo in the interest of brevity or impact. - A holistic reading of the current state of our constitutional jurisprudence would demonstrate that the right to privacy is firmly embedded in our constitutional scheme as a non-negotiable imperative that owes no apology to a myopic view of our republican charter. Indeed, considering the fundamental principles of the nation as “not rules for the passing hour, but principles for an expanding future”, the apex court, as the ultimate arbiter of constitutional conscience, has given fundamental rights their meaning in new settings consistent with the aspirations of our people. This is so that we may have a ‘living constitution’ which can protect, preserve and defend sacrosanct libertarian values that remain the bedrock of the Republic and constitute the core of the Constitution. Rather than deny us our constitutional right , the Union Government ought to enact a privacy legislation to clearly define the rights of citizens consistent with the promise of the Constitution.
Which of the following is the author most likely to agree with?
A. Our republican charter has a myopic view of the right to privacy
B. The Supreme Court has been rigid in its interpretation of the Constitution
C. The right to privacy is rooted in our constitutional scheme.
D. A new privacy legislation has to be defined as the right to privacy is not dealt with in the Constitution. - In an attempt to encourage “livelier” writing, some teachers want children to stop using words like ‘said’, which doesn’t have any emotion. The assumption here is that emotion is a desirable quality in every word of a sentence, and that a rich word is always more appropriate than a plain one. You don’t have to invoke Hemingway, who made a fetish of plain words, to recognize that successful writing modulates the lavishness of its diction for effect, rather than cranking the dial all the way to maximum floridity and leaving it there.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
A. Successful writers use only plain, unemotional words.
B. Emotion is not a desirable quality in every sentence.
C. Avoiding words like “said” helps children improve their writing.
D. Good writers use rich words in moderation, for effect. - Euphemisms in use seem to change every generation or so – a tendency towards which we often roll our eyes. But the fact is that a word is always redolent of various associations and metaphorical extensions beyond its core meaning. Indeed, a word is like a bell tone, with a central pitch seasoned by overtones. As the tone fades away, the overtones can hang in the air. Words then bias as equivalents to the overtones. As we move on the euphemism treadmill then, from ‘crippled’ to ‘handicapped’ to ‘disabled’ to ‘differently abled’, we acknowledge the eternal gulf between language and opinion. In a linguistically mature society, we should expect that the terms we introduce to help us kick off new ways of thinking will require periodic replacement, like tyres.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
A. All words wear out with use, like tyres, and need to be replaced periodically with more meaningful equivalents.
B. The eternal quest for euphemisms to bridge the gap between language and opinion is tedious.
C. We must accept the euphemism treadmill as an essential part of linguistic life in a civilized society.
D. Euphemisms help us avoid the trap of thinking too much into the meanings of words. - Many students, especially those who are poor, intuitively know what the schools do for them. They school them to confuse process and substance. Once these become blurred, a new logic is assumed: the more treatment there is, the better are the results; or, escalation leads to success. The pupil is thereby schooled to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to say something new. His imagination is schooled to accept service in place of value. Medical treatment is mistaken for health care, social work for the improvement of community life, police protection for safety, military poise for national security, the rat race for productive work. Health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavor are defined as little more than the performance of the institutions which claim to serve these ends, and their improvement is made to depend on allocating more resources to the management of hospitals, schools, and other agencies in question.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
A. Allocating more resources to health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavor is not likely to increase their quality.
B. Schooling doctors thinking by teaching students to identify the process with the results.
C. As a society we often mistake grades and diplomas for competence, medical treatment for healthcare, police protection for safety and the rat race for productive work.
D. When it comes to schooling, less is more: the less the treatment there is, better the results
1. E
2. D
3. B
4. D
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. C
9. C
10. A
11. D
12. B
13. C
14. D
15. C
16. D
17. C
18. B
2. D
3. B
4. D
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. C
9. C
10. A
11. D
12. B
13. C
14. D
15. C
16. D
17. C
18. B
- The author attributes the increase in the average per-capita consumption of food in US during the last decade partly to the fact that the proportion of people in the age group 15 to 64 to the total population has increased during this period.The obvious inference from this conclusion is that people in the age group 15 to 64 consume relatively more food per capita than people in other age groups. So, (E) is the answer.What the given passage implies is that the proportion of people in the age group 15 to 64 is greater now than it was in 1980. By stating that this proportion is more than 50%, (A) extends the scope of the given statement beyond what is immediately implied by it, and is wrong.If the given narration had said that the total consumption of food by people in the United States had increased since 1980, an inference could the that the population had risen since that year. But what the narration says is that the per capita consumption of food has increased by 30%. This increase would have been possible even if the population had decreased. Therefore, (B) is not a necessary inference from the given information.
