The part 2 of the CAT traps series will focus on common errors and silly mistakes that happen in Data Interpretation caselets. While solving is of course a large part of scoring marks in these questions, if you are aware of the various CAT traps, you can make sure your effort doesn’t go waste. Read more
In the last article, we looked at vocabulary questions from previous CAT papers. We will solve a few more vocabulary questions in this article.
Try solving the questions first before heading to the answers:
Directions for Q. 1-4: Each of the following questions has a paragraph with one italicized word that does not make sense. Choose the most APPROPRIATE replacement for that word from the options given below the paragraph.
1] destroying 2] testing 3] resurrecting 4] questioning
1] shining 2] bright 3] sputtering 4] effulgent
1] amusing 2] irritating 3] disgusting 4] distressing
1] witty 2] rude 3] simple 4] terse
DIRECTIONS for Q. 5 to 8: There are two gaps in each of the following sentences. From the pairs of words given, choose the one that fills the gaps most appropriately. The first word in the pair should fill the first gap.
1] admitted, acquire 2] conceded, offload 3] announced, dispose 4] ratified, auction
1] treatment, compounded 2] detection, facilitated 3] identification, complicated 4] prevention, helped
1] resent, replacing 2] resist, challenging 3] welcome, assisting 4] are, supplanting
1 ] giving, seeking 2] bestowing, discouraging 3] conferring, discrediting 4] withholding, fostering
Answers:
1] destroying 2] testing 3] resurrecting 4] questioning
Answer: The word ‘proponents’ in the last line indicates that they are in support of the theory. Hence, they will not destroy, test or question Paley’s argument. Hence, the answer has to be 3.
1] shining 2] bright 3] sputtering 4] effulgent
Answer: ‘Limp fodder’ presents a bleak picture of the place. Hence, maintaining the parallel structure, the oil lamps cannot be shining, bright or effulgent. Hence, the answer is 3.
1] amusing 2] irritating 3] disgusting 4] distressing
Answer: Because the traveler is sensitive, he will clearly be ‘distressed’ when he sees the streets of the town.
1] witty 2] rude 3] simple 4] terse
Answer: Since, the return note contained only word, it is brief in nature. Only ‘terse’ fits this idea.
Thoughts on solving these questions: Read each word in the given sentences carefully and try and understand the context in which the italicized word is used. Eliminate the options which convey the same meaning. For example in Q.2, ‘shining’, ‘bright’ and ‘effulgent’ all convey almost the same meaning. So all of them can be eliminated to figure out the right answer.
1] admitted, acquire 2] conceded, offload 3] announced, dispose 4] ratified, auction
Answer: Since King’s is the subsidiary of M&S, it doesn’t make any sense to acquire it. This eliminates 1. ‘Ratified defeat’ doesn’t make sense and neither does ‘dispose King’s’. ‘concede defeat’ is the proper idiomatic usage and hence 2 is the answer.
1] treatment, compounded 2] detection, facilitated 3] identification, complicated 4] prevention, helped
Answer: The sentence mentions that developing friendship networks outside college ‘masks’ signals of maladjustment. It doesn’t treat or cure it. Hence, only 3 presents this idea.
1] resent, replacing 2] resist, challenging 3] welcome, assisting 4] are, supplanting
Answer: The word ‘unhappily’ indicates that the teachers are getting a raw deal. Resent and replacing clearly indicate this idea. Hence, the answer is 1.
1 ] giving, seeking 2] bestowing, discouraging 3] conferring, discrediting 4] withholding, fostering
Answer: Giving rewards would encourage positive behavior from the employees. Hence, the word in the first blank should be ‘withholding’. Hence, the answer is 4.
Thoughts on solving these questions: Again, read each word in the question carefully and figure out the context in which the word is used. For example, in Q.8. the word ‘negative’ indicates that the first blank is something which will hinder good employee behavior. Use this logic to eliminate options which don’t fit the idea and then mark the best answer.
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We are back with another set of CAT questions. Try to solve this set in five minutes.
