Reading Comprehension - Questions and Answers

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Global Purpose questions are almost always phrased using the words...

"primary purpose" and ask for the author's main purpose in writing the passage.

The 2 types of incorrect answers that frequently appear with Main Point questions are:

1. Answers that are true but do not fully encapsulate the author's point 2. Answers that repeat portions of the passage but not the Main Point

The mixing of groups and viewpoints

A favorite tactic is to have an answer that perfectly captures the ideas or viewpoint of a group in the passage, but not the group the question specifies. Make sure you are clear on who is being asked about and then anticipate trap answers designed to tempt you with the views of a different group.

To attack Specific Reference - Must Be True Questions, those which refer to specific line number, sentence, or paragraph....

Always return to the passage and start reading three to five lines above the reference, or from the most logical nearby starting point such as the start of a paragraph.

Strengthen Questions

Ask you to identify the answer choice that best supports a section of the passage or a particular view from the passage. The correct answer choice does not necessarily prove the argument nor is the correct answer choice necessarily an assumption of the argument. The correct answer choice simply helps the argument in some way.

Parallel Reasoning

Asks you to identify the answer choice that contains reasoning most similar in structure to the reasoning presented in a section of the passage Time consuming question

Cannot Be True

Asks you to prove that one of the answer choices cannot occur, or that it disagrees with the information in the passage Polar opposite of Must Be True questions Use the information in the stimulus to attack one of the answers Eliminate answer choices that could be true or are possible. Select the one that is impossible.

"Which one of the following, if true is LEAST consistent with Alaimo's theory about aggressive behavior in wasps?" "Given the information in the passage, the author is LEAST likely to believe which one of the following?"

Cannot Be True Use the information in the stimulus to attack one of the answers Eliminate answer choices that could be true or are possible. Select the one that is impossible.

"The authors of the passage would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?" "Borges and the author of passage B would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?" "It can be inferred that each author would agree that if judges conduct independent research, that research"

Comparison Question: Point of Agreement Requires you to identify the issue or statement with which the 2 authors would both agree. Opposite of Point at Issue questions You are looking for the answer choice about which both speakers have the same view (they might both agree the statement is correct or both agree the statement is incorrect) Both agree its right or both agree its wrong

Identify the correct Location Designation: "The author's discussion of telephone answering machines serves primarily to..."

Concept Reference (CR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: "The passage indicated that prior to the use of carbon dating, at least some historians believed which one of the following?"

Concept Reference (CR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: "The passage suggests which one of the following about the behavior of elk in conflict situations?"

Concept Reference (CR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: The discussion of Muniz' first theory is intended to perform which of the following functions in the passage?

Concept Reference (CR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as an important characteristic of each of the three theories discussed in the passage?

Concept Reference (CR) Does not refer to a specific line or paragraph, or it cannot be a Specific Reference question. Does not refer to the passage in general and the idea mentioned in the stem is enough to suggest that this is a Concept Reference question.

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: The author lists each of the following as a characteristic of modern commerce EXCEPT :

Concept Reference (CR), Cannot Since the question has the word "except," this is a Cannot Be True question. Each of the incorrect answer choices in this case would provide a characteristic of modern commerce, while the correct answer choice would not. Rephrased: Which of the following does the author not list as a characteristic of modern commerce?

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: Which of the following, if true, would lend most support to the view attributed to Norton's critics?

Concept Reference (CR), Strengthen Since the correct answer will support the referenced view, this is clearly a Strengthen question.

Each correct Must Be True answer choice must pass the _______.

Fact Test The answer needs to prove itself to you. You must have proof from the passage that supports it.

"Weaken EXCEPT" Question

Find any answer choice other than weaken. This includes strengthen and also a statement that has no effect on the argument. Same goes for strengthen. Right answer doesn't have to affect argument at all.

Identify the correct Location Designation: "Information in the passage most strongly supports which on elf the following statements?"

Global Reference (GR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: "The primary purpose of the passage is to..."

Global Reference (GR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: "Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?"

Global Reference (GR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: Which of the following most accurately describes the organization of the material presented in the passage?

Global Reference (GR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: Which one of the following titles most completely and accurately describes the contents of the passage?

Global Reference (GR)

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: The author would most likely disagree with which one of the following statements?

