CAT Para Summary Questions & Solutions

A sample of real CAT Para Summary past-year questions, each with a worked solution and the correct answer highlighted. AthenaPrep has 96 Para Summary questions in all — sign up free to practise them timed.

Q1.CAT 2025
The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

The return to the tailor is the juxtaposition of three key things for the mindful Indian shopper. The first is the conscious shift away from the homogeneity of fast fashion, the idea of a hundred other people owning exactly the same Zara trench coat or H&M pleated skirt. The second is an actual understanding of the waste behind the fast fashion market, and wanting not to contribute to that anymore. The last is the shift toward customisation and fit—the idea of having imaginations brought to life and to have them fit exactly; without paying exorbitant rates for that bespoke tailoring. For the individual with a keen fashion sense and a genuine desire to move away from the waste and uniformity of fast fashion without paying the premium for it that indie brands would invariably demand, the tailor is the perfect crossover.
- The mindful Indian shoppers are returning to the tailor with a genuine desire to wear clothes which are less expensive, fit them well and are yet fashionable.
- The mindful Indian shopper is shifting away from convenience and uniformity of clothing, and waste in fashion, to customisation and less exorbitantly priced clothing.
- All Indian shoppers are opting for customisation and a shift away from homogeneity over expensive clothing brands like Zara and H&M.
- In the Indian retail market, people believe that expensive branded clothes are wasteful and, therefore, are returning to the neighbourhood tailor.
Show solution
The passage says people are going back to tailors for three main reasons: they dislike the alike-ness (homogeneity) of fast fashion, are aware of the waste it causes, and want custom clothes that fit well without the high prices of indie or bespoke brands. Option B best sums up these points. It shows a move away from both alike-ness and waste in fashion, and also highlights customisation and affordable clothes. These align with the passage’s focus on mindfulness, ‘fit’, sustainability, and affordability without oversimplifying or exaggerating.

Option A only talks about cheaper and better-fitting clothes, missing the points about waste and sameness. Option C is wrong because the passage refers to a mindful group of shoppers, not everyone in India. Option D oversimplifies by focusing just on rejecting expensive brands, while the passage is about leaving fast fashion and avoiding high prices.
Q2.CAT 2024
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

Recent important scientific findings have emerged from crossing the boundaries of scientific fields. They stem from physicists collaborating with biologists, sociologists and others, to answer questions about our world. But physicists and their potential collaborators often find their cultures out of sync. For one, physicists often discard a lot of information while extracting broad patterns; for other scientists, information is not readily disposed. Further, many non-physicists are uncomfortable with mathematical models. Still, the desire to work on something new and different is real, and there are clear benefits from the collision of views.
- Despite differences in their research styles, physicists’ research collaborations with scholars from other disciplines have yielded important research findings.
- Large data sets and mathematical models in physics research combined with the research methods of non-physicist collaborators have yielded important scientific findings.
- The desire to diversify their research and answer important questions has led to several collaborations between physicists and other social scientists.
- Physicists have successfully buried their differences on research methods applied in other fields in their desire to find answers to baffling scientific questions.
Show solution
Option A is the correct answer.

Option A captures the core idea that their collaborations have led to valuable scientific discoveries despite differences in research methods between physicists and other scientists. The passage emphasizes how these contrasting approaches still lead to productive outcomes, demonstrating the benefits of cross-disciplinary work.

Option B: While large data sets and mathematical models are mentioned, this option incorrectly focuses on "large data sets and mathematical models" as the main contributor, which is not the main point of the passage.

Option C: This is partially true, but the passage does not emphasize the "desire to diversify" research or focus on social scientists. It is about the collaboration of different scientific fields, not specifically social science.

Option D: This is inaccurate because the passage does not state that physicists have "buried" their differences; rather, it says that their differences exist, but the collaboration is still valuable. This is an extreme interpretation.
Q3.CAT 2023
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

Colonialism is not a modern phenomenon. World history is full of examples of one society gradually expanding by incorporating adjacent territory and settling its people on newly conquered territory. In the sixteenth century, colonialism changed decisively because of technological developments in navigation that began to connect more remote parts of the world. The modern European colonial project emerged when it became possible to move large numbers of people across the ocean and to maintain political control in spite of geographical dispersion. The term colonialism is used to describe the process of European settlement, violent dispossession and political
domination over the rest of the world, including the Americas, Australia, and parts of Africa and Asia.
- As a result of developments in navigation technology, European colonialism led to the displacement of indigenous populations and global political changes in the 16th century.
- Colonialism, conceptualized in the 16th century, allowed colonizers to expand their territories, establish settlements, and exercise political power.
- Technological advancements in navigation in the 16th century, transformed colonialism, enabling Europeans to establish settlements and exert political dominance over distant regions.
- Colonialism surged in the 16th century due to advancements in navigation, enabling British settlements abroad and global dominance.
Show solution
Option C is the correct answer because it accurately captures the main idea of the passage. It highlights how technological advancements in navigation during the sixteenth century transformed colonialism by enabling Europeans to establish settlements and exert political dominance over distant regions, including the Americas, Australia, and parts of Africa and Asia.