The given narration combines those below 15 and those above 64 as a single group. Choices (C) and (D), which make distinctions between them, extend the scope of the given narration beyond its immediate implication, and are not necessary inferences from it.
- From the only stated premise “There is no reason to rule out the possibility of life in Uranus”, the speaker comes to the conclusion that “we must undertake the exploration of that planet”.So, he assumes that the search for life is a sufficient reason for the exploration of other planets.It is (D) which is closest to this statement, and is the answer.The speaker only guesses that there may be life on Uranus. (A) raises the scope of his belief to the level of a certainty, and is wrong.
The speaker’s statement is confined to Uranus, and there is no reference in it to the possibility or impossibility or impossibility of life in any other planet in the solar system. So, (B) also extends the scope of his statement beyond what immediately follows from it, and is wrong.
Apart from speculating that there may be life on Uranus, the speaker does not speculate on how it will look like. So, (C) also extends the scope of the speaker’s statement, and is wrong. (If there is indeed life on Uranus, it may have thousands of different forms as it does on earth, and not just a single form!)
While it may true that none has previously explored Uranus, the statement that none has earlier proposed the exploration of Uranus also extends the scope of what the speaker says, and is not a necessary assumption for the conclusion.
- Since Dave’s comments don’t challenge what Sue says, we can eliminate answers E and C (mitigate = lessen). His comments reinforce what she says and so A sounds tempting but is wrong since Dave talks about pollution in general and doesn’t mention carbon dioxide. Of the remaining choices, B is best since Dave does give information that suggests, like Sue, that we should take fewer flights. (D is incorrect mainly because Dave is not talking about the effect of pollution. Note how careful you have to be that all the words in an answer are exactly right.
- In such questions many of the answer choices can be factually correct or reasonable sounding, and so eliminating without understanding the question is not possible. Your job is to find the best answer to the specific question, so read carefully. A fallacy in the logic is an error in the thinking behind the proposal. The person concludes that if you wait for a run of five of the same color and then bet against the color, you WILL win. Now the logic behind that suggests that the probability of getting that same color again is low. But just as tossing a fair coin always gives an even chance of a head or tail no matter what has gone before, the probability of getting a color is always the same no matter what has gone before.
- This paragraph is about dated Indian labor laws. It cites some examples highlighting how some aspects of the laws are irrelevant today, how these are affecting both firms and people they employ and suggests a possible solution to the “difficult politics of curbing privileges”.In summary, the labor laws in India are dated and need to be reformed. A simpler labor contract that gives basic protection to workers while restricting the privileges for new hires and making layoffs less costly to firms is needed.Let’s consider the options:Option A- More Indian workers can get permanent jobs and legal job security if existing labor laws are reformed. The paragraph states that big firms use temporary workers to avoid laws that are applicable for enterprises with over 100 workers. Thus, only a small percentage of Indian workers have legal job security.
From the above, we cannot however conclude that if labor laws are reformed, more workers can get permanent jobs. There could be other factors influencing whether workers are taken in as temporary or permanent. Also, the above is not the main idea of the paragraph. Temporary workers are one aspect of the impact of outdated labor laws discussed by the paragraph; it does not summarize the paragraph.
Option B- Effective labor law reform can encourage many Indian businesses to grow to more than 100 workers. The paragraph does argue that outdated labor laws mean that most businesses stay small to avoid them. So the above is a reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from the paragraph. However, it is not the main idea of the paragraph, and does not summarize it.
Option D- The difficult politics of curbing privileges can be avoided if the changes in the labor law only apply to the new hires. Again, this is stated in the paragraph. However, does it summarize the paragraph? This option only touches upon one aspect of labor law reform suggested. Hence this is not the correct choice of answer.
Option C- Outdated Indian labor laws need to be simplified to provide basic protection to workers and curb privileges. We can see that this option touches upon the main points of the paragraph- outdated labor laws, need for reform to simplify, basic protection for workers and curbing privileges.
This is hence the option that best summarizes the paragraph.
