GRE Reading Comprehension

Which of the following grammatical constructions would be consistent with the "'ought'" in the second paragraph?

*Key: When a word is in apostrophes is means purportedly but not exactly. "Ought" means that's what someone thinks but that might not be the actual case.*

The paragraph preceding this most probably discussed

-Here literally just look at the first line of the paragraph available and see what it talks about. The paragraph preceding this must be related to this sentence

The author considers Gall's methodology to be unscientific for which of the following reasons? A) Gall did not test his assumptions by examining actual brains. B) Gall only based his assumptions on the surface of the skull. C) Gall's conception of validity differed from a contemporary understanding of validity. Gall did not test his ideas empirically by performing autopsies on the brains of patients and correlating damage to specific regions with defects in mental attributes; he distrusted the diseased brain and did not think it could reveal anything about normal behavior.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -B and C are obvious but I was unsure about A -It says that gall did not autopsy brains of patients but I took that to mean that he didn't autopsy brains of a specific segment but A seemed to be a blanket statement... -I think the key is that if something can be matched VERBATIM you have to pick it as long as it doesn't stipulate anything bizarre. It's when you don't have something stated explicitly like Moby Dick's biography that you have to be very wary. *Here the paraphrase of the sample would be that "Gall did not autopsy brains of patients". Just based off this A is correct!* *Only focus on the relevant part. In this case what comes after the ";" is just an elaboration on the main part and is not necessary.* If the question can be answered without the use of elaborations, don't use them!

*Strategy: In reading comprehension always try to narrow down to two of the best choices and then eliminate one or the other based on evidence and pick the most comprehensive choice.* Some leaders feared that listing some rights could be interpreted to mean that citizens didn't have other, unlisted rights. Toward this end, James Madison and others produced the Ninth Amendment, which states: the fact that certain rights are listed in the Constitution shall not be construed to imply that other rights of the people are denied The primary purpose of the passage is to A) clarify the most proper interpretation of an amendment B) argue for a broader perspective on human rights and their legal protection C) contrast historical perspectives of an amendment to its modern legal reading D) explain the motivation for an amendment and the ambiguity this amendment presents E) demonstrate how the Founding Fathers' intentions have been distorted by subsequent legal proceedings.

*I missed this* -Be careful about jumping to an answer to readily; always try to narrow down to two best and then see which is the most comprehensive and supported by the evidence -Go back to the right place to check why it makes sense -The right answer is D because in the first paragraph we are given reasons for why the 9th amendment was created and the rest of the passage is about its interpretation -A only gives us "part of the answer", that is why it is important to narrow down to at least two choices which can work! *Also be very careful of choices that given an absolute answer like A "most proper interpretation"; well we are given multiple interpretations and the passage does not clarify which of these is the best but simply and objectively tells them to us* -Also pay attention to key words like "distorted" in the last choice, which is very strong and see if that fits with the tone of the passage

*Strategy: with answer options, choices that say that "something does not do this" has to be made explicit in passage. Even if the choice looks good, be wary of them.* What little scholarship has existed on Ernest Hemingway--considering his stature--has focused on trying to unmask the man behind the bravura. Ultimately, most of these works have done little more than to show that Hemingway the myth and Hemingway the man were not too dissimilar (Hemingway lived to hunt big game so should we be surprised at his virility, not to mention that of many of the author's--chiefly male--protagonists?). In the last few years, several biographies have reversed this trend, focusing on Hemingway near the end of his life: isolated and paranoid, the author imagined the government was chasing him (he was not completely wrong on this account). Ironically, the hunter had become the hunted, and in that sense, these latest biographers have provided--perhaps unwittingly--the most human portrait of the writer yet. It can be inferred from the passage that the author considers the latest Hemingway biographies a departure from traditional biographies in that these latest biographies A) focus on a much overlooked aspect of the writer's body of work B) depict Hemingway in a manner that is at odds with the myth of Hemingway C) claim that Hemingway was similar to several of his chief protagonists in his books D) suggest that Hemingway lacked the virility many associated with him E) do not attempt to explore the link between Hemingway the man and Hemingway the myth

*I missed this* -Okay so I narrowed down to two possible answers -The question is asking how do the new biographies differ? If you just read "biographers have reversed this trend", well what is the trend? It shows that Hemingway the man and myth were not too dissimilar in that Hemingway lived to hunt big games and was virile and his characters were also strong men. -Well the new authors show an old author who instead of hunting has become the hunted... This shows him as being very different from what the previous biographers portrayed him as. So the answer has to be closer to this. -E is wrong because the passage does not say that they do not attempt to explore the link between Hemingway the man and the myth. No where is this specifically mentioned that they "do not want to explore this myth.] [In fact the want to show that the two are different. So they are exploring this link but in a different way!] -B should now seem the most correct answer

The main reason that the author of the passage discounts using a purely acoustic analysis to understand the way in which humans are able to recognize sounds is that A) the physical properties of speech and the perception of those physical properties are qualitatively different B) redundancy, or the excess of information, typically ensures that a signal is faithfully transmitted between two speakers C) no two people process the same cue in exactly the same way D) the relevant distinguishing features of a sound tend to merge different cues into a generalized sound so as to render any analysis ineffectual E) humans ignore certain features of the acoustic sound that may figure prominently into the perception of sound What are these cues, and how can we prove their role in the perception of speech? It is not possible to obtain this information simply by carrying out an acoustic analysis of natural speech: this would tell us what acoustic information is present but not what features of the signal are actually used by listeners in order to identify speech sounds. The best an acoustic description can do is give us a rough idea as to what a cue might be. But to learn about listeners' perception, we need a different approach.

*I missed this* Level: Hard *The right answer may introduce extra verbiage like "qualitatively" and "physical" analysis but it preserves the overall meaning at least.* -First step is to simplify the question so you are not repeating it -Next, read where the clue is and nowhere else and paraphrase: acoustic analysis tells us what sounds/information is there but not how that information is perceived or interpreted -Next, narrow down answer choices A and C. As you can see A comes closest and C says something else entirely. C doesn't talk about how acoustic analysis lets us know the sound that is available and how that sound may be interpreted. Instead it introduces something else entirely about how two people interpret things differently. But the passage is not concerned with interpretation of sound between two people but rather the limitations of the process

*Question types regarding cause and effect: Find all the things that are connected with the catalyst in question. Only deal with choices that are directly related to the catalyst, NOT general statements.* *Beware of choices that state general things that "could or could not be true" and thus are "out of scope".* *Remember that during the test you need to come up with the answer quickly and move on. Thus if you understand the passage well enough go with your process of logic and don't doubt it over and over. It will lead to a wrong answer. If the answer appears to be true and you can't find a reason to eliminate it then it must be the answer. You can only pick another answer choice if you can eliminate your first choice.* It can be inferred from the passage that had the scaglia rossa not exhibited a certain geological property then which of the following would most likely have been true? A) Walter Alvarez would not have used the distribution of foraminifera in limestone as the basis for a conjecture. B) Scientists would have been unable to determine a shift in the Earth's magnetic fields. C) The rocks would not have been of any immediate utility to scientists. D) Iridium still would have been used to substantiate a hypothesis regarding the extinction of dinosaurs. E) The gap in foraminifera fossil record would have served an immediate purpose.

