The question asks us to choose the option which does not serve as evidence for the character of Aladdin being based on Hanna Diyab. Just because Diyab narrated the original story to Galland, it cannot be said that the central character of the story—Aladdin—is based on Diyab himself. The passage does not base its arguments on this point.

The passage argues that the character of Aladdin could be based on Diyab, by citing Diyab’s cosmopolitanism and cross cultural experience: “Diyab was ideally placed to embody the overlapping world of East and West, blending the storytelling traditions of his homeland with his youthful observations of the wonder of 18th-century France”. (paragraph 3)

The passage also suggests that Aladdin could have been based on Diyab’s life story as Diyab’s humble origins and class struggles, as well as his descriptions of Versailles are similar to the adventures of Aladdin, except for the fantastical elements in the story: “In it, he recalls telling Galland the story of Aladdin and describes his own hard-knocks upbringing and the way he marveled at the extravagance of Versailles. The descriptions he uses were very similar to the descriptions of the lavish palace that ended up in Galland’s version of the Aladdin story. Therefore, author Paulo Lemos Horta believes that “Aladdin might be the young Arab Maronite from Aleppo, marveling at the jewels and riches of Versailles.” (paragraph 2)

The question is “All of the following serve as evidence for the character of Aladdin being based on Hanna Diyab EXCEPT:”

Hence, the answer is Diyab’s narration of the original story to Galland.

Choice D is the correct answer.

The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following explanations for the origins of the story of Aladdin?

1. Galland derived the story of Aladdin from Diyab’s travelogue in which he recounts his fascination with the wealth of Versailles.
2. The story of Aladdin has its origins in an undiscovered, incomplete manuscript of a medieval Arabic collection of stories.
3. Basing it on his own life experiences, Diyab transmitted the story of Aladdin to Galland who included it in Arabian Nights.
4. Galland received the story of Aladdin from Diyab who, in turn, found it in an incomplete medieval manuscript.

Which of the following, if true, would invalidate the inversion that the phrase “flips the script” refers to?

1. Diyab’s travelogue described the affluence of the French city of Bordeaux, instead of Versailles.
2. The French fairy tales of the eighteenth century did not have rags-to-riches plot lines like that of the tale of Aladdin.
3. The description of opulence in Hanna Diyab’s and Antoine Galland’s narratives bore no resemblance to each other.
4. Galland acknowledged in the published translations of Arabian Nights that he heard the story of Aladdin from Diyab.

Which of the following is the primary reason for why storytellers are still fascinated by the story of Aladdin?

1. The traveller’s experience that inspired the tale of Aladdin resonates even today.
2. The tale of Aladdin documents the history of Europe and Middle East.
3. The archetype of the rags-to-riches story of Aladdin makes it popular even today.
4. The story of Aladdin is evidence of the eighteenth century French Orientalist.

Which of the following does not contribute to the passage’s claim about the authorship of Aladdin?

1. The narrative sensibility of Diyab’s travelogue.
2. The depiction of the affluence of Versailles in Diyab’s travelogue.
3. Galland’s acknowledgment of Diyab in his diary.
4. The story-line of many French fairy tales of the 18th century.

Explanatory Answer

The passage clearly states that Diyab himself narrated the story of Aladdin to Galland (who wrote the Arabian Nights) and argues that Diyab might have based it on his own life. So, option 3 is the correct option.

Option 1 suggests that Galland simply derived the story from Diyab’s travelogue (as opposed to hearing it from Diyab himself). This is incorrect. The passage argues the story of Aladdin is based on Diyab’s own life, so options 2 and 4 are incorrect.

The question is “The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following explanations for the origins of the story of Aladdin?”

Hence, the answer is Basing it on his own life experiences, Diyab transmitted the story of Aladdin to Galland who included it in Arabian Nights.

Choice C is the correct answer.

Explanatory Answer

Diyab’s descriptions of grandeur of Versailles match the description of the lavish Middle Eastern palace in Aladdin’s story. That is, Galland simply takes up Diyab’s description of a French palace and pins this description on an exotic Middle Eastern palace in the story of Aladdin. That the opulence described is not one witnessed by a French adventurer encountering the exotic Middle East but that of a Middle Eastern observer encountering the wonder of 18^th century France is what ‘flips the script’ (reverses the situation) according to the passage. If the descriptions did not match, there is no question of the script being flipped. So, option 3, if true, would invalidate the idea that Galland’s story reverses the point of view of the narrative.

The question is “Which of the following, if true, would invalidate the inversion that the phrase “flips the script” refers to?”

Hence, the answer is The description of opulence in Hanna Diyab’s and Antoine Galland’s narratives bore no resemblance to each other.

Choice C is the correct answer.

Explanatory Answer

In the last paragraph, the passage argues that the reason why storytellers are still fascinated by the story of Aladdin is not just because of the story’s narrative drama or the way it reflects the history of the French and the Middle East, but because it is a story about ‘Middle Easterners coming to Paris and that speaks to our world today’. In other words, the tale of Aladdin resonates even today.