Q.1 A truck traveling at 70 mph uses 30% more diesel to travel a certain distance than it does when it travels at the speed of 50 mph. If the truck can travel 19.5 kilometers on a liter of diesel at 50 mph, how far can the truck travel on 10 liters of diesel at a speed of 70 mph. (CAT 2000)
Q.2 There are 12 towns grouped into four zones with three towns per zone. It is intended to connect the towns with telephone lines such that every two towns are connected with three direct lines if they belong to the same zone, and with only one direct line otherwise. How many direct telephone lines are required? (CAT 2003)
(A) 72 (B) 90 (C) 96 (D) 144
Q.3 A positive whole number M less than 100 is represented in base 2 notation, base 3 notation, and base 5 notation. It is found that in all three cases the last digit is 1, while in exactly two out of three cases the leading digit is 1. Then M equals (CAT 2003)
(A) 31 (B) 63 (C) 75 (D) 91
Q.4 An intelligence agency forms a code of two distinct digits selected from 0, 1, 2 … 9 such that the first digit of the code is non zero. The code handwritten on a slip, can however potentially create confusion when read upside down – For example, the code 91 may appear as 16. How many codes are there for which no such confusion can arise? (CAT 2003)
(1) 80 (2) 78 (3) 81 (4) 69
Q.5 The digits of a three digit number A are written in the reverse order to form another three digit number B. If B > A, and B – A is perfectly divisible by 7, then which of the following is necessarily true? (CAT 2005)
(1) 100 < A < 299 (2) 106 < A < 305 (3) 112 < A < 311 (4) 118 < A < 317
Solutions:
The CAT traps part of the 75 days to CAT 2015 series will deal with the commonly found and oft overlooked traps that can be found in entrance tests. I will be covering both generic and topic-wise traps that one can expect and be careful of while attempting the tests in the coming few posts. CAT traps is primarily an account of the silly mistakes candidates make during the high pressure scenario that is the CAT. Read more
We are back with another set of CAT questions. Try to solve this set in five minutes.
Q.1 The remainder when (15^23 + 23^23) is divided by 19 is (CAT 2004)
(A) 4 (B) 15 (C) 0 (D) 18
Q.2 If x = (16^3 + 17^3 + 18^3 + 19^3), then x divided by 70 leaves a remainder of (CAT 2004)
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 69 (D) 35
Q.3 Three consecutive positive integers are raised to the first, second and third powers respectively and then added. The sum so obtained is a perfect square whose square root equals the total of the three original integers. Which of the following best describes the minimum, say m, of these three integers? (CAT 2008)
(1) 1 ≤ m ≤ 3 (2) 4 ≤ m ≤ 6 (3) 7 ≤ m ≤ 9 (4) 10 ≤ m ≤ 12 (5) 13 ≤ m ≤ 15
Q.4 In a certain examination paper, there are n questions. For j = 1, 2, 3… n, there are 2^(n-j) students who answered j or more questions wrongly. If the total number of wrong answers is 4095, then the value of n is (CAT 2003)
(1) 12 (2) 11 (3) 10 (4) 9
Q.5 The sum of 3rd and 15th elements of an arithmetic progression is equal to the sum of 6th, 11th and 13th elements of the same progression. Then which element of the series should necessarily be equal to zero? (CAT 2003)
(1) 1st (2) 9th (3) 12th (4) none of these
Solutions
Five questions. Five minutes. Your time starts now!
Q. 1 What are the last two digits of 7^2008? (CAT 2008)
(1) 21 (2) 61 (3) 01 (4) 41 (5) 81
Q.2 A new flag is to be designed with six vertical stripes using some or all of the colors yellow, green, blue, and red. Then the number of ways this can be done so that no two adjacent stripes have the same color is (CAT 2004)
(1) 12 × 81 (2) 16 × 192 (3) 20 × 125 (4) 24 × 216
Q.3 Consider the set S = {2, 3, 4… 2n+1}, where n is a positive integer larger than 2007. Define X as the average of the odd integers in S and Y as the average of the even integers in S. What is the value of X – Y? (CAT 2007)
(1) 0 (2) 1 (3) n/2 (4) (n+1)/2n (5) 2008
Q.4 Let S be the set of prime numbers greater than or equal to 2 and less than 100. Multiply all elements of S. With how many consecutive zeroes will the product end? (CAT 2000)
(1) 1 (2) 4 (3) 5 (4) 10
Q.5 What is the sum of all two-digit numbers that give a remainder of 3 when divided by 7? (CAT 2003)
(1) 666 (2) 676 (3) 683 (4) 777
Q.1. The price of Darjeeling tea (in rupees per kilogram) is 100 + 0.10n, on the nth day of 2007 (n = 1, 2… 100), and then remains constant. On the other hand, the price of Ooty tea (in rupees per kilogram) is 89 + 0.15n, on the nth day of 2007 (n = 1, 2… 365). On which date in 2007 will the prices of these two varieties of tea be equal? (CAT 2007)
(1) May 21 (2) April 11 (3) May 20 (4) April 10 (5) June 30
Q.2 Let f(x) = max (2x + 1, 3 – 4x), where x is any real number. The minimum possible value of f(x) is (CAT 2006)
(1) 1/3 (2) 1/2 (3) 2/3 (4) 4/3 (5) 5/3
Q.3 The number of roots common between the two equations x^3 + 3x^2 + 4x + 5 = 0 and x^3 + 2x^2 + 7x + 3 = 0 is (CAT 2003)
(1) 0 (2) 1 (3) 2 (4) 3
Q.4. The remainder when 2^256 is divided by 17 is (CAT 2002)
(1) 7 (2) 13 (3) 11 (4) 1
Q.5 Consider a sequence where then nth term,
t_n=n/((n+2)) ,n=1,2,…
The value of t_3 * t_4 * t_5 * t_6 * … * t_53 equals: (CAT 2006)
(1) 2/495 (2) 2/477 (3) 12/55 (4) 1/1485 (5) 1/2970
We are back with another set. Standard rules. Solve the next five questions in five minutes. Come back and check the solutions.