*I missed this* Level: Hard -I had narrowed down to A and B. This is because only A and B relate to the specific geological quality. B doesn't make sense because the shift was discovered before the rossa and the rossa just proved it. A makes sense because had the property not been there the Alvarez would not have thought to look at the limestone and use it to make a conjecture. But I ignored my process and went with C. -C is wrong because "we don't really know that, maybe it wouldn't have had any utility but maybe there would have been" -Also, I did not attempt to come up with my own answer without looking at the question -I also, read the entire passage instead of focusing on the rossa part, which is in the beginning. This threw me off because I thought maybe the answer for it came from a later part

The author suggests that at least some of "a number of difficult problems..." can be understood by A) extrapolating from observable phenomenon B) anticipating the result of the collision of small bodies C) studying the rate of accretion on planets D) observing the internal process of planets E) discounting the dynamics of how orbits change over time

*I missed this* Level: Hard -I missed this because I did not come up with a good answer for myself and didn't read as thoroughly -The passage is basically talking about using existing bodies like the moon, mars, and mercury to study how planets came about and A makes sense with that C is just a process that is used to extrapolate. I didn't pick A because of the word "extrapolate" since I didn't think they were using a small group to make larger predictions but that is exactly what they were doing. *When narrowing down. Don't eliminate unless you are absolutely sure.*

In the 1890s, scientists discovered a cyanide process that allowed workers to extract pure gold from much lower grade ore, thus significantly increasing domestic gold production. The "cyanide process" mentioned in the last paragraph does which of the following? A) Serves as a countermeasure to actions taken by advocates of the "gold only" standard B) Provides evidence against an argument of those opposed to a "gold only" standard C) Illustrates one way in which controlling the money supply can lead to inflation D) Argues against the position adopted by William Jennings Bryant. E) Offers up a compelling reason governments should be favor of bimetallism.

-Here I narrowed down to B and D and picked B based off "provides evidence" and "argues against". The discovery of the cyanide process "proved" that the gold is not limited in supply. This best goes with "evidence" rather than arguing -According to Magoosh D is wrong because Bryant argued for an increase in the gold supply and this would help his case (that the gold standard would limit the money supply).

According to the passage, the author implies that foreign ecosystems have which potential effect on shorebirds? A) They can make a bird more vulnerable to predators. B) They can expose shorebirds to foreign toxins. C) They can diminish a bird's ability to navigate. D) They can lead to a reduction in the bird's weight. E) They can cause a bird to become separated from its flock. The 'trophic contamination hypothesis' posits that shorebirds accumulate industrial and urban pollution at stopover sites, toxins that are subsequently released in sudden high doses as fat is burned during migratory flights, disrupting the bird's ability to make migratory decisions. For example, large contaminant doses might hamper refueling by reducing the satiation signal in shorebirds so that they do not accumulate sufficient fat for migration. *A recent study found that, out of those shorebirds that were unable to migrate, some weighed as much as 20% less than the average migrating bird of their species. Whether such findings are a result of shorebirds suffering from trophic contamination, or whether such birds simply cut their migrations short by landing in a foreign ecosystem is unlikely to be resolved until further studies are conducted.*

*I missed this* Level: Hard -I missed this because I did not follow one of my GRE tenets of, focusing only on the area that the question is concerned with. That would be the bolded part. -The bold part talks about birds losing weight, but such "findings" (referring to losing weight) can't be figured out. Is it the toxins or is it the foreign environment? -So even by narrowing down to B and D you have to go with D. *Here I see two examples (including Moby Dick passage) of focusing only on the area that the question is concerned with. Based off that area I have to answer the question even though it might not settle with me.*

According to the passage, Mozart's use of a tragic ending allowed him to accomplish which of the following? A) He was able to teach a moral regarding wanton behavior. B) He was able to be consistent with the conventions of the opera prevalent during his time. C) He was able to provide a resolution that would allow audiences to feel satisfied.

*I missed this* Level: Hard -I was surprised I missed this but I knew that the traditional ending is to end on a happy note so B or C could not work -B is correct for the happy ending not the tragic ending. *Do not forget the question you are answering. Maybe a good idea to quickly remind yourself what you are answering for before answering it.* *When talking about a specific section start with the section and use what comes after, but NOT what comes before to answer a text based answer.*

*When you eliminate all the choices, find the least innocuous one, you might not agree with all of the statement but part of it must be true.* The primary purpose of the passage is to A) evaluate a historical debate and then take a position B) discuss two positions on an issue, while disagreeing with both C) discount evidence arguing against the existence of a historical person D) suggest that the verification of many historical figures is beyond our ability E) draw a link between mythical and historical figures

*I missed this* Level: Hard -The passage talks about two sides those who think Arthur exists based on certain evidence and others who he doesn't since there isn't evidence. The author ultimately says there isn't enough information, so A works -I initially had D but crossed it off. The passage doesn't say anything about "figures" only "Arthur" -E is wrong because this passage isn't about drawing a link as it is about debating whether someone was alive or not -A works

*To be the case something must be obviously stated or you can use logic to figure it out. If you have doubts then it probably isn't the answer for tough choices.* Which of the following can be supported by the passage? A) Melville biographies are not uncommon B) In terms of scope and ambition, Philbrick's work parallels Melville's "Moby Dick" C) Melville self-consciously indulged in metafictional devices More capacious than ponderous, the most recent incarnation in a line of Melville biographies, Philbrick's "Moby Dick" (a barefaced titular homage to Melville's iconic novel on a white whale) has the wild and unpredictable energy of the great white whale itself, more than enough to heave its significance out of what Melville called "the universal cannibalism of the sea" and into the light.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -A is true because of the first line -C is false because of the last line which suggested that he was doing it without realizing it -I was stuck on B. Based off the first paragraph I thought it might work, but there was doubt in my mind about it because unlike A this one was not obviously sticking out. To be the answer it must be either obviously stated OR you make use logic like I did for C. -Also we notice that Philbrick's work parallels in terms of energy but what about "scope" and "ambition" well we don't know... *Need to paraphrase the details "exactly as the structure is in the passage". That's why I missed this.*

*If you have doubt about an answer choice, you should not pick it.* Which of the following are consistent with a principle elucidated upon in the passage above? A) A frustrated motorist discards his modern global positioning system (GPS) for a traditional road map, because the latter provides a more simple depiction of the landscape. B) A sailor uses the night sky above because it offers a useful means of navigation. C) An artist finds that he is able to convey similar emotional intensity by using fewer colors and fewer stark contrasting lines. Because of this phenomenon, many ancient civilizations believed that a dome really did enclose the Earth. Only a few centuries ago astronomers realized that the stars are actually very far away, scattered throughout the Milky Way Galaxy, rather than attached to the inside of a vast sphere. The old idea remains useful, however. The concept of the celestial sphere provides a simple way of thinking about the appearance of the stars from Earth without the complication of a realistic model of the universe.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -A picked A and C although I thought a little about why C couldn't be it and wasn't too sure about it -My own answer should've been: the principle is saying that the sphere provides a "simple" way of thinking about a "complex" thing -C is wrong because the model isn't giving you a similar way to looking at the complex or simple thing.

