CAT VA-RC 2021 Slot 3: RC Passage 4

📘 What’s Inside This CAT RC Practice Post?

📝 Authentic CAT Reading Comprehension Passage: Practice with a real RC passage from a previous CAT exam.
✅ Detailed Questions with Step-by-Step Solutions: Each question is explained thoroughly for better understanding.
🔍 In-Depth Passage Analysis: Gain insights through line-by-line and paragraph-wise analysis, supplemented with a quick summary table for efficient revision.
📚 Vocabulary Enhancement: Get a separate post explaining all tough words from the passage.



RC Passage

Direction for the questions 13 to 16: The passage below is accompanied by a set of four questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

Keeping time accurately comes with a price. The maximum accuracy of a clock is directly related to how much disorder, or entropy, it creates every time it ticks. Natalia Ares at the University of Oxford and her colleagues made this discovery using a tiny clock with an accuracy that can be controlled. The clock consists of a 50-nanometre-thick membrane of silicon nitride, vibrated by an electric current. Each time the membrane moved up and down once and then returned to its original position, the researchers counted a tick, and the regularity of the spacing between the ticks represented the accuracy of the clock. The researchers found that as they increased the clock’s accuracy, the heat produced in the system grew, increasing the entropy of its surroundings by jostling nearby particles . . . “If a clock is more accurate, you are paying for it somehow,” says Ares. In this case, you pay for it by pouring more ordered energy into the clock, which is then converted into entropy. “By measuring time, we are increasing the entropy of the universe,” says Ares. The more entropy there is in the universe, the closer it may be to its eventual demise. “Maybe we should stop measuring time,” says Ares. The scale of the additional entropy is so small, though, that there is no need to worry about its effects, she says.

The increase in entropy in timekeeping may be related to the “arrow of time”, says Marcus Huber at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, who was part of the research team. It has been suggested that the reason that time only flows forward, not in reverse, is that the total amount of entropy in the universe is constantly increasing, creating disorder that cannot be put in order again.

The relationship that the researchers found is a limit on the accuracy of a clock, so it doesn’t mean that a clock that creates the most possible entropy would be maximally accurate - hence a large, inefficient grandfather clock isn’t more precise than an atomic clock. “It’s a bit like fuel use in a car. Just because I’m using more fuel doesn’t mean that I’m going faster or further,” says Huber.

When the researchers compared their results with theoretical models developed for clocks that rely on quantum effects, they were surprised to find that the relationship between accuracy and entropy seemed to be the same for both. . . . We can’t be sure yet that these results are actually universal, though, because there are many types of clocks for which the relationship between accuracy and entropy haven’t been tested.

“It’s still unclear how this principle plays out in real devices such as atomic clocks, which push the ultimate quantum limits of accuracy,” says Mark Mitchison at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. Understanding this relationship could be helpful for designing clocks in the future, particularly those used in quantum computers and other devices where both accuracy and temperature are crucial, says Ares. This finding could also help us understand more generally how the quantum world and the classical world are similar and different in terms of thermodynamics and the passage of time.

RC Line-wise Explanation

Paragraph 1

"Creativity is at once our most precious resource and our most inexhaustible one."

Explanation: Creativity is both extremely valuable and something we never run out of.

"As anyone who has ever spent any time with children knows, every single human being is born creative; every human being is innately endowed with the ability to combine and recombine data, perceptions, materials and ideas, and devise new ways of thinking and doing."

Explanation: Just like we observe in children, all humans naturally have the ability to think in new ways and come up with original ideas.

"What fosters creativity? More than anything else: the presence of other creative people."

Explanation: The best way to encourage creativity is by being around other creative individuals.

"The big myth is that creativity is the province of great individual geniuses."

Explanation: It's a common misconception that only a few brilliant individuals possess creativity.

"In fact creativity is a social process."

Explanation: Actually, creativity often happens when people interact with one another.

"Our biggest creative breakthroughs come when people learn from, compete with, and collaborate with other people."

Explanation: The most significant innovations usually result from people sharing ideas, challenging each other, and working together.

Paragraph 2

"Cities are the true fonts of creativity..."

