Discussion forum for Verbal Ability Questions of Management Entrance exams
Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then select the most appropriate option.
(a) Affluenza, a term used by critics of consumerism, a portmanteau of affluence and influenza.
(b) Sources define this term as a painful,
(c) contagious, socially transportable condition.
(d) of overload, dust, anxiety and waste resulting,
(e) from the dogged pursuit of more.
(A) (a), (b) and (e) (B) (b) and (e)
(C) (a), (c) and (d) (D) (a) and (d)
Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then select the most appropriate option.
(a) It took all human history
(b) to build the seven trillion dollar
(c) world economy of 1950;
(d) today economical activity grows by
(e) that amount every decade.
(A) (b), (c) and (e) (B) (a), (c) and (d)
(C) (a) and (d) (D) (b) and (e)
Each question gives a sentence with a part of it boldened. Four alternatives for the bold part are given. One of them is correct. Identify the correct one and mark its corresponding letter as your answer.
1. The government has forbidden to drivers to enter the city centre during certain hours.
(A) has forbidden to drivers to enter
(B) has forbidden drivers to entering
(C) has forbidden drivers from entering
(D) had forbidden drivers enter
2. India along with a few other South Asian countries, has been cushioned from the worst effects of the recession.
(A) has been cushioned from
(B) have been cushioned from
(C) had been cushioned in against
(D) has been cushioned off from
3. A number of wooden platforms were built for the traders to set up shop.
(A) A number of wooden platforms were built
(B) A number of wooden platforms was built
(C) The number of wooden platforms are built
(D) The number of wooden platforms had been built
4. I’m planning to visit Japan in the beginning of June.
(A) in the beginning of June
(B) beginning in the June
(C) at the beginning of June
(D) from the beginning of the June
5. After receiving the transfer orders, I packed all utensils and chinas in a separate box.
(A) all utensils and chinas in a separate box
(B) all the utensils and china in a separate box
(C) all utensil and china in separate boxes
(D) all the utensil and chinas in separate boxes
In each question, the word at the top is used in four different ways, A to D.
Select the option in which the usage of the word is INCORRECT or INAPPROPRIATE.
1. CONFIDENCE
(A) Creating opportunities for employment is the best way for the government to win people’s confidence.
(B) She will not reveal her secrets to you unless she takes you in her confidence.
(C) Eliza told me in confidence that she would be resigning soon.
(D) The doctors could not say with confidence that the patient would gain full use of his limbs after the surgery.
2. SUIT
(A) The man has decided to file a suit against the company.
(B) There are four suits in every pack of cards.
(C) He looks fit and strong, this weather suits him well.
(D) He suddenly got up and left the room and his wife followed the suit.
3. BOTTOM
(A) She found something written on the bottom of the plate.
(B) You can save fuel if you go up the hill or cliff in bottom gear.
(C) His career has touched bottoms with the release of his latest album.
(D) He started at the bottom and worked his way up to become successful in life.
4. HAMMER
(A) The sculptor carved the stone with hammer and chisel.
(B) The child hammered at the door but there was no response.
(C) The activists have been hammering at their non-smoking campaign.
(D) The property is likely to come under the hammer next week.
5. IDENTIFY
(A) The victim was asked to identify her attacker in a police line-up.
(B) When the man who was arrested refused to identify during interrogation, the police resorted to violence.
(C) I didn’t enjoy the book because I could not identify with any of the main characters.
(D) You shouldn’t make the mistake of identifying wealth with happiness
Reading Comprehension
It is something of a paradox that systems of psychology flourish as they do on American soil. Psychology, especially in the United States, has risked everything on being a science; and science on principle refrains from speculation that is not permeated and stabilized by fact. Yet there is not enough fact in the whole science of psychology to make a single solid system.
No one knows this better than the psychologists themselves. They see with the eyes of familiar association not only the undeniable poverty of their science, but the flimsiness and shoddiness of much of the material they are asked to accept as genuine fact. Psychologists are continually looking upon the work of their colleagues and finding that it is not good. And with little hesitation, they expose the weaknesses and flaws they discover.