The question is “Which of the following is the primary reason for why storytellers are still fascinated by the story of Aladdin?”

Hence, the answer is The traveller’s experience that inspired the tale of Aladdin resonates even today.

Choice A is the correct answer.

Explanatory Answer

In paragraph 3, the passage states that though scholars thought for many years that the story line of Aladdin was inspired by plots of French fairy tales of the time, the evidence suggesting that Diyab based the story on his own life flips the script. This was a story of a young Arab in France, not the other way around.

The passage supports its claim about the authorship of Aladdin citing the narrative sensibility of Diyab’s travelogue (‘There is little in the writings of Galland that would suggest that he was capable of developing a character like Aladdin with sympathy, but Diyab’s memoir reveals a narrator adept at capturing the distinctive psychology of a young protagonist…’), the depiction of the affluence of Versailles in Diyab’s travelogue (‘The descriptions he uses were very similar to the descriptions of the lavish palace that ended up in Galland’s version of the Aladdin story’) and Galland’s acknowledgement of Diyab in his diary (‘ Galland… wrote in his diary that he first heard the tale from a Syrian storyteller from Aleppo named Hanna Diyab).

The question is “Which of the following does not contribute to the passage’s claim about the authorship of Aladdin?”

Hence, the answer is The story-line of many French fairy tales of the 18th century.

Choice D is the correct answer.

Choice Fatigue

Contemporary internet shopping conjures a perfect storm of choice anxiety. Research has consistently held that people who are presented with a few options make better, easier decisions than those presented with many. . . . Helping consumers figure out what to buy amid an endless sea of choice online has become a cottage industry unto itself. Many brands and retailers now wield marketing buzzwords such as curation, differentiation, and discovery as they attempt to sell an assortment of stuff targeted to their ideal customer. Companies find such shoppers through the data gold mine of digital advertising, which can catalog people by gender, income level, personal interests, and more. Since Americans have lost the ability to sort through the sheer volume of the consumer choices available to them, a ghost now has to be in the retail machine, whether it’s an algorithm, an influencer, or some snazzy ad tech to help a product follow you around the internet. Indeed, choice fatigue is one reason so many people gravitate toward lifestyle influencers on Instagram—the relentlessly chic young moms and perpetually vacationing 20-somethings—who present an aspirational worldview, and then recommend the products and services that help achieve it. . . .

For a relatively new class of consumer-products start-ups, there’s another method entirely. Instead of making sense of a sea of existing stuff, these companies claim to disrupt stuff as Americans know it. Casper (mattresses), Glossier (makeup), Away (suitcases), and many others have sprouted up to offer consumers freedom from choice: The companies have a few aesthetically pleasing and supposedly highly functional options, usually at mid-range prices. They’re selling nice things, but maybe more importantly, they’re selling a confidence in those things, and an ability to opt out of the stuff rat race. . . .

One-thousand-dollar mattresses and $300 suitcases might solve choice anxiety for a certain tier of consumer, but the companies that sell them, along with those that attempt to massage the larger stuff economy into something navigable, are still just working within a consumer market that’s broken in systemic ways. The presence of so much stuff in America might be more valuable if it were more evenly distributed, but stuff’s creators tend to focus their energy on those who already have plenty. As options have expanded for people with disposable income, the opportunity to buy even basic things such as fresh food or quality diapers has contracted for much of America’s lower classes.

For start-ups that promise accessible simplicity, their very structure still might eventually push them toward overwhelming variety. Most of these companies are based on hundreds of millions of dollars of venture capital, the investors of which tend to expect a steep growth rate that can’t be achieved by selling one great mattress or one great sneaker. Casper has expanded into bedroom furniture and bed linens. Glossier, after years of marketing itself as no-makeup makeup that requires little skill to apply, recently launched a full line of glittering color cosmetics. There may be no way to opt out of stuff by buying into the right thing.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCWhich of the following hypothetical statements would add the least depth to the author’s prediction of the fate of start-ups offering few product options?
   1. An exponential surge in their sales enables start-ups to meet their desired profit goals without expanding their product catalogue
   2. With the motive of promoting certain rival companies, the government decides to double the tax-rates for these start-ups.
   3. With Casper and Glossier venturing into new product ranges, their regular customers start losing trust in the companies and their products.
   4. Start-ups with few product options are no exception to the American consumer market that is deeply divided along class lines.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RC Which one of the following best sums up the overall purpose of the examples of Casper and Glossier in the passage?
   1. They are increasing the purchasing power of poor Americans.
   2. They are exceptions to a dominant trend in consumer markets.
   3. They are facilitating a uniform distribution of commodities in the market.
   4. They might transform into what they were exceptions to.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCA new food brand plans to launch a series of products in the American market. Which of the following product plans is most likely to be supported by the author of the passage?
   1. A range of 10 products priced between $5 and $10.
   2. A range of 25 products priced between $10 and $25.
   3. A range of 25 products priced between $5 and $10.
   4. A range of 10 products priced between $10 and $25