Global Reference (GR), Cannot Example provides no direction, conceptual, or otherwise, to a location in the passage. This question requires you to find the answer choice with which the author would disagree. Because the correct answer choice will be inconsistent with the author's attitude, this question stem can be classified as a Cannot Be True question.

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: The passage provides information to answer all of the following questions EXCEPT:

Global Reference (GR), Cannot Be True The presence of the word "except" makes this a Cannot Be True question. The four incorrect choices will provide questions that can be answered by the information in the passage, while the correct choice will be the only one that is not answered by the passage. Rephrased: Which of the following questions does thee passage not provide information to answer?

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

Global Reference (GR), Main Point Refers to the passage as a whole. Question stem clearly asks for the Main Point.

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?

Global Reference (GR), Must Be True This question stem deals with the entire passage. It requires that the reader understand the overall structure of the given passage, and the correct answer choice must reflect that structure. This is a Must Be True.

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: Which one of the following, if true, offers the most support for Harper's hypothesis?

Global Reference (GR), Strengthen If the passage is largely focused on the referenced hypothesis, it is a Global Reference question. The correct answer choice will support the hypothesis, so this is a Strengthen question.

The use of identical and synonymous phrases

In many answer choices the test makers will use exact words from the passage, but often only in wrong answers. In the correct answer they will see a synonymous phrase in order to force you to park meaning and equate ideas stated in different terms. Exact duplication in answers is incorrect

Strengthen/Weaken Question - Out of Scope Answer

Incorrect Simply misses the point of thee argument and support arguments that are either unrelated to the argument or irrelevant to the argument

Strengthen/Weaken Question - Shell Game Answer

Incorrect Usually an answer that is similar to but slightly different from the one presented in the passage.

Strengthen/Weaken Question - Opposite Answer

Incorrect Weakens the argument

The Opposite Answer

Incorrect answer in Must Be True question An answer that is completely opposite of the stated fact of the passage. These answers are very attractive when reading too quickly or carelessly.

Could Be True or Likely to Be True Answers

Incorrect answer in Must Be True question Answers that merely could be true or are even likely to be true are incorrect. They're attractive because there's nothing wrong with them, but, they fail the Fact Test. You must select an answer choice that must occur based on what you have read.

"New" Information Answers

Incorrect answer in Must Be True question Answers that present so-called new information that is not explicitly in the passage or info that would not fall under the umbrella of a statement made in the passage Example: Passage about Japan economy Answer Choice: U.S. economic policy

The Reverse Answer

Incorrect answer in Must Be True question Contains familiar elements from the passage but reversed and incorrect. Creates a new, unsupported statement. Example: Many to some TO Some to many

Hidden References

Incorrect answer in Must Be True question In some Specific Reference questions, you will be sent to a certain location in the passage but the information needed to answer the question will be somewhere else in the passage that also touches on the issue in the Specific Reference

The Wrong View

Incorrect answer in Must Be True question These answers frequently appear in Perspective questions. Answer is the wrong viewpoint.

Exaggerated Answers

Incorrect answer in Must Be True question These answers take information from the passage and then stretch that information to make a broader statement that is not supported by the passage. The exaggeration is possible, but not proven based on the information. Example: Some engineers to Most engineers Likely to happen to Will happen

"Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?"

Main Point

"Which one of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?"

Main Point

On passages determining the __________ may take more effort since it is not in a single sentence or in any one location.

Main Point

Point at Issue questions are a variant of _________ questions.

Must Be True

__________ questions are the most important Reading Comprehension question types. To achieve a high score, you must dominate _________.

Must Be True (MBT) Questions

"It can be inferred that the author of the passage believes which one of the following about the history of modern art?"

Must Be True - Author's Perspective (AP) These questions ask you to select the answer choice that best reflects the author's views on a subject or the author's attitude toward a subject. You should already know the author's position so these questions should be easy.

"It can be reasonably inferred from the passage that the author's attitude is most favorable toward which one of the following?"

"The author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of the following statements?"

"Which one of the following titles most completely summarizes the contents of the passage?"

Must Be True - Expansion Question (E) Questions about the title or source of the passage typically reflect the Main Point of the passage These are typically the most challenging questions because they ask you to infer an answer from the text, rather than pull on from it.

"Which one of the following sentences is the most logical continuation of the last paragraph of the passage?"

