reading comprehensions for CAT

  • Reading comprehension involves a proof reading of a passage of about 300 – 1000 words and answering the questions that follow.
  • RC forms an important part of the verbal ability section. This section mainly focuses on to check the ability to understand the language and the underlying concept of the passage. The main focus should be to have a good command over the language as well as time management.
  • Make sure you attempt these passage on a regular basis and with complete seriousness.
  • Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
  • Once you are finished, click the ‘Get Results’ button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect.

Passage:

We are not only afraid of being in the dark; we are also suspicious of being kept in the dark. We often feel that the universe has a hidden order that we cannot quite comprehend. In ancient times, this order was attributed to the gods – omnipotent beings who controlled humans’ Tales, Greek myths in particular portrayed humans as pawns in the great games played by the gods. More recently, there are suspicions of global conspiracies. These conspiracies are cited for events that are too important to be random. We no longer describe them as “Acts of God.” So they must be the work of other people – people who are hiding their influence over us, covering up their involvement. They are keeping the rest of us in the dark. Among the events attributed to these people arc political assassinations and UFO sightings. Examining these events in minute detail results in a long list of “coincidences” which, in the minds of the conspiracy buffs, are too numerous to be truly random. There must be a central planner who is at the hub of a sinister form of order. No one admits lo the conspiracy, so there must be a cover-up. Better to think that we are all being kept in the dark by sinister forces than to admit that there is no order.

Reading Comprehension: Passage 6

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Question 1
Which of the following statements, if true, would weaken the underlying logic of the above passage?
i. The human need for order is a highly exaggerated notion. It more often than not leads to creation of theories about the universe. The more sensational the theory, the more prevalent it becomes.
ii. The universe is less guided by pure randomness than by well-defined natural processes which are subjected to randomness at varying intervals of time and space.
iii. To strengthen their case for a variety of conspiracies the conspiracy buffs are extrapolating from a very small set of observed "coincidences".
iv. The persons propounding the different conspiracy theories are usually novelists who use these theories as a backdrop during the construction of the plots of the novels.
v. The human fear of being kept in the dark is much stronger than the fear of lack of order in the workings of the universe.
A
i, ii and iii
B
i. ii and iv
C
i, iii and iv
D
i, iv and v
E
ii, iv and v
Question 1 Explanation: 
The underlying assumption in the passage is that Universe has a hidden order that we can’t comprehend. The order in earlier times was attributed to Gods and in recent times to global conspiracies. The curiosity and the need to understand and interpret this hidden order have led to the creation of these theories.
Option (i) challenges the need of the order and calls it an exaggerated notion, thus weakens the underlying logic of the passage.
Option (ii) supports the underlying logic of the passage as it supports the theory of randomness in the universe.
Option (iii) the conspiracy buffs extrapolating things again undermines the basic assumption given in the paragraph.
Option (iv) again states that these theories may not be true as they may be hypothetical and constructed by novelists and thus weakens the underlying logic of the paragraph.
Option (v) supports the underlying logic of the passage as it supports the theory of randomness in the universe. Thus, statements 1, 3 and 5 weaken the underlying logic of the paragraph.
The correct answer is option C.
Question 2
Which of the following statements would, if true, strengthen the case for belief in sinister forces and conspiracies being at work in the above paragraph?
i. Though science has progressed a lot in the last two centuries or so, it is still unable to explain/account for mine than 80% of the phenomena in the universe.
ii. There is now the existence of photographic evidence of presence of UFOs and a growing number of parallel studies showing that the human mind can easily be manipulated to do someone else's will through various events that manipulate the 'perceived reality'.
iii. The fear of our actions and thoughts being controlled by someone else has intensified with the widespread popularity of the depiction of its gory outcomes by different novelists and movie makers.
iv. There is a strong movement to reintroduce the teachings of the biblical evolutionary process and the presence of God in schools around the world.
v. The Darwinian study of evolution, of species, the cornerstone of beliefs in fathomable randomness of the workings of the universe has conic under a scathing attack for its inaccurate depiction of the causes and process of evolution.
A
i and iv
B
i and v
C
ii, iii and v
D
i, ii and v
E
ii, iii, and iv
Question 2 Explanation: 
Option (i) strengthens the belief in sinister forces saying that science is unable to explain more than 80% phenomena in the universe.
Option (ii) again supports the existence of sinister forces by claiming the existence of photographic evidence of the presence of UFO’s and validity of related studies.
Option (iii) weakens the idea, saying that belief in sinister forces has been intensified by novelists and movie makers.
Option (iv) again does not support the belief in sinister forces.
Option (v) supports the belief in sinister forces as it criticizes the validity of Darwinian theory, considered the cornerstone of beliefs in fathomable randomness of workings of the universe. So, the correct answer is option D.
Question 3
The word root 'omni-' means:
A
all
B
some
C
much
D
many
Question 3 Explanation: 
The root 'omni' means 'all; of all things.'
Words based on this root:
Omnipotent: Having unlimited power
Omniscient: Infinitely wise
Omnipresent: Present everywhere
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