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCAll of the following, IF TRUE, would weaken the author’s claims EXCEPT:
   1. product options increased market competition, bringing down the prices of commodities, which, in turn, increased purchasing power of the poor.
   2. the annual sales growth of companies with fewer product options were higher than that of companies which curated their products for target consumers.
   3. the annual sale of companies that hired lifestyle influencers on Instagram for marketing their products were 40% less than those that did not.
   4. the empowerment felt by purchasers in buying a commodity were directly proportional to the number of options they could choose from.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCBased on the passage, all of the following can be inferred about consumer behaviour EXCEPT that:
   1. too many options have made it difficult for consumers to trust products.
   2. consumers are susceptible to marketing images that they see on social media.
   3. having too many product options can be overwhelming for consumers.
   4. consumers tend to prefer products by start-ups over those by established companies.

Emperor Penguins

Scientists recently discovered that Emperor Penguins—one of Antarctica’s most celebrated species—employ a particularly unusual technique for surviving the daily chill. As detailed in an article published today in the journal Biology Letters, the birds minimize heat loss by keeping the outer surface of their plumage below the temperature of the surrounding air. At the same time, the penguins’ thick plumage insulates their body and keeps it toasty. . . .

The researchers analyzed thermographic images . . . taken over roughly a month during June 2008. During that period, the average air temperature was 0.32 degrees Fahrenheit. At the same time, the majority of the plumage covering the penguins’ bodies was even colder: the surface of their warmest body part, their feet, was an average 1.76 degrees Fahrenheit, but the plumage on their heads, chests and backs were -1.84, -7.24 and -9.76 degrees Fahrenheit respectively. Overall, nearly the entire outer surface of the penguins’ bodies was below freezing at all times, except for their eyes and beaks. The scientists also used a computer simulation to determine how much heat was lost or gained from each part of the body—and discovered that by keeping their outer surface below air temperature, the birds might paradoxically be able to draw very slight amounts of heat from the air around them. The key to their trick is the difference between two different types of heat transfer: radiation and convection.

The penguins do lose internal body heat to the surrounding air through thermal radiation, just as our bodies do on a cold day. Because their bodies (but not surface plumage) are warmer than the surrounding air, heat gradually radiates outward over time, moving from a warmer material to a colder one. To maintain body temperature while losing heat, penguins, like all warm-blooded animals, rely on the metabolism of food. The penguins, though, have an additional strategy. Since their outer plumage is even colder than the air, the simulation showed that they might gain back a little of this heat through thermal convection—the transfer of heat via the movement of a fluid (in this case, the air). As the cold Antarctic air cycles around their bodies, slightly warmer air comes into contact with the plumage and donates minute amounts of heat back to the penguins, then cycles away at a slightly colder temperature.

Most of this heat, the researchers note, probably doesn’t make it all the way through the plumage and back to the penguins’ bodies, but it could make a slight difference. At the very least, the method by which a penguin’s plumage wicks heat from the bitterly cold air that surrounds it helps to cancel out some of the heat that’s radiating from its interior. And given the Emperors’ unusually demanding breeding cycle, every bit of warmth counts. . . . Since [penguins trek as far as 75 miles to the coast to breed and male penguins] don’t eat anything during [the incubation period of 64 days], conserving calories by giving up as little heat as possible is absolutely crucial.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCIn the last sentence of paragraph 3, “slightly warmer air” and “at a slightly colder temperature” refer to ______ AND ______ respectively:
   1. the air inside penguins’ bodies kept warm because of metabolism of food AND the fall in temperature of the body air after it transfers some heat to the plumage.
   2. the cold Antarctic air which becomes warmer because of the heat radiated out from penguins’ bodies AND the fall in temperature of the surrounding air after thermal convection.
   3. the air trapped in the plumage which is warmer than the Antarctic air AND the fall in temperature of the trapped plumage air after it radiates out some heat.
   4. the cold Antarctic air whose temperature is higher than that of the plumage AND the fall in temperature of the Antarctic air after it has transmitted some heat to the plumage.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCWhich of the following best explains the purpose of the word “paradoxically” as used by the author?
   1. Keeping their body colder helps penguins keep their plumage warmer.
   2. Keeping a part of their body colder helps penguins keep their bodies warmer.
   3. Heat gain through radiation happens despite the heat loss through convection.
   4. Heat loss through radiation happens despite the heat gain through convection.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCAll of the following, if true, would negate the findings of the study reported in the passage EXCEPT:
   1. the penguins’ plumage were made of a material that did not allow any heat transfer through convection or radiation.
   2. the average air temperature recorded during the month of June 2008 in the area of study were –10 degrees Fahrenheit.
   3. the temperature of the plumage on the penguins’ heads, chests and backs were found to be 1.84, 7.24 and 9.76 degrees Fahrenheit respectively.
   4. the average temperature of the feet of penguins in the month of June 2008 were found to be 2.76 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RCWhich of the following can be responsible for Emperor Penguins losing body heat?
   1. Food metabolism.
   2. Reproduction process.
   3. Plumage.
   4. Thermal convection.