Must Be True - Expansion Question (E) Questions asking your to identify prep- or post-passage sentences are usually immediately dependent on the 2 or 3 sentences at the beginning or end of the passage and the passage as a whole. These are typically the most challenging questions because they ask you to infer an answer from the text, rather than pull on from it.

"Which one of the following would be most suitable as a title for this passage if it were to appear as an editorial piece?" "Which one of the following titles most completely summarizes the contents of the passage?" "Which one of the following sentences is the most logical continuation of the last paragraph of the passage?"

Must Be True - Expansion Question (E) These questions require you to use ideas from the passage to determine one of three elements 1. Where the passage was drawn from 2. How the passage could be titled 3. What sentence or idea could come before the passage These are typically the most challenging questions because they ask you to infer an answer from the text, rather than pull on from it.

"In the passage, the author seeks primarily to..."

Must Be True - Global Purpose (P) These questions ask you to describe why the author wrote the passage, and the correct answer is often an abstract version of the main point or will at least will agree with the main point purpose = abstract version of main point

"The primary purpose of the passage is to..."

"The logical relationship of lines 8-13 of the passage to lines 23-25 and 49-53 of the passage is most accurately described as..." "Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the second paragraph and the final paragraph?" "Which one of the following best describes the organization of the passage?"

Must Be True - Organization (O) You must already track the structure as you read, so these questions should be straightforward.

"The author's discussion of feline maternal instinct (lines 23 - 34) functions primarily to....

Must Be True - Purpose/Function Question To attack refer to the context around the reference, using context clues and your knowledge of the viewpoints and structure of the passage.

"Which one of the following best states the function of the third paragraph of the passage?"

Must Be True - Purpose/Function Question To attack refer to the context around the reference, using context clues and your knowledge of the viewpoints and structure of the passage.

"The author's discussion of increased erosion over the last decade serves primarily to..."

Must Be True - Purpose/Function Question To attack refer to the context around the reference, using context clues and your knowledge of the viewpoints and structure of the passage. Know the viewpoints and structure

"The author of the passage uses the phrase "clearly insufficient" (line 39) primarily in order to...."

"Given the information in the passage, which one of the following is Kantor most likely to believe?"

Must Be True - Subject Perspective (SP) In this question type, we use the term "subject" to refer to a person or group who is discussed in the passage. These questions ask you to select the answer choice that best reflects the views or attitude of one of the other groups in the passage. You should already know all of the viewpoints in the passage, so these questions should be easy. The correct answer stills follows directly from the passage.

"It can be inferred that Peter Goodrich would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements concerning common law?"

"Based on the passage, the relationship between attorney and client is most analogous to the relationship between them?"

Parallel Reasoning You usually need to only understand the basic outline of what occurred in the section. Then select the answer choice that contains the same structure. If you can't narrow down, compare elements in the passage (intent, premises, relationship between premises and conclusions)

If you encounter a _____________ or a ____________ in a non-Main Point, Must Be True question, select the answer with confidence.

Paraphrase or Combination

The Views of One Speaker is Unknown

Point at Issue Issue Incorrect Answer An answer where the view of only one of the authors is known. One passage did not address the issue in the answer choice, or at least failed to do so clearly enough. Since the correct answer must contain the point of disagreement, unknown views are easy to trick test takers.

Dual Agreement or Dual Disagreement

Point at Issue Issue Incorrect Answer Statements that both authors agree with to that both authors disagree with. Attractive because they are actual issues addressed in the passage. BUT just. because both speakers discuss the issues does not mean that they disagree about it.

Ethical versus Factual Situations

Point at Issue Issue Incorrect Answer When a pair of passages address an issue that is ethical (or motivational, behavioral, etc.) in nature, answer choices that are strictly factual cannot be correct. Example: 2 passages disagree about whether doctors should inform their patients of a terminal illness Incorrect answer: Every medical school includes ethics training in its curriculum This answer is factual in nature, cannot address the underlying judgement issues that form an ethical or moral debate.

Factual Situations versus Ethical

Point at Issue Issue Incorrect Answer When passage disputes are more factual in nature, answer choices that are non-factual - why something should happen, or whether it is right or wrong - cannot be correct Example: Damon: WW1 began in 1910 Tania: WW1 began in 1914 Incorrect AnswersL Should nations go to war? What led to WW1?

