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01.

The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.

The Second Hand September campaign, led by Oxfam . . . seeks to encourage shopping at local organisations and charities as alternatives to fast fashion brands such as Primark and Boohoo in the name of saving our planet. As innocent as mindless scrolling through online shops may seem, such consumers are unintentionally—or perhaps even knowingly—contributing to an industry that uses more energy than aviation. . . .

Brits buy more garments than any other country in Europe, so it comes as no shock that many of those clothes end up in UK landfills each year: 300,000 tonnes of them, to be exact. This waste of clothing is destructive to our planet, releasing greenhouse gasses as clothes are burnt as well as bleeding toxins and dyes into the surrounding soil and water. As ecologist Chelsea Rochman bluntly put it, "The mismanagement of our waste has even come back to haunt us on our dinner plate."

It's not surprising, then, that people are scrambling for a solution, the most common of which is second-hand shopping. Retailers selling consigned clothing are currently expanding at a rapid rate . . . If everyone bought just one used item in a year, it would save 449 million lbs of waste, equivalent to the weight of 1 million Polar bears. "Thrifting" has increasingly become a trendy practice. London is home to many second-hand, or more commonly coined 'vintage', shops across the city from Bayswater to Brixton.

So you're cool and you care about the planet; you've killed two birds with one stone. But do people simply purchase a second-hand item, flash it on Instagram with #vintage and call it a day without considering whether what they are doing is actually effective?

According to a study commissioned by Patagonia, for instance, older clothes shed more microfibres. These can end up in our rivers and seas after just one wash due to the worn material, thus contributing to microfibre pollution. To break it down, the amount of microfibres released by laundering 100,000 fleece jackets is equivalent to as many as 11,900 plastic grocery bags, and up to 40 per cent of that ends up in our oceans. . . . So where does this leave second-hand consumers? [They would be well advised to buy] high-quality items that shed less and last longer [as this] combats both microfibre pollution and excess garments ending up in landfills. . . .

Luxury brands would rather not circulate their latest season stock around the globe to be sold at a cheaper price, which is why companies like ThredUP, a US fashion resale marketplace, have not yet caught on in the UK. There will always be a market for consignment but there is also a whole generation of people who have been taught that only buying new products is the norm; second-hand luxury goods are not in their psyche. Ben Whitaker, director at Liquidation Firm B-Stock, told Prospect that unless recycling becomes cost-effective and filters into mass production, with the right technology to partner it, "high-end retailers would rather put brand before sustainability."

01.

The central idea of the passage would be undermined if:

A.
Primark and Boohoo recycled their clothes for vintage stores.
B.
customers bought all their clothes online.
C.
second-hand stores sold only high-quality clothes.
D.
clothes were not thrown and burnt in landfills.

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The passage states that though second-hand shopping can help reduce pollution due to clothing ending up in landfills, such purchases are actually effective in saving the planet only in the case of high-quality second hand clothes, as low-quality older clothes cause microfibre pollution.

If second-hand clothes only sold high-quality clothes, then the central idea of the passage, that not all second-hand clothing purchases are effective is saving the planet, would be undermined. Option C is the right choice.

Primark and Boohoo are, according to the passage, 'fast fashion' brands. That is, they sell inexpensive, low-quality trendy clothing. If option A were true, then it would support (not undermine) the central idea that people should not simply purchase second-hand clothes without considering whether what they are doing is effective.

Even if options B or D were true, these options do not directly undermine the question of effectiveness of second-hand purchases in saving the planet. So, these options are ruled out.

02.

The act of "thrifting", as described in the passage, can be considered ironic because it:

A.
has created environmental problems.
B.
is an anti-consumerist attitude.
C.
is not cost-effective for retailers.
D.
offers luxury clothing at cut-rate prices.

Option is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

From the context in which the word 'thrifting' is used in the passage, we can conclude that it refers to the purchase of second-hand items at low costs, a practice which is now a trend as consumers get to be 'cool' while also caring for the planet. However, as explained in the passage, the act of thrifting can be considered ironic if, instead of saving the planet, it actually contributes to microfibre pollution of the rivers and oceans. Option A is the correct choice.

03.

Based on the passage, we can infer that the opposite of fast fashion, 'slow fashion', would most likely refer to clothes that:

A.
do not shed microfibres.
B.
are of high quality and long lasting.
C.
are sold by genuine vintage stores.
D.
do not bleed toxins and dyes.

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Fast fashion refers to inexpensively priced, low-quality clothing that is produced fast to meet market trends. The opposite of this, slow fashion, would most likely refer to clothes that are high quality and long-lasting.

Note that while option C is easily eliminated, options A and D both relate to the quality of clothing and can be thought of as attributes of slow fashion. However, B is a better choice than these options as 'long-lasting' is the direct opposite of 'fast' fashion which is produced fast to meet trends without considering quality.

04.

According to the author, companies like ThredUP have not caught on in the UK for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that:

A.
recycling is currently not financially attractive for luxury brands.
B.
luxury brands do not like their product to be devalued.
C.
the British don't buy second-hand clothing.
D.
luxury brands want to maintain their brand image.

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Refer to the last paragraph. All given reasons except C are mentioned. Option C contradicts what the passage says: ' There will always be a market for consignment...'

02.

The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.

Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield. Now it is disintegrating, destroyed by a mix of hubris and internal contradictions, according to Patrick Deneen, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame. . . . Equality of opportunity has produced a new meritocratic aristocracy that has all the aloofness of the old aristocracy with none of its sense of noblesse oblige. Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd. And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery. "The gap between liberalism's claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry" is now so wide that "the lie can no longer be accepted," Mr Deneen writes. What better proof of this than the vision of 1,000 private planes whisking their occupants to Davos to discuss the question of "creating a shared future in a fragmented world"? . . .

