Critical Reading and Inference Questions Flashcards
7 cards from real GRE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Critical Reading and Inference Questions flashcards as text
A passage states that a novelist 'subordinates plot to atmosphere.' This means the novelist:
Answer: Prioritizes mood over storyline
To 'subordinate plot to atmosphere' is to make mood more important than storyline.
An author notes a finding was 'replicated across independent laboratories.' The most reasonable inference is that the finding is:
Answer: More credible and reliable
Independent replication strengthens a finding's reliability and credibility.
A passage describes an argument as 'circular.' This indicates the argument:
Answer: Assumes the very conclusion it tries to prove
A circular argument presupposes its conclusion among its premises.
If a writer states that 'the reforms were cosmetic,' the writer implies the reforms:
Answer: Made only superficial changes
'Cosmetic' reforms change only the surface, not the substance.
A passage reads: 'Though hailed as revolutionary, the device merely automated an existing manual process.' The author suggests the device was:
Answer: Less original than its reputation implied
'Though hailed as revolutionary... merely automated' undercuts the device's claimed originality.
An author writes that a historian's account is 'meticulously sourced yet curiously bloodless.' The criticism implied is that the account is:
Answer: Well-documented but lacking vitality
'Meticulously sourced yet curiously bloodless' praises documentation while faulting its lifelessness.
A passage notes that 'the senator's silence on the issue spoke volumes.' This implies her silence was:
Answer: Meaningful and revealing
'Silence spoke volumes' means the absence of comment was itself significant.