Q.1 In a 4000 m race around a circular stadium having a circumference of 1000 m, the fastest runner and the slowest runner reach the same point at the end of the fifth minute, for the first time after the start of the race. All the runners have the same starting point and each runner maintains a uniform speed throughout the race. If the fastest runner runs at twice the speed of the slowest runner, what is the time taken by the fastest runner to finish the race. (CAT 2003)
(1) 20 minutes (2) 15 minutes (3) 10 minutes (4) 5 minutes
Q.2 There are 6 boxes numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Each box is to be filled with a red or a green ball in such a way that at least 1 box contains a green ball and the boxes containing green balls are consecutively numbered. The total number of ways in which this can be done is (CAT 2003)
(1) 5 (2) 21 (3) 33 (4) 60
Q.3 Rectangular tiles each of size 70 cm by 30 cm must be laid horizontally on a rectangular floor of size 110 cm by 130 cm such that the tiles do not overlap. A tile can be placed in any orientation so long as its edges are parallel to the edges of the floor. No tile should overshoot any edge of the floor. The maximum number of tiles that can be accommodated on the floor is (CAT 2005)
(1) 4 (2) 5 (3) 6 (4) 7
Q.4 A student finds the sum of 1, 2, 3 … as his patience run out. He found the sum as 575. When the teacher declared the result wrong, the student realized that he had missed a number. What was the number that the student missed? (CAT 2002)
(1) 16 (2) 18 (3) 14 (4) 20
Q.5 Let D be a recurring decimal of the form, D = 0.a1a2a1a2a1a2…., where digits a1 and a2 lie between 0 and 9. Further, at most one of them is zero. Then which of the following numbers necessarily produces an integer, when multiplied by D? (CAT 2000)
(1) 18 (2) 108 (3) 198 (4) 288
In the last few articles (here and here), we looked at verbal questions from previous CAT papers. Let’s do the same for vocabulary questions.
CAT 2014 didn’t have any vocabulary questions and the trend appears to be continuing with the official mock having no questions on verbal. However, one can always expect a surprise in CAT especially with IIM-A conducting the exam this year. Hence, it is useful to have a look at these questions as well.
The best way to prepare for vocabulary, with CAT less than a month away, is to look at all questions from this topic asked in previous papers. Let’s solve at questions based on word usage today. Try solving the questions first before looking at the answers.
Directions for questions: In each of the questions, a word has been used in sentences in five different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the usage of the word is incorrect or inappropriate.
Q.1. Run (CAT 2008)
1. I must run fast to catch up with him.
2. Our team scored a goal against the run of play.
3. You can’t run over him like that.
4. The newly released book is enjoying a popular run.
5. This film is a run-of-the-mill production.
Q.2. Round (CAT 2008)
1. The police fired a round of tear gas shells.
2. The shop is located round the corner.
3. We took a ride on the merry-go-round.
4. The doctor is on a hospital round.
5. I shall proceed further only after you come round to admitting it.
Q.3. Buckle (CAT 2008)
