GRE VERBAL REASONING READING COMPREHENSION Reading Comprehension Overview
GRE VERBAL REASONING READING COMPREHENSION
Reading Comprehension - Overview • 10 reading passages distributed between 2 Verbal Reasoning sections • Some passages are one paragraph – others are longer • 1 -6 questions follow each passage • Questions test ability to: • • • Determine author’s purpose Determine author’s meaning Consider inferences that can drawn from passage Research details in context To understand the meaning of words & function of sentences in context
Reading Comprehension – Passage Structures • Three Classic GRE Passage Structures 1. Arguing a Position 2. Discussing something specific within a field of study 3. Explaining significant new findings or research
Reading Comprehension – Question Types • Questions will take 1 of 3 forms: 1. Select the best answer from a set of 5 possible answers 2. Select all correct answers from a set of 3 possible answers • Note: No credit is given for partially correct answers 3. Select a sentence within passage that best demonstrates the information requested by the question
Reading Comprehension – General Approach • Read Passage Strategically • Identify the Topic , Scope, and Purpose of the passage • Analyze the Question Stem • Do not read the question stems before reading the passage • Correct answers require Active Awareness & Understanding • Research the Relevant Text in the Passage • Do not consider more text from the passage than necessary • Make a Prediction • GRE tests Comprehension & not ability to mine for details • Form a Prediction about answers to questions targeting main idea, purpose, etc. • Develop Ability to Infer an answer based on clues • Evaluate Answer Choices
Reading Comprehension - Steps • #1 Read Strategically & Make Passage Map • Read actively – work to understand what you are reading • Identify topic, scope, & purpose • Map main idea, primary & secondary arguments, supporting statements, conclusion (use scratch paper) • #2 Analyze the Question Stem • Don’t read question stems before reading the passage • Use question stem to determine where to research passage information • Goal is to determine the specificity of answer being sought
Reading Comprehension – Steps (cont’d) • #3 Research Relevant Text in Passage • Don’t consider more than necessary to answer question • #4 Make a Prediction • Questions test comprehension of material – not ability to mine for details • Before looking at answer choices, try to form your own response or target a section that you think will contain the answer • Not possible to predict for inference questions – instead use passage map • #5 Evaluate Answer Choices • Read and consider all choices, even if one jumps out at you • Eliminate incorrect choices to help select or validate your choice
Reading Comprehension - Tips • Express the Main Idea in Your Own Words • Focus on Retaining Ideas, not Facts • Focus on ideas, arguments, and conclusions • Use only what Passage Gives You • Do not be influenced by outside knowledge • Don’t approach Highlighted Sentence Questions differently • Remember that surrounding material provides key context information • Don’t be Misled by Variations on Standard Question Stems • Some questions are concerned with what is true • Some questions require you to determine what is not supported by passage
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