*Again, when you pick something you must be able to eliminate it before you can pick something else. I eliminated D, C has to be the answer.* The primary purpose of the passage is to A) highlight the misuses of a particular methodology pertaining to the writer B) debunk a finding by offering up an alternative explanation C) offer a claim regarding how a reader interfaces with a writer D) point out the incongruity between a writer and the reader's perception of that writer E) anticipate an objection regarding the way in which the reader engages with a written work

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -At first I narrowed down to C and D and picked C but then crossed it off to pick D even though I noticed that D is wrong since the passage isn't talking about "a writer" but rather all writers

*When you find details that are THIS obvious and also like the one from Gall about "brain autopsies", you just have to pick and move on. Just make sure the right thing is being referred to (ectothermic vs. mammals) otherwise pick it.* Regarding the hierarchical subdivision of color, which of the following does the passage support? A) Its postulation was misattributed to a pair of 20th century scientists. B) Amongst preeminent linguists, the theory has fallen out of favor. C) At least part of it follows a universal pattern. In the 1860s, the German philologist Lazarus Geiger proposed that the subdivision of color always follows the same hierarchy. The simplest color lexicons (such as the DugermDani language of New Guinea) distinguish only black/dark and white/light. The next color to be given a separate word by cultures is always centered on the red part of the visible spectrum. Then, according to Geiger, societies will adopt a word corresponding to yellow, then green, then blue. Lazarus's color hierarchy was forgotten until restated in almost the same form in 1969 by Brent Berlin, an anthropologist, and Paul Kay, a linguist, when it was hailed as a major discovery in modern linguistics.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -C is obvious and B is wrong -I was stuck on A. I thought the fact that we know that it was discovered by Lazarus says that we know who came up with this theory and so it is not misattributed. BUT the passage tells us that it was forgotten and then two new guys came along and just restated it and it was hailed as a "major discovery" by these guys and NOT Lazarus who came up with it.

*If you have doubt about your answer choice and can use logic to say there is doubt, then the choice is wrong.* It can be inferred from Emerson's quote that he implied which of the following? A) Poetry has influenced colloquial speech. B) All language eventually becomes archaic. C) Language that is too far removed from everyday speech becomes meaningless. D) The range of linguistic expression is vast. E) In most societies exists a disconnection between poetry and everyday speech. There has always been controversy over the nature of poetic language. To some, poetic language should be special, removed from the language of everyday (thus, the dictum, 'The language of the age is never the language of poetry'). To others, it should be closely in touch with everyday language, or, perhaps, be 'current language heightened.' To Ralph Waldo Emerson, the whole language is in any case 'fossil poetry.' Statements of this kind to some extent miss the point, which is to stress the enormous range of linguistic expression that is found under the heading poetry. At one extreme, there are poems that are as far removed from everyday speech as it is possible to imagine; at the other, there are poems that, if it were not for the division into lines, would closely resemble prose.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -Here I narrowed down to B and D, I knew D was wrong because what he is saying seems to be the opposite of what the author thinks is the case and D is the author's thinking -I thought B is probably the trap answer since Emerson calls it "fossil poetry" but I still picked it because I couldn't get any of the other answers -So if I had done that I wouldn't have eliminated all of the choices and would then have to pick the least innocuous between A, C, and E. -C is too strong "meaningless" there is no mention of this. -E is saying too much. All we have to go on is "fossil poetry" but here the choice is talking about society and disconnections. -A is the simplest and most innocuous choice. It would make sense since if all language is "fossil poetry" that would mean that the past has influenced the present (language) -Another way to look at this would be that he only clue you have is the line that comes before it that says that poetry should be close to colloquial speech... Based of this A would be the only thing that makes sense

*When you use logic to eliminate something, do not thing about it twice. Follow through with that logic and rely on it.* The author implies all of the following except: A) The ancient mathematical texts of Mesopotamia do not provide explicit proofs for all their results. B) The first Western scholars studying the history of Chinese mathematics were unaware of the proofs available in the commentaries and sub-commentaries on the Jiuzhang Suanshu C) Proofs are a method of demonstrating the logical arguments underlying a mathematical result. D) The majority of important Chinese mathematicians between 1000 and 1500 would have known of the Jiuzhang Suanshu E) The authors of the Jiuzhang Suanshu do not make any claim justifying their own authority. This fact, which was long unrecognized, means that we are now in a position to know a lot more about the logical construction of mathematics in China than, for example, in Egypt, Mesopotamia, or India.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -I narrowed down to A and E -My first impression was that based off the last sentence, A makes sense because Chinese authors provide the logic and immediately following that the passage says we can understand Chinese because of this unlike Egyptian or Mesopotamian -Nothing is mentioned in the passage about E so E is the right answer -Also Choice a deals with a specific section. Pay attention to only that section and what can you come away with? Well just based off that we know that we can understand that logic construction of Chinese mathematics but not Egyptian or Mesopotamian. And the reason for that would have to be that we don't have the explicit proofs for them.

*When you make your first pick to an answer choice and believe this is the right answer. Trust this choice. Only doubt it if you can find a very strong reason to go against it. You have to ask "if didn't see any other choice, could I pick this and move one and be happy?* *When an answer choice has multiple parts, break down each part and see which one is false to eliminate it.* The primary purpose of the passage is to A) analyze several conflicting interpretations of an author's work B) champion a specific interpretation of a writer's works C) challenge a common understanding of a well-known writer D) applaud an undertaking but question the validity of its claims E) support a claim regarding an author's creative process, but doubt the extent of that claim *While Temoshotka cannot be faulted for the boldness of her thesis*—Nabokov's hobby as a lepidopterist (a butterfly collector) and his experience as a novelist informed each other—*she fails to make a convincing case.* Surely, with enough ingenuity, one can find parallels, as Temoshotka does, between the creative products of Nabokov the naturalist and Nabokov the writer: the intricate butterfly wings that he pored over in his laboratory and the intricate prose that he crafted with sedulous care. But to say the prose of Lolita and Speak Memory would not have coalesced into their current incarnations had Nabokov's hobby been, say, lawn tennis is simply reaching too far.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -I narrowed down to D and E and my first choice was D because of the part that says that she was bold with her thesis -What part of D is incorrect? Is there an applause for the undertaking (boldness of her thesis) YES. The the claims she is making being questioned, YES. -The point of the passage isn't to "support a claim", In fact the author says this claim in "unconvincing" -You also have to think about it this way. In RC everything has to be explicitly mentioned so based off that see if you can break this one down: Both the last parts of D and E are correct (doubt the extent of the claim) (question the validity of the claim). The first parts however are not correct (support a claim, this would be more obvious if it were true) (applaud an undertaking, I found the explicit clue for this so it must be true)