Explanation: Cities are the main sources or origins of creative energy.

"With their diverse populations, dense social networks, and public spaces where people can meet spontaneously and serendipitously, they spark and catalyze new ideas."

Explanation: The mix of different people, close connections, and random social interactions in cities help generate new ideas.

"With their infrastructure for finance, organization and trade, they allow those ideas to be swiftly actualized."

Explanation: Cities also have the systems—like finance and business—that help quickly turn ideas into reality.

Paragraph 3

"As for what staunches creativity, that’s easy, if ironic."

Explanation: What stops creativity is clear, and it’s ironically tied to what was supposed to support it.

"It’s the very institutions that we build to manage, exploit and perpetuate the fruits of creativity — our big bureaucracies, and sad to say, too many of our schools."

Explanation: Institutions like large bureaucracies and many schools, which should support creativity, often end up suppressing it.

"Creativity is disruptive; schools and organizations are regimented, standardized and stultifying."

Explanation: Creativity challenges the norm, while schools and organizations tend to be rigid, uniform, and dull, making them unfriendly to creative thought.

Paragraph 4

"The education expert Sir Ken Robinson points to a 1968 study reporting on a group of 1,600 children who were tested over time for their ability to think in out-of-the-box ways."

Explanation: Sir Ken Robinson refers to a 1968 study that measured the creativity of 1,600 children over several years.

"When the children were between 3 and 5 years old, 98 percent achieved positive scores."

Explanation: Almost all young children (aged 3–5) showed high levels of creativity.

"When they were 8 to 10, only 32 percent passed the same test, and only 10 percent at 13 to 15."

Explanation: As the children grew older, their creativity levels dropped sharply.

"When 280,000 25-year-olds took the test, just 2 percent passed."

Explanation: Among adults, creativity was nearly gone—only a tiny fraction showed out-of-the-box thinking.

"By the time we are adults, our creativity has been wrung out of us."

Explanation: The system drains creativity from people as they grow up.

Paragraph 5

"I once asked the great urbanist Jane Jacobs what makes some places more creative than others."

Explanation: The author consulted urban planning expert Jane Jacobs about why some places are more creative than others.

"She said, essentially, that the question was an easy one."

Explanation: Jacobs believed the answer to this question was simple.

"All cities, she said, were filled with creative people; that’s our default state as people."

Explanation: She believed that everyone is naturally creative, and cities are full of such people.

"But some cities had more than their shares of leaders, people and institutions that blocked out that creativity. She called them 'squelchers.'"

Explanation: However, in some cities, people and institutions suppress creativity; she labeled them “squelchers.”

Paragraph 6

"Creativity (or the lack of it) follows the same general contours of the great socio-economic divide - our rising inequality - that plagues us."

Explanation: Creativity is unevenly distributed across society, much like wealth and opportunity.

"According to my own estimates, roughly a third of us across the United States, and perhaps as much as half of us in our most creative cities - are able to do work which engages our creative faculties to some extent, whether as artists, musicians, writers, techies, innovators, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, journalists or educators - those of us who work with our minds."

Explanation: The author estimates that only about a third to half of people in the U.S. work in jobs that use their creativity—mainly in knowledge or idea-based professions.

"That leaves a group that I term ‘the other 66 percent,’ who toil in low-wage rote and rotten jobs — if they have jobs at all — in which their creativity is subjugated, ignored or wasted."

Explanation: The remaining majority work in low-paying, repetitive jobs that don’t make use of their creative potential.

Paragraph 7

"Creativity itself is not in danger."

Explanation: Creativity as a human trait is not going away.

"It’s flourishing is all around us - in science and technology, arts and culture, in our rapidly revitalizing cities."

Explanation: We see creativity thriving in many fields and places, such as tech, art, and modern cities.

"But we still have a long way to go if we want to build a truly creative society that supports and rewards the creativity of each and every one of us."

Explanation: However, we still need to do a lot more to ensure that everyone's creative potential is recognized and encouraged.

RC Paragraph Explanation

Paragraph 1

"Keeping time accurately comes with a price."

Explanation: Being precise in timekeeping has an associated cost or consequence.

