CAT 2024 Slot 1 Question Paper

Option A is the correct answer. The passage mentions that medieval craft guilds were monopolies that resisted new entrants and required long apprenticeship periods, which could stifle innovative spirit. Similarly, the ethos of mass production prioritizes efficiency and consistency, which often comes at the expense of creativity.

Option B: While it is true that medieval guilds restricted entry through strict rules, the passage does not suggest that mass production involves such restrictions. Mass production is instead characterized by standardization and efficiency, so this option misrepresents the comparison.

Option C: The passage does not discuss whether mass production or medieval guilds employed egalitarian processes. The comparison focuses on their shared lack of creativity, not their approach to equality in production.

Option D: The passage does not indicate that medieval guilds or mass production focused excessively on product quality. In fact, mass production is described as prioritizing efficiency and standardization, not quality.

Option B is the correct answer. The passage mentions that medieval craft guilds were monopolistic and hierarchical, resisting new entrants and imposing long apprenticeships, which could stifle innovation. It also warns that modern craft workers “can thrive... only if they don’t get too organised,” directly supporting this statement.

Option A: The passage does not make such a definitive argument. While it highlights the value of craftsmanship, it also critiques historical craft guilds for stifling creativity and innovation. Supporting crafts alone is not presented as a guaranteed way to preserve creativity.

Option C: The Arts and Crafts movement is described as a reaction against the “American system” and the rise of mass production, not an inspiration drawn from it.

Option D: While the agile movement is praised for prioritizing creativity and collaboration, medieval craft guilds are described as hierarchical and restrictive, which stifled innovation. These characteristics are opposites.

Option B is the correct answer. 

The author expresses doubt about whether crafts can create substantial employment opportunities in the present. This concern stems from large companies having an advantage in industries where products must meet regulatory requirements. The passage suggests that smaller craft businesses may struggle to compete with larger companies due to these regulatory barriers, implying that small-scale crafts operations may not be able to scale up enough to absorb large numbers of workers or compete with mass production industries.

Option A: The passage does not focus on the low scale of crafts production as the primary obstacle. Instead, the author emphasizes regulatory challenges and that larger companies typically have the advantage when competing with small crafts businesses. The scale issue is not the central concern.

Option C:  Although the author discusses the challenge of retraining workers from sectors like truck driving to work in crafts, it’s framed more as a question of feasibility rather than a definitive reason why crafts cannot create jobs. The passage doesn’t argue that workers wouldn’t want to pursue crafts-related work, just that retraining them for these roles might be difficult.

Option D: The passage does mention that medieval craft guilds were monopolies and resisted new entrants, but it does not suggest that this issue affects modern crafts or is a current barrier to employment creation. The reference to medieval guilds highlights a historical example where rigid hierarchies and monopolistic practices stifled innovation and creativity. The passage suggests that craft workers can thrive in the modern era, but the challenge lies in how modern crafts are organized and their potential to scale up in a competitive market.

Option A is the correct answer. While the passage does discuss the premium for high-quality crafted goods and the contrast between mass production and craftsmanship, it does not explicitly mention support for "individual creations" as opposed to mass-produced goods. The focus is on quality and sustainability rather than explicitly advocating for individuality in products.

Option B: This is mentioned. The passage talks about consumers wanting to reduce environmental impact by supporting local workers or recycling goods, which reflects growing concerns over mass production.

Option C: This is mentioned. The passage describes a market of consumers who pay a premium for high-quality, hand-crafted goods.

Option D: This is mentioned. The passage highlights a market where consumers buy from local workers to support the community and reduce environmental impact.

Option B is the correct answer. The paragraph highlights that animals share many emotions with humans, such as joy, happiness, empathy, and grief, because of shared brain structures, particularly in the limbic system, which is responsible for emotions in both humans and animals. This is the key point that ties together the intelligence and emotional capacity of animals as discussed in the passage.

Option A: The passage highlights that animals share similar brain structures (the limbic system) with humans, which explains their emotional experiences. It does not attribute emotions to sensory and motor abilities. The emphasis is on brain structures, not sensory abilities.

Option C: While the passage states that animals share emotions with humans, this option fails to capture the reason behind this—shared brain structures. It misses the point that makes the emotional similarity possible, which is central to the passage's message.

