CAT 2022 Slot 3 · VARC · Question 8

CAT 2022 Slot 3 previous year question on Sentence Completion and Insertion, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.

Sentence Completion and InsertionVerbal AbilityMultiple choiceMedium

There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide in which blank (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.

Sentence: This has meant a lot of uncertainty around what a wide-scale return to office might look like in practice.

Paragraph: Bringing workers back to their desks has been a rocky road for employers and employees alike. The evolution of the pandemic has meant that best-laid plans have often not materialised. ___(1)___ The flow of workers back into offices has been more of a trickle than a steady stream. ___(2)___ Yet while plenty of companies are still working through their new policies, some employees across the globe are now back at their desks, whether on a full-time or hybrid basis. ___(3)___ That means we’re beginning to get some clarity on what return-to-office means - what’s working, as well as what has yet to be settled. ___(4)___

  1. A

    Option 1

  2. B

    Option 2

  3. C

    Option 3

  4. D

    Option 4

Pick an option, then check.
Answer & solution

Answer: Option B

The sentence says 'This has meant a lot of uncertainty' about what a return to office will look like. 'This' needs an earlier point that causes uncertainty.

Blank 2 comes right after 'The flow of workers back into offices has been more of a trickle than a steady stream.' A slow, uneven return naturally leads to uncertainty. The next sentence begins 'Yet', turning to the employees who are back and the clarity now emerging – a clear contrast with 'uncertainty'.

Blank 1 would break the link between failed plans and the trickle of returning workers.

Blanks 3 and 4 come after the paragraph has started speaking of clarity, so 'uncertainty' would be out of place.

Shortcut: 'uncertainty' must come before the 'Yet . . . clarity' turn in the paragraph.

Hence, the answer is option 2.

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