Sentences: 1. One important part of that debate concerns control over personal information, which technological and legal changes have made increasingly consequential. 2. This control can be understood as privacy over data: the ability to shape who accesses personal information and how it is used. 3. Requiring consent before data collection is one practical way of giving individuals this ability. 4. Commercial database systems are often redesigned to reduce storage costs and make search queries run faster. 5. Privacy is a complex and contested legal notion, and resolving every debate about it lies beyond the present discussion.
Q9. Four sentences form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and enter its number.
Answer and solution
Correct answer: 4
Solution
Answer: 4
1. Sentence 5 introduces debates about privacy. Sentence 1’s “that debate” selects the issue of personal-information control.
2. Sentence 2’s “This control” defines data privacy; sentence 3’s “this ability” turns the definition into a consent requirement.
3. This fixes a coherent 5–1–2–3 chain about individual control of data.
4. Sentence 4 concerns storage and query performance, not privacy rights or consent. Answer 4.
Detailed reasoning and elimination check: The repeated words form an argument about control: privacy debate → personal information → data privacy → consent. The database-performance sentence shares a technological setting but discusses speed and storage costs, not the individual’s control over information.
G Strategy shortcut
Spot: Resolve references and sentence roles. Apply: Lock 5→1→2→3 by references. Technical database efficiency in 4 is outside the privacy-rights chain. Check: The repeated words form an argument about control: privacy debate → personal information → data privacy → consent. The database-performance sentence shares a technological setting but discusses speed and storage costs, not the individual’s control over information.
G Strategy: Spot: Resolve references and sentence roles.
Apply: Lock 5→1→2→3 by references. Technical database efficiency in 4 is outside the privacy-rights chain.
Check: The repeated words form an argument about control: privacy debate → personal information → data privacy → consent. The database-performance sentence shares a technological setting but discusses speed and storage costs, not the individual’s control over information.
Sentences: 1. Imperial monuments could advertise a ruler’s military victories and political authority to distant provinces. 2. One proposed example of such a multisensory experience is a covered walkway whose paired arches reflect sounds towards one another. 3. Some architectural historians argue that people experience built spaces through sound and touch as well as sight. 4. That reflection of footsteps and voices would turn the walkway into a sensory corridor, directing attention to features visitors might otherwise overlook. 5. For this acoustic effect to work, the arches would need to be positioned so that sounds from people beneath them reached the opposing surfaces.
Q10. Four sentences form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and enter its number.
Answer and solution
Correct answer: 1
Solution
Answer: 1
1. Sentence 3 introduces the general claim that built spaces are experienced through several senses.
2. Sentence 2’s “such a multisensory experience” refers to that claim and introduces the paired-arch walkway.
3. Sentence 5’s “this acoustic effect” requires the sound-reflecting example in 2; it explains the arrangement needed to produce it.
4. Sentence 4’s “That reflection” then explains the visitor’s resulting experience. The retained sequence is 3–2–5–4.
5. Sentence 1 concerns political messaging and military prestige, not the mechanism of sensory experience. It is the odd sentence: answer 1.
Detailed reasoning and elimination check: The linked sentences move from a general sensory claim to one acoustic example, its necessary arrangement and its effect on visitors. Political advertising does not supply or develop any link in that mechanism, so sentence 1 is removed.
G Strategy shortcut
Spot: Resolve references and sentence roles. Apply: Build the reference chain: several senses → such a multisensory experience → this acoustic effect → that reflection. This fixes 3–2–5–4; remove political prestige in 1. Check: The linked sentences move from a general sensory claim to one acoustic example, its necessary arrangement and its effect on visitors. Political advertising does not supply or develop any link in that mechanism, so sentence 1 is removed.
G Strategy: Spot: Resolve references and sentence roles.
Apply: Build the reference chain: several senses → such a multisensory experience → this acoustic effect → that reflection. This fixes 3–2–5–4; remove political prestige in 1.
Check: The linked sentences move from a general sensory claim to one acoustic example, its necessary arrangement and its effect on visitors. Political advertising does not supply or develop any link in that mechanism, so sentence 1 is removed.
Sentence to be inserted: “Every step of our work follows an ancestral technique from Ghana,” Kwame stresses.