- Let’s consider each of the options given in order.
i. Two-thirds of the Germans evade tax and consider it only a trivial offence.
The given paragraph only tells us that two-thirds of the Germans surveyed regarded tax evasion as a trivial offence. It does not imply that two-thirds of the Germans actually evade tax. This statement is hence incorrect.
ii. Stealing a newspaper is a bigger crime in Germany than tax evasion.
Clearly, this is false. Stealing a newspaper is not a “bigger crime” in Germany. Whilst two-thirds of the Germans surveyed considered tax evasion as a trivial offence, only one-third thought that stealing a newspaper was a trivial offence.
iii. As long as the money is held in India, illicit money is accepted as practical by Indians.
The paragraph given states that tax- evaded money held within India is accepted as practical. This statement is hence true.
iv. Indians regard tax evasion, especially holding illicit money abroad, as a serious crime.
It is clear from the paragraph that holding illicit money abroad is thought to be a serious crime in India.However, the paragraph starts by discussing “tax morality” and the German view of it as a trivial offence. It further states that Indian tax morality is similar but makes a distinction based on where the illicit money is held. This implies that Indians generally regard tax evasion as a trivial offence too, as long as the illicit money is held in India. Tax evasion is considered a serious crime only when expatriate illicit money is held abroad. Hence statement iv is also incorrect.So, the only conclusion of the given ones that can be drawn from the paragraph is iii - This is a real life example of critical reasoning used to solve a military problem during the World War II. A mathematician named Abraham Wald was given this challenging problem by military officials.Option A seems to be the logical conclusion. Counter-intuitively, Wald recommended just the opposite, the reinforcement of those areas with the least frequency of bullet holes.Wald’s profound insight was to focus on the unseen. Taking survivorship bias into account, he grasped that the returning aircraft were the survivors, receiving enemy fire in non-vulnerable areas.The downed aircraft (which were not part of the data set) were the ones that had received the fatal hits, most likely to the remaining areas. It was those remaining areas (the ones free of bullet holes in the surviving planes) that needed the extra armor plating.
- This paragraph starts out with the statement that Oklahoma is not perceived as overpopulated (implying it is, in actuality), because, despite facing a drought, there is no famine in Oklahoma. It goes on to explain why. Famine is “inconceivable” in Oklahoma because of some important reasons- it receives a fair price for exports, controls its own lands and the government helps out the poor, as well as the farmers and ranchers when there is a drought. The paragraph concludes that it is the absence of these factors in the Horn of Africa, plus the political insecurity in the case of Somalia that explain the famine in the Horn of Africa, emphasizing that overpopulation is not the reason for the famine there.Let us consider the answer options one by one.Option a- Hunger is caused by too many people pressing against finite resources. Most definitely, this option is incorrect. The given paragraph emphasizes that famine is not caused because of overpopulation.Option b- In spite of drought and overpopulation, there is no famine in Oklahoma. The paragraph given states this. However, this is not the main idea of the paragraph. The case of Oklahoma is discussed to justify why famine in the Horn of Africa is not due to overpopulation. Hence, option b is also ruled out.
Option c- Overpopulation and famine are not causally related in the Horn of Africa. This option, clearly, is what the paragraph is trying to convey. Overpopulation is not the cause of famine in the Horn of Africa. The absence of the other factors described in Oklahoma, another overpopulated location facing drought, explains the famine in the Horn of Africa.
Option d- Famine in the Horn of Africa is not only due to overpopulation but, more importantly, due to the lack of government assistance and political insecurity. At the outset, this looks like a very plausible answer. The lack of government assistance and political insecurity are clearly mentioned as factors contributing to the prevalence of famine in the Horn of Africa. However, the catch here is “not only due to overpopulation”. The given paragraph categorically states that it is the lack of the specified factors that explain the famine in the Horn of Africa, not overpopulation. So option d is incorrect, as it includes overpopulation as a reason for the famine.
- This question presents respondents with two alternatives: When the issue of guns is raised, do you find yourself more on the side of protecting gun rights or controlling gun ownership? From the survey results we can conclude that.• More Americans today think their right to own a gun should be protected, as compared to those who vote for control in gun ownership
• Though the numbers show that gun crime is falling as compared to 1993, people believe otherwise.Consider option A. The part of the sentence that says “Though gun crime is thought to be rising” is true.But from the survey question, it cannot be said whether the majority of people are against stricter background checks on gun purchases. This is a specific issue of gun policy not addressed by the survey.Option B is ruled out on 2 counts. Firstly it talks of proposals to restrict gun sales. We have no idea what these proposals may be and the reaction of the public to them is beyond the scope of this survey. Secondly, people not being in favor of something because gun related violence is falling does not make sense given the fact that people actually believe gun related violence is increasing.