One can hardly cross the threshold of the lively young science without suspecting that all is not peace and harmony under its roof-tree; that the bands of workers one encounters there, represent not only a necessary division of labour but a state of internal strife. Perhaps the most assertive of the warring groups is composed of the younger students of animal and comparative psychology, most of whom pride themselves on being hard-headed and realistic and on having discarded the airy nothings of a psychology that deals with minds.
A less aggressive group is composed of the experimental psychologists. To these psychologists, the term “experimental” is applied not in the sense of including all who conduct research by the experimental method common to natural science in general, but in the special and esoteric sense of designating those who are in the line of descent which derives more or less directly from the world’s first active psychological laboratory, that was founded by Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig. The typical representatives of experimental psychology are the “trained introspectionists,” who believe that the true task of psychology is the examination of consciousness. Their work, required special training and extreme care, and because of the elaborate apparatus they have devised for their assistance, they are sometimes referred to as “brass-instrument psychologists.” Theirs is the psychology, they are willing to maintain, that has stood and will stand the test of time. Both these groups look somewhat askance at a third set, those occupied with the testing and measuring of mental traits.
For in the workrooms of the mental-testers, there is little of the paraphernalia of the older sciences - few brass instruments to suggest the austere dignity of physics, no white rats to suggest the substantial actualities of biology.
There is an abundance of quantitative data, however. For perhaps more than any other single group of psychologists, the mental testers have developed the mathematical mode of thinking that science finds so congenial; and operating with curves of distribution, correlation coefficients, and more recondite statistical devices, they have undertaken the task of measuring intelligence and other complex mental traits.
Closely associated with this group, are the workers in applied psychology. Among them are those who attack the problems of commerce and industry - the selection of employees, the management of personnel, the elimination of industrial fatigue. Here too are the clinical psychologists, who work in schools, in juvenile courts, and in institutions for the feebleminded, the psychopathic, and the insane, attempting, by contributing to a better understanding of the persons under their care, to help them to make their adjustments to life. In applied psychology, too, are the educational psychologists, occupied not only with the many problems of learning and teaching, but more particularly with the attempt to measure the capacities and aptitudes of pupils, and the effectiveness of various educational procedures. These groups, together with other groups even less clearly defined and many independent individuals, make up the roll of psychologists.
1. The ‘internal strife’ in psychology refers to
(A) the contradiction in the theories proposed by various schools.
(B) the disagreements between different groups of psychologists over the subject matter of psychology.
(C) a recent discovery in psychology negating an earlier theory.
(D) the conflicts that psychologists encounter when they study the human mind.
2. The ‘poverty’ in psychology that the psychologists are aware of, refers to
(A) the scarcity of theories and new findings.
(B) the paucity of funds to carry out research.
(C) the dearth of evidence to support theories that are proposed.
(D) the absence of interest in the subject among laypersons.
3. If a person you know has attempted suicide, you would refer him to
(A) a clinical psychologist.
(B) an experimental psychologist.
(C) a mental tester.
(D) an educational psychologist.
4. What is the ’paradox’ in relation to psychology?
(A) The psychologists themselves are the first to find flaws in the work of their colleagues.
(B) There are different groups of psychologists who only agree to disagree.
(C) It expounds a number of theories, but hardly any of them have practical applications.
(D) While it wishes to be a science, it is not based on indisputable facts.
Verbal - Important study materials:- 1. Manhattan Prep RC guide 2. Aristotle 99 RC 3. The economist (UK) - science and technology, book review. 4. George Orwell books (1984), 5. NYT & Washington Post editorials 6. Manhattan prep and Aristotle SC Grail CAT 2018 VA&RC 99.86
Hi friends! I would like to share one more important activity to enhance VA & RC score. Please create an account on GoodReads and take a reading challenge. This could be a collaborative activity. I took a challenge to read 100 books a year and GoodReads helped me to select a book (selection of a right book is a very very important task) and to monitor the progress.
