XAT Vocabulary Practice Questions With Solutions

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XAT Verbal and Logical Ability Vocabulary Practice Questions

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Decision Making General Knowledge

Question 1.

Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows.
Fear is the greatest motivator of all time. Conflict born of fear is behind our every action, driving us forward like the cogs of a clock. Fear is desire’s dark dress, its doppelgänger. “Love and dread are brothers,” says Julian of Norwich. As desire is wanting and fear is not-wanting, they become inexorably linked; just as desire can be destructive (the desire for power), fear can be constructive (fear of hurting another); fear of poverty becomes desire for wealth.
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the paragraph?

A positive action generally has a foundation of fear underneath.

The interplay of fear and desire helps in guiding one’s action.

Fear is a powerful motivator that leads to extraordinary achievements.

While fear is perceived as negative, it can be a force for good.

Fear paves the way to positive transformation when paired with desire

Question 2.

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
How do we choose one discovery over any other? The physician Lewis Thomas made a choice. He bluntly asserts: “The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th-century science has been the discovery of human ignorance.”
The science writer Timothy Ferris agrees: “Our ignorance, of course, has always been with us, and always will be. What is new is our awareness of it, our awakening to its fathomless dimensions, and it is this, more than anything else, that marks the coming of age of our species.”
It is an odd, unsettling thought that the culmination of our greatest century of discovery should be the confirmation of our ignorance. How did such a thing come about?
Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the above passage?

Humans know more when they know they know very little

Humans became scientists when they realized that they were ignorant.

Humans progressed because they knew that they knew very little.

The realization that humans are ignorant led them to invent new things.

That they do not know enough make humans seek to know more.

Question 3.

Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows.
You may accumulate a vast amount of knowledge but it will be of far less value to you than a much smaller amount if you have not thought it over for yourself; because only through ordering what you know by comparing every truth with every other truth can you take complete possession of your knowledge and get it into your power.
Based on the above information, which of the following statements MUST be true?

If she wants to master knowledge, she must reflect on the information.

If she reflects on the information, she will master the knowledge.

If she has not mastered knowledge, she must have not reflected on information.

If she has mastered the knowledge, she might have reflected on the information.

If she is a master of knowledge, it is because she is a reflector of information.

Question 4.

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.
That’s how life plays out for all of us. We lose some. Like sportspersons, we too pack our gear and go to work. But unlike them, the gaze of the world is not upon us. Most of us do our business in anonymity, very few of us are emotionally wired to the outcomes of our day jobs. We don’t come back feeling like winners. Or losers. As sports fans we can summon empathy for those who stretch their bodies and minds to the limit in the pursuit of athletic excellence and provide such joys in the process.
But we will never experience the highs that are their reward. And we will never know the depth of their lows, which are their burden.
Still, no one will know better than Rohit and Dravid that its already a new day. There might never be a World Cup win for them. But there are loved ones to go to. Life awaits still.
Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the above passage?

Life moves on, and as sports fans, we should do too.

The wins and loss in sports do not exist in other professions.

We should treat winning and losing as imposters.

Just because we enjoy sports does not mean we understand the sportspersons.

We should put ourselves in others shoes rather than judge them for performance.

InstructionThese instructions are applicable only to questions 5 to 6

Instructions

Read the following poem and answer the TWO questions that follow.

In the darkened room
a woman
cannot find her reflection in the mirror
waiting as usual
at the edge of sleep
In her hands she holds
the oil lamp
whose drunken yellow flames
know where her lonely body hides

Question 5.

Which of the following statements BEST conveys the theme of the poem?

The poem explores the quality of life of a woman.

The poem laments the suffering and frustration of a woman.

The poem celebrates the woman’s futile and meaningless life.

The poem revolves around a woman whose liberty has been throttled.

The poem revolves around the woman’s feeling of alienation.

Question 6.

What do the lines “the drunken yellow flames/know where her lonely body hides” BEST represent?

The lines represent flames as forces that are aware of her solitude.

The lines represent flames as turbulent emotions of a nameless woman.

The lines represent flames that highlight the location of her body

The lines represent flames as distorted memories that preserve her identity.

The lines represent flames as her desperate pursuit for her lost self.

InstructionThese instructions are applicable only to questions 7 to 9

Instructions

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow.

If we imagine the action of a vaccine not just in terms of how it affects a single body, but also in terms of how it affects the collective body of a community, it is fair to think of vaccination as a kind of banking of immunity. Contributions to this bank are donations to those who cannot or will not be protected by their own immunity. This is the principle of herd immunity, and it is through herd immunity that mass vaccination becomes far more effective than individual vaccination.
Any given vaccine can fail to produce immunity in an individual, and some vaccines, like the influenza vaccine, are less effective than others. But when enough people are vaccinated with even a relatively ineffective vaccine, viruses have trouble moving from host to host and cease to spread, sparing both the unvaccinated and those in whom vaccination has not produced immunity. This is why the chances of contracting measles can be higher for a vaccinated person living in a largely unvaccinated community than they are for an unvaccinated person living in a largely vaccinated community.

