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 Reading Comprehension
Philosophers have raised questions about the meaning and structure of the totality of human history. Some
philosophers have sought to discover a large organising theme, meaning, or direction in human history. This
may take the form of an effort to demonstrate how history enacts a divine order, or reveals a large pattern.
. ., or plays out an important theme. . . . The ambition in each case is to demonstrate that the apparent
contingency and arbitrariness of historical events can be related to a more fundamental underlying purpose
or order. This approach to history may be described as hermeneutic, and it is focused on the interpretation
of large historical features rather than the interpretation of individual meanings and actions. In effect, it
treats the sweep of history as a complicated, tangled text, in which the interpreter assigns meanings to
some elements of the story in order to fit these elements into the larger themes and motifs of the story. .
A recurring current in this approach to the philosophy of history falls in the area of theodicy. . . religiously
inspired attempts to find meaning and structure in history by relating the past and present to some
specific, divinely ordained plan. Theologians. . .have attempted to find meaning in historical events as
expressions of divine will. . . . Enlightenment thinkers rejected the religious interpretation of history but
brought in their own teleology, the idea of progress-the idea that humanity is moving in the direction of
better and more perfect civilisation and that this progression can be witnessed through the study of the
history of civilisation. . . .
A legitimate criticism of many efforts to offer an interpretation of the sweep of history is the view that it
looks for meaning where none can exist. Interpretation of individual actions and life histories is intelligible
because we can ground our attributions of meaning in a theory of the individual person as possessing and
creating meanings. But there is no super-agent lying behind historical events-for example, the French
Revolution-and so it is a metaphysical mistake to attempt to find the meaning of the features of the event. .
..
Efforts to discern large stages in history. . .are vulnerable to a different criticism based on their monocausal
interpretations of the full complexity of human history. These authors single out one factor that is thought
to drive history: a universal human nature or a common set of civilisational challenges. But their
hypotheses need to be evaluated on the basis of concrete historical evidence. And the evidence concerning
the large features of historical change over the past three millennia offers little support for the idea of one
fixed process of civilisational development. Instead, human history, at virtually every scale, appears to
embody a large degree of contingency and multiple pathways of development. This is not to say that there
are no credible "large historical" interpretations available for human history and society. . . The challenge
for macro-history is to preserve the discipline of empirical evaluation for the large hypotheses that
are put forward.

Q. 1: Which of the following sequence of phrases best describes how the passage is organised?
1. Philosophy of history; Hermeneutic approach to history; Theodicy and teleology; Critique of large
historical interpretations; Contingency and multiple pathways in human history
2. Divine order in history; Religious interpretation of history; Critique of individual interpretation;
Mono-causal interpretations of history; Large hypotheses for human history
3. Meaning and structure of human history; Interpreting large historical features; Enlightenment view of
progress; Metaphysical mistake of finding meaning; Empirical evaluation of large hypotheses

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4. Human nature and civilisational challenges; Efforts to discover organising themes in history;
Theologians' attempts to find meaning in historical events; Critique of efforts to find meaning in history;
Lack of support for one fixed process of development in human history

Q. 2: Which of the following is a valid inference of approach to the philosophy of history?

1. Both theologians and Enlightenment thinkers attempt to find meaning and structure in human history,
but whereas theologians are focused on the progress of human civilisation, Enlightenment thinkers
believe that the direction of human history is random and unpredictable.
2. Both theologians and Enlightenment thinkers attempt to find meaning and structure in human history,
but whereas theologians see history as a product of human will, Enlightenment thinkers believe that
history is shaped by external forces beyond human control.
3. Both theologians and Enlightenment thinkers attempt to find meaning and structure in human history,
with theologians seeking a religious explanation and Enlightenment thinkers proposing a secular
explanation for the direction of human history.
4. Both theologians and Enlightenment thinkers attempt to find meaning and structure in human history,
but whereas theologians believe that the direction of human history is predetermined by divine will,
Enlightenment thinkers believe that human beings have complete control over their destiny.

