CAT 2023 Question Paper | VARC Slot 1

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Question 23 : The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Manipulating information was a feature of history long before modern journalism established rules of integrity. A record dates back to ancient Rome, when Antony met Cleopatra and his political enemy Octavian launched a smear campaign against him with "short, sharp slogans written upon coins." The perpetrator became the first Roman Emperor and "fake news had allowed Octavian to hack the republican system once and for all". But the 21^st century has seen the weaponization of information on an unprecedented scale. Powerful new technology makes the fabrication of content simple, and social networks amplify falsehoods peddled by States, populist politicians, and dishonest corporate entities. The platforms have become fertile ground for computational propaganda, 'trolling' and 'troll armies'.

Explanatory Answer

The key ideas of the paragraph are that (a) manipulating information for attaining power, that is, disinformation, is not new; it was used even in ancient Rome by Octavian and (b) technology has made fabricating content and amplifying falsehoods easier.

Option C states both key ideas and is the best of the given summaries.

Option A is incorrect as it states that disinformation is 'mediated by' technology today. This is not what the paragraph states.

Option B is unrelated to the main idea of the paragraph.

Option D focuses on Octavian whereas the paragraph only gives his example to illustrate how information has been manipulated since ancient times. C is a better summary than D.

The answer is 'Use of misinformation for attaining power, a practice that is as old as the Octavian era, is currently fueled by technology.'

Choice C is the correct answer.