CAT Questions | CAT Word Usage Questions

The question is from CAT Word Usage. Word Usage for Verbal Ability for CAT. Word Usage questions that appear in the verbal section of CAT look for the correct usage of words in a sentence. Have a look at this question from Word Usage. Solve CAT Questions from Word Usage to get more practice and 2IIMs CAT questions bank provides you with CAT questions that can help you gear for CAT Exam .

Question 7: European scholars rightly (A)/wrongly (B) viewed all great powers in history as global powers.

However, the unipolar world of the British and American empires was a historical milestone (A)/aberration (B).

For most, global moments were short-lived. Even so (A)/At best (B), they were continental powers.

Multipolarity or polycentric dispersal (A)/dispensing (B) of power and prosperity defines the normal state of the world.

1. AABA
2. ABAB
3. BAAB
4. BBBA

Explanatory Answer

Method of solving this CAT Question from Word Usage:

Sentence 1- European scholars rightly (A)/wrongly (B) viewed all great powers in history as global powers.

A choice cannot be made here without understanding what the rest of the sentences say.

Sentence 2- However, the unipolar world of the British and American empires was a historical milestone (A)/aberration (B).

The word “however� in this sentence used in conjunction with unipolar indicates that the first statement, about European scholars viewing all great powers in history as global powers is considered untrue. So the correct choice for sentence 1 is "wrongly". It also follows that the right choice for sentence 2 is aberration.

Sentence 3- For most, global moments were short-lived. Even so (A)/At best (B), they were continental powers.

So the sentences read that European scholars wrongly viewed all great powers in history as global powers. However, the unipolar world of the British and American empires was a historical aberration. For most, global moments were short-lived. Having said the global moments for most were short lived, it follows that the correct option for sentence 3 is “at best�, not “even so�.

Sentence 4- Multipolarity or polycentric dispersal (A)/dispensing (B) of power and prosperity defines the normal state of the world.

The correct option here is dispersal, not dispensing. Dispensing is used in the sense of dealing out or allotting something. It doesn’t fit in the given sentence.

Hence, the answer is BBBA

Choice D is the correct answer.