Q. 3: All of the following inferences from the passage are false, EXCEPT:
1. The critique of mono-causal interpretations of the full complexity of human history means that
there is no useful way to interpret history.
2. The hermeneutic method of approaching history is based on the idea that history unfolds according
to a predetermined plan or path.
3. The study of individual actions and life histories is more important than the study of the larger
historical trends and developments.
4. Historical events are complex and diverse, making it difficult to identify a single driving factor for the
direction of human history.

Q. 4: Which of the following statements, if true, would most strongly weaken the author's arguments in
the passage?
1. Attempts to impose a fixed narrative or meaning onto human history can lead to oversimplification
and distortion of historical events' complex and diverse reality.
2. The study of historical trends has shown that civilisational development follows a predictable that
has been going on for thousands of years.
3. The discipline of history is constantly evolving and changing as new evidence and perspectives
challenge old assumptions and interpretations.
4. The ideological prejudices of the historian themselves affect how they interpret historical events
and how they create their historical narratives.

Verbal Abilities
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5. The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4) given below, when properly sequenced would yield a coherent
paragraph. Decide on the proper sequence of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the
four numbers as your answer.
1. Trees provide shade and food for livestock, while animal manure fertilizes the trees and browsing
activity can help with pruning and tree growth.
2. Unlike other agroforestry practices, silvopasture practice integrates trees with animals and requires
careful management by humans to be successful.
3. Silvopasture is an agricultural practice that involves raising animals, trees and pasture on the same
land, which is common in forested regions.
4. The practice is beneficial because it combines the inputs and outputs of plant and animal systems,
resulting in a greater overall benefit

6. The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4) given below, when properly sequenced would yield a coherent
paragraph. Decide on the proper sequence of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the
four numbers as your answer.
1. The Yalta Conference in 1945 saw the United States and Britain agree to the Soviet Union’s demand
to control Eastern Europe, consigning the nations in the region to years of communist rule.
2. It remains to be seen whether the US will stand up for democracy and help countries like Ukraine
and Taiwan defend their freedoms in the face of Russia and China’s active efforts to destroy them.
3. Vladimir Putin has referred to the conference and its principles of peaceful development, leading
some to fear he wishes to achieve another Yalta.
4. Ukraine’s self-determining democracies don’t want to see history repeat itself, but the pressure is
mounting for them to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in their country.

7. The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best
captures the essence of the passage.
The trend of quitting jobs, known as “the Great Resignation,” has gone viral both online and in real life,
leading some to wonder if it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Many people are considering quitting
their jobs for a variety of reasons, including the desire for more flexibility, money or benefits or to leave bad
company culture. The trendiness of quitting can be empowering for workers, as it shifts the power dynamic
from the employer to the employee. However, quitting can also be a complicated and emotional process,
and the decision should be made carefully. The new-found glamour of quitting can be alluring to the wrong
people, and quitting too soon can stunt career growth, particularly for already-marginalized groups. Experts
urge workers to resist quitting just because it’s the ‘cool’ thing to do and to view a job transition as a major
life change.
1. While the ‘Great Resignation’ trend can be empowering for workers by shifting the power dynamic
from the employer to the employee, it is important to approach the decision to quit a job with
caution to avoid potential negative consequences.
2. The trend of quitting jobs, known as ‘the Great Resignation,’ has become a self-fulfilling prophecy,
as the increasing number of people who quit their jobs contributes to a culture of leaving and
reinforces the idea that quitting is a valid solution to workplace issues.

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 3. Quitting jobs has become the ‘Great Resignation’ trend, but it is crucial to acknowledge that this
decision to leave one’s job can often be accompanied by a range of intense emotions, and it is
highly recommended that one seeks the guidance of experts.
4. The ‘Great Resignation’ trend has become a symbol of empowerment, especially for the
marginalized group, as employees are effectively shifting the balance of power from the employer
to themselves and are asserting their autonomy over their own career paths..

