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READING e C
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COMPREHENSION
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Rules
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• Use CHAT BOX only including questions to me

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Post to “All Participants” for general discussions
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Post to “Privately to the Presenter” for sharing answer

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Your Teacher
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Name : gejo sreenivasan

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Education : IIT Madras (1997), IIM Calcutta (1999)
Residence : Mumbai

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Experience : Training since 2000
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Session Plan
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• Mind The Traps • Humanities
• Main Idea • Sciences

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• Inference • Business/Eco
• Detail

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Foundation Genre

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Sessions Sessions

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Crasher Application
Sessions Sessions

• Section Tests • Level 2

• Level 3
Today’s Agenda
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Getting to
know
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The Traps Application
Today’s Agenda
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Getting to
know
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The Traps Application
Rules
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• Use CHAT BOX only including questions to me

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Post to “All Participants” for general discussions
•

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Post to “Privately to the Presenter” for sharing answer

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VARC – Score vs Percentile
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90
85

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80
75
70
65

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60
55
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50
45
40
35 O n
30
99.9%ile 99.5%ile 99%ile 97%ile 95%ile 90%ile 85%ile 80%ile
CAT 2015 81 75 70 61 54 47 41 35
CAT 2016 86 79 75 67 62 54 48 44
CAT 2017 86 79 74 68 64 56 50 46
CAT 2018 86 79 75 67 62 52 47 42
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Question type Details
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# Questions la
Target Attempt
Correct
Response

Reading

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Comprehension

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Para Jumbles

Para Summary O n
Odd Sentence
(Para Jumbles)

Total
The Role of RC
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100%

90%

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5
80%

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10
70%

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14

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60%

50% 9

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2
6
17

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40%

8
30%
4

20%

10%

24 12 16 8 10
0%

CAT XAT IIFT NMAT SNAP

RC Logic Grammar Vocab

RC 101 : Source [CAT 04 – CAT 08]
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Magazines/News
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• Maneless Lions – National Geographic (CAT 04)
• Globalization & Edwardian Summer – The Guardian (CAT 05)
• Communism – The Guardian (CAT 06)
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Books

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• Perspectives in World Politics – Richard Little, Michael Smith (CAT 04)

Chammah (CAT 05)

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• Prisoners Dilemma: A study in Conflict and Cooperation - Anatol Rapoport, A.M.

• Postmodernism and Organization: A Critical Introduction – Philip Hancock, Melissa

Taylor (CAT 05)
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• A Theory of Justice – John Rawls (CAT 06)
• Arguing about Science - Alexander Bird, James Ladyman (CAT 06)
• Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond (CAT 07)
• Knowledge and Postmodernism in Historical Perspective – Joyce Oldham (CAT 07)
• Reflexivity and The Crisis of Western Reason – Barry Sandywell (CAT 07)
• Sociology – Steve Bruce (CAT 07)
• Communication Studies – Andrew Beck (CAT 08)
• Collapse – Jared Diamond (CAT 08)
RC 101 : Source [CAT 15 – CAT 17]
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CAT 2015 CAT 2017
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• New York Times (www.nytimes.com) • Aeon Essays (www.aeon.co/essays)
• New Scientist (www.newscientist.com) • The Guardian (www.theguardian.com)
• The Guardian (www.theguardian.com)
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• BBC (www.bbc.com)

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• New York Times (www.nytimes.com)

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CAT 2016 • Time (www.time.com)
• Aeon Essays (www.aeon.co/essays)
• New York Times (www.nytimes.com)
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(www.smithsonianmag.com)
• Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com)

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• The Guardian (www.theguardian.com)
• The Conversation
(www.theconversation.com)
• Economist (www.economist.com)
• New Yorker (www.newyorker.com)
• Medium (www.medium.com)
RC 101 : Word Count
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• CAT 2017 (Slot 1) •
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CAT 2018 (Slot 1)la
• Passage 1 : 523 words | 6qs

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• Passage 1 : 545 words | 5qs

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• Passage 2 : 537 words | 6qs • Passage 2 : 521 words | 5qs
•
•
Passage
Passage
3 : 520 words | 6qs
4 : 299 words | 3qs
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•
Passage
Passage
3 : 492 words | 5qs
4 : 545 words | 5qs
• Passage 5 : 343 words | 3qs
O • Passage 5 : 511 words | 4qs
RC 101 : Genre
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• CAT 2017 •
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CAT 2018 la
• Passage 1 : History

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• Passage 1 : Social Sciences

