CAT 2024 Slot 1 · VARC · Question 11

CAT 2024 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.

Scientific research shows that many animals are very intelligent and have sensory and motor abilities that dwarf ours. Dogs are able to detect diseases such as cancer and diabetes and warn humans of impending heart attacks and strokes. Elephants, whales, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and alligators use low-frequency sounds to communicate over long distances, often miles. Many animals also display wide-ranging emotions, including joy, happiness, empathy, compassion, grief, and even resentment and embarrassment. It's not surprising that animals share many emotions with us because we also share brain structures, located in the limbic system, that are the seat of our emotions.

  1. A
    The advanced sensory and motor abilities of animals is the reason why they can display wide-ranging emotions.
  2. B
    The similarity in brain structure explains why animals show emotions typically associated with humans.
  3. C
    Animals can show emotions which are typically associated with humans.
  4. D
    Animals are more intelligent than us in sensing danger and detecting diseases.
Pick an option, then check.
Answer & solution

Answer: Option B

The passage ends on its conclusion: 'It's not surprising that animals share many emotions with us because we also share brain structures, located in the limbic system, that are the seat of our emotions.' The key word is 'because' – the passage does not just report that animals have human-like emotions; it explains why.

Option 2 keeps both the observation and its cause.

Option 1 invents a causal link. Sensory and motor abilities and emotional range are two separate findings; neither is said to cause the other.

Option 3 is accurate but incomplete – it stops at the observation and drops the explanation that gives the passage its point.

Option 4 overstates (abilities that 'dwarf ours' in sensing is not a claim of greater intelligence overall) and ignores emotions entirely.

Shortcut: if a passage ends with a 'because' sentence, the right summary almost always contains both the claim and the reason. An option with only the claim is a classic trap.

Hence, the answer is option 2.

More Para Summary questions

All Para Summary PYQs →

Take this paper as a timed test
Real exam timing, instant score, rank and topic-wise analysis.

Practice timed →