"The maximum accuracy of a clock is directly related to how much disorder, or entropy, it creates every time it ticks."

Explanation: The more accurate a clock is, the more entropy it generates with each tick.

"Natalia Ares at the University of Oxford and her colleagues made this discovery using a tiny clock with an accuracy that can be controlled."

Explanation: Natalia Ares and her team at Oxford discovered this relationship using a specially designed clock whose accuracy could be adjusted.

"The clock consists of a 50-nanometre-thick membrane of silicon nitride, vibrated by an electric current."

Explanation: The clock is made from an ultra-thin silicon nitride membrane, which vibrates when electricity is applied.

"Each time the membrane moved up and down once and then returned to its original position, the researchers counted a tick, and the regularity of the spacing between the ticks represented the accuracy of the clock."

Explanation: A single oscillation of the membrane was considered one tick, and how evenly spaced the ticks were indicated the clock’s accuracy.

"The researchers found that as they increased the clock’s accuracy, the heat produced in the system grew, increasing the entropy of its surroundings by jostling nearby particles."

Explanation: When the clock’s accuracy was increased, it emitted more heat, creating more disorder (entropy) in its environment.

"“If a clock is more accurate, you are paying for it somehow,” says Ares."

Explanation: Ares suggests that high precision in clocks has an inevitable cost.

"In this case, you pay for it by pouring more ordered energy into the clock, which is then converted into entropy."

Explanation: Here, the cost is more input energy that becomes disorder (entropy) as the clock runs.

"“By measuring time, we are increasing the entropy of the universe,” says Ares. The more entropy there is in the universe, the closer it may be to its eventual demise."

Explanation: Measuring time contributes to the universe’s entropy, and growing entropy could lead to the universe’s end.

"“Maybe we should stop measuring time,” says Ares. The scale of the additional entropy is so small, though, that there is no need to worry about its effects, she says."

Explanation: Ares jokes that maybe timekeeping should stop, though the actual increase in entropy is too minor to matter practically.

Paragraph 2

"The increase in entropy in timekeeping may be related to the “arrow of time”, says Marcus Huber at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, who was part of the research team."

Explanation: Marcus Huber suggests that this entropy from timekeeping may relate to the concept of time only moving forward.

"It has been suggested that the reason that time only flows forward, not in reverse, is that the total amount of entropy in the universe is constantly increasing…"

Explanation: One theory explains the forward direction of time through the continual increase of entropy.

"…creating disorder that cannot be put in order again."

Explanation: This irreversible growth of disorder explains why time moves in one direction.

Paragraph 3

"The relationship that the researchers found is a limit on the accuracy of a clock, so it doesn’t mean that a clock that creates the most possible entropy would be maximally accurate…"

Explanation: The finding sets a boundary but doesn’t imply that generating more entropy means higher accuracy.

"…hence a large, inefficient grandfather clock isn’t more precise than an atomic clock."

Explanation: So, inefficient clocks like grandfather clocks aren’t more accurate just because they use more energy.

"“It’s a bit like fuel use in a car. Just because I’m using more fuel doesn’t mean that I’m going faster or further,” says Huber."

Explanation: Huber compares it to fuel efficiency—more energy use doesn’t guarantee better performance.

Paragraph 4

"When the researchers compared their results with theoretical models developed for clocks that rely on quantum effects, they were surprised to find that the relationship between accuracy and entropy seemed to be the same for both."

Explanation: They were surprised to see that the same accuracy-entropy relationship applies to quantum clocks as well.

"We can’t be sure yet that these results are actually universal, though, because there are many types of clocks for which the relationship between accuracy and entropy haven’t been tested."

Explanation: It’s still unclear if the accuracy-entropy rule applies to all clocks, as not every type has been studied.

Paragraph 5

"“It’s still unclear how this principle plays out in real devices such as atomic clocks, which push the ultimate quantum limits of accuracy,” says Mark Mitchison at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland."

Explanation: Mark Mitchison notes that it’s uncertain how this relationship applies to ultra-precise devices like atomic clocks.