8. The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best
captures the essence of the passage.
Employment laws have played a critical role in shaping the dynamics of husband-wife relations for over a
century, according to legal scholar Arianne Renan Barzilay. From the mid-19th century, women began
questioning the hierarchical nature of marriage and fought for control over property, divorce, and custody
rights. However, their entry into the workforce, particularly in factories, led to concerns about the moral
implications of women’s employment and called for “protective” legislation that would limit their working
hours and remove them from certain jobs. The 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act cemented the breadwinner
model by requiring overtime pay, which encouraged the single-earner dynamic. As Barzilay argues, labour
legislation did more than regulate hours and wages; it regulated family..
1. The entry of women into the workforce resulted in protective laws that restricted their job options
and work hours.
2. The role of employment laws in regulating women’s work hours and job options shaped the family
dynamics.
3. Employment laws have impacted since the 19th century, particularly by regulating work hours and
wages.
4. Women working in factories raised moral concerns and led to calls for laws limiting their work and
job options.

LRDI
SET-1
Shashi, a famous food vlogger in Mumbai, ranks 8 top Vada Pao selling shops - A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H -
of Dadar. He assigns a Best Vada Pav number (BVN) to each of these shops based on two criteria-
(1) Time taken ‘T’ (in minutes), to make one Vada Pav, and
(2) Quality (QS) which is scored on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being Very Bad and 10 being Excellent. QS was
distinct for each shop.
The values of T for the shops were 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15, 16, and 19 not in any particular order.
The BVN is arrived at using the formula : BVN = QS ÷ T
Some additional information was known;
(i) Shop D takes 19 minutes to make a Vada Pav, but its BVN was not the least.
(ii) For both shops A and E, the values of T and QS were equal.

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(iii) For both the shops B,G the values of T and BVN were equal.
(iv) The QS of shop C was equal to half the time taken by shop F to make a vada pav.
(v) Shop F is not assigned the least BVN.
Q. 1: If C was assigned the third lowest BVN, then which of the following is definitely true?
1. Shop D has a QS of 10.
2. Shop C takes 11 minutes to make a Vada Pav.
3. Shop H has a QS of 3.
4. Shop F has a QS of 10.
Q. 2: If Shop H has the QS of 3, then which of the following best represents the correct range of BVN of
Shop D?
1. 0.2 to 0.5
2. 0.32 to 0.53
3. 0.38 to 0.55
4. 0.35 to 0.62
Q. 3: If the shop with the highest BVN is ranked 1, what is the BVN of the shop ranked 2? (TITA)
Q. 4: If shop C takes 15 minutes to make a vada pav and has a lower BVN as compared to shop F, then
which of the following is the QS of shop F?
1. 3
2. 6
3. 10
4. Either 3 or 6

SET-2
A six-day – Monday through Saturday – campus placement drive was conducted in ABC institute of
Technology to provide jobs to the engineering students from the different branches - Electrical, IT,
Mechanical, Civil, and Chemical. On each of the six days, no two branches had the same number of
students being placed. Moreover, the number of students placed in each of the branches was more than
one but less than eleven.
The table below gives partial information of the number of students who got placed from Monday
through Friday

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The other known facts about the number of students getting placed is as follows:
(i) The number of students placed from Electrical branch on Monday and that from IT on Saturday were 5
and 2 respectively.
(ii) On any day, if the number of students who got placed from Electrical branch was more than that from
Chemical branch, then the number of students who got placed from IT branch must be less than that
from Civil branch. Conversely, if the number of students who got placed from Electrical branch was less
than that from Chemical branch, then the number of students who placed from IT branch must be more
than that from Civil branch.
(iii) The number of students who got placed from Mechanical branch were equal on exactly two days -
Monday and Saturday.
(iv) The sum of number of students who got placed from Chemical branch on Wednesday and Thursday
was equal to the number placed on Monday.
(v) The number of students who got placed from Civil branch on Saturday is equal to the number of
Electrical branch students who got placed on Tuesday.
(vi) On each of these days for exactly these two branches (as shown in the table above) the number of
students who got placed on that day was equal to those getting placed on the next day (Tuesday through
Saturday) . However the two branches cannot have exactly the same numbers placed the next day.
For example: Based on the table above, we can determine that on Tuesday, the number of students
placed from any two branches will be 9 and 6, but those cannot be IT and Civil, respectively. Similarly, on
Wednesday, the number of students placed from any two branches will be 2 and 7, but those cannot be
Mechanical and Chemical, respectively.

