đ Whatâs Inside This CAT RC Practice Post?
đ Authentic CAT Reading Comprehension Passage: Practice with a real RC passage from a previous CAT exam.
â
Detailed Questions with Step-by-Step Solutions: Each question is explained thoroughly for better understanding.
đ In-Depth Passage Analysis: Gain insights through line-by-line and paragraph-wise analysis, supplemented with a quick summary table for efficient revision.
đ Vocabulary Enhancement: Get a separate post explaining all tough words from the passage.
RC Passage
Direction for the questions 20 to 24: The passage below is accompanied by a set of four questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Contemporary internet shopping conjures a perfect storm of choice anxiety. Research has consistently held that people who are presented with a few options make better, easier decisions than those presented with many. Helping consumers figure out what to buy amid an endless sea of choice online has become a cottage industry unto itself. Many brands and retailers now wield marketing buzzwords such as curation, differentiation, and discovery as they attempt to sell an assortment of stuff targeted to their ideal customer. Companies find such shoppers through the data gold mine of digital advertising, which can catalog people by gender, income level, personal interests, and more. Since Americans have lost the ability to sort through the sheer volume of the consumer choices available to them, a ghost now has to be in the retail machine, whether itâs an algorithm, an influencer, or some snazzy ad tech to help a product follow you around the internet. Indeed, choice fatigue is one reason so many people gravitate toward lifestyle influencers on Instagramâthe relentlessly chic young moms and perpetually vacationing 20-somethingsâwho present an aspirational worldview, and then recommend the products and services that help achieve it.
For a relatively new class of consumer-products start-ups, thereâs another method entirely. Instead of making sense of a sea of existing stuff, these companies claim to disrupt stuff as Americans know it. Casper (mattresses), Glossier (makeup), Away (suitcases), and many others have sprouted up to offer consumers freedom from choice: The companies have a few aesthetically pleasing and supposedly highly functional options, usually at mid-range prices. Theyâre selling nice things, but maybe more importantly, theyâre selling a confidence in those things, and an ability to opt out of the stuff rat race.
One-thousand-dollar mattresses and $300 suitcases might solve choice anxiety for a certain tier of consumer, but the companies that sell them, along with those that attempt to massage the larger stuff economy into something navigable, are still just working within a consumer market thatâs broken in systemic ways. The presence of so much stuff in America might be more valuable if it were more evenly distributed, but stuffâs creators tend to focus their energy on those who already have plenty. As options have expanded for people with disposable income, the opportunity to buy even basic things such as fresh food or quality diapers has contracted for much of Americaâs lower classes.For start-ups that promise accessible simplicity, their very structure still might eventually push them toward overwhelming variety. Most of these companies are based on hundreds of millions of dollars of venture capital, the investors of which tend to expect a steep growth rate that canât be achieved by selling one great mattress or one great sneaker. Casper has expanded into bedroom furniture and bed linens. Glossier, after years of marketing itself as no-makeup makeup that requires little skill to apply, recently launched a full line of glittering color cosmetics. There may be no way to opt out of stuff by buying into the right thing.
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
"Contemporary internet shopping conjures a perfect storm of choice anxiety."
Explanation: Modern online shopping creates a situation where the overwhelming number of options causes anxiety for shoppers.
"Research has consistently held that people who are presented with a few options make better, easier decisions than those presented with many."
Explanation: Studies have shown that people make better and easier decisions when they have fewer options to choose from, compared to when they are overwhelmed with many options.
"Helping consumers figure out what to buy amid an endless sea of choice online has become a cottage industry unto itself."
Explanation: Assisting consumers in navigating the vast array of choices online has become a small but significant industry.
"Many brands and retailers now wield marketing buzzwords such as curation, differentiation, and discovery as they attempt to sell an assortment of stuff targeted to their ideal customer."
Explanation: Brands and retailers use marketing terms like "curation," "differentiation," and "discovery" to sell products that are tailored to specific customers.
"Companies find such shoppers through the data gold mine of digital advertising, which can catalog people by gender, income level, personal interests, and more."
Explanation: Companies use digital advertising, which collects detailed data on consumers, such as gender, income, and interests, to target their ideal shoppers.
"Since Americans have lost the ability to sort through the sheer volume of the consumer choices available to them, a ghost now has to be in the retail machine, whether itâs an algorithm, an influencer, or some snazzy ad tech to help a product follow you around the internet."
Explanation: Due to the overwhelming number of choices, consumers now rely on tools like algorithms, influencers, or targeted ads to help guide them in making purchasing decisions.
"Indeed, choice fatigue is one reason so many people gravitate toward lifestyle influencers on Instagramâthe relentlessly chic young moms and perpetually vacationing 20-somethingsâwho present an aspirational worldview, and then recommend the products and services that help achieve it."
Explanation: One reason people turn to lifestyle influencers on social media is to escape the overwhelming choices, as these influencers present an aspirational lifestyle and recommend products that align with that lifestyle.
Paragraph 2
"For a relatively new class of consumer-products start-ups, thereâs another method entirely."
Explanation: A new group of consumer-product start-ups has developed a different approach to the problem of overwhelming choice.
