Reading comprehension questions appear in the verbal section of the GRE exam.
Because the Verbal section includes content from a variety of topics, you may be generally familiar with some of the material; however, neither the passages nor the questions assume knowledge of the topics discussed.
Typical reading comprehension questions you get in GRE.
1. The main idea or central theme of the passage
2. Information specifically mentioned in the passage (mostly line numbered)
3. Information implied in the passage
4. The tone, intent or mood of the passage
5. The author’s point of view that’s projected through the article
6. What could have logically preceded or followed the passage
7. The scope of the passage
8. What is true or untrue of the passage
9. What is / are the applications of the ideas
Here are some cues to keep in mind, when you read the passage.
1. Summarize each para in your own words
While reading a passage make a mental map; what each of the paragraphs deals with, the author’s intent…
Read the passage and form a mental summary
Sample:
The problem is the problem of success itself. Earlier Brazil was a food deficit country, now it is a food surplus one. With surplus production of food have come the problems of storage and in turn the problem of capital being tied up in food grains. The solution that everybody seems to talk about is diversification - into fruits, flowers, fisheries and animal husbandry. This, of course, is easier said than done. First, the farmer has to be convinced of the need to market his produce, which cannot be done without providing him infrastructural support - roads and cold chain. Then there must be someone to do the marketing. After all,even the most progressive farmer has to be assured of a market and of returns on his investment. Of course physical infrastructure is not everything. Knowledge infrastructure - how to deal with perishable produce and where to take it - is also important.
Summary: Diversification of crops, as solution to problems arising from food surplus, can be successfully implemented only when farmers are provided with physical and knowledge infrastructure.
The Summary usually comprises the main point of the passage and the different views
2. Notice opinions
When you read the passage, notice the different points of view.
You will get questions based on person A’s/B’s… opinion or Authors opinion..
Sample:
“Initially the Vinaver theory that Malory’s eight romances, once thought to be fundamentally unified, were in fact eight independent works produced both a sense of relief and an unpleasant shock.”
There are three points of view in the line above
1. Vinaver’s view – There are 8 books
2. Somebody view– The books are unified
3. Authors view – the books produced both a sense of relief and a shock
Each paragraph will have many opinion/counter opinions.. Identify all of them.
3. Notice thought reversals- but/however..
These words indicate a change in opinions/views…
Positive view to a negative view.. to a positive view…
Sample:
“ It might seem that certain traits would clearly define a species as a keystone species; for example, Pisaster ochraceus is often a…………………. But such predation on a …………………………………… roles. Moreover, ……………………………and at certain sites sand burial is responsible for eliminating mussels.”
Words like But/Moreover.. indicate thought reversals.
4. Skim through descriptive data
Some passages have illustrative data.
Skims through illustrative matter and scan through meaty points
Sample
“There are times when the night sky glows with bands of color. The bands may begin as cloud shapes and then spread into a great arc across the entire sky. They may fall in folds like a curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually grow brighter, then suddenly dim. During this time the sky glows with pale yellow, pink, green, violet, blue, and red. These lights are called the Aurora Borealis. Some people call them the Northern Lights. Scientists have been watching them for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what causes them. In ancient times people were afraid of the Lights. They imagined that they saw fiery dragons in the sky. Some even concluded that the heavens were on fire.”
Descriptive data: “There………….. violet, blue and red”
These line talk about the shapes,colours, sizes..
You need to quickly skim these statements and get the gist of the paragraph as a whole. When you observe an opinion/claim….. read the statements intently.
5. Make a mental map of the entire passage to identify the layout (example para 1:claim, para 2: evidence 1, para 3: evidence 3...)
Read and map the passage
While reading segregate the meaty statements from purely illustrative matter.
Sample:
“Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in the private and retiring, for ornament is in discourse, and for ability is in judgment and disposition of business. Reading and pursuing knowledge allow us to do three things: entertain ourselves in private, adorn or embellish our speech and increase our ability to, for example, make better judgments and decisions in conducting our business. For expert men can execute and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one, but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs come best from those that are learned.
Experts those who excel at or specialize in one thing, are good at handling particular problems within their area of expertise, but the larger issues of life are handled best by those who have studied more widely, who are more learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament is affectation; to make judgments wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar. Of course spending too much time reading is
laziness, referring too much to our reading, dropping quotes everywhere, for example, is just showing off; and reacting to life according to the rules we’ve read is the characteristic of a scholar, some one who spends too much time in school, someone who doesn’t get out much into the real world"
The statements in bold are the main points/opinions/examples…These should be noted. Also make a gist of the passage:
Gist of the passage
The passage is about the benefits of reading- for delight, for communication and for better decision making. However, too much reliance on reading is acceptable, nor is using knowledge at every context welcome.
These are some of the reading cues to keep in mind while reading the passage.
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