CAT Questions | CAT Text Completion Questions

The question is from CAT Text Completion. Text Completion for Verbal Ability for CAT. Text Completion questions often feature in the CAT. A couple of sentences with blanks are given, along with word options for each blank. You need to choose the right combination of words that make sense in the given context. Have a look at this question from Text Completion. Solve CAT Questions from Text Completion to get more practice and 2IIMs CAT questions bank provides you with CAT questions that can help you gear for CAT Exam .

Question 20: One writer who has, for more than half a century, been admired for his searing honesty is George Orwell. He is never ___________, but he is never __________. He says it as it is and yet says it as it has not been said before.

1. candid, clichéd
2. recondite, trite
3. arcane, unorthodox
4. lucid, singular

Explanatory Answer

Method of solving this CAT Question from Text Completion:

This is a tricky question. The starting line declares that George Orwell is a writer who has been admired for his brutal honesty for more than half a century. We then have two blanks to fill in the next sentence, but it is not very clear what will fit in the blanks right away.

The third sentence holds the key to answering the question, as it paraphrases the second sentence. So the word that fits into blank 1 should relate to “says it as it is� and the word that fits into blank 2 should relate to “says it as it has not been said before�.

However, note that both blanks are preceded by “never�. So the word that fits into blank 1 should be the opposite of “says it as it is�, which means we are looking at words like untruthful, dishonest, unclear etc. Similarly, the word that fits into blank 2 should be the opposite of “says it as it has not been said before�, so we are looking for words like hackneyed, repetitive, dull, stale etc.

Now let us look at the answer choices:

a) Candid means truthful or downright and clichéd means lacking originality. The text given states Orwell was admired for his searing honesty. To say that he was never candid does not make sense. The word ‘clichéd’ of course fits blank 2. Orwell was never clichéd; he says things as they have not been said before. But this answer option is ruled out, as the first word is not right for blank 1.

b) Recondite means difficult to understand and trite means lacking freshness. Orwell is never recondite or unclear; he says it as it is. He is also never trite and stale. Both words relate to the ideas we are looking for. So this is the correct option.

c) Arcane means something mysterious and difficult to understand. Unorthodox means unconventional. While arcane will fit in blank 1, unorthodox will not fit in blank 2. We want to say Orwell was unorthodox or never orthodox. So we rule this option out.

d) Lucid means clear or easy to understand. To be singular is to be exceptional. Both words do not fit in the given blanks.

So the correct answer is option (b)

The question is "Choose the correct option to fill the blanks"

Hence, the answer is B

Choice B is the correct answer.