Folk Music

“Free of the taint of manufacture” – that phrase, in particular, is heavily loaded with the ideology of what the Victorian socialist William Morris called the “anti-scrape”, or an anti- capitalist conservationism (not conservatism) that solaced itself with the vision of a pre- industrial golden age. In Britain, folk may often appear a cosy, fossilised form, but when you look more closely, the idea of folk – who has the right to sing it, dance it, invoke it, collect it, belong to it or appropriate it for political or cultural ends – has always been contested territory. . . .

In our own time, though, the word “folk” . . . has achieved the rare distinction of occupying fashionable and unfashionable status simultaneously. Just as the effusive floral prints of the radical William Morris now cover genteel sofas, so the revolutionary intentions of many folk historians and revivalists have led to music that is commonly regarded as parochial and conservative. And yet – as newspaper columns periodically rejoice – folk is hip again, influencing artists, clothing and furniture designers, celebrated at music festivals, awards ceremonies and on TV, reissued on countless record labels. Folk is a sonic “shabby chic”, containing elements of the uncanny and eerie, as well as an antique veneer, a whiff of Britain’s heathen dark ages. The very obscurity and anonymity of folk music’s origins open up space for rampant imaginative fancies. . . .

[Cecil Sharp, who wrote about this subject, believed that] folk songs existed in constant transformation, a living example of an art form in a perpetual state of renewal. “One man sings a song, and then others sing it after him, changing what they do not like” is the most concise summary of his conclusions on its origins. He compared each rendition of a ballad to an acorn falling from an oak tree; every subsequent iteration sows the song anew. But there is tension in newness. In the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms. Electrification, however, comes in many forms. For the early-20th-century composers such as Vaughan Williams and Holst, there were thunderbolts of inspiration from oriental mysticism, angular modernism and the body blow of the first world war, as well as input from the rediscovered folk tradition itself.

For the second wave of folk revivalists, such as Ewan MacColl and AL Lloyd, starting in the 40s, the vital spark was communism’s dream of a post-revolutionary New Jerusalem. For their younger successors in the 60s, who thronged the folk clubs set up by the old guard, the lyrical freedom of Dylan and the unchained melodies of psychedelia created the conditions for folk- rock’s own golden age, a brief Indian summer that lasted from about 1969 to 1971. . . . Four decades on, even that progressive period has become just one more era ripe for fashionable emulation and pastiche. The idea of a folk tradition being exclusively confined to oral transmission has become a much looser, less severely guarded concept. Recorded music and television, for today’s metropolitan generation, are where the equivalent of folk memories are seeded. . . .

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RC The author says that folk “may often appear a cosy, fossilised form” because:
   1. of its nostalgic association with a pre-industrial past.
   2. it has been arrogated for various political and cultural purposes.
   3. folk is a sonic “shabby chic” with an antique veneer.
   4. the notion of folk has led to several debates and disagreements.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RC All of the following are causes for plurality and diversity within the British folk tradition EXCEPT:
   1. the fluidity of folk forms owing to their history of oral mode of transmission.
   2. paradoxically, folk forms are both popular and unpopular.
   3. that British folk forms can be traced to the remote past of the country.
   4. that British folk continues to have traces of pagan influence from the dark ages.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RC At a conference on folk forms, the author of the passage is least likely to agree with which one of the following views?
   1. The power of folk resides in its contradictory ability to influence and be influenced by the present while remaining rooted in the past.
   2. Folk forms, despite their archaic origins, remain intellectually relevant in contemporary times.
   3. Folk forms, in their ability to constantly adapt to the changing world, exhibit an unusual poise and homogeneity with each change.
   4. The plurality and democratising impulse of folk forms emanate from the improvisation that its practitioners bring to it.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RC The primary purpose of the reference to William Morris and his floral prints is to show:
   1. the pervasive influence of folk on contemporary art, culture, and fashion.
   2. that what is once regarded as radical in folk, can later be seen as conformist.
   3. that what was once derided as genteel is now considered revolutionary.
   4. that despite its archaic origins, folk continues to remain a popular tradition.

1. CAT Previous year paper – CAT Exam VA RC Which of the following statements about folk revivalism of the 1940s and 1960s cannot be inferred from the passage?
   1. Freedom and rebellion were popular themes during the second wave of folk revivalism.
   2. Electrification of music would not have happened without the influence of rock music.
   3. Even though it led to folk-rock’s golden age, it wasn’t entirely free from critique.
   4. It reinforced Cecil Sharp’s observation about folk’s constant transformation.

The question asks us to choose the statement that, if true, would add the least depth to the author’s prediction about start-ups. That is, we need to choose the option which goes against the author’s prediction.

What is the author’s prediction about start-ups offering few product options? He predicts that these start-ups would be forced to offer variety due to the steep growth expectations of investors. That is, profit motive drives the push towards new product options. If start-ups are able to meet the desired profit goals without expanding their product range, then the author’s prediction is no longer valid. So, option 1 is a possible answer choice.

