CAT 2022 Slot 1 · VARC · Question 6

CAT 2022 Slot 1 previous year question on Para Summary, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.

Para SummaryVerbal AbilityMultiple choiceMedium

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

It’s not that modern historians of medieval Africa have been ignorant about contacts between Ethiopia and Europe; they just had the power dynamic reversed. The traditional narrative stressed Ethiopia as weak and in trouble in the face of aggression from external forces, so Ethiopia sought military assistance from their fellow Christians to the north. But the real story, buried in plain sight in medieval diplomatic texts, simply had not yet been put together by modern scholars. Recent research pushes scholars of medieval Europe to imagine a much more richly connected medieval world: at the beginning of the so-called Age of Exploration, there is evidence that the kings of Ethiopia were sponsoring their own missions of diplomacy, faith and commerce.

  1. A

    Medieval texts have documented how strong connections between the Christian communities of Ethiopia and Europe were invaluable in establishing military and trade links between the two civilisations.

  2. B

    Historians were under the illusion that Ethiopia needed military protection from their neighbours, but in fact the country had close commercial and religious connections with them.

  3. C

    Medieval texts have been ‘cherry-picked’ to promote a view of Ethiopia as weak and in need of Europe’s military help with aggressive neighbours, but recent studies reveal it was a well-connected and outward-looking culture.

  4. D

    Medieval historical sources selectively promoted the narrative that powerful European forces were called on to protect weak African civilisations such as Ethiopia, but this is far from reality.

Pick an option, then check.
Answer & solution

Answer: Option C

The passage says historians had the power dynamic reversed: the traditional story showed Ethiopia as weak and seeking military help from Christian Europe. In fact, evidence 'buried in plain sight' in medieval diplomatic texts shows Ethiopian kings sending their own missions of diplomacy, faith and commerce.

Option 3 captures this: the evidence was used selectively to show Ethiopia as weak, but recent research shows a well-connected, outward-looking culture.

Option 1 misses the reversal of the power dynamic.

Option 2 says Ethiopia needed protection 'from their neighbours' and was connected 'with them' – it confuses the external aggressors with European Christians.

Option 4 blames the medieval sources themselves, but the passage says the real story was in those sources; modern scholars had not put it together.

Shortcut: the passage's twist is 'weak and dependent' → 'active and outward-looking'. The summary must keep both halves.

Hence, the answer is option 3.

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