*Objectivity vs. Subjectivity* Select the sentence in which the author expresses an opinion towards the results of the study. *While daily coffee consumption may aid in the process of forming a greater number of short-term memories, and increase the likelihood that these memories will be stored in long-term memory, the study glosses over an important fact.* Many exhibit sensitivities to caffeine, including headaches (both migraine and non-migraine), sleeplessness, heightened anxiety and any number of factors that, when working either alone or in tandem, may actually lead to a decrease in the observed link between caffeine and learning. Nonetheless, despite the fact that the study represents a random sampling—and thus any number of subjects can exhibit any number of reactions to caffeine—if enough subjects continue to display signs of improvements in learning, then this result would not be inconsistent with the study's findings. *Still, until the researchers either release more details of this study, or subsequent studies are conducted, the extent to which those with caffeine sensitivity influenced the observed link between coffee consumption and memory will not be fully known.*

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -I narrowed down to the first and the last and picked last because I thought it is objective to state that the study is missing something since it is actually missing this part -But it is the right answer because although it is objectively stated that the study is missing this fact (which it is), whether this is a problem or not is subjective and so since the author thinks the study "glosses" over it is subjected

The author suggests that Greek plays A) made great demands upon their actors B) flattered their audiences C) were written for a limited audience D) were dominated by music and dancing E) stimulated their audiences

-Here I narrowed down to two C and E -As above, choose the answer which can be substantiated instead of sitting down and pondering about how to make a choice work (I think when I start to do this, I should realize that I am wasting time and probably making a mistake) -In this case it was obvious and easily found in the passage that E is the right choice

*Be careful about what is being compared and the details.* Based on the information in the passage, it can be inferred that which of the following is a possible benefit conferred by mesothermy? A) Controlling for size, it allows for greater speed than ectothermy. B) Controlling for size, it leads to less dependence on food than does ectothermy. C) It allowed prehistoric birds to fly. For much of the 20th century, paleontologists theorized that dinosaurs, like reptiles, were ectothermic, their body temperature regulated externally. These scientists, however, based their conclusions on faulty reasoning, claiming that scaly skin was common to all ectotherms (birds, which are ectothermic, do not have scaly skin) and that the dinosaur's size could account for ectothermy (some adult dinosaurs weighed as little as ten pounds). Supplanting this theory is an entirely new line of thought: dinosaurs were actually mesothermic, neither warm- nor cold-blooded. [By taking this middle ground, some paleontologists maintain that dinosaurs were faster than a similar-sized reptile yet did not require as much food as a similar-sized mammal.] To substantiate this theory, paleontologists intend to study how birds, the dinosaur's closest extant relative, might have at one time been mesothermic.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -I picked A and B but B is wrong I picked it because the passages says that being "mesothermic makes your less dependent on food from a similar-sized "mammal". -All I had to do was figure out of these which could and could not be the answer and my stupid head couldn't wrap my mind around just looking for explicit clues and similarities... It's obvious what is being compared "mammal" NOT "mesothermic". Reptiles are the only things that are ectothermic. Not mammals.

It can be inferred from the passage that the reason the author finds the Solutrean hypothesis both startling and paradoxical is that A) ancient cultures were most likely unable to develop such a sophisticated form of maritime transport that they were able to cross the Atlantic B) it supports the Clovis school of thought, and posits the existence of a capacity not commonly associated with ancient people C) the Clovis people had crossed from Siberia navigating across a difficult ice corridor, whereas the pre-Clovis people had sailed, with far less difficulty, across the Atlantic ocean D) it suggests that the pre-Clovis people had a way to circumvent the ice-corridor, yet were unlikely to have traveled as far south as modern day Chile E) it runs counter to one of the chief tenets of the "Clovis first" school of thought The "Clovis first" idea, nonetheless, was treated as gospel, backed by supporters who, at least initially, outright discounted any claims that suggested precedence by non-Clovis people. While such a stance smacked of fanaticism, proponents did have a solid claim: if the Clovis peoples crossed the Bering Strait 13,000 years ago, only after it had become ice-free, how would a people have been able to make a similar trip but over ice? A recent school of thought, backed by Weber, provides the following answer: pre-Clovis people reached the Americas by relying on a sophisticated maritime culture, which allowed them to take advantage of refugia, or small areas in which aquatic life flourished. Thus they were able to make the long journey by hugging the coast as far south as to what is today British Columbia. Additionally, they were believed to have fashioned a primitive form of crampon so that they would be able to dock in these refugia and avail themselves of the microfauna. Still, such a theory begs the question as to how such a culture developed. The Solutrean theory has been influential in answering this question, a fact that may seem paradoxical—and startling—to those familiar with its line of reasoning: the Clovis people were actually Solutreans, an ancient seafaring culture along the Iberian peninsula, who had—astoundingly given the time period—crossed into the Americas via the Atlantic ocean. Could not a similar Siberian culture, if not the pre-Clovis people themselves, have displayed equal nautical sophistication?

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -This is a detail question and paying attention to wtf is actually being said at each paragraph and debated at each level -The entire passage asks how pre-Clovis would've made the trip across the strait? -The second paragraph said that because they were good at maritime -The third paragraph says that "CLOVIS" were good at maritime which means that this person is using something that is used for evidence for pre-Clovis to describe the Clovis in order to arrive that Pre-Clovis could've arrived first. So it is paradoxical and startling

*If you use logic to come to an answer choice, do what that logic tells you no questions asked. That is what the GRE is after in the first place.* If it is true that a trade network between pre-Clovis people had been established, then which of the following could be expected to be found at settlements near Monte Verde? A) Other villages that have been preserved in a peat bog B) Plants species similar to those uncovered at Monte Verde C) The same number of wooden stakes for supporting dwellings Even if one subscribes to this line of reasoning, the "Clovis first" school still have an objection: proponents of a pre-Clovis people rely solely on the Monte Verde site in Chile, a site so far south that its location begs yet another question: What of the 6,000 miles of coastline between the ice corridor and Monte Verde? Besides remains found in a network of caves in Oregon, there has been scant evidence of a pre-Clovis people. Nonetheless, Meade and Pizinsky claim that a propitious geologic accident could account for this discrepancy: Monte Verde was located near a peat bog that essentially fossilized the village. Archaeologists uncovered two wooden stakes, which, at one time, were used in twelve huts. Furthermore, plant species associated with areas 150 miles away were found, suggesting a trade network. These findings indicate that the Clovis may not have been the first to people the Americas, yet more excavation, both in Monte Verde and along the coast, must be conducted in order to determine the extent of pre-Clovis settlements in the Americas.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -I picked B because that is obvious and implies trade and existence of pre-Clovis people -I had picked C but rejected it because we could have wooden stakes BUT we don't need the "same number of wooden stake" -I had not picked A initially because it just talks about the geological preservation of a place that had pre-Clovis people. It's not saying that all the preserved place would serve as evidence simply that the place we know to be the evidence was buried. This was my reasoning for not picking this in the first place but I went back and picked it for some stupid reason anyways.

