Reading Comprehension Passages Flashcards

In GRE reading comprehension, what does it mean when a question asks for the 'primary purpose' of a passage?

Answer: The author's overall reason for writing the entire passage

Primary purpose questions ask about the author's main goal across the whole passage, not isolated details.

A passage argues that a long-held theory is flawed, then proposes a revised model. The author's tone is best described as:

Answer: Critical yet constructive

Challenging a theory while offering an improvement signals critical but constructive intent.

If a GRE question asks which statement the author would 'most likely agree with,' you should:

Answer: Infer from the author's stated views and reasoning

Inference questions require reasoning from the author's expressed positions, not surface features.

The word 'consequently' appearing between two sentences in a passage signals what relationship?

Answer: Cause and effect

'Consequently' indicates the second statement results from the first.

In a 'select-in-passage' question type, you must:

Answer: Click the sentence that meets the described criteria

Select-in-passage questions require highlighting the single sentence matching the prompt.

A passage describes a phenomenon and then offers two competing explanations without endorsing either. The structure is best described as:

Answer: Presenting alternative hypotheses neutrally

Laying out two explanations without choosing reflects a neutral comparison of hypotheses.

When a GRE multiple-answer reading question says 'select all that apply,' partial credit is:

Answer: Not given—all correct choices must be selected with none wrong

GRE multiple-answer questions require exactly the right set; there is no partial credit.