Option A focuses on the displacement of indigenous populations, which is not the central point of the passage.

While Option B mentions the expansion of territories and political power, it does not emphasize the technological advancements in navigation.

Option D introduces the concept of British settlements, which is narrower than the broader context of European colonialism discussed in the passage.
Q4.CAT 2022
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

There's a common idea that museum artworks are somehow timeless objects available to admire for generations to come. But many are objects of decay. Even the most venerable Old Master paintings don't escape: pigments discolour, varnishes crack, canvases warp. This challenging fact of art-world life is down to something that sounds more like a thread from a morality tale: inherent vice. Damien Hirst's iconic shark floating in a tank - entitled The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living - is a work that put a spotlight on inherent vice. When he made it in 1991, Hirst got himself in a pickle by not using the right kind of pickle to preserve the giant fish. The result was that the shark began to decompose quite quickly - its preserving liquid clouding, the skin wrinkling, and an unpleasant smell wafting from the tank.
- Museums are left with the moral responsibility of restoring and preserving the artworks since artists cannot preserve their works beyond their life.
- Museums have to guard timeless art treasures from intrinsic defects such as the deterioration of paint, polish and canvas.
- The role of museums has evolved to ensure that the artworks are preserved forever in addition to guarding and displaying them.
- Artworks may not last forever; they may deteriorate with time, and the challenge is to slow down their degeneration.
Show solution
The passage is about the 'inherent vice' or the natural tendency of certain artworks to deteriorate over time due to various factors such as discolouration of pigments, cracking of varnishes, and warping of canvases. The passage also mentions an example of Damien Hirst's artwork, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, which began to decompose quickly due to the use of the wrong preserving liquid. In this regard, Option D offers an apt summary of the passage because it accurately captures the main idea of the passage, which is that artworks may not last forever and may deteriorate with time. Option A is incorrect because the passage does not mention any moral responsibility of museums to restore and preserve artworks. Similarly, Option B can be eliminated since the passage does not specifically mention museums guarding art treasures from intrinsic defects. Option C is also inaccurate because the discussion does not present the evolution of the role of museums in preserving artworks forever.

Hence, Option D is the correct choice.
Q5.CAT 2021
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Developing countries are becoming hotbeds of business innovation in much the same way as Japan did from the 1950s onwards. They are reinventing systems of production and distribution, and experimenting with entirely new business models. Why are countries that were until recently associated with cheap hands now becoming leaders in innovation? Driven by a mixture of ambition and fear they are relentlessly climbing up the value chain. Emerging-market champions have not only proved highly competitive in their own backyards, they are also going global themselves.
- Competition has driven emerging economies, once suppliers of cheap labour, to become innovators of business models that have enabled them to move up the value chain and go global.
- Innovations in production and distribution are helping emerging economies compete with countries to which they once supplied cheap labour.
- Developing countries are being forced to invent new business models which challenge the old business models, so they can remain competitive domestically.
- Production and distribution models are going through rapid innovations worldwide as developed countries are being challenged by their earlier suppliers from the developing world.
Show solution
The main points of the paragraph are:

1. Developing economies are becoming hotbeds of economic innovation.

2. Earlier they used to be associated with cheap labour, but now ambition and fear have made them competitive globally.

Option A: It correctly captures the two main points and hence is the answer.

Option B: This option is distorted. Business innovations have not been mentioned as the reason why emerging economies have become competitive globally. It has only been mentioned as a factor in close association.

Option C: Again, the paragraph does not mention that the developing economies are being forced to do this in order to stay competitive. This option suggests an element of necessity for the survival of the economies, which is not implied.