To get an insight into the corporate world and the journey of entrepreneurs - start reading autobiographies/biographies of business leaders such as Jack Ma, Sam Walton, Howard Schultz, & Jack Welch.
To enhance your reading speed you can read books by the following authors: Agatha Christie, Tom Clancy, Danielle Steel, Dan Brown, Khaled Hosseini, & Paulo Coelho.
For abstract topics - read books by George Orwell and all Science & Technology, and Art & Literature articles by The Economist.
Please note this is not an advertisement of GoodReads as Jeff Bezos is not going to pay me a single penny for this :-)
Hi Guys, I have been in several interviews my life. And as its said you learn from your mistakes. I started writting down things we should do/ don't in an interview. And I feel like sharing that list with you.
- Dress appropriately for the interview. Depending upon the culture of office enviornment and the profile you are applying for. E.g., google photographs of company outdoor meets.
- Researching the company and your interviewers. Must.
- Avoid distractions and keep eye contact. There is always some or the other distractions going on. Don't lose your focus, it is counted as a negative.
- Be confident and comfortable. Obviously! Just try to keep your chill. Don't lose it.
- Be aware of body language. You gestures speak for you in an unknown enviornment.
- Prepare what to say. Always! However, if you are someone who has the control over your words and feel like you want to go with flow and practising can actually bound you. Than don't prepare.
- Rehearse your introduction with a friend. Again the same as above point.
- Take responsibilty for your things. If need be. Just don't decline.
Thats all for now.
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Hey Guys!!!!
So Today, We at BFactory bring you an innovative technique to boost up your confidence in VA/RC section for CAT Exam😀
Many a time we come across students who complain that their weak Vocabulary becomes a Major Stumbling Stone while reading a CAT RC.
Vocabulary is an important aspect of your reading. If you do not know the words that have been used in the passage, the fluency of your reading is sure to get hindered 😅
But no need to worry😊 Because we are there to help you !!
Just follow these steps from the book :
ALGORITHMIC READING COMPREHENSION, By Rahul Anand (Link: https://www.amazon.in/Algorithmic-Reading-Comp…/…/B07JLHXRQ6) and get ready for an Unbeatable Experience😉✌️
The Method is "Guess, Then Check"✌️
👉 First, you must try to improve your vocabulary by indulging yourself into extensive reading. Just read, read and read 😊
👉 Anything that is accessible and gives an easy reading should not be picked. Try to find out various topics on which questions are frequently asked, such as:
✔️ Philosophy
✔️ Psychology
✔️ Literature
✔️ Economics
✔️ History, etc
👉 To become efficient and effective in such reading, one must try to understand sentences in context rather than purely focusing on word meanings ✌️😉
👉 So, when you get stuck in the meaning of a word or a phrase, just try to guess the meaning contextually and then verify it with a dictionary.
👉 Toning your mind in this fashion will make you adept at a contextual understanding and will improve your English reading skills by leaps and bounds ✌️😁
how to get better at such rcs?... this is so dense
Guys , Can you please suggest me some source to prepare for Verbal ability ( PS,PJ and MF) ? Thanks in advance
Hey Guys!!!!
Have you ever wondered while going through a CAT RC, that why you usually forget what you have read in the starting paragraphs till you reach towards the end of the passage?? 🤔🙄
Actually, Its nothing to be worried about. You are not the only one getting trapped in that way 😅😌
Just by following few steps given in the book: ALGORITHMIC READING COMPREHENSION, By Rahul Anand
(Link:https://www.amazon.in/Algorithmic-Reading-Comp…/…/B07JLHXRQ6)
you can easily overcome these obstacles 😉✌️
So, We call this technique as finding the CENTRAL IDEA 🤞
👉 So, first of all, develop a habit of reading the passage paragraph wise and not as a whole ☝️
👉 After reading each paragraph, Just ask yourself a very simple question that " What did I read? ", and your half problem is solved 😉✌️
👉 Ability to answer this question properly leads to efficiency and effectiveness in reading paragraphs in the exam hall.