Deneen does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing left-wing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness. But when he concludes that all this adds up to a failure of liberalism, is his argument convincing? . . . He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties. . . . liberals experimented with a range of ideas from devolving power from the centre to creating national education systems.

Mr Deneen's fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalism's ability to reform itself and address its internal problems. The late 19th century saw America suffering from many of the problems that are reappearing today, including the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies, the corruption of politics and the sense that society was dividing into winners and losers. But a wide variety of reformers, working within the liberal tradition, tackled these problems head on. Theodore Roosevelt took on the trusts. Progressives cleaned up government corruption. University reformers modernised academic syllabuses and built ladders of opportunity. Rather than dying, liberalism reformed itself.

Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal. He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial. The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options. But he is wrong to argue that the only way for people to liberate themselves from the contradictions of liberalism is "liberation from liberalism itself". The best way to read "Why Liberalism Failed" is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else.

01.

The author of the passage faults Deneen's conclusions for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:

A.
its repeated harking back to premodern notions of liberty.
B.
its failure to note historical instances in which the process of declining liberalism has managed to reverse itself.
C.
its very narrow definition of liberalism limited to individual freedoms.
D.
its extreme pessimism about the future of liberalism today and predictions of an ultimate decline.

Option is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

In considering whether Deneen's argument on liberalism is convincing, the author points out Deneen's narrow definition of liberalism is limited to individual freedoms: ' He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties..'

The author also says Deneen fails to recognise liberalism's ability to reform itself: 'Mr Deneen's fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalism's ability to reform itself and address its internal problems.'

Finally, in the last two lines of the passage, the author states Deneen is wrong in his extreme pessimism about the future of liberalism.

Options B, C and D are true.

The author does not say that Deneen harks back to premodern notions of liberty. So, option A is the correct answer choice.

02.

The author of the passage is likely to disagree with all of the following statements, EXCEPT:

A.
the essence of liberalism lies in greater individual self-expression and freedoms.
B.
liberalism was the dominant ideal in the past century, but it had to reform itself to remain so.
C.
claims about liberalism's disintegration are exaggerated and misunderstand its core features.
D.
if we accept that liberalism is a dying ideal, we must work to find a viable substitute.

Option is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Consider option A. The author is likely to disagree with this. Note the lines, 'He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties.'

Consider option B. The author starts the passage by saying, 'Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield'. He also argues in the penultimate paragraph that liberalism has the ability to reform itself to remain dominant. So, the author is likely to agree with this option. Option B is the correct choice.

Let us also consider options C and D to rule them out.

The author is likely to disagree with the statement that claims about liberalism's disintegration are exaggerated and misunderstand its core features. Note the lines, 'Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal. He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial.'

The author is also likely to disagree with the idea that if we accept that liberalism is a dying ideal, we must work to find a viable substitute. The author argues against liberation from liberalism and states the liberalism must heed the call to action and reform itself.

So, option B is the correct answer choice.

03.

All of the following statements are evidence of the decline of liberalism today, EXCEPT:

A.
". . . the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies . . ."
B.
"And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery."
C.
"Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd."
D.
"'The gap between liberalism's claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenry' is now so wide that 'the lie can no longer be accepted,'. . ."

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

All options except B relate to liberalism and the problems caused by its disintegration. Technological advances cannot be considered evidence of the decline of liberalism.

04.

The author of the passage refers to "the Davos elite" to illustrate his views on:

A.
the way the debate around liberalism has been captured by the rich who have managed to insulate themselves from economic hardships.
B.
the fact that the rise in liberalism had led to a greater interest in shared futures from unlikely social classes.
C.
the unlikelihood of a return to the liberalism of the past as long as the rich continue to benefit from the decline in liberal values.
D.
the hypocrisy of the liberal rich, who profess to subscribe to liberal values while cornering most of the wealth.

Option D is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Note the context in which the author talks about the 'Davos elite': 'The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options.' Only option D relates to the greed of the Davos elite. This is the correct answer choice.

03.

The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.

The Positivists, anxious to stake out their claim for history as a science, contributed the weight of their influence to the cult of facts. First ascertain the facts, said the positivists, then draw your conclusions from them. . . . This is what may [be] called the common-sense view of history. History consists of a corpus of ascertained facts. The facts are available to the historian in documents, inscriptions, and so on . . . [Sir George Clark] contrasted the "hard core of facts" in history with the surrounding pulp of disputable interpretation forgetting perhaps that the pulpy part of the fruit is more rewarding than the hard core. . . . It recalls the favourite dictum of the great liberal journalist C. P. Scott: "Facts are sacred, opinion is free.". . .

What is a historical fact? . . . According to the common-sense view, there are certain basic facts which are the same for all historians and which form, so to speak, the backbone of history—the fact, for example, that the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066. But this view calls for two observations. In the first place, it is not with facts like these that the historian is primarily concerned. It is no doubt important to know that the great battle was fought in 1066 and not in 1065 or 1067, and that it was fought at Hastings and not at Eastbourne or Brighton. The historian must not get these things wrong. But [to] praise a historian for his accuracy is like praising an architect for using well-seasoned timber or properly mixed concrete in his building. It is a necessary condition of his work, but not his essential function. It is precisely for matters of this kind that the historian is entitled to rely on what have been called the "auxiliary sciences" of history—archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, chronology, and so forth. . . .

