Gmat Reading Comprehension Extreme Words in the Answer Choice
GMAT Reading Comprehension: Strategies for the six Question Types
Near all GMAT Reading Comprehension questions fall into these 6 categories: main idea, detail, inference, out of context, logical structure, and author'southward tone. Familiarizing yourself with each type of reading comprehension prompt will allow you to think more than similar the exam-writers and root out mutual traps.
GMAT Reading Comprehension Question Blazon ane: Discover the Principal Thought
Of all the reading comprehension (RC) types, "master thought" questions are the most common. Yous can look the GMAT to ask this question almost almost every passage within the RC section. Identifying the principal idea is the quintessential RC skill, so expect to practice it over and over again. It will help to read at a relaxed step (ii.5 minutes for a short RC passage, iii.v for a long passage). Information technology will help to practice taking notes. It will also help to practice repeatedly from reputable sources, like the Official GMAT Guide or the RC sections of the LSAT guides.
As you lot study, always cheque the official answers each time and read the caption, regardless of whether y'all got the question correct or wrong. Doing this will allow yous to remember more like the test-writers. By practicing diligently, you'll begin to notice how to weed out trap answers and how to select the all-time answer from the available options.
GMAT Reading Comprehension Question Type ii: Detail
Detail questions typically brainstorm with prompts like, "The office of the second paragraph is …", or "The author mentioned the life cycle of wombats at the terminate of the beginning paragraph in order to …"
These are related to the first question type. The main idea is what informs the unabridged passage, or what drives the whole passage. So any particular mentioned has to support the main idea in some manner. To reply a detail question, you need to commencement know the main idea. From there, yous probably will need to go back and re-read some particular sentences to see how the specific details fit into the main idea.
GMAT Reading Comprehension Question Type 3: Inference
Skillful authors are not explicit most everything: while they say some things directly, they imply others. Inference questions exam your power to read between the lines and figure out what the author is indirectly implying.
On the GMAT, be conscientious to stay hyper-faithful to the passage. Any right implication is something that was non explicitly stated but must exist true. In other words, an inference must be a direct logical consequence of what was written. For instance, if the passage reads, "Ben has been to every land in Europe at least once", we cannot necessarily infer that "Ben enjoys traveling" — maybe Ben hates traveling, but he is required to travel for work! By contrast, an undeniable implication is: "Ben has been to Portugal at least once." That'due south the level of logical undeniability that y'all should seek in inference question respond choices.
GMAT Reading Comprehension Question Type 4: Out of Context
There are two subcategories for this reading comprehension type. Some of these questions will present a new concept—one non discussed at all in the text—and ask you lot what the author would think about it. Expect these to begin with something like: "How would the author of the passage about likely reply to the assertion that…?" In order to answer these questions, you need to deduce the perspective and preferences of the author from the passage
Alternatively, "out of context" questions may ask you to compare something in the passage to a hypothetical example from a completely different situation. "The compromised situation of the raccoon described in line 10 is well-nigh like …", and then the correct reply could be something similar "a ballerina with a broken foot." In these questions, you are asked to abstruse out all particulars, and focus on what is essential to the situation or relationship in its most rigid logical form.
In both cases, however seemingly remote the focus of the question is, the correct reply should yet resonate with the author'southward main idea as demonstrated by the passage.
GMAT Reading Comprehension Question Blazon v: Logical Structure
Some questions will ask about the structure of the passage every bit a whole: Does the writer present her own new idea? Does the author contrast two ideas, evenhandedly showing the strengths and weaknesses of both? Does the author sharply criticize a particular position or perspective? Sometimes this question is phrased as: "What would exist the all-time title for this passage?"
Hither, the chief idea and paragraph summaries you formulate for your notes will exist invaluable. Another huge help will be the "logical management" words — "moreover", "although", "ironically", "but", etc. Always pay attention to these words every bit yous read, notice the way they shape the paragraph, and you will first to develop an intuitive sense of the logical structure of the passages.
GMAT Reading Comprehension Question Type 6: Writer'south Tone
This is tricky, because unlike the extreme opinions typical of nutcases in the media, all the opinions and perspectives of GMAT authors volition exist moderated and nuanced. An author who judges something "promising" is wildly enthusiastic about it. An author who deems something "less than satisfactory" is completely slamming information technology. An writer who finds something "troubling" is substantially pee-in-his-pants upset about information technology.
If bright emotions are vivid colors, then GMAT passages don't get any more colorful than pastels. Pay attending to any words that accept any emotional charge: these are the ones that will allow you to figure out the writer'southward tone.
It's as well important to remember: the tone in the passage will avoid extremes, and then the correct answers to tone questions volition avert extremes as well. If the correct answer to a tone question is "skeptical", wrong answers could include "dismissive" or "vengeful"—words that just are two extreme for the tenor of GMAT RC. As you lot read, pay special attending to word choice. Subtlety is key for mastering this reading comprehension question type.
GMAT Reading Comprehension Do Questions
- A structure question
- An out-of-the-box question
- An inference question
Editor'due south Note: This mail service was originally published in July 2012 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
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