Consider option 2. If the government doubles tax for these start-ups, the pressure on them to make a profit increases. This actually supports the author’s prediction. So, it is ruled out.

If option 3 is true, that is, if regular customers of these start-ups lose trust in them, sales will decline and hence there would be more pressure on them to expand their range to make profit. This option too supports the author’s prediction.

That start-ups with few product options are ‘still just working within a consumer market that’s broken in systemic ways’ is an argument used by the author to make his point about the narrowness of choice for certain consumer segments. This does not in any way go against the author’s prediction about these start-ups being forced to expand their product range.

So, the option that adds least depth—goes against—the author’s prediction is option 1.

The question is ” Which of the following hypothetical statements would add the least depth to the author’s prediction of the fate of start-ups offering few product options?”

Hence, the answer is An exponential surge in their sales enables start-ups to meet their desired profit goals without expanding their product catalogue

Choice A is the correct answer.

Explanatory Answer

The author first cites the examples of Casper and Glossier while discussing companies that ‘have sprouted up to offer consumers freedom from choice’. That is, they are exceptions to the dominant trend of flooding consumers with choice. However, the author does not leave it at that. He argues that even these start-ups promising simplicity of choice will be pushed toward overwhelming variety due to the steep growth expectations from investors. That is, though they are exceptions now, Casper and Glossier may transform into what they are exceptions to.

The question is “Which one of the following best sums up the overall purpose of the examples of Casper and Glossier in the passage?”

Hence, the answer is They might transform into what they were exceptions to.

Choice D is the correct answer.

Consider what the author says about the consumer market in America: ‘The presence of so much stuff in America might be more valuable if it were more evenly distributed….. As options have expanded for people with disposable income, the opportunity to buy even basic things such as fresh food or quality diapers has contracted for much of America’s lower classes.’

The author is likely to support the introduction of more choice in a price range catering to the lower classes. So, we narrow down the answer options to 1 and 3, which are in the $5 and $10 range. Of these two options, the author is more likely to support the range of 10 products than the range of 25 products, as he argues in the passage that more choice means choice fatigue.

The question is “A new food brand plans to launch a series of products in the American market. Which of the following product plans is most likely to be supported by the author of the passage?”

Hence, the answer is A range of 10 products priced between $5 and $10.

Choice A is the correct answer.

The question asks us to choose the option that would not weaken the author’s claims.

Consider option 1. The author claims that ‘the presence of so much stuff in America might be more valuable if it were more evenly distributed, but stuff’s creators tend to focus their energy on those who already have plenty’. That is, product choice for higher income groups does not really benefit the poor. But if product options increased market competition, bringing down the prices of commodities, which, in turn, increased purchasing power of the poor, then the author’s claim is weakened.

Option 2 relates to sales growth of companies with fewer product options. The author claims that people when presented with a few options make better, easier decisions than when presented with many. So, if the annual sales growth of companies with fewer product options were higher than that of companies which curated their products for target consumers, then the author’s claim is actually strengthened.

Consider option 3. The author claims that choice fatigue is the reason why people gravitate toward lifestyle influencers on Instagram. If the annual sale of companies that hired lifestyle influencers on Instagram for marketing their products were 40% less than those that did not, then the author’s claim is weakened.

Consider option 4. The author states that ‘research has consistently held that people who are presented with a few options make better, easier decisions than those presented with many’. But if the empowerment felt by purchasers in buying a commodity were directly proportional to the number of options they could choose from, it would weaken author’s claim.

The question is “All of the following, IF TRUE, would weaken the author’s claims EXCEPT:”

Hence, the answer is the annual sales growth of companies with fewer product options were higher than that of companies which curated their products for target consumers.

Choice B is the correct answer.

The question asks us to choose the answer option that cannot be inferred from the passage.

Option 1 states that ‘too many options have made it difficult for consumers to trust products’. This is clearly inferred from the passage, which talks of consumer ‘choice anxiety’ and describes companies with limited product options as ‘selling nice things, but maybe more importantly, they’re selling a confidence in those things, and an ability to opt out of the stuff rat race’.

Option 2 states that ‘consumers are susceptible to marketing images that they see on social media.’ This too, is mentioned in the passage: ‘Indeed, choice fatigue is one reason so many people gravitate toward lifestyle influencers on Instagram…’

Option 3 says that ‘having too many product options can be overwhelming for consumers’. This relates to ‘choice anxiety’ described in the passage.

Only option 4 – that consumers tend to prefer products by start-ups over those by established companies—is not inferred from the passage.

The question is “Based on the passage, all of the following can be inferred about consumer behaviour EXCEPT that:”

Hence, the answer is consumers tend to prefer products by start-ups over those by established companies.

Choice D is the correct answer.

Paragraph 3 describes how penguins draw heat from the cold Antarctic air through thermal convection: ‘Since their outer plumage is even colder than the air, the simulation showed that they might gain back a little of this heat through thermal convection—the transfer of heat via the movement of a fluid (in this case, the air). As the cold Antarctic air cycles around their bodies, slightly warmer air comes into contact with the plumage and donates minute amounts of heat back to the penguins, then cycles away at a slightly colder temperature.