Based on the second argument above, we can rule out option D as well. Fewer Americans today support control in gun ownership, but that cannot be linked to fall in gun crime.
Considering option C, we can see from the survey that a majority of Americans believe the right to own a gun should be protected. From the other information we have we know that as far as gun crime is concerned there is a perceived increase. So C is the correct answer.
- The paragraph starts by stating that advocating objectivity in writing can have legitimate uses. It defines “objectivity” as avoiding self-absorption and self-love in writing. The paragraph then goes on to say that “journalism’s putative standards of objectivity are sometimes wielded to check not subjectivity, per se, but unwanted subjectivities”. That is, the standards of objectivity in journalism are exercised not to check subjectivity as such, but unwanted biases. It is not the journalist who is meant to be objective, but rather, his approach to evidence and testing facts and information. The key, we are told, is being objective in the discipline of the craft – the method or approach to the evidence and facts. Objectivity is not the aim of journalism.The main idea of the paragraph is that journalism that is objective is one where the approach – verification of information, facts and evidence- is objective. It does not imply that the writing is without bias.The question is which of the given statements the writer is least likely to agree with.Option A- By not taking sides in an argument a journalist can strive to be objective, a worthwhile aspiration even if it is not perfectly achieved.
This implies that in order to be objective, a journalist should not take sides in an argument. However, the paragraph does not argue this. It clearly states that the objectivity in writing is not about not being subjective per se but approaching and presenting the facts without bias. The writer is not likely to agree with this statement.Option B- Objective journalism is not one that is without bias, but one in which bias has to stand up to evidence and results.
This, clearly, is the main idea of the paragraph.Option C- All journalism has a point of view and a set of interests it advances.
The writer argues in the paragraph that objective writing is not about absence of subjectivity. That is, every writer has a point of view. The writer is hence likely to agree with this statement.Option D- Objectivity in writing is about making the story more than just about the writer.
The writer of the paragraph is likely to agree with this statement. The paragraph starts by stating that objectivity in writing is about avoiding self absorption, that is, the story should be more than just about the writer.So, of the given choices, the statement the writer is least likely to agree with is option A.
- The paragraph given starts by stating that Darwin was not the first to come up with the idea of evolution, but the first to come up with a theory of how it possibly occurred. Though he had a good knowledge of biology and exposure to the huge biodiversity on Earth through his voyage of the Beagle, his eureka moment came not when he was immersed in the subject, but as he read the paper of an economist, Malthus and applied it to evolution.Option A – The given paragraph does argue that Darwin’s eureka moment came when he crossed domains. However, option A rules that it is impossible to come up with big insights without crossing domains. The word “impossible” is too strong; nothing in the paragraph given justifies the use of this word. Option A can hence be ruled out.Option B- That the idea of evolution did not originate with Darwin is already mentioned in the paragraph. However, it is not the main idea of the paragraph. Hence option B is ruled out as the answer.Option C- We are told that Darwin was inspired by Malthus’ paper. However, the paragraph does not suggest that Malthus should be given credit for the theory of evolution.
Option D- The paragraph’s main idea is that Darwin’s brilliance was in the connections that he was able to make between Malthus’ theory and the idea of evolution. Option D summarizes the main idea of the paragraph best.
- This paragraph argues that the behavioral economists are mistaken in thinking that poverty shapes mindsets. The belief that poverty taxes the thinking of the poor disregards their political agency i.e, their ability to exert power or influence anything. It also shifts the state’s focus to changing the behavior of the poor. The focus of public policy should instead be on employment, health and education and addressing the structural causes of poverty, i.e, rising inequality and unemployment.Now we need to look at the 4 options to see which one summarizes the given paragraph best.Option A – Where decisions of the poor tend to be flawed from an economic point of view, behavioral economists believe that governments can intervene with policies aimed at nudging the poor towards the right decision.