"The authors would be most likely to disagree over whether" "On the basis of their statements, the authors of passage A and passage B are committed to disagreeing over whether" "Given the statements about cross-examination in lines 39-43, the author of passage B would be most likely to take issue with which one of the following claims by the author of passage A?

Point at Issue Questions Finding the correct answer in most Point at Issue questions involves examining the conclusion of each speaker. These require more demanding task of selecting a statement relevant to both sources.

The 2 types of Comparative Reading Question types are __________ and ________.

Point at Issue and Point of Agreement

Explicit versus Implicit Beliefs

Point at Issue and Point of Agreement questions tend to focus on the author's implied beliefs rather than their literal views. You have to read in between the lines. Example: The only way to score well is to study intensively. Answer: One cannot get lucky and score high.

"Which one of the following principles can be most clearly said to underlie the author's arguments in the third paragraph?"

Principle Question "Proposition" or "Precept" can replace "Principle"

First you must identify the Location Designation in the question stem, and then you must identify the ____________________ that you face.

Question Type

The passage indicates that each of the following can be an effect of global warming EXCEPT:

Question Type: Cannot Be True can be true EXCEPT = Cannot Be True The 4 incorrect answer choices will list possible effects of global warming; the correct answer choice will not.

Based on the passage, the author would be LEAST likely to refuse which one of the following topics for a public television show?

Question Type: Cannot Be TrueX The 4 incorrect answer will feature topics that the author would refuse for public television, and rejecting an answer is a characteristic of Cannot Be True questions. The correct answer choice will provide a topic that the author would not likely refuse.

The passage explicitly mentions each of the following as a characteristic of early American art EXCEPT:

Question Type: MustX The 4 incorrect answer choices till feature a characteristic of early American art that is explicitly mentioned in the passage. The correct answer will be the only one not explicitly mentioned in the passage.

The passage supports each of the following inferences EXCEPT:

Question Type: MustX The 4 incorrect answer choices will be inferences that are supported by the passage, the correct choice will be the only one to provide an inference that is not supported by the passage

It can be inferred from the passage that Van Gogh would have been LEAST likely to choose which of the following as a subject of his work?

Question Type: MustX The 4 incorrect answer choices will provide the subject VG would likely have chosen, the correct choice will be the subject VG would not likely have chosen.

Weaken Questions

Requires you to select the answer choice that undermines a position as decisively as possible. You don't need to find an answer that destroys the author's position but that plants a seed of doubt. Simply hurts the argument.

Identify the correct Location Designation: "The author of the passage uses the phrase "rational expectations" (line 39) primarily in order to"

Specific Reference (SR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: "Which one of the following best defines the word "pragmatic" as it is used in the second paragraph of the passage?"

Specific Reference (SR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: "Which one of the following would best exemplify the kind of theory referred to in the final paragraph of the passage?"

Specific Reference (SR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: The author mentions the number of species (lines 20-23) primarily in order to support which of the following claims?

Specific Reference (SR)

Identify the correct Location Designation: The third paragraph of the passage provides the most support for which one of the following inferences?

Specific Reference (SR)

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: Which one of the following most accurately describes the author's purpose in referring to Johnson as being "unfairly criticized by his contemporaries" in the first sentence of the passage?

Specific Reference (SR), Must This example provides the exact location of the referenced quote, so this is a SR question. The correct answer must pass the Fact Test; in this case it must provide an accurate description of the referenced quote's purpose in the passage. Therefore this question stem falls under the Must Be True category.

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: Which one of the following most accurately describes the function of the second paragraph of the passage?

Specific Reference (SR), Must Be True This question requires you to determine the function, or purpose, of the second paragraph, so this is a Must Be True, Purpose question.

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: The author's description of the relationship between the conductor and the orchestra (line 39) is most closely analogous to which of the following?

Specific Reference (SR), Parallel

Identify the correct Location Designation and Question Type: Which one of the following, if true, would most call into question the author's assertion in the last sentence of the passage?

Specific Reference (SR), Weaken

"Which one of the following, if true, would lend the most support to the claims of critics discussed in lines 9-17?"