Q. 1: How many IT engineering students got placed on Wednesday? (TITA)

Q. 2: Total how many Civil engineering students got placed during the placement drive?
1. 38
2. 40
3. 41
4. 43
Q. 3: The total number of jobs offered on Tuesday was:
1. 38
2. 36
3. 34
4. 34
Q. 4: On how many days were the number of students getting placed the same?
1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. Either (2) or (3)
Q.5: From how many distinct branches could 10 students get placed on any day during the drive?
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 1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. 5

QA
Q. 1: Sindhu played ten games in the badminton tournament. Her scores in the sixth, seventh, eighth,
and ninth games were 22, 16, 14, and 20 points respectively. Her points-per-game average was higher
after nine games than it was after the first five games. If her average after ten games was greater than
19, what is the minimum number of points she could have scored in the tenth game?
1. 31
2. 30
3. 29
4. 28

Q. 2: In triangle ABC, AB = 6 cm, BC = 10 cm, AC = 8 cm, and the point D is on BC such that AD = 6 cm. The
ratio of BD : DC is
1. 18 : 7
2. 13 : 5
3. 7:3
4. 19 : 7

Q. 3: If both roots of the quadratic equation x2 – 43x + k = 0 are prime numbers, then the number of
possible values of ‘k’ is:
1. None
2. 1
3. 2
4. 4
Q.4 : A ship is 280 km away from the shore and it springs a leak at the bottom through which 150 liters of
water enters the ship every 10 minutes. The ship has a pump that can throw out 400 liters of water per
hour. The ship will sink if the water inside is more than 10,000 liters. What should be the minimum speed
(in km/h) of the ship so that it reaches the shore before it sinks?
1. 20
2. 16
3. 14
4. 12

Q. 5: Let A1, A2, A3, … be an increasing sequence of natural numbers such that AN + 2 = AN + AN + 1 for
all N ≥ 1. If A7 = 128, then A8 is

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1. 136
2. 206
3. 207
4. Data Insufficient

Q. 6: Judy gives a discount of 15% on an article, whenever a customer makes an online payment. If she
marks-up the price of the article by m% in order to make the profit of p%, where m and p are integers
and p < 100, then which of the following is not a possible value of ‘m’?
1. 60
2. 50
3. 40
4. 20

Q. 7:What is the minimum possible value of (a + 2)(a + 3)(a + 4)(a + 5) + 2024 where ‘a’ is a real number?
(TITA)

Q. 8: A job was assigned to be completed by 25 workers. Everyday exactly two workers come for work
and the same pair of workers did not work for more than one day. The work was not completed even
after all the possible pairs had put in a day's work. So the contractor got all the 25 of them to work
together for 4 days to complete the remaining work. Find the number of days it would take to finish the
work if all 25 of them work together on all the days.
1. 24
2. 26
3. 25
4. 28
Q. 9:Let a1, a2, ..., a50 be positive integers in increasing order. The arithmetic mean of a1, a2, ..., a50 is
34. If arithmetic mean of a26, a27, ..., a50 is 48 . If a1, a2, ..., a25 are in an arithmetic progression, then
what is the sum of maximum possible values of a26 and a50? (TITA)
Q. 10: There are two pipes - A and B - having circular cross sections that are used to fill a tank. The radius
of A is twice that of B. If B fills the tank in 60 minutes, then find the time (in minutes) taken by both the
pipes together to fill the tank. (Assume speed of water in both pipes is the same.)
1. 9
2. 12
3. 15
4. 18

Answer Key

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Section Q.1 Q. 2 Q. 3 Q.4 Q.5 Q.6 Q.7 Q.8 Q.9 Q.10
VARC 1 3 4 2 3241 1342 1 2
SET-1 4 2 2 3
SET-2 4 4 3 2 1
QA 2 1 2 3 3 2 2023 4 168 2

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