The author of the passage would take exception to all of the following statements regarding Libard's response to the existence of dual endings to Don Giovanni EXCEPT? A) Libard's explanations of Don Giovanni's multiple endings are not uniform in their usefulness. B) Libard offers little insight into both of the questions posed in the first paragraph. C) Libard's understanding of 18th century audiences is flawed. D) Libard's interpretation of the tragic ending to Don Giovanni has more in common with that of Lucien than with that of Lorenzo Da Ponte. E) Libard's views, while not entirely accurate, are consistently probing. A common answer is to treat both these questions as one: Mozart was uncertain as to which ending to provide, so he wrote both endings. Such a reply ignores an important consideration: Why did Mozart decide to provide these specific endings? Libard provides a reasonable answer: The traditional ending—in the sense that it is the one that was popular during the composer's day and continues to be so today—is clearly more palatable for audiences. The hero, Don Giovanni, is chided for his libertine ways and then the cast appears in tutti, bellowing a merry chorus as the curtain falls. The audience is left having a light dose of entertainment, which, after all, was the aim of many of the operas of Mozart's time. Fine, but then what of the tragic ending? Libard—trading the sensible for the pat—offers little more than that such an ending reflects the political climate of the day.

*I missed this* Level: Very Hard -The key is to decode this question which says essential, all of these are false except? Or The author agrees with which of the following? -I narrowed down to A and E. E wrong because the views are NOT consistently probing (also there is nothing about inaccuracy). -A makes sense, Libard gives one good answer and then gives one which doesn't provide my help -When you narrow down and are not really sure of either you really have to find the objective detail and see which of the following could work *Key could be to read through all of the choices quickly and cross off all the things are the obviously wrong on the first read through.* *When given multiple things to consider like choice E, you have break things into pieces and see if each one is ABSOLUTELY correct.* Even if I thought "consistently probing" "entirely accurate" should've given me a red flag.

*Strategy: For primary purpose only pay attention to the beginning paragraph and see what answer you come up with.* The primary purpose of the passage is to A) provide a brief account of a common economic trend B) discuss the development of and reactions to an economic policy C) chronicle the ascendancy of an idea in economics D) illustrate the shortcomings in multiple theories E) argue for greater governmental control of the economy

*I missed this.* The US Constitution established both gold and silver as the basis of US currency: that is to say, it established a bimetallic standard for currency. This remained in place for about a century, until the Coinage Act of 1873, which embraced a "gold only" standard, a monometallic standard, effectively dropping silver as the basis of currency. Over the next several decades, advocates of bimetallism and advocates of the "gold only" standard fiercely debated. -Based off of this we know that the RC will deal with bimetallism and we know an act has been passed. And based off the last sentence that it will compare and contrast the pros/cons of this system and policy. Based off this alone what seems the right answer? B

Which of the following can be substantiated based on information found in the passage? A) Scientists consider evidence based on computer simulations sufficient for backing up a theory. B)The Pteranodon had other adaptations, besides the ability to retract its wrists, that allowed it to walk. C) Even if a theory is compelling that theory should not be immune to analysis.

-Another (pick all that are true) but very subtle -"A" can be substantiated with "However, the latest computer simulations suggest that the Pteranodon, a pterosaur with a wingspan of up to 25-feet long..." -"C" can be substantiated with: "One theory is that walking allowed it to forage for food on the ground... Another explanation is that..." -The key seems to be to assume that the options listed are true and then find any way via the passage to substantiate the choices. Question yourself, if your example does exactly what the option is saying or find something that matches that option! Most of the time the choice will be right based on the subtle hints rather than explicit ones

*Strategy: Questions of this type can be answered by looking at the beginning of the passage.* People associate global warming with temperature, but the phrase is misleading—it fails to mention the relevance of water... The passage is primarily concerned with A) arguing how the world's hydrological cycle is irrevocably changing B) highlighting the inadequacy of relying on last century's hydrological cycle C) discussing the consequences of decreased water supply in dams D) warning against the unrestrained exploitation of natural resources E) describing how the Earth's water will be affected by global warming

-Based off this alone, the answer has to be E

Which of the following would constitute evidence against Turcotte's model? A) the success of gradualist models explaining the surface of Mars B) an even more detailed map of the surface of Venus C) an even longer river of lava on Io, a moon of Jupiter D) a few active volcanoes on Ishtar Terra, a continent on Venus E) a volcano on Earth releasing a massive burst of thermal energy all at once

-Here E is completely wrong because we need something about Venus and it is talking about Earth (pay attention to these to eliminate readily)

*Strategy: Reading Comprehension is all about substantiating from the paragraph. Locate what a specific thing is mentioned and see if you can find the clue to the question there.* ...Had Walter Alvarez not asked his father, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Luis Alvarez, how long the clay had taken to deposit, the younger Alvarez may not have thought to use iridium... The Alvarezes reasoned that if the clay layer had taken a significant amount of time to deposit, it would contain detectable levels of iridium... According to the passage, it can most likely be inferred that iridium A) can be used by scientists to determine the duration of an event B) causes mass extinctions in a short period C) gathers excessively in clay deposits D) helps scientists determine the orientation of the magnetic field E) leads to inaccurate conclusions regarding the chronology of an event

-Here it is clear that Alvarez thought of iridium because he wanted to find out "how long the clay had taken to deposit" - "A" fits this the best -B is irrelevant and not true, C is correct but it is not the answer to why Alvarez wanted to use it and not its true purpose of mention in the RC, D is irrelevant and wrong, E is definitely wrong

Which of the following, if true, seriously weakens the arguments in the passage? Choose two choices A) Children who have difficulty in playing an instrument diminish their interest in music B) Playing an instrument and learning historical musical facts are only a part of why someone will enjoy music later in life C) Students who are talented in another area such as mathematics will primarily develop an interest in that area