The second observation is that the necessity to establish these basic facts rests not on any quality in the facts themselves, but on an apriori decision of the historian. In spite of C. P. Scott's motto, every journalist knows today that the most effective way to influence opinion is by the selection and arrangement of the appropriate facts. It used to be said that facts speak for themselves. This is, of course, untrue. The facts speak only when the historian calls on them: it is he who decides to which facts to give the floor, and in what order or context. . . . The only reason why we are interested to know that the battle was fought at Hastings in 1066 is that historians regard it as a major historical event. . . . Professor Talcott Parsons once called [science] "a selective system of cognitive orientations to reality." It might perhaps have been put more simply. But history is, among other things, that. The historian is necessarily selective. The belief in a hard core of historical facts existing objectively and independently of the interpretation of the historian is a preposterous fallacy, but one which it is very hard to eradicate.

01.

All of the following, if true, can weaken the passage's claim that facts do not speak for themselves, EXCEPT:

A.
the truth value of a fact is independent of the historian who expresses it.
B.
facts, like truth, can be relative: what is fact for person X may not be so for person Y.
C.
a fact, by its very nature, is objective and universal, irrespective of the context in which it is placed.
D.
the order in which a series of facts is presented does not have any bearing on the production of meaning.

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

If option B is true, that is, if facts are relative and subject to interpretation, then that strengthens the passage's claim that facts do not speak for themselves. So, option B is the right answer choice.

The passage claims that facts do not speak for themselves by arguing that while facts are objective and universal and hold true irrespective of the historian who expresses it, it is the historian who decides to which facts to give the floor, and in what order or context, thereby influencing their interpretation. So, all options except B, if true, weaken the passage's claim.

02.

If the author of the passage were to write a book on the Battle of Hastings along the lines of his/her own reasoning, the focus of the historical account would be on:

A.
deriving historical facts from the relevant documents and inscriptions.
B.
providing a nuanced interpretation by relying on the auxiliary sciences.
C.
exploring the socio-political and economic factors that led to the Battle.
D.
producing a detailed timeline of the various events that led to the Battle.

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The main idea of the passage is that facts speak only when the historian calls on them. The author says that it is because historians regard the Battle of Hastings as a major historical event that we are interested in knowing about it. It is the historian's interpretation of facts that we are interested in. So, if the author were to write a book on the Battle of Hastings, the focus of the account would be on subjective interpretations, like exploring the socio-political and economic factors that led to the Battle.

Options A and D are easily ruled out as they focus on the importance of facts.

Option B is close, as 'nuanced interpretation' is what the author says historians have to focus on. But option B, unlike option C, emphasizes the role of auxillary sciences in helping a historian do his work. The author says relying on facts that can be gathered from auxiliary sciences of history is "a necessary condition" of a historians' work, "but not his essential function". So, option C is better than B.

03.

According to this passage, which one of the following statements best describes the significance of archaeology for historians?

A.
Archaeology helps historians to carry out their primary duty.
B.
Archaeology helps historians to interpret historical facts.
C.
Archaeology helps historians to ascertain factual accuracy.
D.
Archaeology helps historians to locate the oldest civilisations in history.

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Note the context in which the author talks about archaeology and other the "auxiliary sciences" of history: 'But [to] praise a historian for his accuracy is like praising an architect for using well-seasoned timber or properly mixed concrete in his building. It is a necessary condition of his work, but not his essential function. It is precisely for matters of this kind that the historian is entitled to rely on what have been called the "auxiliary sciences" of history-archaeology, epigraphy, numismatics, chronology, and so forth...'

The author states auxiliary sciences like archaeology only help historians to ascertain the accuracy of facts. They do not help in the essential function of his work, which is to interpret the facts.

Option C is the correct choice.

04.

All of the following describe the "common-sense view" of history, EXCEPT:

A.
history is like science: a selective system of cognitive orientations to reality.
B.
only the positivist methods can lead to credible historical knowledge.
C.
history can be objective like the sciences if it is derived from historical facts.
D.
real history can be found in ancient engravings and archival documents.

Option is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

According to the passage, the "common-sense" view of history is influenced by the positivist view and so it places great weight on facts. In this view, facts are available to the historian in documents, inscriptions, and so on and history can be objective like the sciences if it is derived from historical facts.

The author's view is in contrast to the common-sense view. The author believes history is a 'selective' system of cognitive orientations to reality. Facts only speak as the historian interprets them. Option A is the correct answer choice.

04.

The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.

Umberto Eco, an Italian writer, was right when he said the language of Europe is translation. Netflix and other deep-pocketed global firms speak it well. Just as the EU employs a small army of translators and interpreters to turn intricate laws or impassioned speeches of Romanian MEPs into the EU's 24 official languages, so do the likes of Netflix. It now offers dubbing in 34 languages and subtitling in a few more. . . .

The economics of European productions are more appealing, too. American audiences are more willing than before to give dubbed or subtitled viewing a chance. This means shows such as "Lupin", a French crime caper on Netflix, can become global hits. . . . In 2015, about 75% of Netflix's original content was American; now the figure is half, according to Ampere, a media-analysis company. Netflix has about 100 productions under way in Europe, which is more than big public broadcasters in France or Germany. . . .

Not everything works across borders. Comedy sometimes struggles. Whodunits and bloodthirsty maelstroms between arch Romans and uppity tribesmen have a more universal appeal. Some do it better than others. Barbarians aside, German television is not always built for export, says one executive, being polite. A bigger problem is that national broadcasters still dominate. Streaming services, such as Netflix or Disney+, account for about a third of all viewing hours, even in markets where they are well-established. Europe is an ageing continent. The generation of teens staring at phones is outnumbered by their elders who prefer to gawp at the box.

In Brussels and national capitals, the prospect of Netflix as a cultural hegemon is seen as a threat. "Cultural sovereignty" is the watchword of European executives worried that the Americans will eat their lunch. To be fair, Netflix content sometimes seems stuck in an uncanny valley somewhere in the mid-Atlantic, with local quirks stripped out. Netflix originals tend to have fewer specific cultural references than shows produced by domestic rivals, according to Enders, a market analyst. The company used to have an imperial model of commissioning, with executives in Los Angeles cooking up ideas French people might like. Now Netflix has offices across Europe. But ultimately the big decisions rest with American executives. This makes European politicians nervous.

They should not be. An irony of European integration is that it is often American companies that facilitate it. Google Translate makes European newspapers comprehensible, even if a little clunky, for the continent's non-polyglots. American social-media companies make it easier for Europeans to talk politics across borders. (That they do not always like to hear what they say about each other is another matter.) Now Netflix and friends pump the same content into homes across a continent, making culture a cross-border endeavour, too. If Europeans are to share a currency, bail each other out in times of financial need and share vaccines in a pandemic, then they need to have something in common—even if it is just bingeing on the same series. Watching fictitious northern and southern Europeans tear each other apart 2,000 years ago beats doing so in reality.

01.

Based on information provided in the passage, all of the following are true, EXCEPT:

A.
European television productions have the potential to become global hits.
B.
only half of Netflix's original programming in the EU is now produced in America.
C.
national broadcasters dominate in the EU in terms of total television viewing hours.
D.
Netflix has been able to transform itself into a truly European entity.

Option D is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Easy question. All options except D are true, based on the passage.

Option A is true, based on the lines, 'The economics of European productions are more appealing, too. American audiences are more willing than before to give dubbed or subtitled viewing a chance. This means shows such as "Lupin", a French crime caper on Netflix, can become global hits.'

Option B is true, too: 'In 2015, about 75% of Netflix's original content was American; now the figure is half, according to Ampere, a media-analysis company.'

Option C is clearly stated in the passage:'A bigger problem is that national broadcasters still dominate. Streaming services, such as Netflix or Disney+, account for about a third of all viewing hours, even in markets where they are well-established.'

Only option D is incorrect: 'Now Netflix has offices across Europe. But ultimately the big decisions rest with American executives.'

02.

The author sees the rise of Netflix in Europe as:

A.
a unifying force.
B.
a looming cultural threat.
C.
filling an entertainment gap.
D.
an economic threat.

Option is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The author clearly sees Netflix as a unifying force in Europe: 'Now Netflix and friends pump the same content into homes across a continent, making culture a cross-border endeavour, too. If Europeans are to share a currency, bail each other out in times of financial need and share vaccines in a pandemic, then they need to have something in common-even if it is just bingeing on the same series.'

03.

Which one of the following research findings would weaken the author's conclusion in the final paragraph?

A.
Research shows that Netflix has been gradually losing market share to other streaming television service providers.
B.
Research shows there is a wide variance in the popularity and viewing of Netflix shows across different EU countries.
C.
Research shows that older women across the EU enjoy watching romantic comedies on Netflix, whereas younger women prefer historical fiction dramas.
D.
Research shows that Netflix hits produced in France are very popular with North American audiences.

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

In the last paragraph, the author concludes that Netflix is a unifying force in Europe, making culture "a cross-border endeavour". If there were a wide variance in the popularity and viewing of Netflix shows across different EU countries, then the author's assumption that Netflix is popular across Europe, giving Europeans something to share across borders, is weakened. Option B is the correct answer choice.

All other options are unrelated to the author's conclusion in the final paragraph.

04.

Based only on information provided in the passage, which one of the following hypothetical Netflix shows would be most successful with audiences across the EU?

A.
A trans-Atlantic romantic drama set in Europe and America.
B.
An original German TV science fiction production.
C.
A murder mystery drama set in North Africa and France.
D.
An Italian comedy show hosted by an international star.

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Talking about which shows have better appeal, the passage states, 'Not everything works across borders. Comedy sometimes struggles. Whodunits and bloodthirsty maelstroms between arch Romans and uppity tribesmen have a more universal appeal...'. So, a murder mystery drama set in North Africa and France is likely, according to the passage, to be successful with audiences across the EU.

Based on the lines above, option D is easily eliminated. The passage declares 'German television is not always built for export', so option B is also ruled out. The passage focuses on translations of European productions and their success. Option A does not relate to this.

05.

There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide where (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.

Sentence: And probably much earlier, moving the documentation for kissing back 1,000 years compared to what was acknowledged in the scientific community.

Paragraph: Research has hypothesised that the earliest evidence of human lip kissing originated in a very specific geographical location in South Asia 3,500 years ago.___(1)___. From there it may have spread to other regions, simultaneously accelerating the spread of the herpes simplex virus 1. According to Dr Troels Pank Arbøll and Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen, who in a new article in the journal Science draw on a range of written sources from the earliest Mesopotamian societies, kissing was already a well-established practice 4,500 years ago in the Middle East.___(2)___. In ancient Mesopotamia, people wrote in cuneiform script on clay tablets.___(3)___. Many thousands of these clay tablets have survived to this day, and they contain clear examples that kissing was considered a part of romantic intimacy in ancient times.___(4)___. "Kissing could also have been part of friendships and family members' relations," says Dr Troels Pank Arbøll, an expert on the history of medicine in Mesopotamia.

A.
Option 4
B.
Option 3
C.
Option 1
D.
Option 2

Option D is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The given sentence begins with 'and probably much earlier...', so the sentence before must have some reference to time. This narrows down the options to 1 and 2. Of these options 2 makes better sense as the given sentence talks about documentation for kissing and the sentence before 2 talks about written sources that confirm new research findings.