The question is “In the last sentence of paragraph 3, “slightly warmer air” and “at a slightly colder temperature” refer to ______ AND ______ respectively: “

Hence, the answer is the cold Antarctic air whose temperature is higher than that of the plumage AND the fall in temperature of the Antarctic air after it has transmitted some heat to the plumage.

Choice D is the correct answer.

Note the context in which the author uses the word ‘paradoxically’: ‘…by keeping their outer surface below air temperature, the birds might paradoxically be able to draw very slight amounts of heat from the air around them.’ That is, the penguins manage to actually draw heat from the cold Antarctic air by keeping their outer surface temperature below the air temperature. This is best explained by option 2.

Option 1 talks of penguins keeping ‘their body colder’. This is incorrect. Penguins only manage to keep the plumage on certain parts of their body colder than the surrounding air. Options 3 and 4 talk about thermal radiation which is not relevant in the given context.

The question is ” Which of the following best explains the purpose of the word “paradoxically” as used by the author?”

Hence, the answer is Keeping a part of their body colder helps penguins keep their bodies warmer.

Choice B is the correct answer.

Explanatory Answer

The question asks us to choose the answer option which would not negate the findings of the study reported in the passage.

Consider option 1. If the penguins’ plumage were made of a material that did not allow any heat transfer through convection or radiation, then the birds cannot minimize heat loss using their plumage. This negates the findings of the study.

Let us look at option 2. If the average air temperature recorded during the month of June 2008 in the area of study were –10 degrees Fahrenheit (instead of 0.32 degrees Fahrenheit reported in the study) and the penguins’ plumage on their heads, chests and backs were at -1.84, -7.24 and -9.76 degrees Fahrenheit, then the birds’ plumage would be warmer than the surrounding air, making heat gain due to convection impossible. So, option 2 too goes against the findings of the study.

Consider option 3. If the temperature of the plumage on the penguins’ heads, chests and backs were found to be 1.84, 7.24 and 9.76 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, then the plumage would be much warmer than the surrounding air. This would mean heat loss for the penguins. Option 3, too, negates the findings of the study.

Let us look at option 4. If the average temperature of the feet of penguins in the month of June 2008 were found to be 2.76 degrees Fahrenheit, instead of 1.76 degrees Fahrenheit, the findings of the study would still hold good. This is the option that does not negate the findings of the study.

The question is “All of the following, if true, would negate the findings of the study reported in the passage EXCEPT:”

Hence, the answer is the average temperature of the feet of penguins in the month of June 2008 were found to be 2.76 degrees Fahrenheit.

Choice D is the correct answer.

See the last lines of the passage; ‘…given the Emperors’ unusually demanding breeding cycle, every bit of warmth counts. . . . Since penguins trek as far as 75 miles to the coast to breed and male penguins don’t eat anything during the incubation period of 64 days, conserving calories by giving up as little heat as possible is absolutely crucial.’

The question is “Which of the following can be responsible for Emperor Penguins losing body heat?”

Hence, the answer is Reproduction process.

Choice B is the correct answer.

The description of folk as “cosy” and “fossilized” suggests that folk tends to be looked at with nostalgia, as something old-fashioned and set in the past. Also note the reference to ‘vision of a preindustrial golden age’ in the previous line.

The question is “The author says that folk “may often appear a cosy, fossilised form” because:”

Hence, the answer is of its nostalgic association with a pre-industrial past.

Choice A is the correct answer.

The question asks us to choose the option that is not a cause for plurality and diversity (rich variety) within the British folk tradition.

The author describes folk as ‘living example of an art form in a perpetual state of renewal’, because in folk music ‘one man sings a song, and then others sing it after him, changing what they do not like’. He observes that folk contains ‘elements of the uncanny and eerie, as well as an antique veneer, a whiff of Britain’s heathen dark ages’ and that ‘the very obscurity and anonymity of folk music’s origins open up space for rampant imaginative fancies.’ Note that the author mentions the oral mode of transmission, the fact that that British folk forms can be traced to the remote past of the country (antique veneer) and traces of pagan influence from the dark ages (heathen dark ages) as factors that influence the constant transformation seen in folk music.

The fact that folk is both popular and unpopular does not in any way affect the plurality and diversity within British folk. So, option 2 is the correct answer.

The question is “All of the following are causes for plurality and diversity within the British folk tradition EXCEPT:”

Hence, the answer is paradoxically, folk forms are both popular and unpopular.

Choice B is the correct answer.

Explanatory Answer

The question asks us to choose the option that the author is least likely to agree with i.e. the option he is likely to disagree with. Option 3, which talks of ‘homogeneity with each change’ (uniformity) in folk music is clearly incorrect, as the passage is about the perpetual state of renewal folk music is under and about the plurality and diversity observed in the British folk tradition.

Option 1—the power of folk resides in its contradictory ability to influence and be influenced by the present while remaining rooted in the past— is inferred by the author’s description of folk as sonic ‘shabby chic’ (stylish while being, at the same time, old), and having ‘the rare distinction of occupying fashionable and unfashionable status simultaneously’.