Option D: This option is distorted. The passage only mentions innovations in developing economies and not worldwide.
Q6.CAT 2020
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

As Soviet power declined, the world became to some extent multipolar, and Europe strove to define an independent identity. What a journey Europe has undertaken to reach this point. It had in every century changed its internal structure and invented new ways of thinking about the nature of international order. Now at the culmination of an era, Europe, in order to participate in it, felt obliged to set aside the political mechanisms through which it had conducted its affairs for three and a half centuries. Impelled also by the desire to cushion the emergent unification of Germany, the new European Union established a common currency in 2002 and a formal political structure in 2004. It proclaimed a Europe united, whole, and free, adjusting its differences by peaceful mechanisms.
- Europe has consistently changed in keeping with the changing world order and that has culminated in a united Europe.
- The establishment of a formal political structure in Europe was hastened by the unification of Germany and the emergence of a multipolar world.
- Europe has consistently changed its internal structure to successfully adapt to the changing world order.
- Europe has chosen to lower political and economic heterogeneity, in order to adapt itself to an emerging multi-polar world.
Show solution
The passage begins by highlighting Europe's continual attempt to adapt itself in a multipolar world by striving to be a dynamic entity- nationally and internationally{"changed its internal structure and invented new ways of thinking about the nature of international order"}. Post this, the author portrays how certain stimuli in the modern world has lead Europe to review its political components {"set aside the political mechanisms through which it had conducted its affairs for three and a half centuries"} and to make changes in its economic structure {"established a common currency "}. Thus, the passage presents two key elements: (1) the fact that Europe has consistently tried to adapt to a changing world and (2) the manner in which Europe has attempted to achieve that in the existing multi-polar setup. Option D correctly highlights these points.

Option A: This misses out on the point (2). Furthermore, directly ascribing the unification of Europe to its attempt to rapidly change would be incorrect.

Option B: This does not fully capture the essence of the passage and misses out on point 1.

Option C: Although the statement in this option captures point 1, it misses out on point 2.

Hence, Option D is the correct answer.
Q7.CAT 2019
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

Vance Packard’s The Hidden Persuaders alerted the public to the psychoanalytical techniques used by the advertising industry. Its premise was that advertising agencies were using depth interviews to identify hidden consumer motivations, which were then used to entice consumers to buy goods. Critics and reporters often wrongly assumed that Packard was writing mainly about subliminal advertising. Packard never mentioned the word subliminal, however, and devoted very little space to discussions of “subthreshold” effects. Instead, his views largely aligned with the notion that individuals do not always have access to their conscious thoughts and can be persuaded by supraliminal messages without their knowledge.
- Packard held that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ understands the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the supraliminal level, though the people targeted have no awareness of being persuaded.
- Packard held that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ builds on peoples’ conscious thoughts and awareness, by understanding the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the subliminal level.
- Packard argued that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ works at the supraliminal level, wherein the people targeted are aware of being persuaded, after understanding the hidden motivations of consumers and works.
- Packard argued that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ understands the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the subliminal level, on the subconscious level of the awareness of the people targeted.
Show solution
In this context, "Psychoanalytical analytical technique" implies that the advertising agencies are adapting methods to tap into the unconscious mind of the consumers. They are conducting detailed interviews to identify hidden motivations.

Here, subliminal advertising represents some portion of the ad being difficult to comprehend or simply put, when one of the motives of the ad is so subtle that it is difficult to be understood by a layman.

While supraliminal advertising can be clearly conceived by most people.

Packard claims that the 'Hidden persuaders' use supraliminal advertising to entice customers by tapping into consumers without their knowledge. (....can be persuaded by supraliminal messages without their knowledge.)

Option B and D say that the method is subliminal, hence, it is incorrect
Option C says that people are well aware about being persuaded, hence incorrect.
Option A is a wholesome summary of the method of persuation.
Q8.CAT 2018
The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the author’s position.

Artificial embryo twinning is a relatively low-tech way to make clones. As the name suggests, this technique mimics the natural process that creates identical twins. In nature, twins form very early in development when the embryo splits in two. Twinning happens in the first days after egg and sperm join, while the embryo is made of just a small number of unspecialized cells. Each half of the embryo continues dividing on its own, ultimately developing into separate, complete individuals. Since they developed from the same fertilized egg, the resulting individuals are genetically identical.
- Artificial embryo twinning is low-tech and mimetic of the natural development of genetically identical twins from the embryo after fertilization.
- Artificial embryo twinning is low-tech and is close to the natural development of twins where the embryo splits into two identical twins.
- Artificial embryo twinning is low-tech unlike the natural development of identical twins from the embryo after fertilization.
- Artificial embryo twinning is just like the natural development of twins, where during fertilization twins are formed.
Show solution
The author mentions that artificial embryo twinning is 'low tech' to introduce the topic. Then, he explains how the process is exactly similar to the process of development of twins. He states that the process mimics the natural development of twins. He has not highlighted any of the differences between the 2 processes.

Let us evaluate the options.
Option C states that artificial embryo twinning is 'low tech' unlike the natural development of twins. The author makes no such comparison in the paragraph and hence, option C can be eliminated.

Option D states that the twins are formed during fertilization but the paragraph mentions that the twins are formed after the process of fertilization (i.e, after the sperm and the egg join).