The unvaccinated person is protected by the bodies around her, bodies through which disease is not circulating. But a vaccinated person surrounded by bodies that host disease is left vulnerable to vaccine failure or fading immunity. We are protected not so much by our own skin, but by what is beyond it. The boundaries between our bodies begin to dissolve here. Donations of blood and organs move between us, exiting one body and entering another, and so too with immunity, which is a common trust as much as it is a private account. Those of us who draw on collective immunity owe our health to our neighbors.

Question 7.

Based on the passage, which of the following CANNOT be concluded?

A vaccine cannot guarantee immunity in an individual.

Our survival, as a community, is largely based on herd immunity.

A vaccinated person may get infected if her surroundings are largely unvaccinated.

Collective immunity protects those with compromised immune systems.

Even, relatively, ineffective vaccines can stop the spread of viruses if enough people are vaccinated

Question 8.

Why does the author think about vaccination as a “banking of immunity?”

Because it creates a reserve of immunity within a person’s immune system.

Because when somebody is vaccinated, it is a deposit of protection against a particular disease.

Because different vaccines contribute to a diverse portfolio of immune defences.

Because it is like providing a safety net for those who are more vulnerable to diseases.

Because it is a way to mitigate health risks for those who may not have access to vaccination.

Question 9.

Based on the last paragraph of the passage, which of the following would the author BEST agree with?

In times of health crises, communities should come together to support and protect each other.

It is important to express gratitude to those who contribute to the herd immunity by getting vaccinated.

It is an ethical obligation of individuals to get vaccinated for the greater good.

In any community, immunity is transactional.

Immunity of a community is interconnected, and everyone plays a role to keep each other healthy

Question 10.

Read the excerpt carefully and answer the following question.
The over-whelming preponderance of people have not freely decided what to believe, but, rather, have been socially conditioned (indoctrinated) into their beliefs. They are unreflective thinkers.
Which of the following statements CANNOT be concluded from the excerpt?

A normal thinker finds it difficult to recognize what is happening to them

Beliefs that appear normal and natural heighten their acceptance

A lot of people end up believing what they passionately oppose

Things that we do automatically need to be reflected upon

The inability to criticize one’s belief leads to indoctrination

InstructionThese instructions are applicable only to questions 1 to 2

Instructions

Read the following passage and answer the two questions that follow.

We stand before this great world. The truth of our life depends upon our attitude of mind towards it - an attitude which is formed by our habit of dealing with it according to the special circumstance of our surroundings and our temperaments. It guides our attempts to establish relations with the universe either by conquest or by union, either through the cultivation of power or through that of sympathy. And thus, in our realization of the truth of existence, we put our emphasis either upon the principle of dualism or upon the principle of unity.

Question 1.

Which of the following statements can be BEST inferred from the passage?

Conquest and union are two ways of realising the truth of our life.

Principle of dualism is inferior to the principle of unity.

Our habits and surroundings determine the truth of our life.

War and conquest are a part of the truth of our life.

The truth of our life co-evolved with our quest for sympathetic supremacy.

Question 2.

According to the passage, our emphasis on dualism or on unity is BEST guided by:

How we deal with our surroundings and our temperaments

Our desire to achieve versus our focus on contentment

Our deals with the universe, based on special circumstances

How powerful or sympathetic our surroundings and temperament are

Our attitude of mind, formed by our habits

InstructionThese instructions are applicable only to questions 3 to 4

Instructions

Read the following excerpt and answer the two questions that follow.

Para 1: We plan to right-size our manufacturing operations to align to the new strategy and take advantage of integration opportunities. We expect to focus phone production mainly in Hanoi, with some production to continue in Beijing and Dongguan. We plan to shift other Microsoft manufacturing and repair operations to Manaus and Reynosa respectively, and start a phased exit from Komaron, Hungary.

Para 2: In short, we will focus on driving Lumia volume in the areas where we are already successful today in order to make the market for Windows Phone. With more speed, we will build on our success in the affordable smart phone space with new products offering more differentiation. We’ll focus on acquiring new customers in the markets where Microsoft’s services and products are most concentrated. And, we will continue building momentum around applications.

Para 3: We plan that this would result in an estimated reduction of 12500 factory direct and professional employees over the next year. These decisions are difficult for the team, and we plan to support departing team members with severance benefits.

Question 3.

Which of the following can be BEST described as the core message of the excerpt?

Microsoft is reducing its cost of operations, marketing and human resources while staying the course on Lumia.

Microsoft is shifting its base of production for Lumia along with the places it is interested in selling them.

