CSAT 2021 General Aptitude Paper - 2

Directions for the following 4 (four) items: Read the following four passages and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only.

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Passage - 1

Researchers simulated street lighting on artificial grassland plots containing pea-aphids, sap-sucking insects, at night. These were exposed to two different types of light - a white light similar to newer commercial LED lights and an amber light similar to sodium street lamps. The low intensity amber light was shown to inhibit, rather than induce, flowering in a wild plant of the pea family which is a source of food for the pea-aphids in grasslands. The number of aphids was also significantly suppressed under the light treatment due to the limited amount of food available.

1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above ?

(a) Low intensity light has more adverse effect on the plants as compared to high intensity light.
(b) Light pollution can have a permanent adverse impact on an ecosystem.
(c) White light is better for the flowering of plants as compared to the light of other colours.
(d) Proper intensity of light in an ecosystem is important not only for plants but for animals too.

Passage - 2

Approximately 80 percent of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, including birds and mammals, but the main pollinators are insects. Pollination is responsible for providing us with a wide variety of food, as well as many plant-derived medicines. At least one-third of the world’s agricultural crops depend upon pollination. Bees are the most dominant taxa when it comes to pollination and they are crucial to more than four hundred crops. Pollination is an essential service that is the result of intricate relationships between plants and animals, and the reduction or loss of either affects the survival of both. Effective pollination requires resources, such as refuges of pristine natural vegetation.

2. On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made :

  1. Sustainable production of India’s cereal food grains is impossible without the diversity of pollinating animals.
  2. Monoculture of horticultural crops hampers the survival of insects.
  3. Pollinators become scarce in cultivated areas devoid of natural vegetation.
  4. Diversity in insects induces diversity of plants.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 3 and 4 only

Passage - 3

A study conducted on the impacts of climate change over the Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu using regional climate models showed an increasing trend for maximum and minimum temperatures, and a decrease in the number of rainy days. These climatic shifts will have an impact on the hydrological cycles in the region, lead to more run-off and less recharge, and affect the groundwater tables. Further, there has been an increase in the frequency of droughts in the State. This has driven farmers to increase dependency on groundwater resources to secure their crops.

3. Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage given above ?

(a) Development of regional climate models helps in choosing climate-smart agricultural practices.
(b) Heavy dependence on groundwater resources can be reduced by adopting dry-land cropping systems.
(c) Climate changes increase the criticality of water resources while simultaneously threatening it.
(d) Climate changes cause the farmers to adopt unsustainable livelihoods and risky coping strategies.

Passage - 4

Researchers were able to use stem cells to gauge the neurotoxic effects of the environmental pollutant Bisphenol A (BPA). They used a combination of biochemical and cell-based assays to examine the gene expression profile during the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells upon treatment with BPA, a compound known to cause heart diseases, diabetes, and developmental abnormalities in humans. They were able to detect and measure BPA toxicity towards the proper specification of primary germ layers, such as endoderm and ectoderm, and the establishment of neural progenitor cells.

4. On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made :

  1. BPA may alter embryonic development in vivo.
  2. Biochemical and cell-based assays are useful in finding out treatments for pollution-induced diseases.
  3. Embryonic stem cells could serve as a model to evaluate the physiological effects of environmental pollutants.

Which of the above assumptions are valid ?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 

5. If 32019 is divided by 10, then what is the remainder?

(a) 1
(b) 3
(c) 7
(d) 9 

8. A biology class at high school predicted that a local population of animals will double in size every 12 years. The population at the beginning of the year 2021 was estimated to be 50 animals. If P represents the population after n years, then which one of the following equations represents the model of the class for the population ?

(a) P = 12 + 50n
(b) P = 50 + 12n
(c) P = 50 (2)12n
(d) P = 50 (2)n/12

9. In a class, 60% of students are from India and 50% of the students are girls. If 30% of the Indian students are girls, then what percentage of foreign students are boys ?

(a) 45%
(b) 40%
(c) 30%
(d) 20%

17. Images of consonants of the English alphabet (Capitals) are observed in a mirror. What is the number of images of these which do not look like their original shapes ?

(a) 18
(b) 14
(c) 15
(d) 16 

18. A bank employee drives 10 km towards South from her house and turns to her left and drives another 20 km. She again turns left and drives 40 km, then she turns to her right and drives for another 5 km. She again turns to her right and drives another 30 km to reach her bank where she works. What is the shortest distance between her bank and her house ?

(a) 20 km
(b) 25 km
(c) 30 km
(d) 35 km

19. Integers are listed from 700 to 1000. In how many integers is the sum of the digits 10 ?

(a) 6
(b) 7
(c) 8
(d) 9

20. A woman runs 12 km towards her North, then 6 km towards her South and then 8 km towards her East. In which direction is she from her starting point ?

(a) An angle less than 45° South of East
(b) An angle less than 45° North of East
(c) An angle more than 45° South of East
(d) An angle more than 45° North of East

25. Seven books P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are placed side by side. R, Q and T have blue covers and other books have red covers. Only S and U are new books and the rest are old. P, R and S are law reports; the rest are Gazetteers. Books of old Gazetteers with blue covers are

(a) Q and R
(b) Q and U
(c) Q and T
(d) T and U

26. Replace the incorrect term by the correct term in the given sequence

3, 2, 7, 4, 18, 10, 21, 18, 31, 28, 43, 40

where odd terms and even terms follow the same pattern.