Option 2—folk forms, despite their archaic origins, remain intellectually relevant in contemporary times—is inferred from paragraph 2: ‘folk is hip again, influencing artists, clothing and furniture designers, celebrated at music festivals, awards ceremonies and on TV, reissued on countless record labels’.

Option 4—the plurality and democratising impulse of folk forms emanate from the improvisation that its practitioners bring to it— is inferred from Cecil Sharpe’s description of folk: ‘each rendition of a ballad to an acorn falling from an oak tree; every subsequent iteration sows the song anew’.

The question is “At a conference on folk forms, the author of the passage is least likely to agree with which one of the following views?”

Hence, the answer is Folk forms, in their ability to constantly adapt to the changing world, exhibit an unusual poise and homogeneity with each change.

Choice C is the correct answer.

Consider the reference to William Morris in the passage: ‘Just as the effusive floral prints of the radical William Morris now cover genteel sofas, so the revolutionary intentions of many folk historians and revivalists have led to music that is commonly regarded as parochial and conservative.’ That is, what was once thought of as revolutionary later came to be seen as traditional or conformist in folk.

The question is “The primary purpose of the reference to William Morris and his floral prints is to show:”

Hence, the answer is that what is once regarded as radical in folk, can later be seen as conformist.

Choice B is the correct answer.

The passage only states that ‘in the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms. Electrification, however, comes in many forms.’ That is, in the 1960s, folk songs were recast in rock music, a development which folk purists did not appreciate because it involved electrification of folk music. This does not, in any way, imply that electrification of music, as such, would not have happened without the influence of rock music.

Option 1—freedom and rebellion were popular themes during the second wave of folk revivalism—can be inferred from the passage: ‘For their younger successors in the 60s, who thronged the folk clubs set up by the old guard, the lyrical freedom of Dylan and the unchained melodies of psychedelia created the conditions for folkrock’s own golden age…’

Option 3—even though folk revivalism of the 1940s and 1960s led to folk-rock’s golden age, it wasn’t entirely free from critique—is inferred from the last paragraph which states that folk revivalism in 1940s and 1960s ‘created the conditions for folkrock’s own golden age’. The author however, observes that ‘… there is tension in newness. In the late 1960s, purists were suspicious of folk songs recast in rock idioms’. So, folk revivalism during this period was not entirely free of critique.

Option 4 – folk revivalism of the 1940s and 1960s reinforced Cecil Sharp’s observation about folk’s constant transformation—is inferred from references to what inspired folk revivalists of that period in the passage: ‘For the early-20th-century composers such as Vaughan Williams and Holst, there were thunderbolts of inspiration from oriental mysticism, angular modernism and the body blow of the first world war, as well as input from the rediscovered folk tradition itself’.

The question is “Which of the following statements about folk revivalism of the 1940s and 1960s cannot be inferred from the passage?”

Hence, the answer is Electrification of music would not have happened without the influence of rock music.

Choice B is the correct answer.

Note the context in which topophobia is mentioned in the passage: ‘And just as a beloved landscape is suddenly revealed, so too may landscapes of fear cast a dark shadow over a place that makes one feel a sense of dread or anxiety—or topophobia’. That is, topophobia is a fear of certain places.

The question is “The word “topophobia” in the passage is used:”

Hence, the answer is to represent a feeling of dread towards particular spaces and places.

Choice A is the correct answer.

Explanatory Answer

The author states that ‘residents of upscale residential developments have disclosed how important it is to maintain their community’s distinct identity, often by casting themselves in a superior social position and by reinforcing class and racial differences.’ The author cites this example to show how topophilia may be used to reinforce class and racial differences and feeling of superiority.

The question is “In the last paragraph, the author uses the example of “Residents of upscale residential developments” to illustrate the:”

Hence, the answer is social exclusivism practised by such residents in order to enforce a sense of racial or class superiority.

Choice D is the correct answer.

Note the line before the statement that topophilia is difficult to design for and impossible to quantify: ‘As Tuan noted, purely aesthetic responses often are suddenly revealed, but their intensity rarely is longlasting’. So, the reason why topophilia is difficult to design for is that people’s responses to their environment are subjective, sudden and short-lived.

The question is “Which one of the following best captures the meaning of the statement, “Topophilia is difficult to design for and impossible to quantify . . .”?”

Hence, the answer is People’s responses to their environment are usually subjective and so cannot be rendered in design.

Choice B is the correct answer.

The author describes topophilia as an ‘affective’ (emotional) bond between people and place. The tendency to represent one’s land “motherland” or “fatherland” is an example of this.

Option 1 relates to the bond the French have with their language. Topophilia is emotional bonding with a place.

Option 3 talks of “a sense of topography”—an understating of the physical features of a place. This is completely different from topophilia.

Option 4 relates to topophobia whereas the question relates to topophilia.