1. After the long hike our knees were beginning to buckle.
2. The horse suddenly broke into a buckle.
3. The accused did not buckle under police interrogation.
4. Sometimes, an earthquake can make a bridge buckle.
5. People should learn to buckle up as soon as they get into a car.
Q.4. File (CAT 2008)
1. You will find the paper in the file under C.
2. I need to file an insurance claim.
3. The cadets were marching in a single file.
4. File your nails before you apply nail polish.
5. When the parade was on, a soldier broke the file.
Q.5. Hand (CAT 2005)
1. I have my hand full, I cannot do it today.
2. The minister visited the jail to see the breach at first hand.
3. The situation is getting out of hand here!
4. When the roof of my house was blown away, he was willing to lend me a hand.
Q.6. Near (CAT 2005)
1. I got there just after you left – a near miss!
2. She and her near friend left early.
3. The war led to a near doubling of oil prices.
4. They came near to tears seeing the plight of the victims
Q.7. Bolt (CAT 2004)
1. The shopkeeper showed us a bolt of fine silk.
2. As he could not move, he made a bolt for the gate.
3. Could you please bolt the door?
4. The thief was arrested before he could bolt from the scene of the crime.
Q.8. Passing (CAT 2004)
1. She did not have passing marks in mathematics.
2. The mad woman was cursing everybody passing her on the road.
3. At the birthday party all the children enjoyed a game of passing the parcel.
4. A passing taxi was stopped to rush the accident victim to the hospital.
Q.9. Fallout (CAT 2004)
1. Nagasaki suffered from the fallout of nuclear radiation.
2. People believed that the political fallout of the scandal would be insignificant.
3. Who can predict the environmental fallout of the WTO agreements?
4. The headmaster could not understand the fallout of several of his good students at the public examination.
Q.10. Bundle (CAT 2003)
1 The newborn baby was a bundle of joy for the family.
2 Mobile operators are offering a bundle of additional benefits.
3 He made a bundle in the share market.
4 It was sheer luck that brought a bundle of boy-scouts to where I was lying wounded.
Answers:
Q.1. Run (CAT 2008)
1. I must run fast to catch up with him.
2. Our team scored a goal against the run of play.
3. You can’t run over him like that.
4. The newly released book is enjoying a popular run.
5. This film is a run-of-the-mill production.
Answer:
Sentence 1: The usage of run in this sentence is the regular way in which we use it in our daily speech. This option is correct.
Sentence 2: ‘against the run of play’ means contrary to the flow of the game. The usage here is correct.
Sentence 3: run over is usually used in the context of knocking down someone especially with a vehicle. Hence, the use of run here is incorrect.
Sentence 4: ‘enjoying a popular run’ means that the book is in demand right now. Hence, this sentence is correct.
Sentence 5: ‘run-of-the-mill’ means ordinary. The use is correct in the sentence.
Q.2. Round (CAT 2008)
1. The police fired a round of tear gas shells.
2. The shop is located round the corner.
3. We took a ride on the merry-go-round.
4. The doctor is on a hospital round.
5. I shall proceed further only after you come round to admitting it.
Answer:
Sentence 1: A round in this context is one/many tear gas shells. The usage is correct.
Sentence 2: ‘Round the corner’ means nearby. Hence, this sentence is correct.
Sentence 3: A merry-go-round is an amusement ride usually found in parks. Hence, this is correct.
Sentence 4: In this case, round means ‘going from one place to another in a habitual manner’. Hence, the usage here is correct.
Sentence 5: In this sentence, the correct phrase should have been ‘come around to admitting it’ instead of ‘come round’. ‘Come around’ means changing one’s opinion which is what the author is trying to convey in the sentence. Hence, this sentence is incorrect.
Q.3. Buckle (CAT 2008)
1. After the long hike our knees were beginning to buckle.
2. The horse suddenly broke into a buckle.
3. The accused did not buckle under police interrogation.
4. Sometimes, an earthquake can make a bridge buckle.
5. People should learn to buckle up as soon as they get into a car.
Answer:
Sentence 1: ‘Knees beginning to buckle’ means that the knees were beginning to collapse/give way.
Sentence 2: ‘broke into a buckle’ doesn’t make sense. The horse broke into a trot/gallop makes more sense here. Hence, this sentence is incorrect.
Sentence 3: Here, the sentence implies that the accused did not give in to police pressure. Hence, the use of buckle is correct in this sentence.
Sentence 4: The meaning of buckle in this sentence is the same as in sentence 1.
Sentence 5: Here, ‘buckle’ means fastening seatbelts in the car. Hence, this sentence is correct.