Option B fails to capture the fact that the twins are 'genetically' identical. Also, it states that the artificial twinning process is 'close to' the natural development of twins. Though this option is not incorrect, option A is worded in a better way. Option A states that the process is mimetic of the natural development of the twins (emphasizing that no difference has been highlighted), the twins are genetically identical and the process is similar to the process of development of twins after fertilization. Therefore, option A is the right answer.
Q9.CAT 2017
The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the author's position.

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.
- Both Socrates and Bacon advocated clever questioning of the opponents to disprove their arguments and theories.
- Both Socrates and Bacon advocated challenging arguments and theories by observation and experimentation.
- Both Socrates and Bacon advocated confirming arguments and theories by finding exceptions.
- Both Socrates and Bacon advocated examining arguments and theories from both sides to prove them.
Show solution
According to the paragraph, Socrates and Bacon were good at asking questions. The Socratic method works in a way by finding exceptions to the arguments of the opponent, which makes the opponent to agree on something that contradicts their original position. In a similar way, Bacon stressed that it was important to disprove theory as it is to prove it. Thus both Socrates and Bacon stressed on examining arguments from both ends - to prove as well as disprove.

Option A, which speaks only about disproving of arguments, can be eliminated.

Option B talks only about examining and observation. Hence, it can be eliminated.

Option C talks only about confirming of arguments and not the other way. Hence, it can be eliminated.

Option D captures the main points which we discussed earlier.

Hence, option D is the right answer.
Passage
Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.
Q10.CAT 2007
Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot of Kgale Hill. These were its assets; a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter. Then there was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe - the only private lady detective in Botswana - brewed red bush tea. And three mugs - one for herself, one for her secretary and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need? Detective agencies rely on human intuition and intelligence, both of which Mma Ramotswe had in abundance.
- But there was also the view, which again would appear on no inventory.
- No inventory would ever include those, of course.
- She had an intelligent secretary too.
- She was a good detective and a good woman.
- What she lacked in possessions was more than made up by a natural shrewdness.
Show solution
No inventory would ever include those, ofcourse’. The para starts with listing out ‘the inventory’. The option which says ‘what she lacked………..natural shrewdness’ is beyond the scope of the argument. All the options can be easily eliminated. ‘Those’ in the option ‘No inventory would ever include those, ofcourse’, refers to human intuition and intelligence of Mma Ramotswe.
Q11.CAT 2005
From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

Federer’s fifth grand slam win prompted a reporter to ask whether he was the best ever. Federer is certainly not lacking in confidence, but he wasn’t about to proclaim himself the best ever. “The best player of this generation, yes”, he said, “But nowhere close to ever. Just look at the records that some guys have. I’m a minnow.” ______
- His win against Agassi, a genius from the previous generation, contradicts that.
- Sampras, the king of an earlier generation, was as humble.
- He is more than a minnow to his contemporaries.
- The difference between ‘the best of this generation’ and ‘the best ever’ is a matter of perception.
Show solution
We must select that sentence that follows the line of thought presented in the passage.

The author talks about the question asked by the reporter to Federer. Federer says that he was the best player of his generation but not even close to all-time best. He says that compared to “some guys” he is a minnow. So, the concluding line must be related to his answer.

Now, let’s check each of the options. Agassi might not be one of the “some guys” that Federer referred to in his statement and hence, the concluding sentence cannot be option A. Moreover, the win against Agassi does not prove that he is an all-time best tennis player. So, option A is wrong.

Option B is clearly out of scope as Sampras was not mentioned anywhere in the given passage.

Option C says that Federer is more than a minnow to his contemporaries. This sentence extends the idea given in the previous sentence and hence is in line with rest of the passage. Also, this line concludes the paragraph perfectly. Hence, sentence C could be the answer.

Option D is definitely related to the paragraph, but is not related to the question posed by the reporter. Between options C and D, option C fits better because it is more related to the question posed by the reporter and the answer given by Federer.

Hence, option C is the answer.
Passage
For each of the two questions, indicate which of the statements given, with that particular question is consistent with the description of the unseasonable man in the passage below.
Unseasonableness is a tendency to do socially permissible things at the wrong time. The unseasonable man is the sort of person who comes to confide in you when you are busy. He serenades his beloved when she is ill. He asks a man who has just lost money by paying a bill for a friend to pay a biII for him. He invites a friend to go for a ride just after the friend has finished a long car trip. He is eager to offer services which are not wanted but which cannot be politely refused. If he is present at an arbitration, he stirs up dissension between the two parties, who were really anxious to agree. Such is the unseasonable man.
Q12.CAT 1999
He tends to
- entertain women.
- be a successful arbitrator when dissenting parties are anxious to agree.
- be helpful when solicited.
- tell a long story to people who have heard it many times before.
Show solution
In this paragraph, the author states that the unreasonable man tends to do things with other people which they don't want to do. For eg, the person who has lost the money won't pay the bill or the person who has just come from a long ride won't go for a ride again

Option D correctly states the tendency of the unreasonable man as the person who has heard a particular story won't hear it again.