Microsoft is reducing its cost of operations and downsizing staff while staying optimistic about the future.

Microsoft is closing poorly performing factories and personnel though it thinks Lumia has a future.

Microsoft is reducing cost of operations and the number of staff involved in operations.

Question 4.

In conveying the core message, the Para 2:

Digresses from the line of thought

Elaborates the core message

Assuages panic

Reassures a promising future

Predicts a rosy picture

InstructionThese instructions are applicable only to questions 5 to 6

Instructions

Read the following poem and answer the two questions that follow.

Sit, drink your coffee here; your work can wait awhile.
You're twenty-six, and still have some of life ahead.
No need for wit; just talk vacuities, and I'll
Reciprocate in kind, or laugh at you instead.

The world is too opaque, distressing and profound.
This twenty minutes' rendezvous will make my day:
To sit here in the sun, with grackles all around,
Staring with beady eyes, and you two feet away.

Question 5.

Which of the following BEST captures the essence of the poem?

Let’s celebrate our existence, not our work.

Let’s eat, drink and be merry in the lap of nature.

Let’s create our own meaning in life, no matter what.

Let’s be gibberish, not rational about life.

Let’s enjoy a moment of peace in this busy life.

Question 6.

What does the poet BEST convey by mentioning grackles in these lines, “...with grackles all around, /Staring with beady eyes, and you two feet away.”?

Over witty discussions, grackles are the pleasant birds to look at.

Grackles love to stare at us; however, they maintain a two-feet distance.

A small bird like grackle can give us lots of happiness.

We should not care about grackles, but us.

Grackles, like humans, love to bask in the Sun.

Question 7.

Read the following stanza and answer the question that follows:
Invisible atoms coming together
Revealing themselves in visible forms
Seeds are hugged by the earth
Which renders them as gardens in bloom.
And yonder stars, are they not pearls
Floating on teeming seas?
Scattered, yet strung together in orderly constellations
Love binding them to one another
And each is perpetually seeking its like?
Which of the following options best captures the spirit of the above stanza?

Stars and seas are similar.

All rivers flow into the ocean.

United we stand, divided we fall.

Love dissolves all religious differences.

Something invisible binds disparate objects.

Question 8.

Which of the following options best captures the relationship similar to INSPECT : VIVISECT?

Enquire : Observe

Inquire : Explore

Investigate : Interrogate

Query : Survey

Question : Respond

Question 9.

Read the following poem and answer the question that follows:
I sought a soul in the sea
And found a coral there
Beneath the foam for me
An ocean was all laid bare.
Into my heart’s night
Along a narrow way
I groped; and lo! The light,
An infinite land of day.

Which of the following would best capture the ESSENCE of the poem above?

What lies ‘outside’ is always deceptive.

Pursue the narrow path and avoid the broadways.

External search is futile; explore the inner space for answers.

Heart’s pathways are broad and clear to find the destination.

Light offers sight and insight.

Question 10.

“Assumptions are analogous to the basic ingredients in a gourment recipe. Only the final product of the recipe dictates whether the ingredients suffice………”

Which of the following is ANALOGOUS to the statement above?

Good wine needs no advertisement!

The apple never falls far from the tree!

All is well that ends well!

As you sow, so shall you reap!

The proof of the pudding is in the eating!

XAT Vocabulary Practice Questions With Solutions

XAT Verbal and Logical Ability Vocabulary Practice Questions

Question 1.

Question 2.

Question 3.

Question 4.

Question 5.

Which of the following statements BEST conveys the theme of the poem?

Question 6.

What do the lines “the drunken yellow flames/know where her lonely body hides” BEST represent?

Question 7.

Based on the passage, which of the following CANNOT be concluded?

Question 8.

Why does the author think about vaccination as a “banking of immunity?”

Question 9.

Based on the last paragraph of the passage, which of the following would the author BEST agree with?

Question 10.

Question 1.

Which of the following statements can be BEST inferred from the passage?

Question 2.

According to the passage, our emphasis on dualism or on unity is BEST guided by:

Question 3.

Which of the following can be BEST described as the core message of the excerpt?

Question 4.

In conveying the core message, the Para 2:

Question 5.

Which of the following BEST captures the essence of the poem?

Question 6.

What does the poet BEST convey by mentioning grackles in these lines, “...with grackles all around, /Staring with beady eyes, and you two feet away.”?

Question 7.

Question 8.

Which of the following options best captures the relationship similar to INSPECT : VIVISECT?

Question 9.

Question 10.

“Assumptions are analogous to the basic ingredients in a gourment recipe. Only the final product of the recipe dictates whether the ingredients suffice………”Which of the following is ANALOGOUS to the statement above?

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“Assumptions are analogous to the basic ingredients in a gourment recipe. Only the final product of the recipe dictates whether the ingredients suffice………”

Which of the following is ANALOGOUS to the statement above?