CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC Question 23

Multiple choice (+3 / −1) · Verbal Ability · Parasummary · Try it, then check the answer and solution below.

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
The weight of society's expectations is hardly a new phenomenon but it has become particularly draining over recent decades, perhaps because expectations themselves are so multifarious and contradictory. The perfectionism of the 1950s was rooted in the norms of mass culture and captured in famous advertising images of the ideal white American family that now seem self-satirising. In that era, perfectionism meant seamlessly conforming to values, behaviour and appearance: chiselled confidence for men, demure graciousness for women. The perfectionist was under pressure to look like everyone else, only more so. The perfectionists of today, by contrast, feel an obligation to stand out through their idiosyncratic style and wit if they are to gain a foothold in the attention economy.
Answer and solution

Answer: B) Though long-standing, the pressure to appear perfect and thereby attract attention, has evolved over time from one of conformism to one of non-conformism.

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Passage Context & Central Idea:
The passage discusses the evolution of societal expectations and perfectionism over time. It contrasts the conformist perfectionism of the 1950s with the modern emphasis on standing out through individuality in the attention economy. The central idea is the shift from conformism to non-conformism in the pursuit of perfection.
2
Question Stem Analysis:
The question asks for the best summary of the passage, focusing on capturing the essence of the evolution of societal expectations and perfectionism.
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Option-by-Option Elimination:
Option A: Incorrect. While it mentions the desire to attract attention, it does not address the evolution from conformism to non-conformism, which is the core of the passage.
Option B: Correct. It accurately reflects the passage's central argument about the evolution of perfectionism from conformism to non-conformism.
Option C: Incorrect. While it touches on media influence, it does not capture the passage's emphasis on the shift in perfectionism over time.
Option D: Incorrect. The passage does not discuss tension or conflict, nor does it suggest that the idea of perfectionism is hard to define.
4
Final Answer Confirmation:
Correct Answer: Option B

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