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CAT Para Summary previous year questions with solutions — AthenaPrep

CAT Para Summary Questions & Solutions

Q1.CAT 2025

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

The return to the tailor is the juxtaposition of three key things for the mindful Indian shopper. The first is the conscious shift away from the homogeneity of fast fashion, the idea of a hundred other people owning exactly the same Zara trench coat or H&M pleated skirt. The second is an actual understanding of the waste behind the fast fashion market, and wanting not to contribute to that anymore. The last is the shift toward customisation and fit—the idea of having imaginations brought to life and to have them fit exactly; without paying exorbitant rates for that bespoke tailoring. For the individual with a keen fashion sense and a genuine desire to move away from the waste and uniformity of fast fashion without paying the premium for it that indie brands would invariably demand, the tailor is the perfect crossover.

The mindful Indian shoppers are returning to the tailor with a genuine desire to wear clothes which are less expensive, fit them well and are yet fashionable.
The mindful Indian shopper is shifting away from convenience and uniformity of clothing, and waste in fashion, to customisation and less exorbitantly priced clothing.
All Indian shoppers are opting for customisation and a shift away from homogeneity over expensive clothing brands like Zara and H&M.
In the Indian retail market, people believe that expensive branded clothes are wasteful and, therefore, are returning to the neighbourhood tailor.

Show solution

The passage says people are going back to tailors for three main reasons: they dislike the alike-ness (homogeneity) of fast fashion, are aware of the waste it causes, and want custom clothes that fit well without the high prices of indie or bespoke brands. Option B best sums up these points. It shows a move away from both alike-ness and waste in fashion, and also highlights customisation and affordable clothes. These align with the passage’s focus on mindfulness, ‘fit’, sustainability, and affordability without oversimplifying or exaggerating.

Option A only talks about cheaper and better-fitting clothes, missing the points about waste and sameness. Option C is wrong because the passage refers to a mindful group of shoppers, not everyone in India. Option D oversimplifies by focusing just on rejecting expensive brands, while the passage is about leaving fast fashion and avoiding high prices.

Q2.CAT 2024

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

Recent important scientific findings have emerged from crossing the boundaries of scientific fields. They stem from physicists collaborating with biologists, sociologists and others, to answer questions about our world. But physicists and their potential collaborators often find their cultures out of sync. For one, physicists often discard a lot of information while extracting broad patterns; for other scientists, information is not readily disposed. Further, many non-physicists are uncomfortable with mathematical models. Still, the desire to work on something new and different is real, and there are clear benefits from the collision of views.

Despite differences in their research styles, physicists’ research collaborations with scholars from other disciplines have yielded important research findings.
Large data sets and mathematical models in physics research combined with the research methods of non-physicist collaborators have yielded important scientific findings.
The desire to diversify their research and answer important questions has led to several collaborations between physicists and other social scientists.
Physicists have successfully buried their differences on research methods applied in other fields in their desire to find answers to baffling scientific questions.

Show solution

Option A is the correct answer.

Option A captures the core idea that their collaborations have led to valuable scientific discoveries despite differences in research methods between physicists and other scientists. The passage emphasizes how these contrasting approaches still lead to productive outcomes, demonstrating the benefits of cross-disciplinary work.

Option B: While large data sets and mathematical models are mentioned, this option incorrectly focuses on "large data sets and mathematical models" as the main contributor, which is not the main point of the passage.

Option C: This is partially true, but the passage does not emphasize the "desire to diversify" research or focus on social scientists. It is about the collaboration of different scientific fields, not specifically social science.

Option D: This is inaccurate because the passage does not state that physicists have "buried" their differences; rather, it says that their differences exist, but the collaboration is still valuable. This is an extreme interpretation.

Q3.CAT 2023

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

Colonialism is not a modern phenomenon. World history is full of examples of one society gradually expanding by incorporating adjacent territory and settling its people on newly conquered territory. In the sixteenth century, colonialism changed decisively because of technological developments in navigation that began to connect more remote parts of the world. The modern European colonial project emerged when it became possible to move large numbers of people across the ocean and to maintain political control in spite of geographical dispersion. The term colonialism is used to describe the process of European settlement, violent dispossession and political
domination over the rest of the world, including the Americas, Australia, and parts of Africa and Asia.

