IPMAT Indore 2023 · Verbal Ability · Question 18

Blank 1 — read the preposition. The blank is followed by “from normal ageing”. Only words of difference take from here: distinguishable from, indistinguishable from, different from. That immediately removes (a) irreversible, which takes no from at all.

Which direction? The sentence says “In its early stages”, and then explains that the ageing brain “may naturally begin to show signs of cognitive impairment” — i.e. the two look alike. So dementia is hard to tell apart from normal ageing:

\text{indistinguishable}

Distinguishable (b) reverses it, and differentiated (c) is the wrong form — it would need “differentiated from” by an agent, and it does not convey difficulty.

Blank 2 — read the concession. “though they may be slowed”. The word though signals contrast: they cannot be X, but they can be slowed. Slowing is a weaker remedy than the one being denied, so X must be the stronger remedy:

\text{reversible}

You cannot reverse them, but you can slow them. That contrast is exact.

permanent (b) ✘ — “neither is currently permanent, though they may be slowed” makes no sense; permanence is not contrasted with slowing.

visible (c) ✘ — unrelated to slowing.

manageable (a) ✘ — slowing is a form of managing, so there is no contrast.

Answer: Option 4

Shortcut. Blank 1 is decided by the single word from. Only difference-words take it, which removes (a) on grammar alone.

Blank 2 is decided by though. A concession needs the two halves to pull in opposite directions, with the denied item stronger than the conceded one:

not reversible, though they may be slowed ✔

Test each option by that pairing and only reversible produces a real contrast — manageable actually agrees with slowing, which is why (a) fails twice.

Carry this forward: though, although, yet, while and despite all demand that the blank oppose what follows. Finding the connective is usually faster than understanding the sentence.