-Here the point is to identify what the actual conclusion is and write it down if you must! -The passage said that playing an instrument should lead to a person liking classical music -In A the child does what is required "play an instrument" but still doesn't like the music (the child did as told but just because he/she was bad at it doesn't make that action invalid -- the point is that the action did not lead to a love of classical music) -C is wrong but can be misleading (this might better be avoided by identifying the conclusion first -- if the choice doesn't talk about the conclusion at all (in this case classical music and playing an instrument and learning the facts) then it is wrong). Also just because a person likes one thing such as math and develops an interest in it doesn't mean that he/she can't develop an interest for another thing (if the answer had said that specifically then it would have been the right choice). Keep this *fallacy* in mind

It can be inferred that the greenhouse roof is designed to allow for which of the following? A) The avoidance of tense solar heat B) The entry of sunlight in the greenhouse to make the plants grow C) The mixture of heated air with greenhouse air to enhance the collection of moisture

-Here the thing to do was for me to check "if the roof were not there would the processes that follow still occur" and the answer was no -For inference questions that might be a good strategy, to ask if the inference was not valid would the conclusions of the passage still follow?

The primary purpose of the passage is to A) recommend a particular means of learning about a complex phenomenon B) point out the shortcomings in a line of research C) explain a process and discuss why one approach will not yield desirable results D) prescribe an approach to understand with greater specificity a physiological process E) warn researchers against relying on a specific methodology

-Here the trick again was to summarize myself before attempting the answer choices -The first paragraph talked about steps (or process) that the people followed to decipher some sort of a signal and the second one talked about how this process is not enough to get to the nuances of the signal C works the best -A could be right but there is no recommendation simply listing out steps and also it misses the second important point -B is too strict, the passage isn't solely about pointing out shortcoming that's only a small part of it -D is wrong because we aren't even examining "physiological" or physical processes just a signal -E is wrong because the passage doesn't serve a warning at all

1) self-consciousness about the tenuous nature of representations 2) a critical contextualization of florid detail 3) a self-awareness of the role of ideology in our lives The author of the passage suggests that A Dream falls short in which of the following respects? A) It does not appear to recognize that representations of reality can be unreliable B) It seems to focus on stylistic variety at the expense of accuracy of detail C) It offers a wealth of detail without sufficient critical examination of that detail

-I usually tend to miss the (select all the apply) -I've noticed that the answer choices are not exactly worded in the same way and that can throw me off; in these instances if the choice is close to what is being said pick it! -"contextualization" vs "examination" both mean the same thing here

Which statement is true according to the passage? A) America is a land of intellectuals B) The signers of the Declaration of Independence were well educated C) Jefferson and Lincoln were revolutionaries D) Adaptability is a characteristic of American political science E) Europeans are confused by American politics

-Lower down to two choices: A and D -A is too much of an overstatement in this case -Also the passage switched points quite a bit, when this occurs label each paragraph according to what it talks about

According to the passage intellectuals who pave the way for revolutionaries are usually A) honored B) misunderstood C) destroyed D) forgotten E) elected to office

-The passage used the word "devouring" -Here the best answer to fit this is C which I narrowed down to along with D but didn't choose -In these types of instances never doubt your strong feelings for an answer... I tried to make "forgotten" work for me rather than picking the right answer -Pick the answer you come up with and move on...

The two parts in parentheses serve to do which of the following? A) Summarize two claims that the author of the passage ultimately repudiates. B) Highlight commonalities between birds and dinosaurs. C) Provide rebuttals to commonly held views regarding physical aspects of dinosaurs. D) Describe a recent theory that the author of the passage supports. E) Furnish information regarding contradictory notions of dinosaur behavior.

-This is a good example of how to eliminate choices based on breaking them down -*A good technique is to always use pen and pencil to label and write out about what the answer should be.* -Look at E it talks about "dinosaur behavior" and we are dealing with physical attributes and so E can be eliminated

Apparently, the author believes that boxing crowds find the referee both A) gentlemanly and boring B) entertaining and essential C) blind and careless D) humorous and threatening E) necessary and bothersome

-This is just an example of what you should do when stuck between two choices (A and E) Plan: -Here I could find the proof to bothersome but not the necessary part -The other choice just didn't seem to make sense but I kept trying to "try" to make it the right choice -Ultimately I made the right decision... Always w/o second thoughts go with the answer which you can substantiate the most for

Another explanation is that flying was the evolutionary advantage conferred upon these creatures: in times of scarcity, a flying creature has access to a far greater abundance of fauna than does one limited to terrestrial movement. In the sentence, "Another explanation is that flying was the evolutionary advantage...", the author implies that A) most flying dinosaurs underwent similar transformations B) only a theory that accounts for the scarcity of resources can account for the physiological adaptations of the Pteranodon C) dinosaurs only underwent evolutionary change if doing so provided an obvious advantage D) the Pteranodon had originally only been able to walk before evolving the ability to fly E) the Pteranodon would be able to access sufficient food while in flight

-This one was tricky and really involved close reading -The question gives you what part you need to read, when this happens the answer can be determined solely from that part (unlike TCs). So DO NOT start looking all over the place to get the answer, it'll only waste time -Here try to rephrase what the part is telling you: -Another explanation that: flying was the evolutionary part, when in need that flying creature has greater access to food than an animal who can only walk. In other words walking animals must have evolved to fly! -Choice "D" is then the right answer

It can be inferred from the passage that the metabolic costs of an activity during the middle of the day are A) similar to the metabolic costs of activity during the evening B) the same as the cost of metabolic activity at night C) higher than metabolic costs of activity in the morning D) low and constant, regardless of behavior E) typically lower, depending on the activity One reptile that scientists understand better is the desert lizard, which is active during the morning at relatively low body temperatures (usually 33.0 C), inactive during midday when external temperatures are extreme, and active in the evening at body temperatures of 37.0 C.

-This was tough because there was nothing clear in the passage that led to an answer -Here we have to make an inference and the best inferences are those that are broad enough to not be perceived as wrong -That being said, C is the right answer because we are told that in the morning body temperatures are low (and in the evening the body temperatures are high, which leads to higher metabolic activity). So we can make an inference that during the morning when temp is low it, metabolic costs are lower. -We can't saying anything else so A can't be right, we can't be sure about B (*I noticed also that A and B are too similar), D can't be right, E is wrong since we know the temperatures are high during the day and that probably means more cost -The part in the passage can be deciphered as: in the morning temperatures are low so the reptiles are active, middle of the day they aren't active, and in the evening the temp of their body is higher but still active. So they must not be active in the middle of the day since the cost must be higher

Strategy: Question Type "According to the Passage..."

For this type of question, unless you absolutely know the answer, *look for it in the passage*; it will/should be explicitly mentioned in the passage to be the correct answer.