As a result of developments in navigation technology, European colonialism led to the displacement of indigenous populations and global political changes in the 16th century.
Colonialism, conceptualized in the 16th century, allowed colonizers to expand their territories, establish settlements, and exercise political power.
Technological advancements in navigation in the 16th century, transformed colonialism, enabling Europeans to establish settlements and exert political dominance over distant regions.
Colonialism surged in the 16th century due to advancements in navigation, enabling British settlements abroad and global dominance.

Show solution

Option C is the correct answer because it accurately captures the main idea of the passage. It highlights how technological advancements in navigation during the sixteenth century transformed colonialism by enabling Europeans to establish settlements and exert political dominance over distant regions, including the Americas, Australia, and parts of Africa and Asia.

Option A focuses on the displacement of indigenous populations, which is not the central point of the passage.

While Option B mentions the expansion of territories and political power, it does not emphasize the technological advancements in navigation.

Option D introduces the concept of British settlements, which is narrower than the broader context of European colonialism discussed in the passage.

Q4.CAT 2022

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

There's a common idea that museum artworks are somehow timeless objects available to admire for generations to come. But many are objects of decay. Even the most venerable Old Master paintings don't escape: pigments discolour, varnishes crack, canvases warp. This challenging fact of art-world life is down to something that sounds more like a thread from a morality tale: inherent vice. Damien Hirst's iconic shark floating in a tank - entitled The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living - is a work that put a spotlight on inherent vice. When he made it in 1991, Hirst got himself in a pickle by not using the right kind of pickle to preserve the giant fish. The result was that the shark began to decompose quite quickly - its preserving liquid clouding, the skin wrinkling, and an unpleasant smell wafting from the tank.

Museums are left with the moral responsibility of restoring and preserving the artworks since artists cannot preserve their works beyond their life.
Museums have to guard timeless art treasures from intrinsic defects such as the deterioration of paint, polish and canvas.
The role of museums has evolved to ensure that the artworks are preserved forever in addition to guarding and displaying them.
Artworks may not last forever; they may deteriorate with time, and the challenge is to slow down their degeneration.

Show solution

The passage is about the 'inherent vice' or the natural tendency of certain artworks to deteriorate over time due to various factors such as discolouration of pigments, cracking of varnishes, and warping of canvases. The passage also mentions an example of Damien Hirst's artwork, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, which began to decompose quickly due to the use of the wrong preserving liquid. In this regard, Option D offers an apt summary of the passage because it accurately captures the main idea of the passage, which is that artworks may not last forever and may deteriorate with time. Option A is incorrect because the passage does not mention any moral responsibility of museums to restore and preserve artworks. Similarly, Option B can be eliminated since the passage does not specifically mention museums guarding art treasures from intrinsic defects. Option C is also inaccurate because the discussion does not present the evolution of the role of museums in preserving artworks forever.

Hence, Option D is the correct choice.

Q5.CAT 2021

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Developing countries are becoming hotbeds of business innovation in much the same way as Japan did from the 1950s onwards. They are reinventing systems of production and distribution, and experimenting with entirely new business models. Why are countries that were until recently associated with cheap hands now becoming leaders in innovation? Driven by a mixture of ambition and fear they are relentlessly climbing up the value chain. Emerging-market champions have not only proved highly competitive in their own backyards, they are also going global themselves.

Competition has driven emerging economies, once suppliers of cheap labour, to become innovators of business models that have enabled them to move up the value chain and go global.
Innovations in production and distribution are helping emerging economies compete with countries to which they once supplied cheap labour.
Developing countries are being forced to invent new business models which challenge the old business models, so they can remain competitive domestically.
Production and distribution models are going through rapid innovations worldwide as developed countries are being challenged by their earlier suppliers from the developing world.

Show solution

The main points of the paragraph are:

1. Developing economies are becoming hotbeds of economic innovation.

2. Earlier they used to be associated with cheap labour, but now ambition and fear have made them competitive globally.

Option A: It correctly captures the two main points and hence is the answer.

Option B: This option is distorted. Business innovations have not been mentioned as the reason why emerging economies have become competitive globally. It has only been mentioned as a factor in close association.

Option C: Again, the paragraph does not mention that the developing economies are being forced to do this in order to stay competitive. This option suggests an element of necessity for the survival of the economies, which is not implied.

Option D: This option is distorted. The passage only mentions innovations in developing economies and not worldwide.

Q6.CAT 2020

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

As Soviet power declined, the world became to some extent multipolar, and Europe strove to define an independent identity. What a journey Europe has undertaken to reach this point. It had in every century changed its internal structure and invented new ways of thinking about the nature of international order. Now at the culmination of an era, Europe, in order to participate in it, felt obliged to set aside the political mechanisms through which it had conducted its affairs for three and a half centuries. Impelled also by the desire to cushion the emergent unification of Germany, the new European Union established a common currency in 2002 and a formal political structure in 2004. It proclaimed a Europe united, whole, and free, adjusting its differences by peaceful mechanisms.