The question is “Which one of the following comes closest in meaning to the author’s understanding of topophilia? “

Hence, the answer is The tendency of many cultures to represent their land as “motherland” or “fatherland” may be seen as an expression of their topophilia.

Choice B is the correct answer.

The question asks us to choose the option that does not contradict the arguments in the passage.

The author talks about patriotism in the context of ‘darker affiliations between people and place’, used by elites for ‘war preparation and ethnic cleansing’. Option 2 – patriotism, usually seen as a positive feeling, is presented by the author as a darker form of topophilia—does not contradict the arguments in the passage.

Option 1 states that ‘generally speaking, in a given culture, the ties of the people to their environment vary little in significance or intensity’. This contradicts the arguments in the passage in paragraph 1: ‘the emotive ties with the material environment vary greatly from person to person and in intensity, subtlety, and mode of expression.’

Option 3 states that ‘New Urbanism succeeded in those designs where architects collaborated with their clients’. This contradicts the statement in paragraph 3 that ‘although motivated by good intentions, such attempts to create places rich in meaning are perhaps bound to disappoint’.

Option 4 states that the most important, even fundamental, response to our environment is our tactile and olfactory response. The passage merely mentions tactile and olfactory response as ‘a third response to the environment’, not the most important or fundamental.

The question is “Which of the following statements, if true, could be seen as not contradicting the arguments in the passage?”

Hence, the answer is Patriotism, usually seen as a positive feeling, is presented by the author as a darker form of topophilia.

Choice B is the correct answer.

Sentence 2 is the best opening sentence for the paragraph as it introduces the idea of ‘mind-reading’. 34 is a unit: 3 states that mind-reading looks like literacy and 4 adds to this, explaining that print-reading, like mind-reading, is subject to development disorders. Sentence 1 links all key ideas of the paragraph, giving examples of both print-reading and mind-reading. So, 2341 is the correct order.

2341 is the correct answer.

Sentence 4 is the best starting sentence as it introduces the idea of ‘collaborative filtering’. Sentence 1 adds to 4, describing how collaborative filtering works. So, 1 follows 4. Sentence 2 identifies a crucial problem with collaborative filtering algorithms. Sentence 3 provides an example to substantiate 2. So, 4123 is the right order.

4123 is the correct answer.

3 is the best starting sentence for the paragraph, as it introduces the idea of legitimate criticism in social media conversations. 2 carries forward the idea in 3, suggesting that we need to learn to “condense” the feedback we receive online. 4 adds to 2, stating that a “new norm” is likely to arise over feedback repeating the same point over and over. Sentence 1 is best placed at the end of the paragraph. So, 3241 is the correct order.

3241 is the correct answer.

Sentence 3 explains the meaning of the phrase ‘carpe diem’ as understood today, while 2 contrasts this to the original Latin meaning. So, 2 follows 3. Sentence 4 follows 2, summarising the point made in 3 and 2 about the mistranslation of metaphors. So, 324 is a unit. Sentence 1 sums up the main idea of the paragraph. So, 3241 is the correct order.

3241 is the correct answer.

According to the paragraph, Vance Packard found that advertising agencies identify hidden consumer motivation—thoughts that consumers are not aware they have. They use these to persuade consumers to buy, without the consumers themselves being aware of the fact that they are being persuaded. Packard’s theory related not to subliminal (subthreshold of consciousness) advertising but supraliminal (above the threshold of consciousness) advertising. Option 2 sums up all key ideas of the paragraph.

Choice B is the correct answer.

The main idea of the given paragraph is that the ability to think about distant things precedes meaningful referential communication. Option 2 sums this up correctly.

Option 1 is incorrect, as it states that thoughts precede “all speech acts”. The paragraph only states that thoughts precede meaningful referential communication. Both options 3 and 4 rule that displaced reference—the ability to think about distant objects—is unique to humans. The paragraph does not say this.

Choice B is the correct answer

The main idea of the given paragraph is that while engineers rely heavily on discoveries of physicists, an engineer’s know-how is shaped by conditions in the real world. Option 2 sums up this idea well.

Option 1 ignores the key idea of the paragraph –the relationship between physics and engineering—and only talks of the “unique task of the engineer”. So, option 1 is not a good summary of the paragraph. Option 2 labels the relationship between pure and applied science as “strictly linear”: this too, is clearly incorrect based on the contents of the given paragraph. Option 4 is also incorrect, as it states that engineering and physics “fundamentally differ”.

Choice C is the correct answer.

5341 forms a cogent paragraph about the prejudices against the deaf and the pushback against this in the 16^th century with the creation of a formal sign language.

The observation by Aristotle in option 2 is unrelated to the rest of the sentences given.

2 is the correct answer.

While all other sentences relate to organizations, detailing how identity affects organizationalperformance, option 1 talks about actors fitting in a specific category. This is an unrelated idea.

1 is the correct answer.

While 4315 makes a cogent paragraph about what the suffixes ‘-stat’, ‘-tron’ and ‘-matic’ symbolise in the field of science and technology, option 2 is an unrelated sentence explaining the thinking behind high modernism.

2 is the correct answer.