As used in the passage, the word "dissimulation" connotes a sense of A) deliberate malice B) outright audacity C) hidden deception D) unfeigned delight E) implied criticism

I like to think of the essays as a kind of thriller; with Myself, the elusive prey, and Montaigne, the sleuth, locked in a battle of equals who were too close for dissimulation and too smart for satisfaction. -Here I didn't read around too much and just focused on the sentence. This is a good strategy for these types of questions. Since something else in the other sentences can throw you off. Here the only choice that makes sense is C. The two things were too "close" or "familiar" with each other to deceive each other. There is nothing to suggest malice or boldness, or delight, or criticism.

The author of the passage implies that had the lull in the Thirty Year's War ceased more abruptly then A) the tulip mania would have likely spread throughout other parts of Europe B) the price of tulips would not have become separated from the intrinsic worth of the flower C) the price of the tulips would have fallen at a similar rate, if not even more steeply D) the drop in the number of tulips traded would not have been as significant E) the aristocracy would have likely suffered significant losses as a result of the tulip trade ...the increases of the 1630s corresponded with a lull in the Thirty Years' War, which occurred between 1618 and 1648. Hence market prices were responding rationally to a rise in demand. However, the fall in prices was faster and more dramatic than the rise, and did not result from a sudden resurgence in the war.

Level: Hard *This highlights the point about paying attention to only what comes after what is mention* -Based off the last sentence we can translate that the prices had risen as the war had abated and there was more demand. But the drop in prices was really fast and did not result because of a "sudden" resurgence in the war. So... even if the lull in war were abruptly ceased, the prices would have dropped as they had (swiftly) -C makes sense. If I had read before this part then I would have gotten confused with B as I did...

Which of the following regarding Dickens can be inferred from the passage? A) He was aware of the stylistic conventions of his time. B) He preferred to be exhaustive rather than selective. C) He greatly influenced James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. Dickens is so brilliant a stylist, his vision of the world so idiosyncratic and yet so telling, that one might say that his subject is his unique rendering of his subject, in an echo of Rothko's statement, "The subject of the painting is the painting"—except of course, Dickens's great subject was nothing so subjective or so exclusionary, but as much of the world as he could render. If Dickens's prose fiction has "defects"—excesses of melodrama, sentimentality, contrived plots, and manufactured happy endings—these are the defects of his era, which for all his greatness Dickens had not the rebellious spirit to resist; he was at heart a crowd-pleaser, a theatrical entertainer, with no interest in subverting the conventions of the novel as his great successors D.H. Lawrence, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf would have; nor did he contemplate the subtle and ironic counterminings of human relations in the way of George Eliot and Thomas Hardy, who brought to the English novel an element of nuanced psychological realism not previously explored. Yet among English writers Dickens is, as he once called himself, part-jesting and part-serious, "the inimitable."

Level: Hard -A is obvious -B is was a little unsure about but went with it because I was able to find an explicit clue and it was close enough to the answer choice. *The answer choice for the hard questions will not be exactly as you intended but will have more verbiage or phrase differently but they will maintain the same meaning.*

It can be inferred from the passage that Zwicky hypothesized the existence of "dark matter" in order to account for A) the speed in which galaxies are moving away from one another B) the manner in which large galaxies tend to clump together C) the great distance between certain galaxies D) a phenomenon that visible matter alone is unable to explain E) the behavior of galaxies outside of great clusters In the 1930's, Zwicky traced the motions of individual galaxies within great clusters of galaxies and made a remarkable discovery: the individual galaxies are moving too fast to be held together in a cluster by the force of gravity exerted by the starry matter visible within them.

Level: Hard -Basically I came up with an answer first, which was that Z can't explain how the galaxies move to fast but are still held together -A and B are trap answers; the passage doesn't talk about the galaxies from each other, B is wrong because he isn't talking about the structure and "clumping together" of galaxies; instead he uses dark matter to suggest that something else is at play and so D makes sense

It can be inferred that in contrast to the universities mentioned, most other African universities have A) been underfunded to the point that they are unable to conduct rigorous studies on meteorites B) shown no interest in pursuing the study of meteorites C) most likely contaminated the tools they use to gather information concerning impact sites D) displayed less expertise regarding the study of meteorites E) been more meticulous in documenting the details of meteorites impact sites As with impact structures, studies of African meteorites, as well as expeditions dedicated to the search for meteorites, have in the past generally been directed by non-African institutions. Obviously this has a lot to do with availability of funding for such work. It is, however, strongly felt that the widely noted lack of knowledge about the importance of the study of meteorites, of how to identify them, and of impact structures also contributes to this one-sided research situation...... *Contamination from metal tools and chemical reagents must be avoided. That said, a small number of scientists, for example at the Universities of Cape Town, Cairo, and of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, have in the past actively studied meteorites. While these institutions display requisite expertise for the task, they tend to work in isolation.*

Level: Hard -Focus only on the part being mentioned. Here there question is asking about universities that are mentioned and asking us to make an inference about those that aren't -The last part talks about universities that are actually mentioned and says that they actually have the skill to examine meteorites correctly and so most other universities are probably no up to part with this expertise so C is the right answer -Now if you did not only pay attention to the relevant part (the last paragraph) you would be stuck between A and C. While A is correct it doesn't talk about "mentioned universities" only institutions in Africa in general -Magoosh says that A could be correct but the last part of the answer about it not being rigorous is not right... But really the best way to avoid these traps is to focus on the area that is necessary and use that to answer the question. The choice may not sit well but know that it is most likely the right answer. The questions that require you to use the entire paragraph are usually about "tone" and "primary purpose" of the passage

The passage provides support for which of the following? A) The right to privacy, not mentioned at all in the Bill of Rights, must have its constitutional basis in the Ninth Amendment. B) Madison would have been in favor of women's right to vote. C) Certain parts of the Bill of Rights are open to divergent interpretations. D) Twentieth-century amendments that explicitly added new rights weakened the Ninth Amendment. In the absence of the Ninth Amendment, the American E) Federal Government would have interpreted the list of rights in the Bill of Rights as setting a strict limit on the possible rights that American citizens could enjoy.

Level: Hard -Here I picked C because it was the most comprehensive BUT more importantly because it was my first choice and I couldn't find a way to cross it off -A is wrong because maybe something else accounts for it -We do not know if E is necessarily true. Maybe they would have, maybe they wouldn't have.