It helps to build speed and remember the main points at the same time
👉 So, how does it work? 🤔😅
Whenever you enter any paragraph, ask yourself a question, " What did I enter into? " - To identify the subject 😊
When you exit the paragraph, ask yourself another question.
" What did I read about? " - To identify the predicate 😊
👉 Central Idea: Subject -> Predicate ✌️
You just need to form short and crisp sentences and that too fast. By doing this in 6-10 words, you actually build your paragraph memory 😉👍
👉 This can actually help you remember the key points and overall connecting theme of the passage right after your first read 😊
Any good source to practice RCs?
Any good source to practice RCs? Also any good youtube channel/pdfs for VARC section? TIA..
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Hi
I am preparing for CAT 2019. If there is any Whatsapp group where everyone is studying for CAT seriously, please let me know.
Guys I have used this document which contains a total of 3000 RC passages from GRE, GMAT, LSAT and other exams. I found it useful for preparing. If anyone wants can download the same from the link. All the very best !!!
RC
@Shankarji plz check these 2 questions
‘One coward may lose a battle, one battle may lose a war, and one war may lose a country.’ This was Rear- Admiral and Conservative MP Tufton Beamish speaking to the House of Commons in 1930, giving voice to an
idea that must be as old as war itself. Caring only for his own safety, blowing cover, attracting fire, the coward can be more dangerous to his own side than a brave enemy. Even when he doesn’t run, the coward can sow panic simply by the way he looks – changing colour, as Homer observed in the Iliad, unable to sit still, his teeth chattering.
No wonder soldiers in the field worry about being cowardly far more than they dream of being heroic; or why cowardice is often counted the most contemptible of vices (not just by soldiers): while heroes achieve fame, cowards are often condemned to something worse than infamy – oblivion.
‘Fear,’ Beamish went on to say, ‘is perfectly natural. It comes to all people. The man who conquers fear is a hero, but the man who is conquered by fear is a coward, and he deserves all he gets.’ But things are not quite so simple as that: some fears are unconquerable. Aristotle said that only the Celts do not fear an earthquake or flood, and we are right to think them crazy. The coward, he said, is ‘a man who exceeds in fear: he fears the wrong things, in the wrong manner, and so forth, all the way down the list’.
If, as Beamish tells us, a coward deserves all he gets, what exactly does he get? Beamish was speaking against a proposal to end the death penalty for cowardice and desertion. His logic was clear. If a coward can cost a country its existence, the country needs to be willing to deprive the coward of his.
Humiliation is a much more usual punishment for cowardice, as Montaigne noted in ‘Of the Punishment of
Cowardice’ (1580). Quoting Tertullian’s observation that it is better to make the blood rush to a man’s face than
flow from his body, Montaigne explained the thinking: a coward who is allowed to live might be shamed into
fighting courageously. The ways of humiliation are even more various than those of killing – from dressing up
the coward as a woman, to b......ng or tattooing him, to shaving his head and making him wear a placard that
says ‘coward’, to naming him and recounting his ignominious deeds in his hometown newspaper.
Which of the following is true regarding the definition of a coward as defined by Aristotle and as defined by Beamish?
a) Beamish considers anyone who is afraid to be a coward but Aristotle considers a coward as one who has irrational fears.
b) Beamish does not differentiate between conquerable and unconquerable fears unlike Aristotle
c) Beamish considers anyone who is conquered by fear to be a coward while Aristotle considers anyone who is crazy to be a coward.
d) There is no difference in the way Beamish and Aristotle define cowardice.
Which of the following statements will Beamish most probably agree with?
a) A coward spreads fear in a group and one coward makes ten.
b) Cowardice is more of an illness than a defect in character.
c) A soldier can be identified as a coward just by the way he looks.
d) The strains of modern warfare should be taken into consideration when judging soldiers who desert.