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CAT 2018 Slot 1 — VARC Question 33

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. In many cases time inconsistency is what prevents our going from intention to action.
  2. For people to continuously postpone getting their children immunized, they would need to be constantly fooled by themselves.
  3. In the specific case of immunization, however, it is hard to believe that time inconsistency by itself would be sufficient to make people permanently postpone the decision if they were fully cognizant of its benefits.
  4. In most cases, even a small cost of immunization was large enough to discourage most people.
  5. Not only do they have to think that they prefer to spend time going to the camp next month rather than today, they also have to believe that they will indeed go next month.

Answer & solution

Correct answer: 4

Answer: 4

Solution

Easy

Find the common theme of the five sentences, assemble the four that link tightly, and isolate the one that drifts to a different idea. Pronouns like "they" and connectors like "however" and "Not only... they also..." pin the order.

1

Theme and opener. The subject is time inconsistency as a barrier to action, applied to immunization. Sentence 1 states the general principle: "In many cases time inconsistency is what prevents our going from intention to action." It opens.

2

1 to 3. Sentence 3 narrows to the specific case: "In the specific case of immunization, however, it is hard to believe that time inconsistency by itself would be sufficient..." The "however" contrasts the specific case with the general claim in 1.

3

3 to 2 to 5. Sentence 2 explains the condition: "For people to continuously postpone... they would need to be constantly fooled by themselves." Sentence 5 then spells this out: "Not only do they have to think that they prefer to spend time going to the camp next month... they also have to believe that they will indeed go next month." Sentence 5's "they" continues 2's self-fooling people. Chain: 1–3–2–5.

4

Spot the misfit. Sentence 4 says "even a small cost of immunization was large enough to discourage most people." That introduces cost as the deterrent — a different explanation from the time-inconsistency / self-fooling thread that runs through 1–3–2–5. It does not fit the chain.

The odd sentence out is 4. (The coherent paragraph is 1–3–2–5.)

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CAT 2018 Slot 1 VARC Q33: Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and c — Solution | TheCATExam