Europe has consistently changed in keeping with the changing world order and that has culminated in a united Europe.
The establishment of a formal political structure in Europe was hastened by the unification of Germany and the emergence of a multipolar world.
Europe has consistently changed its internal structure to successfully adapt to the changing world order.
Europe has chosen to lower political and economic heterogeneity, in order to adapt itself to an emerging multi-polar world.

Show solution

The passage begins by highlighting Europe's continual attempt to adapt itself in a multipolar world by striving to be a dynamic entity- nationally and internationally{"changed its internal structure and invented new ways of thinking about the nature of international order"}. Post this, the author portrays how certain stimuli in the modern world has lead Europe to review its political components {"set aside the political mechanisms through which it had conducted its affairs for three and a half centuries"} and to make changes in its economic structure {"established a common currency "}. Thus, the passage presents two key elements: (1) the fact that Europe has consistently tried to adapt to a changing world and (2) the manner in which Europe has attempted to achieve that in the existing multi-polar setup. Option D correctly highlights these points.

Option A: This misses out on the point (2). Furthermore, directly ascribing the unification of Europe to its attempt to rapidly change would be incorrect.

Option B: This does not fully capture the essence of the passage and misses out on point 1.

Option C: Although the statement in this option captures point 1, it misses out on point 2.

Hence, Option D is the correct answer.

Q7.CAT 2019

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

Vance Packard’s The Hidden Persuaders alerted the public to the psychoanalytical techniques used by the advertising industry. Its premise was that advertising agencies were using depth interviews to identify hidden consumer motivations, which were then used to entice consumers to buy goods. Critics and reporters often wrongly assumed that Packard was writing mainly about subliminal advertising. Packard never mentioned the word subliminal, however, and devoted very little space to discussions of “subthreshold” effects. Instead, his views largely aligned with the notion that individuals do not always have access to their conscious thoughts and can be persuaded by supraliminal messages without their knowledge.

Packard held that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ understands the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the supraliminal level, though the people targeted have no awareness of being persuaded.
Packard held that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ builds on peoples’ conscious thoughts and awareness, by understanding the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the subliminal level.
Packard argued that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ works at the supraliminal level, wherein the people targeted are aware of being persuaded, after understanding the hidden motivations of consumers and works.
Packard argued that advertising as a ‘hidden persuasion’ understands the hidden motivations of consumers and works at the subliminal level, on the subconscious level of the awareness of the people targeted.

Show solution

In this context, "Psychoanalytical analytical technique" implies that the advertising agencies are adapting methods to tap into the unconscious mind of the consumers. They are conducting detailed interviews to identify hidden motivations.

Here, subliminal advertising represents some portion of the ad being difficult to comprehend or simply put, when one of the motives of the ad is so subtle that it is difficult to be understood by a layman.

While supraliminal advertising can be clearly conceived by most people.

Packard claims that the 'Hidden persuaders' use supraliminal advertising to entice customers by tapping into consumers without their knowledge. (....can be persuaded by supraliminal messages without their knowledge.)

Option B and D say that the method is subliminal, hence, it is incorrect
Option C says that people are well aware about being persuaded, hence incorrect.
Option A is a wholesome summary of the method of persuation.

Q8.CAT 2018

The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the author’s position.

Artificial embryo twinning is a relatively low-tech way to make clones. As the name suggests, this technique mimics the natural process that creates identical twins. In nature, twins form very early in development when the embryo splits in two. Twinning happens in the first days after egg and sperm join, while the embryo is made of just a small number of unspecialized cells. Each half of the embryo continues dividing on its own, ultimately developing into separate, complete individuals. Since they developed from the same fertilized egg, the resulting individuals are genetically identical.

Artificial embryo twinning is low-tech and mimetic of the natural development of genetically identical twins from the embryo after fertilization.
Artificial embryo twinning is low-tech and is close to the natural development of twins where the embryo splits into two identical twins.
Artificial embryo twinning is low-tech unlike the natural development of identical twins from the embryo after fertilization.
Artificial embryo twinning is just like the natural development of twins, where during fertilization twins are formed.

Show solution

The author mentions that artificial embryo twinning is 'low tech' to introduce the topic. Then, he explains how the process is exactly similar to the process of development of twins. He states that the process mimics the natural development of twins. He has not highlighted any of the differences between the 2 processes.

Let us evaluate the options.
Option C states that artificial embryo twinning is 'low tech' unlike the natural development of twins. The author makes no such comparison in the paragraph and hence, option C can be eliminated.

Option D states that the twins are formed during fertilization but the paragraph mentions that the twins are formed after the process of fertilization (i.e, after the sperm and the egg join).