06.

There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide where (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.

Sentence: Dualism was long held as the defining feature of developing countries in contrast to developed countries, where frontier technologies and high productivity were assumed to prevail.

Paragraph: ___(1)___. At the core of development economics lies the idea of 'productive dualism': that poor countries' economies are split between a narrow 'modern' sector that uses advanced technologies and a larger 'traditional' sector characterized by very low productivity.___(2)___. While this distinction between developing and advanced economies may have made some sense in the 1950s and 1960s, it no longer appears to be very relevant. A combination of forces have produced a widening gap between the winners and those left behind.___(3)___. Convergence between poor and rich parts of the economy was arrested and regional disparities widened.___(4)___. As a result, policymakers in advanced economies are now grappling with the same questions that have long preoccupied developing economies: mainly how to close the gap with the more advanced parts of the economy.

A.
Option 1
B.
Option 2
C.
Option 3
D.
Option 4

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The given sentence is about dualism, long held as a distinction between developing and developed countries. The sentence before option 2 introduces dualism and the sentence after it begins with 'while this distinction between developing and advanced economies..', making option 2 the best choice for fitting in the given sentence.

07.

Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.

1. Self-care particularly links to loneliness, behavioural problems, and negative academic outcomes.
2. "Latchkey children" refers to children who routinely return home from school to empty homes and take care of themselves for extended periods of time.
3. Although self-care generally points to negative outcomes, it is important to consider that the bulk of research has yet to track long-term consequences.
4. In research and practice, the phrase "children in self-care" has come to replace latchkey in an effort to more accurately reflect the nature of their circumstances.
5. Although parents might believe that self-care would be beneficial for development, recent research has found quite the opposite.

Answer : Sentence 3 is the odd one out.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Of the given sentences, only sentence 3 maintains that self-care may not necessarily result in negative outcomes.

24 is a strong link. These sentences discuss the main focus of the paragraph-children who routinely return home from school to empty homes and take care of themselves for extended periods of time.

51 is also a strong link, with 5 stating that self-care is not beneficial for development and 1 explaining why so.

2451 makes a cogent paragraph.

Sentence 3 is the odd one out.

08.

Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.

1. The banning of Northern Lights could be considered a precursor to censoring books for "moral", world view or religious reasons.
2. Attempts to ban books are attempts to silence authors who have summoned immense courage in telling their stories.
3. Now the banning and challenging of books in the US has escalated to an unprecedented level.
4. The widely acclaimed fantasy novel Northern Lights was banned in some parts of the US, and was the second most challenged book in the US.
5. The American Library Association documented an unparalleled number of reported book challenges in 2022, about 2,500 unique titles.

Answer : The answer is '2'

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

All sentences except 2 focus on the banning and challenging of books in the US. Option 2 focuses on authors who have summoned courage in telling their stories. This is a related but slightly different idea.

Sentence 3 is the best opening sentence as it is the most general one. 5 adds to 3, supporting 3 with data. Sentences 4 and 1 discuss a specific case-- the banning of the book Northern Lights. 3541 makes a cogent paragraph.

09.

The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) given below, when properly sequenced, would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer.

1. Contemporary African writing like 'The Bottled Leopard' voices this theme using two children and two backgrounds to juxtapose two varying cultures.
2. Chukwuemeka Ike explores the conflict, and casts the Western tradition as condescending, enveloping and unaccommodating towards local African practice.
3. However, their views contradict the reality, for a rich and sustaining local African cultural ethos exists for all who care, to see and experience.
4. Western Christian concepts tend to deny or feign ignorance about the existence of a genuine and enduring indigenous African tradition.

Answer : 4312 is the correct order.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Sentence 4 is the best opening sentence.

43 is a strong link: 4 states the Western Christian concepts tend to deny or ignore the existence of an indigenous African tradition. 3 explains that this view contradicts reality.

Sentence 1 offers an example to support 3 and sentence 2 adds to 1.

4312 is the correct order.

10.

The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) given below, when properly sequenced, would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer.

1. Like the ants that make up a colony, no single neuron holds complex information like self-awareness, hope or pride.
2. Although the human brain is not yet understood enough to identify the mechanism by which emergence functions, most neurobiologists agree that complex interconnections among the parts give rise to qualities that belong only to the whole.
3. Nonetheless, the sum of all neurons in the nervous system generate complex human emotions like fear and joy, none of which can be attributed to a single neuron.
4. Human consciousness is often called an emergent property of the human brain.

Answer : 4132 is the correct order.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

4 is the best starting sentence.

13 is a strong link: 1 states that no single neuron holds complex information like self-awareness, hope or pride. 3 explains that, nonetheless, the sum of all neurons in the nervous system generates complex human emotions like fear and joy.

2 concludes the paragraph stating that though the mechanism by which emergence functions is not yet understood, most neurobiologists agree that complex interconnections among the parts give rise to qualities of the whole.

4132 is the correct order.

11.

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

Heatwaves are becoming longer, frequent and intense due to climate change. The impacts of extreme heat are unevenly experienced; with older people and young children, those with pre-existing medical conditions and on low incomes significantly more vulnerable. Adaptation to heatwaves is a significant public policy concern. Research conducted among at-risk people in the UK reveals that even vulnerable people do not perceive themselves as at risk of extreme heat; therefore, early warnings of extreme heat events do not perform as intended. This suggests that understanding how extreme heat is narrated is very important. The news media play a central role in this process and can help warn people about the potential danger, as well as about impacts on infrastructure and society.

