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CAT Reading Comprehension Question Papers 02 |
Some modern anthropologists hold that biological evolution has shaped not only human morphology but also human behavior. The role those anthropologists ascribe to evolution is not of dictating the details of human behavior but one of imposing constraints - ways of feeling, thinking, and acting that ''come naturally'' in archetypal situations in any culture. Our ''frailties'' - emotions and motivs such as rage, fear, greed, gluttony, joy,lust, love-may be a very mixed assortment quality: we are, as we say, ''in the grip'' of them. And thus they give us oursense of constraints.
Unhappily, some of those frailties our need for ever-increasing security among them are presently maladaptive. Yet beneath the overlay of cultural detail, they, too, are said to be biological in direction, and therefore as natural to us as are our appendixes. We would need to comprehend throughly their adaptive origins in order to understand how badly they guide us now. And we might then begin to resist their pressure.
The author implies that control to any extent over the ''frailties'' that constrain our behavior is though to presuppose
That those frailties and adaptive are recognized as currently beneficial and adaptive
That there is little or no overlay of cultural detail that masks their true nature.
That there are cultures in which those frailties do not ''come naturally'' and from which such control can be learned
A full understanding of why those frailties evolved and of how they function now
A thorough grasp of the principle that cultural detail in human behavior can differ arbitrarily from society to society.
Ans : D
It can be inferred that in his discussion of maladaptive frailties the author assumes that
Evolution does not favor the emergence of adaptive characteristics over the emergence of maladaptive ones
Any structure or behavior not positively adaptive is regarded as transitory in evolutionary theory
Maladaptive characteristics, once fixed, make the emergence of other maladaptive characteristics more likely
The designation of a characteristic as being maladaptive must always remain highly tentative
Changes in the total human environment can outpace evolutionary change.
Ans : E
The primary purpose of the passage is to present
A position on the foundations of human behavior and on what those foundations imply
A theory outlining the parallel development of human morphology and of human behavior
A diagnostic test for separating biologically determined behavior patters from culture - specific detail
An overview of those human emotions and motive's that impose constraints on human behaviour
A practical method for resting the pressures of biologically determined drives.
Ans : A
Which of the following most probably provides an appropriate analogy from human morphology for the ''details'' versus ''constraints'' distinction made in the passage in relation to human behaviour?
The ability of most people to see all the colors of the visible spectrum as against most peoples inability to name any but the primary colors
The ability of even the least fortunate people to show compassion as against people's inability to mask their feelings completely
The ability of some people to dive to great depths as against most people's inability to swim long distance
The psychological profile of those people who are able to delay gratification as against people's inability to control their lives completely
The greater lung capacity of mountain peoples that helps them live in oxygen-poor air as against people's inability to fly without special apparatus.
Ans : E
The existence of mammals on the earth can be traced back to at least the Triassic time. The rate of development was retarded, till evolutional change suddenly accelerated in the oldest Paleocene. This resulted in an increase in average size, larger mental capacity, and special adaptations for different modes of life, during the Eocene time. Further improvement was seen during the Oligocene Epoch, with the appearance of some new lines and extinction of others. The Miocene and Pliocene times are especially significant as they mark the culmination of various groups and a continued approach toward modern characters. It is in the Miocene time that the mammals reached their peak with reference to variety and size.
The ability of the mammals to adapt to various modes of life finds a parallel in the reptiles of the Mesozoic time, and apart form their greater intelligence, the mammals apparently have not done much better than the corresponding reptilian forms. Undoubtedly the bat is a better flying animal than the pterosaur, but at the same time the dolphin and whale are hardly more fish like than the ichthyosaur. Quite a few of the swift-running mammals inhabiting the plains, like the horse and the antelope, must excel any of the dinosaurs. Although the tyrannosaur was a more weighty and robust carnivore than perhaps any carnivorous mammal, the lion and the tiger, by virtue of their superior brain are far more efficient and dangerous beasts of prey. It is significant to note that various species of mammals gradually adapted themselves to various kinds of lifestyles, some took to grazing on the plains and were able to run swiftly (horse, deer, bison), others started living in rivers and swamps (hippopotamus, beaver), inhabiting trees (sloth, monkey), burrowing underground (rodent, mole), feeding on flesh (tiger, wolf), swimming in the water (dolphin, whale, seal), and flying in the air (bat). Human beings on account of their superior brain have been able to harness mechanical methods to conquer the physical world and adapt to any set of conditions.