Q.4. File (CAT 2008)
1. You will find the paper in the file under C.
2. I need to file an insurance claim.
3. The cadets were marching in a single file.
4. File your nails before you apply nail polish.
5. When the parade was on, a soldier broke the file.
Answer:
Sentence 1: In this sentence, file means the physical file in which papers are kept. Hence, the use is correct.
Sentence 2: Filing in this case means lodging the claim. The usage is correct.
Sentence 3: ‘Single file’ means ‘people standing one behind another’. This sentence is correct.
Sentence 4: File in this sentence implies trim. This sentence is correct.
Sentence 5: The use of file is incorrect. The sentence should instead read ‘a soldier broke the ranks’. Hence, this sentence is incorrect.
Q.5. Hand (CAT 2005)
1. I have my hand full, I cannot do it today.
2. The minister visited the jail to see the breach at first hand.
3. The situation is getting out of hand here!
4. When the roof of my house was blown away, he was willing to lend me a hand.
Answer:
Sentence 1: The correct phrase should be “have my hands full” which means ‘busy’. Hence, this sentence is incorrect.
Sentence 2: ‘At first hand’ means directly. In this sentence, the minister wanted to see the breach himself without hearing about it from someone else.
Sentence 3: ‘Out of hand’ means ‘out of control’. The usage is correct here.
Sentence 4: ‘lend me a hand’ is to help. This sentence is correct.
Try out the following examples and post your answers in the comments below:
Q.6. Near (CAT 2005)
1. I got there just after you left – a near miss!
2. She and her near friend left early.
3. The war led to a near doubling of oil prices.
4. They came near to tears seeing the plight of the victims
Q.7. Bolt (CAT 2004)
1. The shopkeeper showed us a bolt of fine silk.
2. As he could not move, he made a bolt for the gate.
3. Could you please bolt the door?
4. The thief was arrested before he could bolt from the scene of the crime.
Q.8. Passing (CAT 2004)
1. She did not have passing marks in mathematics.
2. The mad woman was cursing everybody passing her on the road.
3. At the birthday party all the children enjoyed a game of passing the parcel.
4. A passing taxi was stopped to rush the accident victim to the hospital.
Q.9. Fallout (CAT 2004)
1. Nagasaki suffered from the fallout of nuclear radiation.
2. People believed that the political fallout of the scandal would be insignificant.
3. Who can predict the environmental fallout of the WTO agreements?
4. The headmaster could not understand the fallout of several of his good students at the public examination.
Q.10. Bundle (CAT 2003)
1 The newborn baby was a bundle of joy for the family.
2 Mobile operators are offering a bundle of additional benefits.
3 He made a bundle in the share market.
4 It was sheer luck that brought a bundle of boy-scouts to where I was lying wounded.
We’ll look at a few more problems. Hope you have gone through the earlier Quick Quant posts. We are solving questions with shortcuts and non-conventional methods. See if you can crack this set in five minutes.
Q.1 A milkman mixes 20 L of water with 80 L of milk. After selling one-fourth of this mixture, he adds water to replenish the quantity that he has sold. What is the current proportion of water to milk? (CAT 2004)
(1) 2:3 (2) 1:2 (3) 1:3 (4) 3:4
Q.2 Two boats, traveling at 5 and 10 kms per hour, head directly towards each other. They begin at a distance of 20 kms from each other. How far are they (in kms) one minute before they collide? (CAT 2004)
(1) 1/12 (2) 1/6 (3) 1/4 (4) 1/3
Q.3 In a tournament, there are n teams T1, T2… Tn with n>5. Each team consists of k players, k>3. The following pairs of teams have one player in common: T1 and T2, T2 and T3, T3 and T4… Tn-1 and Tn, Tn and T1. No other pair of teams has any player in common. How many players are participating in the tournament, considering all the n teams together? (CAT 2007)
(1) n(k-1) (2) k(n-1) (3) n(k-2) (4) k(k-2) (5) (n-1)(k-1)
Q.4 Len n! = 1 * 2 * 3 * 4 *… * n for integer n ≥ 1. If p = 1! + 2*2! + 3*3! + … 10*10! Then p + 2 when divided by 11! Leaves a remainder of (CAT 2005)
(1) 10 (2) 0 (3) 7 (4) 1
Q. 5 Consider a sequence of seven consecutive integers. The average of first five integers is n. The average of all seven integers is: (CAT 2000)
(1)n (2) n+1 (3) K*n, where K is a function of n (4) n+(2/7)