(a) 0
(b) 1
(c) 3
(d) 6

29. A person X from a place A and another person Y from a place B set out at the same time to walk towards each other. The places are separated by a distance of 15 km. X walks with a uniform speed of 1.5 km/hr and Y walks with a uniform speed of 1 km/hr in the first hour, with a uniform speed of 1.25 km/hr in the second hour and with a uniform speed of 1.5 km/hr in the third hour and so on.

Which of the following is/are correct ?

  1. They take 5 hours to meet.
  2. They meet midway between A and B.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

30. A student appeared in 6 papers. The maximum marks are the same for each paper. His marks in these papers are in the proportion of 5 : 6 : 7 : 8 : 9 : 10. Overall he scored 60%. In how many number of papers did he score less than 60% of the maximum marks ?

(a) 2
(b) 3
(c) 4
(d) 5 

48. Which day is 10th October, 2027 ?

(a) Sunday
(b) Monday
(c) Tuesday
(d) Saturday

50. What is the value of ‘X’ in the sequence 2, 7, 22, 67, 202, X, 1822 ?

(a) 603
(b) 605
(c) 607
(d) 608

53. Jay and Vijay spent an equal amount of money to buy some pens and special pencils of the same quality from the same store. If Jay bought 3 pens and 5 pencils, and Vijay bought 2 pens and 7 pencils, then which one of the following is correct ?

(a) A pencil costs more than a pen
(b) The price of a pencil is equal to that of a pen
(c) The price of a pen is two times the price of a pencil
(d) The price of a pen is three times the price of a pencil

54. P scored 40 marks more than Q in an examination. If Q scored 10% less marks than P, then how much did Q score ?

(a) 360
(b) 380
(c) 400
(d) 420

55. A person P asks one of his three friends X as to how much money he had. X replied, "If Y gives me ₹40, then Y will have half of as much as Z, but if Z gives me ₹40, then three of us will have equal amount." What is the total amount of money that X, Y and Z have ?

(a) ₹420
(b) ₹360
(c) ₹300
(d) ₹270

56. In a code language ‘MATHEMATICS’ is written as ‘LBSIDNZUHDR’. How is ‘CHEMISTRY written in that code language ?

(a) DIDLHRSSX
(b) BIDNHTSSX
(c) BIDLHTSSX
(d) DGFLIRUQZ

63. There are three points P, Q and R on a straight line such that PQ : QR = 3 : 5. If n is the number of possible values of PQ : PR, then what is n equal to ?

(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 3
(d) 4

64. On a chess board, in how many different ways can 6 consecutive squares be chosen on the diagonals along a straight path ?

(a) 4
(b) 6
(c) 8
(d) 12

66. Using 2, 2, 3, 3, 3 as digits, how many distinct numbers greater than 30000 can be formed ?

(a) 3
(b) 6
(c) 9
(d) 12

67. Consider the following statements :

  1. The sum of 5 consecutive integers can be 100.
  2. The product of three consecutive natural numbers can be equal to their sum.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

68. A cubical vessel of side 1 m is filled completely with water. How many millilitres of water is contained in it (neglect thickness of the vessel) ?

(a) 1000
(b) 10000
(c) 100000
(d) 1000000

69. There are 6 persons arranged in a row. Another person has to shake hands with 3 of them so that he should not shake hands with two consecutive persons. In how many distinct possible combinations can the handshakes take place ?

(a) 3
(b) 4
(c) 5
(d) 6

70. An amount of money was distributed among A, B and C in the ratio p : q : r. Consider the following statements :

  1. A gets the maximum share if p is greater than (q + r).
  2. C gets the minimum share if r is less than (p + q).

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

74. A pie diagram shows the percentage distribution of proteins, water and other dry elements in the human body. Given that proteins correspond to 16% and water corresponds to 70%. If both proteins and the other dry elements correspond to p%, then what is the central angle of the sector representing p on the pie diagram ?

(a) 54°
(b) 96°
(c) 108°
(d) 120°

75. Joseph visits the club on every 5th day, Harsh visits on every 24th day, while Sumit visits on every 9th day. If all three of them met at the club on a Sunday, then on which day will all three of them meet again ?

(a) Monday
(b) Wednesday
(c) Thursday
(d) Sunday

76. The difference between a 2-digit number and the number obtained by interchanging the positions of the digits is 54. Consider the following statements :

  1. The sum of the two digits of the number can be determined only if the product of the two digits is known.
  2. The difference between the two digits of the number can be determined.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

77. X said to Y, "At the time of your birth I was twice as old as you are at present." If the present age of X is 42 years, then consider the following statements :

  1. 8 years ago, the age of X was five times the age of Y.
  2. After 14 years, the age of X would be two times the age of Y.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

78. If the price of an article is decreased by 20% and then the new price is increased by 25%, then what is the net change in the price ?

(a) 0%
(b) 5% increase
(c) 5% decrease
(d) Cannot be determined due to insufficient data

79. When a certain number is multiplied by 7, the product entirely comprises ones only (1111...). What is the smallest such number ?

(a) 15713
(b) 15723
(c) 15783
(d) 15873

80. A man completes 7/8 of a job in 21 days. How many more days will it take him to finish the job if quantum of work is further increased by 50% ?

(a) 24
(b) 21
(c) 18
(d) 15