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• Passage 2 : Technology • Passage 2 : Natural Sciences
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•
Passage
Passage
3 : Business
4 : Natural Sciences
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•
Passage
Passage
3 : Economics
4 : Natural Sciences
• Passage 5 : Economics
O • Passage 5 : History
 RC 101 : Type of Questions
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General Understanding Specific Detail

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Interpretation based

Question Type - 1
Question Type – 4
SUPPORTING DETAILS

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INFERENCES

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MAIN IDEA

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• Facts cited • One step beyond
• Main Idea
• Specific argument • Alternative interpretation

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• Primary Purpose
• Descriptive details • Intended meaning
• Assign a title

Question Type – 2
TONE O Question Type – 6
ANALOGICAL
• Similar situation
• Applying ideas
Question Type - 3
• Agree/Disagree
LOGICAL STRUCTURE
• Passage construction
Time
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Total Time = Tpassage + Tq1 + Tq2 + Tq3 + Tq4 + Tq5
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Effective Reading
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Total Time = Tpassage + Tq1 + Tq2 + Tq3 + Tq4 + Tq5
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Today’s Agenda
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Getting to
know
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The Traps Application
Rules
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• Use CHAT BOX only including questions to me

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Post to “All Participants” for general discussions

• Post
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to “Privately to the Presenter” for sharing answer
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I have often had an occasion to remark the fortitude with 1. Which of the following statements presents the main

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which women sustain the most overwhelming reverses of idea of the paragraph?

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fortune. Those disasters which break down the spirit of a

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man, and prostrate him in the dust, seem to call forth all the A. Women are courageous in times of misfortune

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energies of the softer sex, and give such intrepidity and and weak in times of fortune.
elevation to their character, that at times it approaches to

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sublimity. Nothing can be more touching, than to behold a B. The author believes that the weakest of the
soft and tender female, who had been all weakness and females can be the source of strength when the

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dependence, and alive to every trivial roughness, while occasion calls for it.

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threading the prosperous paths of life, suddenly rising in
mental force to be the comforter and support of her
husband under misfortune, and abiding with unshrinking
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woman can be altered by her circumstances.
firmness the bitterest blasts of adversity.

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their spouses in times of misfortune.
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I have often had an occasion to remark the fortitude with

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which women sustain the most overwhelming reverses of

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fortune. Those disasters which break down the spirit of a

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man, and prostrate him in the dust, seem to call forth all the

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energies of the softer sex, and give such intrepidity and
elevation to their character, that at times it approaches to Inference? T F U

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sublimity. Nothing can be more touching, than to behold a 1 Women do not support their husband during
soft and tender female, who had been all weakness and times of misfortune.

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dependence, and alive to every trivial roughness, while 2 Women support their husband.

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threading the prosperous paths of life, suddenly rising in

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mental force to be the comforter and support of her 3 No man can sustain reverses of fortune
husband under misfortune, and abiding with unshrinking
firmness the bitterest blasts of adversity.

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of misfortune.

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5 Today’s women support their husband during
times of misfortune.
6 An husband should be thankful to his wife
during times of misfortune
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I have often had an occasion to remark the fortitude with 1. Which of the following statements presents the main

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which women sustain the most overwhelming reverses of idea of the paragraph?

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fortune. Those disasters which break down the spirit of a

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man, and prostrate him in the dust, seem to call forth all the A. Women are courageous in times of misfortune

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energies of the softer sex, and give such intrepidity and and weak in times of fortune.
elevation to their character, that at times it approaches to

C
sublimity. Nothing can be more touching, than to behold a B. The author believes that the weakest of the
soft and tender female, who had been all weakness and females can be the source of strength when the

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dependence, and alive to every trivial roughness, while occasion calls for it.

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threading the prosperous paths of life, suddenly rising in
mental force to be the comforter and support of her
husband under misfortune, and abiding with unshrinking
l i C. The author is amazed that the character of a
woman can be altered by her circumstances.
firmness the bitterest blasts of adversity.

O n D. Women often provide support and strength to

their spouses in times of misfortune.
Tone
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Statements – Facts vs Opinion
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 s
Influenced by Evangelical attitudes, art and literature of the 2. According to the passage, Rossetti's poems

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nineteenth century were expected to contribute to moral

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education. Running afoul of that expectation was the Pre- A. violated certain aesthetic ideals through their

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Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), which invited the portrayals of violence

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vituperations of reviewers of its day. Being "retrogressive" in
a progressive era may be a serious fault, according to B. suggested that Rossetti had rejected the tenets

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Charles Dickens' rhetoric about the art of John Millais; but of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
being "fleshly" and "aesthetic" in an age of moral

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earnestness may be worse, as D. G. Rossetti, another PRB C. came under attack for their emphasis on form at