Paragraph: The brothers honour the ways their grandfather wove and repaired cloth. (1) ______. He illustrates his point by describing how they make a ceremonial kente. They prepare the fibre, weave the strips on a single loom and use hand tools rather than modern power looms. (2) ______. Their workshop has a two-year waitlist for cloths that take weeks to create. (3) ______. The family’s craftsmanship has attracted distinguished patrons who own cloths made by all three generations. (4) ______. Both brothers entered the family trade as children.
Q11. Where should the given sentence be inserted?
Answer and solution
Correct answer: C
Solution
Answer: C — Blank 1
1. The quotation identifies Kwame as the speaker and states his claim about inherited techniques. Its role is to express the principle behind the brothers’ work.
2. At blank 1 it follows the introduction to their grandfather’s methods. The next sentence, “He illustrates his point”, naturally refers to Kwame and the claim he has just made.
3. The description of preparing fibres and weaving strips then supplies the example. The sequence is introduction → speaker’s claim → example → details.
4. At blank 2 the quotation would follow the example instead of introducing the point being illustrated. More importantly, “He illustrates his point” would lack the immediately preceding statement by Kwame that it is meant to develop; the earlier sentence only describes the brothers’ respect for their grandfather’s methods. Blanks 3 and 4 leave the same reference problem and interrupt demand or family-history details.
5. Blank 1 is therefore the coherent position. In the existing option order this is C; retain key C.
G Strategy shortcut
ROLE → PREDICT → READ → FIT → TEST. The quote supplies the speaker and his principle; “He illustrates his point” must then lead into the example. Test both sides of blank 1. Answer C = Blank 1.
G Strategy: ROLE → PREDICT → READ → FIT → TEST. The quote supplies the speaker and his principle; “He illustrates his point” must then lead into the example. Test both sides of blank 1. Answer C = Blank 1.
Sentence to be inserted: For centuries, bronze has been, and remains, a crucial material in the display of status visible in civic squares, temples, palaces and public monuments.
Paragraph: (1) ______. Curator Helena Marsh put it bluntly in suggesting that stainless steel and outdoor lighting eroded this function. As she explained to the author, 'Bronze, when lit by gaslight, glows with warmth and almost breathes before the eyes, but under modern floodlights it becomes cold and inert.' (2) ______. Civic and economic shifts may have worked against the market, but the London bronze trade remained prosperous, thanks to the patronage of municipalities seeking grand public sculpture at the top end, and the buyers of 'decorative pieces', like candlesticks and door handles and 'ornaments', at the bottom. (3) ______. Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of certain American museums over the period. Philadelphia, the Frick Collection and Monticello, among others, were largely supplied by London foundries. (4) ______.
Q12. Where should the given sentence be inserted?
Answer and solution
Correct answer: B
Solution
Answer: B — Blank 1
1. The sentence to insert states that bronze publicly displays status.
2. The paragraph begins with a curator claiming steel and lighting eroded “this function”. That phrase needs the function introduced immediately beforehand.
3. Blank 1 supplies exactly that antecedent and lets the following quotation explain why the function weakened.
4. The other blanks leave the opening reference unresolved or interrupt later discussion of markets and collectors. Answer blank 1, option B.
Detailed reasoning and elimination check: The missing sentence introduces bronze’s status-display function. The opening continuation uses this function before any other function has been named, creating a mandatory backward reference. Blank 1 resolves it; later insertion leaves the paragraph’s first reference dangling.
G Strategy shortcut
Spot: Resolve references and sentence roles. Apply: “This function” needs an antecedent. The inserted sentence supplies the status-display function, forcing blank 1. Check: The missing sentence introduces bronze’s status-display function. The opening continuation uses this function before any other function has been named, creating a mandatory backward reference. Blank 1 resolves it; later insertion leaves the paragraph’s first reference dangling.
G Strategy: Spot: Resolve references and sentence roles.
Apply: “This function” needs an antecedent. The inserted sentence supplies the status-display function, forcing blank 1.
Check: The missing sentence introduces bronze’s status-display function. The opening continuation uses this function before any other function has been named, creating a mandatory backward reference. Blank 1 resolves it; later insertion leaves the paragraph’s first reference dangling.
Sentences: 1. It can be embedded in schools, hospitals, factories and prisons, adjusting relations of visibility to the activities monitored in each setting. 2. Having defined the layout in this way, we can now consider how it operates across different institutions. 3. A surveillance layout is a spatial arrangement that makes relationships of observation and control operate within an institution. 4. In short, these applications allow control to work from within an institution’s ordinary activities rather than as a separate external barrier.
Q13. Arrange the sentences into a coherent paragraph.