A.
Protection from heat waves is important but current reports and public policies seem ineffective.
B.
Heatwaves pose an enormous risk; the media plays a pivotal role in alerting people to this danger.
C.
People are vulnerable to heatwaves caused due to climate change, measures taken are ineffective.
D.
News stories help in warning about heatwaves, but they have to become more effective.

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The main idea of the paragraph is that while heatwaves are becoming longer, frequent and intense due to climate change, even vulnerable people do not seem to perceive the risk of extreme heat and so news media should undertake to warn people about the potential danger. Option B sums up the paragraph best.

Option A talks about ineffective public policies on heatwaves. This is not what the paragraph is about.

Option C too, misses the key point about the role of news media and states 'measures' (which are not discussed in the paragraph at all) are ineffective. So, C is out.

Option D does not touch upon the risk heatwaves pose. Also, the paragraph does not talk about the effectiveness of news stories. B is a better summary than D.

12.

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

People spontaneously create counterfactual alternatives to reality when they think "if only" or "what if" and imagine how the past could have been different. The mind computes counterfactuals for many reasons. Counterfactuals explain the past and prepare for the future, they implicate various relations including causal ones, and they affect intentions and decisions. They modulate emotions such as regret and relief, and they support moral judgments such as blame. The ability to create counterfactuals develops throughout childhood and contributes to reasoning about other people's beliefs, including their false beliefs.

A.
People create counterfactual alternatives to reality for various reasons, including reasoning about other people's beliefs.
B.
Counterfactual thinking helps to reverse past and future actions and reason out false beliefs.
C.
Counterfactual alternatives to reality are created for a variety of reasons and is part of one's developmental process.
D.
Counterfactuals help people to prepare for the future by understanding intentions and making decisions.

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The paragraph given lists the many reasons why the mind computes counterfactuals and states that this ability develops throughout childhood and contributes to reasoning about other people's beliefs. Option C is a good summary.

Option A suggests people intentionally create counterfactuals in order to reason about other people's beliefs. The paragraph, on the other hand, states counterfactuals are created spontaneously by the mind.

Option B is logically incorrect as it says counterfactual thinking helps to 'reverse' past and future actions.

Option D relates to specific reasons listed in the paragraph. C is a better summary.

13.

A.
580
B.
290
C.
579
D.
289

Option A is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

14.

A.
3/2
B.
5/2
C.
1/2
D.
3

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

15.

For any natural numbers m,n, and k, such that k divides both m+2n and 3m+4n,k must be a common divisor of

A.
2m and 3n
B.
m and 2n
C.
2m and n
D.
m and n

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

k divides m + 2n

So, k also divides 2(m + 2n) = 2m + 4n

It is given that k divides 3m + 4n

Which means, k should also divide (3m + 4n) – (2m + 4n)

∴k divides m

Since k divides m and m + 2n

k should also divide (m + 2n) – m = 2n

Therefore, k divides m and 2n.

16.

A.
If y>10, then −x>y
B.
If x<0, then −x<y
C.
If y<0, then −x<y
D.

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

17.

Answer : The answer is '7'

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

18.

The number of positive integers less than 50, having exactly two distinct factors other than 1 and itself, is

Answer : 15

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

A positive integer less than 50, having exactly two distinct factors other than 1 and itself, is either a perfect cube below 50 or an integer that is a product of exactly two distinct primes.
Case i)
Perfect cubes below 50 are 2³ and 3³. So, two numbers here
Case ii)
For the product of two primes to be below 50, the individual primes should be below 25.
(Because, the smallest prime is 2 and multiplying 2 with anything greater than or equal to 25 yields a number greater than or equal to 50.)
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 are prime numbers less than 25.

2, 3, 5, 7 are the primes less than √50, any product of two numbers among them yields a product less than 50.

11, 13, 17, 19, 23 are the primes greater than √50, any product of two numbers among them yields a product greater than 50.
So, there are 0 pairs here.
Between the two lists 11 and 13 can pair with 2 and 3, while 17, 19, and 23 can only pair with 2.
So, there are 7 pairs here.
So, totally, there are 2 + 6 + 0 + 7 = 15 such numbers.

19.

Answer : 6

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

20.

In a company, 20% of the employees work in the manufacturing department. If the total salary obtained by all the manufacturing employees is one-sixth of the total salary obtained by all the employees in the company, then the ratio of the average salary obtained by the manufacturing employees to the average salary obtained by the non-manufacturing employees is

A.
4:5
B.
5:6
C.
5:4
D.
6:5

Option A is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

In a company, 20% of the employees work in the manufacturing department.” The ratio of number of manufacturing to non-manufacturing employees = 1: 4

So, let the number of manufacturing to non-manufacturing employees be x and 4x respectively. “the total salary obtained by all the manufacturing employees is one-sixth of the total salary obtained by all the employees in the company,” Ratio of total salaries of manufacturing to non-manufacturing employees = 1: 5

So, let the total salaries of manufacturing to non-manufacturing employees be y and 5y respectively.

So, the ratio of average salaries of manufacturing to non-manufacturing employees will be y/x:5y/ 4x=4:5

21.

Minu purchases a pair of sunglasses at Rs.1000 and sells to Kanu at 20% profit. Then, Kanu sells it back to Minu at 20% loss. Finally, Minu sells the same pair of sunglasses to Tanu. If the total profit made by Minu from all her transactions is Rs.500, then the percentage of profit made by Minu when she sold the pair of sunglasses to Tanu is

A.
35.42%
B.
31.25%
C.
52%
D.
26%

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

“Minu purchases a pair of sunglasses at Rs.1000 and sells to Kanu at 20% profit.”