Option B fails to capture the fact that the twins are 'genetically' identical. Also, it states that the artificial twinning process is 'close to' the natural development of twins. Though this option is not incorrect, option A is worded in a better way. Option A states that the process is mimetic of the natural development of the twins (emphasizing that no difference has been highlighted), the twins are genetically identical and the process is similar to the process of development of twins after fertilization. Therefore, option A is the right answer.

Q9.CAT 2017

The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the author's position.

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.

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

Show solution

According to the paragraph, Socrates and Bacon were good at asking questions. The Socratic method works in a way by finding exceptions to the arguments of the opponent, which makes the opponent to agree on something that contradicts their original position. In a similar way, Bacon stressed that it was important to disprove theory as it is to prove it. Thus both Socrates and Bacon stressed on examining arguments from both ends - to prove as well as disprove.

Option A, which speaks only about disproving of arguments, can be eliminated.

Option B talks only about examining and observation. Hence, it can be eliminated.

Option C talks only about confirming of arguments and not the other way. Hence, it can be eliminated.

Option D captures the main points which we discussed earlier.

Hence, option D is the right answer.

Passage

Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

Q10.CAT 2007

Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot of Kgale Hill. These were its assets; a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter. Then there was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe - the only private lady detective in Botswana - brewed red bush tea. And three mugs - one for herself, one for her secretary and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need? Detective agencies rely on human intuition and intelligence, both of which Mma Ramotswe had in abundance.

But there was also the view, which again would appear on no inventory.
No inventory would ever include those, of course.
She had an intelligent secretary too.
She was a good detective and a good woman.
What she lacked in possessions was more than made up by a natural shrewdness.

Show solution

No inventory would ever include those, ofcourse’. The para starts with listing out ‘the inventory’. The option which says ‘what she lacked………..natural shrewdness’ is beyond the scope of the argument. All the options can be easily eliminated. ‘Those’ in the option ‘No inventory would ever include those, ofcourse’, refers to human intuition and intelligence of Mma Ramotswe.

Q11.CAT 2005

From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

Federer’s fifth grand slam win prompted a reporter to ask whether he was the best ever. Federer is certainly not lacking in confidence, but he wasn’t about to proclaim himself the best ever. “The best player of this generation, yes”, he said, “But nowhere close to ever. Just look at the records that some guys have. I’m a minnow.” ______

His win against Agassi, a genius from the previous generation, contradicts that.
Sampras, the king of an earlier generation, was as humble.
He is more than a minnow to his contemporaries.
The difference between ‘the best of this generation’ and ‘the best ever’ is a matter of perception.

Show solution

We must select that sentence that follows the line of thought presented in the passage.

The author talks about the question asked by the reporter to Federer. Federer says that he was the best player of his generation but not even close to all-time best. He says that compared to “some guys” he is a minnow. So, the concluding line must be related to his answer.

Now, let’s check each of the options. Agassi might not be one of the “some guys” that Federer referred to in his statement and hence, the concluding sentence cannot be option A. Moreover, the win against Agassi does not prove that he is an all-time best tennis player. So, option A is wrong.

Option B is clearly out of scope as Sampras was not mentioned anywhere in the given passage.

Option C says that Federer is more than a minnow to his contemporaries. This sentence extends the idea given in the previous sentence and hence is in line with rest of the passage. Also, this line concludes the paragraph perfectly. Hence, sentence C could be the answer.

Option D is definitely related to the paragraph, but is not related to the question posed by the reporter. Between options C and D, option C fits better because it is more related to the question posed by the reporter and the answer given by Federer.

Hence, option C is the answer.

Passage

For each of the two questions, indicate which of the statements given, with that particular question is consistent with the description of the unseasonable man in the passage below.

Unseasonableness is a tendency to do socially permissible things at the wrong time. The unseasonable man is the sort of person who comes to confide in you when you are busy. He serenades his beloved when she is ill. He asks a man who has just lost money by paying a bill for a friend to pay a biII for him. He invites a friend to go for a ride just after the friend has finished a long car trip. He is eager to offer services which are not wanted but which cannot be politely refused. If he is present at an arbitration, he stirs up dissension between the two parties, who were really anxious to agree. Such is the unseasonable man.

Q12.CAT 1999

He tends to

entertain women.
be a successful arbitrator when dissenting parties are anxious to agree.
be helpful when solicited.
tell a long story to people who have heard it many times before.

Show solution

In this paragraph, the author states that the unreasonable man tends to do things with other people which they don't want to do. For eg, the person who has lost the money won't pay the bill or the person who has just come from a long ride won't go for a ride again

Option D correctly states the tendency of the unreasonable man as the person who has heard a particular story won't hear it again.

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