Strengthen Question Ask yourself "Would this answer choice assist the position in question in some way?" Engage with the argument personally. Spot a flaw in the argument and then look for the answer that eliminates the weakness. Close the gap. Remember the correct answer can strengthen the argument a lot but also just a tiny bit.

The presence of the phrase "Which of the following, if true," generally introduces either a ___________ or __________ question.

Strengthen or Weaken

The Agree/Agree Test

Test for Point of Agreement The correct choice must be one which both speakers would say yes, I agree with that statement. If not, then choice is incorrect.

Must Be True questions require you to select an answer choice that is proven by __________.

That is proven by the information in the passage.

To attack Global Reference - Must Be True Questions,

These are usually Main Point, Purpose, or Organization questions. You will likely not need to refer back to the passage prior to attacking the answer choices because you should already know the answer from reading.

The Location Element: Specific Reference

These question stems refer you to a specific numbered line, paragraph, or sentence

The Location Element: Concept Reference

These question stems refer you to ideas or themes within the passage that are not identified by a specific line or paragraph reference, but that are identifiable because the ideas are clearly enunciated or expressed within 1 or 2 areas of the passage.

The Location Element: Global Reference

These questions ask about the passage as a whole, or they fail to identify a defined area or isolated concept within the question stem

The mixing of Global and Specific ideas in the answers

Watch the question stem to see whether the question is a Global Reference or a Specific Reference. GR questions will almost always have incorrect answers that refer to SR attitudes or ideas. GR question = GR answer

"Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously challenge the position of the critics mentioned in line 34?"

Weaken Know the details of what was said in the passage Weaken questions can bring in outside info Figure out which answer choice best attacks the position

Combination Answers

Will always be correct in a Must Be True question and any Must Be True subtype. These answers are the sum of 2 or more passage statements. Any answer choice that would be the combination of 2 or more statements in the passage will be correct.

Paraphrased Answers

Will always be correct in a Must Be True question and any Must Be True subtype. These answers restate a portion of the passage in different terms. Because the language is not exactly the same as in the passage, these answers are very easy to miss. They test you ability to perceive the author's exact meaning. Sometimes the answer can seem too obvious since its directly from the passage.

The Agree/Disagree Test

You can double-check answers in Point at Issue using the Agree/Disagree test One speaker would say I agree. The other would say I disagree. If can't do this, then the choice is incorrect.

The Shell Game

an idea or concept is raised in the stimulus, and then a very similar idea appears in the answer choice, but the idea is changed just enough to be incorrect but still attractive.

In some Specific Reference questions, it is the ___________ that refer to a specific line, paragraph, or passage.

answer choice

Students who read the question stem and then move to the answer choices without further thought are at risk for...

being tempted by the expertly constructed incorrect answer choices.

For any given RC question, you should...

create an effective pre-phrase of the correct answer.

The question stem of a Point at Issue usually refers to a _________ between the 2 authors/passages.

disagreement or point of contention

With Point at Issue answer choices, if the view of one speaker is unknown, then that answer is automatically _________.

incorrect We don't know what they have to say on the subject

When you encounter Main Point questions, always....

pre-phrase an answer but be prepared to be open-minded as you consider the answer choices

One of the most effective techniques for quickly finding correct answer choices and avoiding incorrect answer choices is ______________.

prephrasing

The Location Element:

provides insight into where in the passage you should begin your search for the correct answer

To attack Specific Reference questions that refer to a paragraph,

return to the passage and consider the paragraph in question.

On Must Be True questions, the test makers will try to confuse you with incorrect answer choices that ___________.

that could possibly occur or are likely to occur, but are not certain to occur. You must select the choice that is most clearly supported by what you read.

Your approach to attacking Must Be True questions will in part be determined by the ________ specified in each question stem.

the Location Element

In Point at Issue questions, you must know ___________.

what each speaker believe strictly from what is written

When reading questions that contain concept references, you should typically know ________________ for the relevant information, even though no line reference is given.

where to search in the passage

At the Specific Reference and Concept Reference level, Purpose questions ask....

why the author referred to a particular word, phrase, or idea.

To attack Concept Reference - Must Be True Questions,

you must return to the areas in the passage mentioned in the question stem and quickly review the information. These questions are more vague than Specific Reference questions and so you must rely on your passage diagramming or memory to return to the correct area.

Reading Comprehension - Questions and Answers

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