Option D: The passage does mention animals' sensory abilities, but it does not make a point about their intelligence being superior to humans. The primary focus is on emotional similarities due to shared brain structures, not on sensory or intellectual abilities.

Option C is the correct answer. This aligns with the passage, which describes homo economicus as assuming people have “preferences” that determine their choices. The example of deciding whether to spend limited money on food or warmth illustrates this rational decision-making based on individual preferences.

Option A: The passage does not suggest that 'homo economicus' is unaffected by others’ preferences. It only states that this model assumes people have their own interests (“preferences”) that determine their actions, such as buying lunch when hungry or a sweater when cold.

Option B: The passage explicitly states that economists like Gary Becker, associated with the homo economicus model, did not borrow or collaborate with other disciplines. Thus, the idea of borrowing and collaborating with other disciplines is inconsistent with the characteristics of homo economicus as described in the passage.

Option D: The passage mentions applying economic reasoning to nonmarket domains but does not tie this specifically to homo economicus.

Option A is the correct answer. The given reflects a shift in economics from being insular and self-assured to being more open to interdisciplinary borrowing. The author describes earlier economists, like Gary Becker, as imperialistic and unwilling to incorporate ideas from other disciplines. In contrast, contemporary economists like Thomas Piketty and behavioural economists are portrayed as reaching out and collaborating. The tone of “almighty discipline” suggests mild sarcasm regarding economics' earlier dominance and self-containment.

Option B: While the passage mentions that economists are now collaborating with other disciplines, it does not suggest this is due to their inability to predict market behaviour. The focus is on how the discipline has shifted over time, not on specific predictive failures.

Option C: The author does not criticize economic tools for managing crises or claims that economics as a discipline has fallen. The passage highlights a transformation toward openness, not a downfall.

Option D: The author is not critical of economists collaborating with other disciplines. Instead, the passage presents this shift as a positive change, contrasting it with the earlier insularity of the discipline.

Option C is the correct answer. The author critiques Schiller for focusing on the direct relationship between emotions, perceptions, and behaviour while excluding the mediating role of institutions such as political parties, media organizations, and lobby groups. The passage states that these institutions historically played a vital role in framing perceptions and legitimizing interests, which Schiller’s narrative leaves out.

Option A: The passage does not suggest that media and politics play a marginal role. Instead, it emphasizes that these institutions (including political parties and lobby groups) are key intermediaries in shaping perceptions and behaviour, which Schiller’s approach overlooks.

Option B: While the passage critiques Schiller’s approach for excluding institutions, it does not imply that he actively denigrates or diminishes their role. The issue lies in his omission of institutions, not in an overt critique of their importance.

Option D: The passage acknowledges that storytelling is part of Schiller’s approach but does not critique him for relying excessively on it. The critique is specifically about the exclusion of institutions, not the use of storytelling.

Option C is the correct answer. The first paragraph describes how Becker projected economics into non-market domains like crime and domesticity, analyzing them with economic tools. However, it also states that he did not borrow ideas or perspectives from fields such as anthropology or history. This option aligns directly with the passage.

Option A: The passage mentions that Becker applied economic principles to non-market phenomena like crime and domesticity, but it does not state or imply that he specifically benefitted from this.

Option B: The passage explicitly contradicts this idea, stating: “At the same time, he did not let other ways of thinking enter his own economic realm: for example, he did not borrow from anthropology or history.” Becker did not borrow from other disciplines, so this option is incorrect.

Option D: The passage does not state that Becker or other economists actively guarding economics against outside influence. Instead, it focuses on Becker’s one-sided application of economics to other areas, without incorporating external perspectives.

The sentence would best fit it B) Option 3.

Option 3 is the most logical position because it continues the description of Renaissance music’s characteristics. The passage discusses the nature of Renaissance music, describing its polyphonic texture and smooth rhythms. The missing sentence fits perfectly here, as it discusses how Renaissance music handles emotions in a balanced and moderate manner, aligning with the flow and tone of the preceding sentences.

The sentences around Option 1 and Option 2 discuss the historical context of English madrigals and their cultural significance, so adding the sentence there would disrupt the historical narrative.