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CAT 2025 Lesson : Odd One Out - Interdependence
1.3 Interdependence
This is a useful technique for Odd One Out questions. Sometimes, all the sentences seem to be part of the sequence, and all of them seem to contribute to the key message. In such cases, we can try and form sequences of 2-3 sentences. Sequences are often symbiotic, i.e., each sentence of the sequence needs the other to be part of the paragraph. The odd one out is then the sentence which is remaining.For instance,
English makes up by far the world’s largest second language. With 753 million English-as-a-second-language speakers, the next largest second language, Hindi, has barely a third as many. Language loss is very real. According to UNESCO, today languages are lost at a rate of roughly one every two weeks; 600 have disappeared in the last century, while up to 90 percent are unlikely to survive this century at current rates of decline. From 780 languages spoken actively, India today has fewer than 500 languages spoken.
Statements 1 and 2 are interdependent – statement 1 is necessary as it introduces English as the world's largest second language. Statement 2 then builds on to this by contrasting the numbers of English vs. Hindi. Similarly, statement 3 introduces language loss, which is proven by statement 4. Therefore, the last sentence would be the odd one.
Marine biologist Karen Osborn and her colleagues were hauling deep-sea fish to the surface for cataloging and a photo shoot. Osborn got her hands on a fangtooth, a self-explanatory creature with a mouth full of nasty, big, pointy teeth, attached to a stout, teardrop-shaped body. Yet when she put the fangtooth in front of the camera, it turned into a living black hole—the outline was there, but not the fine details, as if the fish was devouring light. This wasn’t her first photo shoot with a deep-sea fish, so it couldn’t be operator error. It disappears because the fangtooth, along with 15 other species that Osborn and her colleagues have found so far, camouflage themselves with “ultra-black” skin, absorbing almost all the light you shine at it.
All the sentences except this wasn’t her...operator error are symbiotic. Statement 1 speaks about Osborn's activities, statement 2 introduces the fangtooth, statement 3 describes the phenomenon, whereas statement 5 explains it. The paragraph if any of these are eliminated. The one about operator error, however, can be eliminated even though it seems to be related, as we cannot eliminate any other sentence.
Let us solve some examples to clarify this further:
Example 10
Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
[CAT 2018]
1. Displacement in Bengal is thus not very significant in view of its magnitude.
2. A factor of displacement in Bengal is the shifting course of the Ganges leading to erosion of river banks.
3. The nature of displacement in Bengal makes it an interesting case study.
4. Since displacement due to erosion is well spread over a long period of time, it remains invisible.
5. Rapid displacement would have helped sensitize the public to its human costs.
Statements 24 explain the physical phenomenon of slow erosion which makes the displacement an interesting case study. Neither of these statements can be eliminated while having the other, as statement 2 introduces erosion and statement 4 explains why displacement is slow.
Statement 1 is also important as it is the impact of statements 24. It emphasises why this case is interesting, and we cannot have statement 5 without having statement 1 before it. However, we can have the sequence 3241 and eliminate statement 5, and hence, statement 5 is the odd one.
Answer: 5. Rapid displacement would have helped sensitize the public to its human costs.
[CAT 2018]
1. Displacement in Bengal is thus not very significant in view of its magnitude.
2. A factor of displacement in Bengal is the shifting course of the Ganges leading to erosion of river banks.
3. The nature of displacement in Bengal makes it an interesting case study.
4. Since displacement due to erosion is well spread over a long period of time, it remains invisible.
5. Rapid displacement would have helped sensitize the public to its human costs.
Solution
This paragraph is about displacement in West Bengal. The topic is introduced in statement 3. Statement 3 seems a bit frivolous or even insensitive, given the nature of the topic, but no other sentence can be the first and hence we cannot eliminate it.Statements 24 explain the physical phenomenon of slow erosion which makes the displacement an interesting case study. Neither of these statements can be eliminated while having the other, as statement 2 introduces erosion and statement 4 explains why displacement is slow.
Statement 1 is also important as it is the impact of statements 24. It emphasises why this case is interesting, and we cannot have statement 5 without having statement 1 before it. However, we can have the sequence 3241 and eliminate statement 5, and hence, statement 5 is the odd one.
Answer: 5. Rapid displacement would have helped sensitize the public to its human costs.
Example 11
Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph. Identify the odd one out. Please ignore capitalisation for the sentences following the dash.
1. Is a lesser crime than killing someone in the street.
2. It’s unbelievable that there’s no specific law against this.
3. At the same time, the government should be increasing the minimum sentences for stalkers.
4. That’s unacceptable and has to end.
5. By handing out shorter sentences for domestic homicides, our justice system also suggests that killing someone at home – which predominantly means men killing women –
Statements 5 and 1 are interdependent, as they are describing the issue w.r.t. domestic homicides. In statement 5, the author tells us that prison sentences for domestic homicides are shorter, and statement 1 describes the crime which gets a longer prison sentences – killing someone not part of the family.