"Understanding this relationship could be helpful for designing clocks in the future, particularly those used in quantum computers and other devices where both accuracy and temperature are crucial, says Ares."

Explanation: Ares believes that learning more about this principle could improve future clock designs, especially in quantum technology.

"This finding could also help us understand more generally how the quantum world and the classical world are similar and different in terms of thermodynamics and the passage of time."

Explanation: It may also help bridge our understanding of how time and energy behave in both quantum and classical physics.

RC Quick Table Summary
Paragraph NumberMain Idea
Paragraph 1More accurate clocks produce more entropy, adding disorder to the universe.
Paragraph 2The entropy from timekeeping may relate to the one-way flow of time (arrow of time).
Paragraph 3Entropy sets a limit on accuracy but doesn’t imply that more entropy means better accuracy.
Paragraph 4The accuracy-entropy relationship also appears in quantum models, though its universality is unknown.
Paragraph 5The principle could impact clock design and deepen our understanding of time in physics.

RC Questions

Ques 13. None of the following statements can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that:

Correct Answer: (B) Detailed explanation by Wordpandit: The passage doesn't provide explicit evidence about the 'arrow of time' being tested, specifically with respect to atomic clocks. The absence of this information prevents us from making a conclusive inference. Thus, Option A doesn't stand on solid ground and is disregarded.B: The heart of the passage reveals a critical discovery. As researchers enhanced the precision of their clocks, there was a concurrent rise in the heat generated. This increment in heat influenced the system's external environment, triggering a surge in entropy by agitating particles in close proximity. This revelation aligns perfectly with the statement in Option B which suggests that the quest for greater accuracy in quantum computers, which are highly reliant on their clocks, would inevitably lead to an escalation in heat production. Hence, Option B emerges as the most grounded inference from the text.C: The findings of the research suggest that there's a trade-off between a clock's accuracy and the heat it emits, pointing towards a limiting factor in achieving optimal precision. Yet, this doesn't imply that a clock, which contributes to the maximum potential entropy, would attain peak accuracy. To illustrate this point, the passage draws a comparison, highlighting that a bulky, energy-guzzling grandfather clock would not surpass the precision of an atomic clock. However, the example given is illustrative and doesn't offer a blanket judgment about the efficiency of all grandfather clocks. As such, Option C is valid but necessitates a nuanced interpretation.D: The intricate design of the clock is highlighted in the passage, emphasizing its composition of a 50-nanometre-thick silicon nitride membrane. This membrane oscillates in response to an electric current. The text underscores the directionality of this mechanism - the electric current instigates the vibrations, and not vice-versa. This clarification nullifies the claim made in Option D, making it an unsuitable inference.In summation, the passage delves deep into the fascinating interplay between clock accuracy, heat production, and entropy, revealing findings that reshape our understanding. With Option B resonating most closely with the text's revelations, it stands out as the most credible inference drawn from the article.

Ques 14. The author makes all of the following arguments in the passage, EXCEPT that:

Correct Answer: (B) Detailed explanation by Wordpandit: Analyzing the options in light of the provided text offers insights into the intricate relationship between accuracy, entropy, and heat in the context of clocks:A: Delving into the passage, we understand that not all clocks have been tested to discern the relationship between accuracy and entropy. This can be deciphered from the statement, "...there are many types of clocks for which the relationship between accuracy and entropy haven’t been tested..." This insight directly corresponds with Option A, making it a clear deduction from the passage.B: The narrative underlines a notable observation made by the researchers. When the clock's precision was enhanced, a rise in the system's heat was registered, leading to an increase in the entropy of the surrounding environment due to the agitation of nearby particles. A quote by Ares, "...By measuring time, we are increasing the entropy of the universe," further highlights this relationship. But a closer look reveals a nuanced distinction: while the correlation between greater accuracy and increased entropy is evident, the direct linkage between heat and the pursuit of heightened accuracy isn't explicitly established. In essence, the "ordered energy" being poured in, which subsequently gets converted to entropy, is not definitively identified as "heat" earlier in the text. Thus, Option B may be an extrapolation beyond the information presented.C: The passage sheds light on a crucial facet of the research findings: while there is an established connection where increasing accuracy leads to heightened entropy, the reverse isn't necessarily true. That is, maximum entropy does not guarantee maximum accuracy. This is illustrated using the example of the grandfather clock. Despite its potential to produce high entropy, its precision isn't asserted to be superior to an atomic clock. Huber's analogy of car fuel usage reinforces this: consuming more fuel does not assure increased speed or distance. The essence of this explanation finds a mirror in Option C, suggesting a close alignment with the text's intent.D: The text implies that understanding the intricate interplay between accuracy and temperature is pivotal, especially for the future design of clocks utilized in quantum computing where both factors are paramount. Ares' statement, "...both accuracy and temperature are crucial," further cements this connection. This insight resonates with Option D, showcasing its validity based on the content presented.In summary, while the text paints a vivid picture of the complex relationship between clock accuracy, entropy, and heat, careful scrutiny reveals subtle distinctions. Options A and D find direct support from the passage, while Option C captures the essence of the discussed relationship more faithfully than Option B. This nuanced understanding provides a clearer lens to evaluate the accuracy of the presented options in light of the passage's content.