This is certainly not the main idea of the paragraph. The paragraph argues against the belief of behavioral economists that decisions of the poor tend to be flawed from an economic point of view.Option B- By shifting the burden of poverty alleviation from the state onto the poor themselves, behavioral economists are ignoring both the structural causes of poverty as well as the behavior of wealthy.
This, clearly, is the main idea of the paragraph. The causes of poverty are inequality and unemployment and the onus of poverty alleviation should be on the state. Poverty does not prevent the poor from thinking and acting in ways to take them out of poverty as the behavioral economists believe. This thinking also removes the role of the wealthy in the poverty alleviation debate.Option C- Given that poverty diminishes political agency and shapes mindsets, insights into how poverty affects behavior could have implications in public policy.
This statement contradicts the main idea of the paragraph and hence is ruled out.Option D- The focus of public policy ought to be in providing employment, health and education, rather than addressing rising inequality and changing the behavior of the poor.
The paragraph does argue that public policy needs to focus on employment, health and education rather than changing the behavior of the poor. However, the part of statement that reads “rather than addressing inequality” is clearly incorrect. The paragraph argues that the structural causes of poverty are rising inequality and unemployment and that these need to be the focus of public policy. - This paragraph talks of the links between genius and mental illness and quotes studies which support this fact. The main idea is that there is a correlation observed between genius and mental illness and a possible explanation is that the brain area involved in mood swings is the same area where creativity is born.Option A- Those with bipolar disorder are likely to be highly intelligent.
This is not implied. The study shows that those who fared well in intelligence tests were four times more likely to develop bipolar disorder. However, this does not imply that the converse is true.Option B- Most people who excel in creativity are likely suffering from a mental problem.
Again, the above is not implied. Correlation does not imply causation.Option C- Often there is a correlation between mental illness and genius.
The above is clearly inferred from the paragraph.Option D- Mental disorders give birth to genius.
It cannot be concluded from what is stated in the study that this is true. While there is a correlation between genius and mental illness, it does not imply one causes the other. - The main idea of this paragraph is that news photographs, like direct quotations, are sacrosanct. The writer argues that a news reporter can choose the quotes he wants to use in his story in the interest of keeping it concise and impactful. So too, it is permissible for the photojournalist to crop out the dead space in a photo, and use the techniques of dodging and burning in to brighten or darken areas of an image to make it reproduce better.The question asks us to choose the statement among the given options that the writer is least likely to agree with.Option a- In photojournalism, editing news photographs by truncating dead space is licit.
This is inferred to be true from the given paragraph.Option b- The key elements of a news photograph, like the key words in a direct quote, are off limits to manipulation.
Again, this idea is explicitly stated in the paragraph given.Option c- Journalists of repute choose amongst, but do not distort direct quotations.
The writer argues that a journalist of repute will never alter a direct quote. He has the freedom to choose amongst the quotes to make his story crisp and impactful.Option d- It is permissible for a photojournalist to alter a news photo in the interest of brevity or impact.
This statement contradicts the main idea of the paragraph. The paragraph argues that a reporter can limit the number of direct quotes in the interest of brevity or impact. The photojournalist cannot do more than cropping out dead space or dodging and burning in a news photograph.The writer is least likely to agree with statement (d).
- The paragraph categorically states that the right to privacy is firmly embedded in our constitutional scheme as a non-negotiable imperative “that owes no apology to a myopic view of our republican charter”. That is, a narrow view of the republic charter cannot be cited to support the idea that the right to privacy is not embedded in our constitutional jurisprudence. It further argues that the Supreme Court has given fundamental rights their meaning in new settings consistent with the aspirations of our people. It recommends that the Union Government enact a privacy legislation that is consistent with this promise of the Constitution.The question asks which us to identify the statement the author is most likely to agree with.Option A- Our republican charter has a myopic view of the right to privacy.
Clearly, that is not what the author states. This is a direct contradiction of the author’s view.Option B- The Supreme Court has been rigid in its interpretation of the Constitution.
Again, the author states that the apex court has, in fact, interpreted fundamental rights in new settings consistent with the aspirations of the people. The author is not likely to agree with statement B.Option C- The right to privacy is rooted in our constitutional scheme.
This is the main idea of the paragraph. The author will agree with this statement.Option D- A new privacy legislation has to be defined as the right to privacy is not dealt with in the Constitution.
