CAT 2021 Slot 1 · VARC · Question 18
CAT 2021 Slot 1 previous year question on Odd One Out, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.
Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out and key in the number of the sentence as your answer:
1. There is a dark side to academic research, especially in India, and at its centre is the phenomenon of predatory journals.
2. But in truth, as long as you pay, you can get anything published.
3. In look and feel thus, they are exactly like any reputed journal.
4. They claim to be indexed in the most influential databases, say they possess editorial boards that comprise top scientists and researchers, and claim to have a rigorous peer-review structure.
5. But a large section of researchers and scientists across the world are at the receiving end of nothing short of an academic publishing scam.
Answer & solution
Answer: 5
The paragraph describes predatory journals and how they look genuine:
Sentence 1 introduces predatory journals as the dark side of academic research in India.
Sentence 4 lists their claims – indexing, top editorial boards, rigorous peer review.
Sentence 3 sums up: 'In look and feel thus, they are exactly like any reputed journal.'
Sentence 2 reveals the reality: 'But in truth, as long as you pay, you can get anything published.'
The order 1-4-3-2 is complete.
Sentence 5 talks about researchers 'across the world' being victims of a scam. It shifts the focus from India to the world, and from what the journals do to who suffers. It also begins with 'But', which clashes with sentence 2's 'But in truth'.
Shortcut: 'thus' in 3 sums up 4, and 'But in truth' in 2 answers 3. The sentence that does not fit in this chain is 5.
Hence, the answer is 5.
More Odd One Out questions
- Q20Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent…CAT 2021 Slot 1 · VARC · Odd One Out
- Q1Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent…CAT 2021 Slot 2 · VARC · Odd One Out
- Q8Five jumbled up sentences, related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent…CAT 2021 Slot 2 · VARC · Odd One Out
- Q15Five jumbled sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put…CAT 2025 Slot 1 · VARC · Odd One Out
- Q24Five jumbled sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put…CAT 2025 Slot 1 · VARC · Odd One Out
- Q6Five jumbled sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put…CAT 2025 Slot 2 · VARC · Odd One Out
Take this paper as a timed test
Real exam timing, instant score, rank and topic-wise analysis.