Answer and solution
Correct answer: D
Solution
Answer: D — 3214
1. Sentence 3 defines a surveillance layout. Sentence 2 explicitly moves from that definition to its applications, so 3 must precede 2.
2. Sentence 1 gives the promised institutional applications. It therefore follows the transition in 2. Sentence 4 concludes from “these applications”, so it follows 1.
3. These links give definition 3 → transition 2 → applications 1 → conclusion 4. The complete order is 3214.
4. A (3124) has a valid opener, but gives the applications before the sentence announcing that they will now be considered. It breaks the transition → example link.
5. B (1342) opens with an unintroduced “It”, then puts the transition after the conclusion. C (2341) opens with “Having defined” before the definition and concludes about applications before providing them.
6. D alone satisfies every link. Choosing sentence 3 as the opener is insufficient because both A and D start with it. Answer D.
G Strategy shortcut
Find the links, not just the opener: 3 defines; 2 transitions; 1 supplies applications; 4 concludes. Both A and D open with 3, so test the 2→1 transition to choose D = 3214.
G Strategy: Find the links, not just the opener: 3 defines; 2 transitions; 1 supplies applications; 4 concludes. Both A and D open with 3, so test the 2→1 transition to choose D = 3214.
Sentences: 1. But man, woman or otherwise, there is no denying that the quality of our life and character will be significantly shaped by the way we handle our grief. 2. Once the taboos have been broken, men usually experience letting their tears flow as intensely liberating. 3. Though this might seem a stereotype, men—unlike women, who are frequently applauded for open emotional expression—are often socialized to keep a lid on their sorrow. 4. Many of them are so at odds with their grieving feelings that, as a counsellor, I often have to stop them from choking back their sobs and encourage them to open up so their tears might actually reach their grieving hearts.
Q14. Arrange the sentences to form a coherent paragraph.
Answer and solution
Correct answer: A
Solution
Answer: A — 3421
1. Sentence 3 introduces the expectation that men suppress sorrow.
2. Sentence 4’s “Many of them” refers to those men and illustrates their difficulty expressing grief.
3. Sentence 2 then describes relief after breaking the taboo.
4. Sentence 1 broadens the conclusion beyond gender with “But man, woman or otherwise”. Thus 3–4–2–1, option A.
Detailed reasoning and elimination check: The process is social inhibition → difficulty expressing grief → release after the taboo breaks → general conclusion. Sentence 2 cannot precede the account of inhibition without weakening once the taboos have been broken. Sentence 1’s broadening contrast works as the conclusion.
G Strategy shortcut
Spot: Identify the exact question task and the relevant passage claim. Apply: 3 introduces men; 4 uses “them”; 2 breaks the taboo; 1 widens the message to everyone. Sequence 3421. Check: The process is social inhibition → difficulty expressing grief → release after the taboo breaks → general conclusion. Sentence 2 cannot precede the account of inhibition without weakening once the taboos have been broken. Sentence 1’s broadening contrast works as the conclusion.
G Strategy: Spot: Identify the exact question task and the relevant passage claim.
Apply: 3 introduces men; 4 uses “them”; 2 breaks the taboo; 1 widens the message to everyone. Sequence 3421.
Check: The process is social inhibition → difficulty expressing grief → release after the taboo breaks → general conclusion. Sentence 2 cannot precede the account of inhibition without weakening once the taboos have been broken. Sentence 1’s broadening contrast works as the conclusion.
Passage: In the dynamic realm of heritage, curators often find themselves at the crossroads between drawing from diverse traditions and inadvertently crossing into the territory of cultural exploitation. Borrowing is the lifeblood of creativity, driving curators to create exhibits that resonate across borders. The globalised nature of the modern world invites museums to draw from a vast array of cultural influences. When approached respectfully, borrowing becomes a bridge, fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. However, the line between borrowing and exploitation can be thin and easily blurred. Cultural exploitation occurs when elements from a particular tradition are taken without proper understanding, respect, or acknowledgment. This leads to the commodification of sacred objects, the reinforcement of stereotypes, and the erasure of the cultural context from which these elements originated. It's essential to recognise that the impact of cultural exploitation extends beyond the realm of museum display, influencing public perceptions and perpetuating power imbalances.
Q15. Which of the following best summarises the passage?