This means, Minu purchased the glasses at Rs.1000 and sold them to Kanu at Rs.1200.

Minu made a profit of Rs. 200 so far.

“Then, Kanu sells it back to Minu at 20% loss.”

This means, Kanu sold the glasses back to Minu at 80% of 1200 = Rs. 960

“Finally, Minu sells the same pair of sunglasses to Tanu the total profit made by Minu from all her transactions is Rs.500”

This means, Minu has to make a further profit of Rs. 300. She achieves this by selling the glasses back to Tanu at 960 + 300 = Rs.1260

So the profit % in the transaction is 300/960×100=31.25%

22.

Pipes A and C are fill pipes while Pipe B is a drain pipe of a tank. Pipe B empties the full tank in one hour less than the time taken by Pipe A to fill the empty tank. When pipes A, B and C are turned on together, the empty tank is filled in two hours. If pipes B and C are turned on together when the tank is empty and Pipe B is turned off after one hour, then Pipe C takes another one hour and 15 minutes to fill the remaining tank. If Pipe A can fill the empty tank in less than five hours, then the time taken, in minutes, by Pipe C to fill the empty tank is

A.
90
B.
60
C.
120
D.
75

Option A is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Let the time taken by A to fill the tank alone be x hr, which implies the time taken by B to empty the tank alone is (x-1)hr B is the drainage pipe, and the time taken by C to fill the tank is y hours

It is given that when pipe A,B and C are turned on together, the empty tank is filled in two hours. Hence, 1/x- 1/x-1 +1/y= 1/2

It is given that if pipes B and C are turned on together when the tank is empty and pipe B is turned off after one hour, then pipe C takes another one hour and 15 min to fill the remaining tank

Hence, B worked for 1hr, and C worked for 2hr 15min, which is equal to 9/4hours

In 1 hour, B worked -1/x-1 units, and in 9/4 hours, C worked 9/4y units. Hence, 9/4y-1/x-1=1

Solving both the equations we get y=3/2 and x=3. Hence, the time taken by C is 3/2 hr which is equal to 90 Min

23.

Ravi is driving at a speed of 40 km/h on a road. Vijay is 54 meters behind Ravi and driving in the same direction as Ravi. Ashok is driving along the same road from the opposite direction at a speed of 50 km/h and is 225 meters away from Ravi. The speed, in km/h, at which Vijay should drive so that all the three cross each other at the same time, is

A.
58.8
B.
64.4
C.
67.2
D.
61.6

Option D is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

The speeds of Ravi and Ashok converted to meters per second are 40×5/18=100/9 m/s and 50×5/18=1259 m/s50×518=125/9 m/s respectively.

The relative speed between Ravi and Ashok = 100/9+125/9=225/9 m/s

So they meet exactly after 225/225/9=9 seconds.The distance covered by R in 9 seconds = 100/9×9=100 m.

So, for all three of them to meet at the same time Vijay has to cover 54 + 100 = 154m in 9

Seconds.

∴ The speed of Vijay = 154/9 m/s=154/9×185=61.6kmph

24.

Anil borrows Rs 2 lakhs at an interest rate of 8% per annum, compounded half-yearly. He repays Rs 10320 at the end of the first year and closes the loan by paying the outstanding amount at the end of the third year. Then, the total interest, in rupees, paid over the three years is nearest to

A.
45311
B.
51311
C.
33130
D.
40991

Option B is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

25.

The price of a precious stone is directly proportional to the square of its weight. Sita has a precious stone weighing 18 units. If she breaks it into four pieces with each piece having distinct integer weight, then the difference between the highest and lowest possible values of the total price of the four pieces will be 288000. Then, the price of the original precious stone is

A.
1296000
B.
1944000
C.
972000
D.
1620000

Option A is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

26.

A container has 40 liters of milk. Then, 4 liters are removed from the container and replaced with 4 liters of water. This process of replacing 4 liters of the liquid in the container with an equal volume of water is continued repeatedly. The smallest number of times of doing this process, after which the volume of milk in the container becomes less than that of water, is

Answer : 7

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

27.

Jayant bought a certain number of white shirts at the rate of Rs 1000 per piece and a certain number of blue shirts at the rate of Rs 1125 per piece. For each shirt, he then set a fixed market price which was 25% higher than the average cost of all the shirts. He sold all the shirts at a discount of 10% and made a total profit of Rs 51000. If he bought both colors of shirts, then the maximum possible total number of shirts that he could have bought is

Answer : 407

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Let the number of white and black shirts bought by Jayant be w and b respectively.

Then the total Cost Price (CP) =1000×w+1125×b=1000(w+b)+125×b

Since the goods are marked up by 25% and then offered at a discount of 10%, the total Selling

Price (SP) =CP×1.25×0.9=1.125

This implies that there was a 12.5% of Profit, which is given to be 51, 000

12.5%(CP) = 51,000

CP = 4,08,000

1000(w+b)+125×b=4,08,000

w and b are positive integers (since at least one shirt of each color needs to be purchased.)

To purchase maximum number of shirts, you need to purchase minimum number of the costlier shirts, which are the blue ones

Observe that the total CP is a multiple of 1000. And for that to happen b should be a multiple of 8 in 1000(w+b)+125×b=4,08,000

So the minimum value of b = 8, in which case, w = 399. Hence, the maximum number of shirts
that can be purchased = 399 + 8 = 407

28.

If a certain amount of money is divided equally among n persons, each one receives Rs 352 . However, if two persons receive Rs 506 each and the remaining amount is divided equally among the other persons, each of them receive less than or equal to Rs 330 . Then, the maximum possible value of n is

Answer : 16

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Let the total amount be equal to T.