Ques 15. “It’s a bit like fuel use in a car. Just because I’m using more fuel doesn’t mean that I’m going faster or further . . .” What is the purpose of this example?

Correct Answer: (A) Detailed explanation by Wordpandit: In the presented excerpt, the author employs a relatable analogy to elucidate a concept tied to clock accuracy and entropy. By comparing a large and potentially less efficient grandfather clock to an atomic clock, the author underscores that producing higher entropy doesn't automatically guarantee heightened precision. Just because a grandfather clock might produce greater entropy doesn't render it more precise than its atomic counterpart. This principle is further reinforced using the metaphor of a car's fuel consumption. While it's undeniably true that a car traveling at higher speeds or covering longer distances will expend more fuel, the reverse - a car consuming more fuel guaranteeing faster speeds or more extended distances - isn't a given. There could be other factors in play, such as the vehicle's fuel efficiency. Drawing a parallel, Option A adeptly encapsulates this nuanced understanding, marking it as the most fitting interpretation.By delving deeper into the crux of the text and fleshing out its core ideas, we're presented with a clearer understanding of the intricacies between entropy, accuracy, and the limits of drawing direct correlations between them.

Ques 16. Which one of the following sets of words and phrases serves best as keywords of the passage?

Correct Answer: (C) Detailed explanation by Wordpandit: At the heart of the passage, the author zeroes in on a compelling connection: the precision of a clock is intrinsically tied to the degree of entropy or disorder it produces with each tick. As the passage unfolds, the relationship between a clock's accuracy and the entropy it induces is explored, emphasizing the intricate dance between quantum mechanics and thermodynamics in this context. Given this deep dive into the nuances of time measurement, accuracy, and entropy, Option C emerges as the most fitting representation of the passage's central theme.While electric current does find mention in the narrative, it's merely a component of a specific example that the author presents, rendering Option A less relevant in the grand scheme of the text. Similarly, the mentions of Silicon Nitride and Membrane, though important in their respective contexts, are but particulars of a distinct experiment detailed within the passage. Their significance doesn't permeate the entirety of the text, making them unsuitable as overarching themes or central ideas.

Actual CAT VA-RC 2021 Slot 3: Question-wise Index

Reading ComprehensionWords from the Passage
RC Passage 1 (Q 1 to 4) Must-Learn Words (Passage 1)
RC Passage 2 (Q 5 to 8) Must-Learn Words (Passage 2)
RC Passage 3 (Q 9 to 12) Must-Learn Words (Passage 3)
RC Passage 4 (Q 13 to 16) Must-Learn Words (Passage 4)
Verbal Ability
Ques 17 (Para-jumble) Ques 18 (Para-jumble)
Ques 19 (Misfit/Odd one out) Ques 20 (Paragraph Summary)
Ques 21 (Misfit/Odd one out) Ques 22 (Paragraph Summary)
Ques 23 (Paragraph Summary) Ques 24 (Para-jumble)

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

×

Get 1 Free Counselling


Free Counselling
Call Icon