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CAT 2017 Slot 2 — VARC Question 32

Mixed PracticeEasy

Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph. Identify the odd one out.

  1. Although we are born with the gift of language, research shows that we are surprisingly unskilled when it comes to communicating with others.
  2. We must carefully orchestrate our speech if we want to achieve our goals and bring our dream to fruition.
  3. We often choose our words without thought, oblivious of the emotional effects they can have on others.
  4. We talk more than we need to, ignoring the effect we are having on those listening to us.
  5. We listen poorly, without realizing it, and we often fail to pay attention to the subtle meanings conveyed by facial expressions, body gestures, and the tone and cadence of our voice.

Answer & solution

Correct answer: 2

Answer: 2

Solution

Easy

For an odd-one-out, first pin the common theme the four coherent sentences share, then find the single sentence whose focus drifts away from it. Here the theme is our shortcomings as communicators — how poorly we actually communicate despite the gift of language.

1

Establish the theme. Sentence 1 is the thesis: "we are born with the gift of language, [yet]... surprisingly unskilled when it comes to communicating with others." Every coherent sentence should illustrate this deficiency.

2

Gather the supporting sentences. Sentence 3 — "we often choose our words without thought, oblivious of the emotional effects." Sentence 4 — "we talk more than we need to, ignoring the effect on those listening." Sentence 5 — "we listen poorly... fail to pay attention to subtle meanings." Each is a concrete example of our being "unskilled" communicators, fitting 1 perfectly.

3

Spot the misfit. Sentence 2 — "We must carefully orchestrate our speech if we want to achieve our goals and bring our dreams to fruition" — is prescriptive and aspirational. It talks about achieving goals and dreams, not about our failings as communicators. Its positive, goal-oriented tone clashes with the deficiency theme of 1, 3, 4 and 5.

Sentences 1, 3, 4, 5 cohere around our poor communication skills; 2 is the odd one out. The answer is 2.

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CAT 2017 Slot 2 VARC Q32: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and c — Solution | TheCATExam