Reading Comprehension Passages 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 Reading Comprehension Passages flashcards as text
A passage compares two authors' theories and notes one is 'more nuanced.' This word choice suggests the author views that theory as:
Answer: More subtle and accounting for complexity
'Nuanced' praises a theory for capturing subtlety and complexity.
When a question references a specific line number, the best practice is to:
Answer: Read a few lines before and after for context
Surrounding context clarifies how a referenced line functions and is meant to be understood.
A trap answer choice on a GRE reading question often:
Answer: Uses words from the passage but distorts their meaning
Common traps reuse passage wording while subtly misrepresenting the actual meaning.
A passage ends with 'Further research is needed to confirm these findings.' This indicates the author regards the findings as:
Answer: Promising but not yet conclusive
Calling for further research signals the findings are suggestive but not yet conclusive.
When two paragraphs present contrasting viewpoints, a likely question will ask you to:
Answer: Identify the point of disagreement between them
Contrasting paragraphs commonly prompt questions about the core point of disagreement.
An author who writes that a popular belief is 'a misconception' is signaling intent to:
Answer: Correct or refute that belief
Labeling a belief a 'misconception' indicates the author plans to correct it.
For a question asking what a pronoun like 'it' or 'they' refers to, you should:
Answer: Trace back to the nearest grammatically fitting antecedent
Pronoun reference is resolved by finding the closest noun that fits grammatically and logically.