Such adaptation to different conditions leads to a gradual change in form and structure. This is a biological characteristic of the youthful, plastic stage of a group. It is seen that early in its evolutional cycle animals possess the capacity for change, but as the animal progresses in its cycle becoming old and fixed, this capacity for change disappears. The generalized types of organisms retain longest the ability to make adjustments when required, and it is from them that new, fecund stocks take origin-certainly not from any specialized end products. With reference to mammals, we see their birth, plastic spread in many directions, increased specialization, and in some cases, extinction; this is a characteristic of the evolution of life, which can be seen in the geologic record of life.
From the following, choose the most appropriate title for the above passage?
From Dinosaur to Man
Adaptation and Extinction
The Superior Mammals
The Geologic Life Span
Man, the Vanquisher of the Physical World.
Ans : B
According to the passage the chronological order of the geologic periods is:
Paleocene, Miocene, Triassic, Mesozoic
Paleocene, Triassic, Mesozoic, Miocene
Miocene, Paleocene, Triassic, Mesozoic
Mesozoic, Oligocene, Paleocene, Miocene
Mesozoic, Paleocene, Eocene, Miocene
Ans : E
From the above passage, we can infer that, the pterosaur
resembled the bat
was a Mesozoic mammal
was a flying reptile
inhabited the seas
evolved during the Miocene period
Ans : C
As inferred from the passage, the largest number of mammals were found in which of the following periods?
Triassic period
Eocene period
Oligocene epoch
Pliocene period
Miocene period
Ans : E
Among the following statements, which statement, if true, would weaken the argument put forth in the first sentence of Paragraph 1?
It has been found that the tryannosaur had a larger brain, than was previously known.
Within the next thousand years, mammals will become extinct.
Recently certain forms of flying ichthyosaurs have been discovered.
It has now been proved, that the tiger is more powerful than the carnivorous reptiles.
It is now possible to double human mental capacity, by the use of certain recently developed computers.
Ans : A
It is clear from the passage, that the evidence used to discuss the life of past time periods
was developed by Charles Darwin
was unearthed by the author
has been negated by more recent evidence
was never truly established
is based on fossilized remains
Ans : E
As inferred from the passage, which of the following proverbial expressions is the author most likely to agree with?
It's a cruel world.
All the world's a stage.
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
Footprints in the sands of time.
A short life, but a merry one.
Ans : D
For a period of more than two centuries paleontologists have been intrigued by the fossilized remains of pterosaurs, the first flying vertebartes. The issues, which puzzle them, are how these heavy creatures, having a wingspan of about 8-12 meters managed the various problems associated with powered flight and whether these creatures were reptiles or birds.
Perhaps the least controversial assertion about the pterosaurs is that they were reptiles. Their skulls, pelvises, and hind feet are reptilian. The anatomy of their wings suggests that they did not evolve into the class of birds. In pterosaurs a greatly elongated fourth finger of each forelimb supported a winglike membrane. The other fingers were short and reptilian, with sharp claws. In birds the second finger is the principal strut of the wing, which consists primarily of feathers. If the pterosaurs walked on all fours, the three short fingers may have been employed for grasping. When a pterosaurs walked or remained stationary, the fourth finger, and with it the wing, could only urn upward in an extended inverted V- shape along each side of the animal's body.
In resemblance they were extremely similar to both birds and bats, with regard to their overall body structure and proportion. This is hardly surprising as the design of any flying vertebrate is subject to aerodynamic constraints. Both the pterosaurs and the birds have hollow bones, a feature that represents a savings in weight. There is a difference, which is that the bones of the birds are more massively reinforced by internal struts.
Although scales typically cover reptiles, the pterosaurs probably had hairy coats. T.H. Huxley reasoned that flying vertebrates must have been warm-blooded because flying implies a high rate of metabolism, which in turn implies a high internal temperature. Huxley speculated that a coat of hair would insulate against loss of body heat and might streamline the body to reduce drag in flight. The recent discovery of a pterosaur specimen covered in long, dense, and relatively thick hair like fossil material was the first clear evidence that his reasoning was correct.
Some paleontologists are of the opinion that the pterosaurs jumped from s dropped from trees or perhaps rose into the light winds from the crests of waves in order to become airborne. Each theory has its associated difficulties. The first makes a wrong assumption that the pterosaurs hind feet resembled a bat's and could serve as hooks by which the animal could hang in preparation for flight. The second hypothesis seems unlikely because large pterosaurs could not have landed in trees without damaging their wings. The third calls for high aces to channel updrafts. The pterosaurs would have been unable to control their flight once airborne as the wind from which such waves arose would have been too strong.
As seen in the above passage scientists generally agree that:
the pterosaurs could fly over large distances because of their large wingspan.
a close evolutionary relationship can be seen between the pterosaurs and bats, when the structure of their skeletons is studied.
the study of the fossilized remains of the pterosaurs reveals how they solved the problem associated with powered flight
the pterosaurs were reptiles
Pterosaurs walked on all fours.
Ans : D
The view that, the pterosaurs rose into light winds from the crest of the waves to become airborne, is viewed by the author as
revolutionary
unlikely
unassailable
probable
outdated.
Ans : B
As inferred from the passage, the skeleton of a pterosaur is distinguishable from that of a bird by the
length of its wingspan
hollow spaces in its bones
anatomic origin of its wing strut
evidence of the hooklike projections on its hind feet
location of the shoulder joint joining the wing to its body.
Ans : C
From the viewpoint of T.H.Huxley, as given in the passage, which of the following statements is he most likely to agree with?
An animal can master complex behaviors irrespective of the size of it's brain.
Environmental capabilities and physical capabilities often influence the appearance of an animal.
Usually animals in a particular family group do not change their appearance dramatically over a period of time
The origin of flight in vertebrates was an accidental development rather than the outcome of specialization or adaption
The pterosaurs should be classified as birds, not reptiles.
Ans : B
According to the passage which of the following is a characteristic of the pterosaurs?
The pterosaurs were not able to fold their wings when not in use
Like the bats, they hung upside down from branches
They flew in order to capture prey
They can be said to be an earlier stage in the evolution of the birds
They lived principally in a forest like habitat.
Ans : A
The organization of the last paragraph of the passage can best be described as:
New data is introduced in order to support a traditional point of view
Three explanations are put forth and each of them is disputed by means of specific information
An outline of three hypotheses are given and evidence supporting each of them is given
Description of three recent discoveries is presented, and their implications for future study are projected
The material in the earlier paragraphs is summarized and certain conclusions are from it.
Ans : B
According to the passage, some scientists believe that pterosaurs
Lived near large bodies of water
Had sharp teeth for tearing food
Were attacked and eaten by larger reptiles
Had longer tails than many birds
Consumed twice their weight daily to maintain their body temperature.
Ans : A
Certain scraps of evidence bear out those who hold a very high opinion of the average level of culture among the Athenians of the great age. Pericles's funeral speech is undoubtedly the most famous evidence from Athenian literature, that its level was indeed high. However, Pericles was a politician, and it is possible that he was flattering his audience. We know that thousands of Athenians sat hour after hour in the theater listening to the plays of the great Greek dramatists. The Greek plays, particularly the tragedies, maintained an extremely high intellectual level throughout, with no letdowns, no concessions to the lowbrows or to the demands of ''realism'', like the gravediggers scene in Shakespeare's Hamlet. The music and dancing seen in these plays were also of an equally high level. The best modern parallel can be seen in the restrained, difficult opera of the 18th century. The comparison is no doubt dangerous, but can you imagine almost the entire population of an American city (in suitable installments, of course) sitting through performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni or Gluck's Orpheus? Perhaps the Athenian masses went to these plays because of a lack of other amusements. They could at least understand something of what went on, since the subjects were part of their folklore. Undoubtedly the theme of grand opera is not part of the folklore of the American people.
From the passage it is evident that the author seems to question the sincerity of
politicians
playwrights
opera goers
''low brows''
gravediggers.
Ans : A
According to the author the average American
Enjoys Hamlet
Loves folklore
Is not able to understand grand opera
Seeks a high cultural level
Lacks entertainment.
Ans : C
From the passage, we can say that the author's attitude toward Greek plays is one of
Qualified approval
Grudging admiration
Studied indifference
Partial hostility
Great respect.
Ans : E
The author makes a suggestion that Greek plays
Were demanding on the actors
Flattered their audiences
Were focussed on a limited audience
Were dominated by music and dancing
Stimulated their audiences.
Ans : E
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