"Instead of making sense of a sea of existing stuff, these companies claim to disrupt stuff as Americans know it."
Explanation: These start-ups donât just try to help consumers navigate existing products; they aim to revolutionize or simplify the way things are traditionally sold.
"Casper (mattresses), Glossier (makeup), Away (suitcases), and many others have sprouted up to offer consumers freedom from choice: The companies have a few aesthetically pleasing and supposedly highly functional options, usually at mid-range prices."
Explanation: Companies like Casper, Glossier, and Away focus on offering a limited number of aesthetically appealing and functional products at mid-range prices to help consumers avoid the overwhelming number of options.
"Theyâre selling nice things, but maybe more importantly, theyâre selling a confidence in those things, and an ability to opt out of the stuff rat race."
Explanation: These companies are not just selling quality products but also offering consumers confidence in their choices and the ability to avoid the overwhelming consumer culture.
Paragraph 3
"One-thousand-dollar mattresses and $300 suitcases might solve choice anxiety for a certain tier of consumer, but the companies that sell them, along with those that attempt to massage the larger stuff economy into something navigable, are still just working within a consumer market thatâs broken in systemic ways."
Explanation: Expensive products like high-end mattresses and suitcases might help some consumers with choice anxiety, but these companies are still part of a broken consumer market that doesnât address deeper systemic issues.
"The presence of so much stuff in America might be more valuable if it were more evenly distributed, but stuffâs creators tend to focus their energy on those who already have plenty."
Explanation: The abundance of products in America would be more valuable if it were distributed more evenly, but creators of these products usually focus on wealthier consumers who already have plenty.
"As options have expanded for people with disposable income, the opportunity to buy even basic things such as fresh food or quality diapers has contracted for much of Americaâs lower classes."
Explanation: While wealthier consumers have more options, lower-income Americans have fewer opportunities to purchase even basic items like fresh food or quality diapers.
Paragraph 4
"For start-ups that promise accessible simplicity, their very structure still might eventually push them toward overwhelming variety."
Explanation: Even start-ups that promise simplicity may eventually offer too many options as they grow and expand.
"Most of these companies are based on hundreds of millions of dollars of venture capital, the investors of which tend to expect a steep growth rate that canât be achieved by selling one great mattress or one great sneaker."
Explanation: Many of these companies are funded by venture capital, and investors expect rapid growth, which requires more than just offering a few great products.
"Casper has expanded into bedroom furniture and bed linens. Glossier, after years of marketing itself as no-makeup makeup that requires little skill to apply, recently launched a full line of glittering color cosmetics."
Explanation: Companies like Casper and Glossier have expanded beyond their initial product lines to offer a broader range of products, like bedroom furniture and cosmetics.
"There may be no way to opt out of stuff by buying into the right thing."
Explanation: It seems that there is no way to completely avoid the overwhelming consumer culture by simply purchasing the "right" product, as even these simplified companies end up offering more choices.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
Contemporary internet shopping creates "choice anxiety," where the overwhelming number of options makes decision-making difficult. Marketers try to ease this by targeting consumers with personalized products through digital advertising and influencer recommendations, but the challenge of choice fatigue remains.
Paragraph 2 Summary
A new class of start-ups, such as Casper, Glossier, and Away, aims to reduce choice anxiety by offering a limited number of aesthetically pleasing, functional products at mid-range prices. These companies sell not just products, but confidence and a way to opt out of the overwhelming consumer culture.
Paragraph 3 Summary
Although companies selling high-end products like mattresses and suitcases may reduce choice anxiety for some consumers, they are still part of a broken system. The abundance of products in America is often concentrated among the wealthy, leaving lower-income Americans with fewer options for even basic goods.
Paragraph 4 Summary
Even start-ups that promote simplicity may eventually expand their offerings due to the demands of investors, leading to overwhelming variety. Companies like Casper and Glossier have already expanded their product lines, and this trend suggests that there may be no way to truly escape the consumerist culture by just buying into one simplified product.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | Internet shopping creates choice anxiety, with marketers using digital advertising and influencers to ease the decision-making process. |
| Paragraph 2 | Start-ups like Casper and Glossier reduce choice anxiety by offering a few well-designed, functional products, selling confidence and simplicity. |
| Paragraph 3 | Despite efforts to simplify, the consumer market remains broken, with wealthier Americans benefiting from more options, while lower-income groups face fewer choices for basic goods. |
| Paragraph 4 | Even simplicity-focused start-ups are pushed toward offering more products due to investor expectations, suggesting there is no escape from the overwhelming consumer culture. |
RC Questions
Ques 20. Which of the following hypothetical statements would add the least depth to the authorâs prediction of the fate of start-ups offering few product options?
Ques 21. A new food brand plans to launch a series of products in the American market. Which of the following product plans is most likely to be supported by the author of the passage?
Ques 22. Which one of the following best sums up the overall purpose of the examples of Casper and Glossier in the passage?
Ques 23. All of the following, IF TRUE, would weaken the authorâs claims EXCEPT:
Ques 24. Based on the passage, all of the following can be inferred about consumer behaviour EXCEPT that:
