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Question

Read the passage and answer the following questions. Some words are given in bold. Pay Attention.

Once, a cat and a mouse were very good friends and happily lived together in the same house. As winter was approaching, they decided to stock some food items. So they went to the market and bought a big pot of cheese.

Fearing that other cats and mice might steal their cheese, they hid it carefully behind the altar in the church.

The cat was very greedy. After a few days, he had a great yearning to taste the cheese. He went to the mouse and told him that he was invited to baptize his cousin’s child in the church. The mouse believed him and the cat set out for his first steal.

He ate a large chunk of the cheese and returned home happily. When the mouse asked him what the child was named the cat replied, “Top-off.” The mouse was surprised at the name.

After a few days, the greedy cat wanted to have some cheese again and told the mouse that he had to baptize another child and rushed to the church. He finished half the cheese and told the mouse that this time the child was named “Half-gone.”

After a few days, the cat made the same excuse and went again and finished the remaining cheese. This time he told the mouse that the child was named “All-gone.” The mouse was puzzled by the cat’s behaviour but did not say anything.

When winter came, the mouse went to the church to get the cheese but found that it had vanished. At last, he understood the trick played by the greedy cat.

What can be the most appropriate title of the passage?

This question was previously asked in
ESIC UDC Mains MBT (30 Apr 2022)
The correct answer is

The cat and the mouse

Passage Title Analysis

Choosing the most appropriate title for a passage involves identifying the main characters and the central theme or plot. Let's analyze the story provided about the cat and the mouse.

Understanding the Passage Content

The passage tells the story of a friendship between a cat and a mouse who decide to store food together. The narrative focuses on the cat's greedy nature and how it tricks the mouse. The cat repeatedly goes to the church, supposedly to attend baptisms, but secretly eats the shared cheese. Each time, the cat gives a different excuse and a made-up name for the child, which reflects the amount of cheese consumed ("Top-off," "Half-gone," "All-gone"). Ultimately, the mouse discovers the cat's deceit when the cheese is gone. The core elements are the relationship between the two animals and the cat's dishonest actions.

Evaluating Title Options

We need to select the title that best encapsulates the essence of this story:

  • Option 1: The cat and the mouse
    This title includes both main characters and suggests a narrative involving their interaction. It is general enough to cover the friendship, the conflict, and the events that occur between them.
  • Option 2: The greedy mouse
    The passage explicitly describes the cat as greedy. The mouse is portrayed as trusting and later discovering the trick, not as being greedy itself. Therefore, this title misrepresents a key character's trait.
  • Option 3: The innocent cat
    The cat in the story is far from innocent. It engages in deception and theft, making this title inaccurate.
  • Option 4: The helpful mouse
    While the mouse is initially a good friend, the story doesn't highlight it as particularly helpful. Instead, it becomes the victim of the cat's trickery.
  • Option 5: None of the above
    This option would only be correct if none of the other titles were suitable.

Determining the Most Appropriate Title

The story revolves around the interactions and the contrasting behaviors of the cat and the mouse. While the cat's greed is a central conflict driver, the narrative framework is built upon the relationship and the events shared between these two specific characters. Titles focusing solely on one character's trait (like greed or innocence) or role (like helpfulness) might be too narrow. "The cat and the mouse" serves as a classic, encompassing title that accurately reflects the subjects of the fable, covering their friendship, the conflict, and the eventual outcome. It represents the overall narrative arc and the main players involved, making it the most suitable choice.

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Similar Questions

  1. As per the Nashville Forum, which of the following is true?

  2. Which of the following words are the synonyms of the word subtle highlighted in the passage?

  3. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement?
  4. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement?
  5. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement?
  6. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement?
  7. Which of the following should be the FIFTH sentence after rearrangement?
  8. Choose the appropriate synonym for the word 'carefully'?

  9. Choose the most opposite of 'vanished'

  10. What is the meaning of the word 'greedy'?


Important Questions from Verbal Ability

  1. What will fit in the blank taken from the passage. "Robert’s model made connections _______ the idea of an emotion circle and a color wheel."

  2. Choose the synonym of the word 'anticipation'.

  3. Choose the antonym of the word 'happiness'.

  4. Which of the following is true according to the given passage:

    I. The sensation of boredom is described as feeling weary because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity or environment.

    II. The freedom of self-concept is the window for boredom to arise.

    III. The slow process of enlarging a hole by repetitive movements is called happiness.

  5. What did Robert Plutchik created?

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