While the author talks of a new privacy legislation, he does not say that the right to privacy is not dealt with in the constitution. He believes the right to privacy is firmly embedded in the constitution. - The paragraph clearly disagrees with teachers who want children to stop using words like ‘said’, citing the reason that the word does not convey any emotion. It argues that emotion is not a desirable quality in every word in a sentence, and that a “rich” word is not necessarily better than a plain one. The paragraph goes on to say that even without taking the example of Hemingway, who was known for his use of plain words, one can easily see that successful writing is not about use of excessively florid or flamboyant language, but about the prudent use of rich words for effect.Now, let us have a look at the options one-by-one to see which one conveys the main idea of the paragraph:Option A. Successful writers use only plain, unemotional words.
The paragraph does say that successful writers use plain words. But of course this does not mean they use only plain, unemotional words. They moderate the lavishness of language for effect. So option A is not the right choice.Option B. Emotion is not a desirable quality in every sentence.
The paragraph does question the idea that emotion is a desirable quality in every word of a sentence. But it does not outrightly reject emotion as something that is not desirable in every sentence. So option B is not the correct choice.Option C. Avoiding words like “said” helps children improve their writing.
Clearly, this statement runs contrary to the main idea of the paragraph.Option D. Good writers use rich words in moderation, for effect.
This option sums up the main idea of the paragraph well. Successful writing does not involve squeezing in as many emotional and flowery words as the writer can use in the write-up, but use of rich words in moderation, to create an effect. - The main idea of the paragraph is that though we get annoyed when euphemisms in use change every generation or so, they are an essential part of life in a “linguistically mature” society. The paragraph justifies this by saying that over time, words acquire bias– associations and meanings beyond their core meaning. So much so, that these overtones are later understood to be the actual meaning of the word. It is because of this “eternal gulf” between language and opinion that we are forced to move on the “euphemism treadmill” from one euphemism to another to refer to the same thing/idea, in order to kick off new ways of thinking. As part of linguistic life in a civilized society, we have to accept that euphemisms will require replacement at regular intervals, much like tyres.Now, option A states that “All words wear out with use, like tyres, and need to be replaced periodically with more meaningful equivalents.”
The paragraph only addresses the need for changing euphemisms, which it compares to changing tyres. Option A generalizes this to “all words”. This is hence not the correct option.Option B states, “The eternal quest for euphemisms to bridge the gap between language and opinion is tedious.”
The paragraph argues that euphemisms are an essential part of life in a civilized society. It doesn’t say that this quest is wearying.Option C says “We must accept the euphemism treadmill as an essential part of linguistic life in a civilized society”.
This, clearly, is the main idea of the paragraph. Instead of “rolling our eyes” at changing euphemisms, we have to accept them as part of life in a linguistically mature society.Option D states that “Euphemisms help us avoid the trap of thinking too much into the meanings of words.”
The paragraph talks about words acquiring meaning beyond their core meanings. Changing euphemisms help us convey ideas by removing the biases that pile on over time. This is not the same as saying that thinking too much into the meanings of words is a “trap”. Also, between options C and D, C is better.So the correct option is (c).
- The paragraph squarely blames schools for confusing pupils, and making them believe that process and substance are the same. It cites several examples of how we are misled into confusing grades with education, teaching with learning, diplomas with competence, medical treatment with healthcare, police protection with safety, military poise with national security and the rat race, with productive work. The paragraph concludes by saying that when health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavor are confused with the performance of the institutions that claim to serve these ends, we are led to believe, wrongly, that we can better achieve the said goals by merely increasing the resources allocated to them.Now, let us look at the answer options and see which one captures the main idea of the paragraph best:Option A – Allocating more resources to health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavor is not likely to increase their quality.
This is one of the key ideas of the paragraph. However, one other important point made in the paragraph- that we are led to think this is so because of schooling- is not touched upon by this option. So option A is not probably the best answer choice.Option B- Schooling doctors thinking by teaching students to identify the process with the results.
This answer option summarizes the main idea of the paragraph very well. The paragraph, after all, discusses the idea that schooling is to blame the thinking that process equates to results.Option C- As a society we often mistake grades and diplomas for competence, medical treatment for healthcare, police protection for safety and the rat race for productive work.
This statement is again partially correct, but does not talk of the role of schooling in promoting this kind of thinking. Option B is the better answer choice.Option D- When it comes to schooling, less is more: the less the treatment there is, better the results.
The paragraph does not suggest that less schooling can lead to better results. So option D is not the right choice.So the correct option is (b).