Answer and solution
Correct answer: B
Solution
Answer: B — Curators in a globalised world must navigate between drawing from diverse traditions respectfully and cultural exploitation that involves taking without proper acknowledgement which has broader societal impacts including perpetuating power imbalances.
1. Map the passage: respectful cultural borrowing supports creativity and understanding; exploitation ignores respect/context and can reinforce power imbalances.
2. B covers the central contrast and broader societal impact.
3. C wrongly confines the harm to museums, contradicting the explicit wider effects on public perceptions and power relations. A is narrower because it does not explain those consequences.
4. D implies drawing on diverse traditions itself creates exploitation and overlooks the ethical distinction. B is the best available summary.
Detailed reasoning and elimination check: The summary needs respectful borrowing, the contrasting lack of respect/context and effects beyond the exhibition itself. B covers that scope. The revised C explicitly confines consequences to museums, contradicting the paragraph’s final emphasis on public perceptions and power imbalances.
G Strategy shortcut
Spot: Identify the exact question task and the relevant passage claim. Apply: Use Too Big / Exact / Too Small / Out. B includes both the borrowing-versus-exploitation contrast and wider power consequences. Check: The summary needs respectful borrowing, the contrasting lack of respect/context and effects beyond the exhibition itself. B covers that scope. The revised C explicitly confines consequences to museums, contradicting the paragraph’s final emphasis on public perceptions and power imbalances.
G Strategy: Spot: Identify the exact question task and the relevant passage claim.
Apply: Use Too Big / Exact / Too Small / Out. B includes both the borrowing-versus-exploitation contrast and wider power consequences.
Check: The summary needs respectful borrowing, the contrasting lack of respect/context and effects beyond the exhibition itself. B covers that scope. The revised C explicitly confines consequences to museums, contradicting the paragraph’s final emphasis on public perceptions and power imbalances.
Passage: Telomeres may contribute to age-related cellular decline: this finding could help scientists understand more about the ageing process and why cells lose their ability to replicate effectively as we get older. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten each time a cell divides. Scientists think that when telomeres become critically short, cells can no longer divide properly and enter a state of decline. In younger people, an enzyme called telomerase is more effective at rebuilding telomeres and maintaining their length, but as we age this process becomes less efficient. As a result, telomeres shorten progressively in different tissues of the body, either through increased cell division or reduced rebuilding by telomerase. The shortened telomeres continue to trigger damage signals though the cell does not divide, and often activate pathways that cause cellular stress, which if persistent for longer periods of time can impair healthy tissue leading to age-related diseases.
Q16. Which of the following best summarises the passage?
Answer and solution
Correct answer: C
Solution
Answer: C — As telomerase becomes less effective with age, telomeres shorten and can trigger persistent cellular stress, which may impair healthy tissue and contribute to age-related diseases.
1. The passage explains declining telomere maintenance, shortening and resulting damage signals/cellular stress.
2. Persistent stress can impair healthy tissue and contribute to age-related diseases.
3. C captures this chain and preserves the qualified language “can” and “may”.
4. A merely defines telomeres. B wrongly describes shortened cells. D omits the consequences of stress. Answer C, based on the causal account in the passage.
Detailed reasoning and elimination check: Follow the stated causal chain and preserve its uncertainty: less effective maintenance → shorter telomeres → persistent stress → possible tissue impairment. C keeps may/can. A definition alone or a claim about cells themselves becoming shorter omits or changes that chain.
G Strategy shortcut
Spot: Identify the exact question task and the relevant passage claim. Apply: Keep all three links: weaker rebuilding → shorter telomeres → persistent stress/tissue harm. C preserves the chain without saying cells themselves shrink. Check: Follow the stated causal chain and preserve its uncertainty: less effective maintenance → shorter telomeres → persistent stress → possible tissue impairment. C keeps may/can. A definition alone or a claim about cells themselves becoming shorter omits or changes that chain.
G Strategy: Spot: Identify the exact question task and the relevant passage claim.
Apply: Keep all three links: weaker rebuilding → shorter telomeres → persistent stress/tissue harm. C preserves the chain without saying cells themselves shrink.
Check: Follow the stated causal chain and preserve its uncertainty: less effective maintenance → shorter telomeres → persistent stress → possible tissue impairment. C keeps may/can. A definition alone or a claim about cells themselves becoming shorter omits or changes that chain.
The full CAT 2026 Slot 3 mock on the real exam screen: VARC, DILR and Quant, 40 minutes each (120 minutes). It always opens the whole paper, whichever page you start from.