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ringleader, discovered when poet and critic Robert the expense of substance
Buchanan attacked him and his work in "The Fleshly School
of Poetry" (1871).
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However much the PRB had offended the establishment,

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most of the brothers had insisted on the importance of the
arts as moral guides. Yet Rossetti had expressed doubts
n to the prevailing morality of the time

about art designed to be morally uplifting: the painter-hero

of his short story "Hand and Soul" (1850) tries through art
to inspire "moral greatness," only to witness his frescoes of
Peace spattered by bloodshed in a vendetta. And,
privileging form at the expense of meaningful content and
animal passion at the expense of conventional morality, the
poems and Rossetti himself, Buchanan wrote, were "never
spiritual, never tender, always self-conscious and aesthetic."
Today’s Agenda
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Getting to
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The Traps Application
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the role of Indian 3. Which of the following can be inferred?

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scientists who were part of the team that discovered

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gravitational waves, predicted by Albert Einstein 100 years A. India will establish a gravitational wave detector

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ago. lab in the foreseeable future.

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B. Albert Einstein was the first to predict
"Immensely proud that Indian scientists played an gravitational waves.

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important role in this challenging quest," PM Modi tweeted
as soon as the great discovery was announced by scientists. C. Indian scientists have been credited by the
scientific community for their important role in
"The historic detection of gravitational waves will open up

ne the discovery of gravitational waves.

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new frontier for understanding of universe," the PM said, D. Both A & C
adding, "Hope to move forward to make even bigger

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contribution with an advanced gravitational wave detector
in the country." l E. None of the above

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What does it mean to exist? What would it mean if "God 4. Which of the following is the author most likely to

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exists" were a meaningful proposition? For such a agree with

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proposition to mean anything at all, it would have to entail

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that whatever "God" is, it must have some impact on the A. There exists at least one event in the universe

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universe. In order for us to say that there is an impact on which requires a notion of “God” to explain it.
the universe, then there must be measurable and testable
B. A rational belief to substantiate an existence of

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events which would best or only be explained by whatever
this "God" is we are hypothesizing. Believers must be able God can exist provided such a belief is based
on empirical reasoning.

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to present a model of the universe in which some god is
C. Morality was not divinely created, it evolved

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"either required, productive, or useful.“ This is obviously not

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the case. Many believers work hard trying to find a way to naturally.
introduce their god into scientific explanations, but none
have succeeded.

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using a theistic notion of God

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XAT 2008 5. The above paragraph appears to be an attempt at

The author reflects on the concept of Blue Ocean Strategy.

He explains that this concept delivers an instinctive
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A. reviewing an article or a book on Blue Ocean
strategy.

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framework for developing uncontested market space and B. defining Blue Ocean strategy.
making the competition irrelevant. The author remarks that
C. developing the framework for Blue Ocean

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the Blue Ocean Strategy is about having the best mix of
attributes that result in creation of uncontested market strategy.

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space and high growth, and not about being the best. D. highlighting how Blue Ocean strategy leads to
better returns.

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English Ivy betrays its poor reputation as a nuisance by its unparalleled 6. The primary purpose of the

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ability to provide shade. By seamlessly covering the exterior of a passage is to

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building, it works as a natural insulator, blocking the sun and

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decreasing air conditioning costs. This means big savings for both A. highlight the reasons why English

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building tenants and homeowners alike. And it can happen quickly, Ivy’s fast growth rate is beneficial
too. Under the proper conditions, established English Ivy can grow to

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cover an area of roughly 500 square feet per year. Given that most B. educate readers about how to
homes have a roof measuring roughly 2000 square feet, ivy-friendly use English Ivy to insulate their

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homeowners can rest assured that their roofs will be completely homes

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covered in about four years. When considering growth rates of newly

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planted ivy, just remember the old adage: First year, it sleeps. Second
year, it creeps. Third year, it leaps! For English Ivy, this is especially true.
C. argue that English Ivy is an
essential plant for homeowners

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Now, detractors may take this opportunity to remind readers about
how invasive English Ivy can be. For what ivy enthusiast hasn't been
cautioned about its ability to burrow holes, fracture windows, and even
D. defend the reputation of English
Ivy

deteriorate brick? But be warned. Oftentimes, this suggestion is taken

to the comical extreme. Naysayers take a strange pleasure in spinning
yarns about a particularly malevolent strand of ivy—one that slips in
through the cracks on a hot summer night, silently strangling
homeowners in their sleep. Admittedly, this can be a funny story to tell.
But are we to believe such a tale? The intelligent gardener will quickly
dismiss such rubbish for what it is.