Statement 3 should follow statements 51 (there can be a sentence in between 1 and 3). The words at the same time help us infer that.
Thus, we need to identify the odd one from statements 2 and 4, as statement 3 is more important than both of these. Of these sentences, we can select statement 2 as the odd one. This sentence mentions an act without any law, whereas both homicides and stalking have laws.
Statement 4 can follow statements 51, with the complete sequence being 5143. Statement 4 is quite strong, and hence, is more likely to follow statements 51 instead of statement 3.
Thus, statement 2 is the correct choice, as it's referring to neither crime mentioned in the remaining sentences.
Answer: 2. It’s unbelievable that there’s no specific law against this.
1. Is a lesser crime than killing someone in the street.
2. It’s unbelievable that there’s no specific law against this.
3. At the same time, the government should be increasing the minimum sentences for stalkers.
4. That’s unacceptable and has to end.
5. By handing out shorter sentences for domestic homicides, our justice system also suggests that killing someone at home – which predominantly means men killing women –
Solution
The author is highlighting legal changes to reduce crimes against women. There are two specific crimes – domestic homicides (killing a family member) and stalking (following someone against their will).Statements 5 and 1 are interdependent, as they are describing the issue w.r.t. domestic homicides. In statement 5, the author tells us that prison sentences for domestic homicides are shorter, and statement 1 describes the crime which gets a longer prison sentences – killing someone not part of the family.
Statement 3 should follow statements 51 (there can be a sentence in between 1 and 3). The words at the same time help us infer that.
Thus, we need to identify the odd one from statements 2 and 4, as statement 3 is more important than both of these. Of these sentences, we can select statement 2 as the odd one. This sentence mentions an act without any law, whereas both homicides and stalking have laws.
Statement 4 can follow statements 51, with the complete sequence being 5143. Statement 4 is quite strong, and hence, is more likely to follow statements 51 instead of statement 3.
Thus, statement 2 is the correct choice, as it's referring to neither crime mentioned in the remaining sentences.
Answer: 2. It’s unbelievable that there’s no specific law against this.
Example 12
Five sentences related to a topic are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a meaningful and coherent short paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
1. While this allows them to gather unprecedented levels of operational information, it also exposes their firms to more cyber threats.
2. The world runs on large-scale networks and data systems that are inherently complex and highly connected.
3. Fuelled by the rapid rise of cloud-based computing, companies are increasingly tethering more and more of their business to online networks.
4. Data protection laws and high-profile cyber attacks - such as the world’s biggest airline data hack last year - are forcing companies to reconsider their internet defences.
5. At the same time, Western governments have expressed concern that China’s intelligence services are snooping on foreign citizens.
Statements 31 introduce the topic, by explaining that companies have online networks, which help them to gather information but also make them vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Note that the vulnerability comes about from being online, i.e., connected. Without the connection, the companies would not be vulnerable to attacks.
Statements 45 are explaining the risks in more detail, providing examples of the airline data hack, China spying on foreigners, etc.
Statement 2 is not adding any additional value, and hence, can be eliminated. Statements 31 have already explained the origin of this issue – data in the cloud. Complex systems do not explain the issue further, and are not relevant to the crux of the paragraph. Therefore, we can eliminate it.
Answer: 2. The world runs on large-scale networks and data systems that are inherently complex and highly connected.
1. While this allows them to gather unprecedented levels of operational information, it also exposes their firms to more cyber threats.
2. The world runs on large-scale networks and data systems that are inherently complex and highly connected.
3. Fuelled by the rapid rise of cloud-based computing, companies are increasingly tethering more and more of their business to online networks.
4. Data protection laws and high-profile cyber attacks - such as the world’s biggest airline data hack last year - are forcing companies to reconsider their internet defences.
5. At the same time, Western governments have expressed concern that China’s intelligence services are snooping on foreign citizens.
Solution
The paragraph is about cyber attacks.Statements 31 introduce the topic, by explaining that companies have online networks, which help them to gather information but also make them vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Note that the vulnerability comes about from being online, i.e., connected. Without the connection, the companies would not be vulnerable to attacks.
Statements 45 are explaining the risks in more detail, providing examples of the airline data hack, China spying on foreigners, etc.
Statement 2 is not adding any additional value, and hence, can be eliminated. Statements 31 have already explained the origin of this issue – data in the cloud. Complex systems do not explain the issue further, and are not relevant to the crux of the paragraph. Therefore, we can eliminate it.
Answer: 2. The world runs on large-scale networks and data systems that are inherently complex and highly connected.
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