T=n×352

“However, if two persons receive Rs 506 each and the remaining amount is divided equally among the other persons, each of them receive less than or equal to Rs 330”

T≤2×506+(n−2)×330

n×352≤2×506+(n−2)×330

n×352≤352+n×330

n×22≤352

n≤352/22

n≤16

So, the maximum value that n can take is 16.

29.

In a rectangle ABCD, AB = 9 cm and BC = 6 cm. P and Q are two points on BC such that the areas of the figures ABP, APQ, and AQCD are in geometric progression. If the area of the figure AQCD is four times the area of triangle ABP, then BP : PQ : QC is

A.
1:1:2
B.
1:2:4
C.
2:4:1
D.
1:2:1

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Since Ar(ABP),Ar(APQ)&Ar(AQCD) are in GP and Ar(AQCD)=4×Ar(ABP)

Ar(ABP):Ar(APQ):Ar(AQCD)=1:2:4

9x/2:9y/2:27+9z/2=1:2:4

x:y:6+z=1:2:4

y=2x

6+z=4x

x + y + z = 6

x + 2x + 4x – 6 = 6

x = 127127

z = 4x – 6 = 48−427=6748−427=67

∴ x = 2z

Therefore, x:y:z=2:4:1

BP : PQ : QC = 2 : 4 : 1

30.

A triangle is drawn with its vertices on the circle C such that one of its sides is a diameter of C and the other two sides have their lengths in the ratio a:b. If the radius of the circle is r, then the area of the triangle is

A.
B.
C.
D.

Option D is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

31.

The area of the quadrilateral bounded by the Y-axis, the line X =5, and the lines |x−y|−|x−5|=2, is

Answer : 45

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

We need to find the area of the quadrilateral ABDE = area of rectangle ABCD + area of triangle
CDE => Area of ABCD = (7-3)*5 = 20 units, and the area of triangle CDE = (1/2)*10*5 = 25
units.

Hence, the area of the quadrilateral ABDE = (20+25) = 45 units

32.

A.
79
B.
83
C.
86
D.
84

Option A is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

33.

A.
486
B.
189
C.
378
D.
243

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

34.

Let an and bn be two sequences such that an=13+6(n−1) and bn=15+7(n−1) for all natural numbers n. Then, the largest three digit integer that is common to both these sequences, is

Answer : 967

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

an=13+6(n−1)=7+6n

bm=15+7(m−1)=8+7m

For some m, n, let 7+6n=8+7m

6n−7m=1

n=6,m=5

a6=43 and b5=43

Since, L.C.M(6,7)=42, the common terms of the series are of the form 43+42k

Let’s find the smallest 4-digit number of this form…

1000/42≅23.80100042≅23.80

43+42(23)=100943+42(23)=1009

∴43+42(22)=967∴43+42(22)=967 is the largest 3-digit such value.

35.

Read the following information carefully, analyze it, and answer the question based on it.

There are nine boxes arranged in a 3×3 array as shown in Tables 1 and 2. Each box contains three sacks. Each sack has a certain number of coins, between 1 and 9, both inclusive.

The average number of coins per sack in the boxes are all distinct integers. The total number of coins in each row is the same. The total number of coins in each column is also the same.

Table 1 gives information regarding the median of the numbers of coins in the three sacks in a box for some of the boxes. In Table 2 each box has a number which represents the number of sacks in that box having more than 5 coins. That number is followed by a * if the sacks in that box satisfy exactly one among the following three conditions, and it is followed by ** if two or more of these conditions are satisfied.

i) The minimum among the numbers of coins in the three sacks in the box is 1.
ii) The median of the numbers of coins in the three sacks is 1.
iii) The maximum among the numbers of coins in the three sacks in the box is 9.

01.

What is the total number of coins in all the boxes in the 3^rd row?

A.
36
B.
30
C.
45
D.
15

Option C is the correct answer.

Video Explanation

Explanatory Answer

Step 1:

It is given that average number of coins per sack in the boxes are all distinct integers, so, each box will have average of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 coins per sack in any order.

Therefore, each row and column will have (9*10)/2 = 45 coins in total, since each row and column has same number of coins.

Also, since average number of coins per sack is an integer value therefore, the sum of coins in each sack in a box should be divisible by 3.

Average of ‘1’ is only possible for the combination of (1, 1, 1).

This combination is possible for boxes in 3rd column - 3rd row because this satisfies 2 conditions that minimum value is 1 and median is also 1.

Average ‘9’ is only possible for the combination of (9, 9, 9).

This combination is possible in 2nd row-3rd column (Box in 3rd row 1st column has median 8, therefore, it cannot have an average value of 9).

Box in 3rd row - 1st column satisfies condition (iii) only therefore, the only combination of coins that satisfies the mentioned condition is (7, 8, 9). Box in 3rd row/2nd column must satisfy conditions (i) and (iii).

So, minimum and maximum number of coins in a bag are 1, and 9 respectively. Hence, possible combinations are (1, 5, 9) or (1, 8, 9) but only (1, 8, 9) will give the sum of 45 for Row-3

Step 2:

If average number of coins in a box is ‘2’ then, total sum of coins is suppose to be 6 which means each sack must have less than 5 coins and that is only possible for box in 2nd row - 2nd column.

This box satisfy only one condition and that must be (I).

Hence, the only possible combination is (1, 2, 3).

[We take (1, 1, 4) then two given conditions will be satisfied which contradicts.]

	1st Column	2nd Column	3rd Column
1st Row	1,1,7	3,9,9	1,6,8

02.

How many boxes have at least one sack containing 9 coins?

A.
3
B.
5
C.
4
D.
8