The function of the lines beginning with "Melville substituted dialogue..." is to illustrate the way in which Melville A) adhered to the structure of the novel prevalent during his time B) used a variety of different forms in his novel C) questioned a particular genre of writing D) approached writing in way different from Philbrick E) ineffectively subverted a conventional approach to writing According to Philbrick, Melville, in his rightly lionized novel, "Moby Dick", challenged the form of the novel decades before James Joyce, and a century before Thomas Pynchon or David Foster Wallace. Calling for tools befitting the ambition of his task — "Give me a condor's quill! Give me Vesuvius's crater for an ink stand!" — *Melville substituted dialogue and stage direction for a chapter's worth of prose. He halted the action to include a parody of the scientific classification of whales, a treatise on the whale as represented in art, a meditation on the complexity of rope, whatever snagged his attention.*

Level: Hard -Here I was stuck between B and C. But this highlights one of the most important rules of GRE. *Focus only on the lines that the questions asks you to focus on.* -By focusing only on the bold part we can see that these are examples of a variety of different forms or ways of writing. If we read the entire paragraph we may be stuck between B and C like I was because it talks about Melville challenging the form of a novel. But if we focus only on the bold we see the answer can't be anything but B.

Strategy: *Be sure to look all over for something that will help you, especially shorter passages. Look for synonyms "coherent/clearly" matched with "clarity".* The author objects to the five-paragraph essay as a means of instilling certain positive writing habits on the grounds that it does which of the following? A) It limits a student's ability to engage in sustained inquiry. B) It enforces certain modes of writing that are not able to tolerate ambiguity. C) It fails to provide a coherent structure in which students can clearly state their ideas. The problem with treating the five-paragraph essay form as a relatively benign aid to clarity is that like any habit it is very hard to break. Students who can not break the habit remain handicapped because five-paragraph form runs counter to virtually all of the values and attitudes that they need in order to grow as writers and thinkers—such as respect for complexity, tolerance of uncertainty, and the willingness to test and complicate rather than just assert ideas. The form actually discourages thinking by conditioning writers to be afraid of looking closely at evidence. If they look too closely, they might find something that does not fit, at which point the prefabricated organizational scheme falls apart. But it is precisely the something-that-doesn't-seem-to-fit, the thing writers call a "complication", that triggers good ideas.

Level: Hard -Here after reading the passage thoroughly I immediately picked A and B to be true -I went back and was a bit iffy about C because of "If they look too closely, they might find something that does not fit, at which point the prefabricated organizational scheme falls apart." But C is talking about a coherent structure in which students can clearly state ideas and C is talking about what happens when they dig up something that doesn't match with what they think. At that point the organization falls apart. *But this doesn't say anything about the 5-point form not being coherent and clear.* Simply that the organization doesn't hold up. Also the author actually says that he 5-point structure aids in "clarity" at the beginning of the paragraph.

The author of the passage believes that William Jennings Bryant's argument that a gold standard favors the rich to be A) somewhat relevant, because it accounts for a common trend seen throughout the history of bimetallism B) lacking validity, because it believes increasing the money supply will benefit a segment of the population C) without merit, because it is not based on actual historical accounts D) not entirely accurate, because it overemphasizes the role of silver in regulating the money supply E) partially correct, because it described some of the class differences between the rich and the poor Despite the eloquence of Bryant's arguments, history strongly favored the "gold-only" standard. The argument that increasing the money supply would lead to greater prosperity strikes us now as naïve: of course, we now understand that increasing the monetary supply can lead to runaway inflation, which hurts everyone.

Level: Hard -I first phrased the answer in my own words and then looked at the choices the mirrored that. The paraphrased answer choice is that WJB is wrong since an increase in the money supply will end up hurting everyone B comes closest to that since WJB argued that the gold standard lowered the money supply and favored the wealthy.

In the view of James Madison and the other Founding Fathers, the Ninth Amendment limits the power of the central federal government by A) preventing constitutionally listed rights from being viewed as exhaustive B) giving the citizens rights in every area not explicitly addressed by the law C) codifying a vast universe of federally enforceable rights D) guaranteeing, in the text of US Constitution, all rights held by Natural Rights Theory E) ensuring all citizens are able to vote and, thus, choose the democratic leaders

Level: Hard -I had narrowed down to A and B but this is another example of why B is wrong. It uses too strong a language by using "every" -Beware of "any, every, all, none" type answer choices

According to the passage "the American conception of what happiness is" at least partially results from A) opposing points of view B) disputes amongst academicians C) historical documents D) only one prominent school of thought E) popular forms of entertainment But from even just a synopsis of the conflicts that gave rise to today's culture of psychotherapy — battles over who would hold the truest title to physician of the mind, tensions between scientists and clinicians, academics and professionals, elites and the public — we can see more clearly how psychotherapy has profoundly shaped the American conception of what happiness is and how we can achieve it.

Level: Hard -I narrowed down to A and B -B is wrong because it only focuses on a specific part but there are multiple groups disputing and so B can't be the answer since it is not holistic enough -A works well because it is talking about titles and tensions among a group of people

Which of the following best accounts for why sculpture is not amenable to digitized form? A) A multiplicity of viewpoints can be bewildering and lead to divergent interpretations. B) Paintings and sculptures undergo a similar diminished impact when seen as an image devoid of body. C) Sculpture primarily exerts its influence through its sheer physicality. D) The material world deals in fleeting images, whereas art can only be appreciated by recognizing the physical products that comprise any given work of art. E) Sculpture is even more poorly suited for a digital medium than is art that provides us with an ostensibly two-dimensional image. The digital revolution has given us, for the first time, the image in its pure form, an image without body. The image conveyed by a painting, on the other hand, is always a material entity, however unobtrusive, a particular thing made out of pigments, binders and a support. Sculpture, in turn, is often far more physically obtrusive than painting, and to the extent that it offers a multiplicity of possible viewpoints, it generates many images, but typically none of them are the image of the work. The physical impression a sculpture makes is more powerful than its imagistic content, which seems merely transitory by comparison. The digitization of culture has only made this more evident.

Level: Hard -I narrowed down to C and E and ultimately chose C. The passage was too abstract to make full sense of but the distinction that I arrived at was that paintings at least are fixed, sculpture "in turn"... Meaning that paintings can be copied but sculpture on the other hand is "obtrusive", "images can't get the multiple angles", and "physical impression". I couldn't find a way to eliminate C even though I questioned it and E didn't make as strong a claim as C. E is true but C actually says why you can't digitize the sculpture. -B is wrong because the two aren't "similar", instead the sculptures are far more physically obtrusive

How would the author of the passage rebut the contention that the reader can arbitrarily impute negative qualities or characteristics to the writer? A) The writer, through his or her works, is the one who creates a fabricated image of him- or herself. B) The reader can be mistaken in his or her perception of the writer's inner life. C) Often the author is very similar to the person he or she projects on the page. D) The writer changes too often for a reader to have a solid grasp as to who the writer really was. E) Our figments can often misrepresent the writer's literary aims. So this is what I am conveying in the case of Virginia Woolf, when I say I am "imagining" Virginia Woolf. I do not mean by this that I am making her up or attributing qualities to her that she may not indeed possess. Quite the opposite. It is Woolf who makes things up, who makes herself up—that is what it means, at a very fundamental level, to have an imagination and to use it in your writing.

Level: Hard -The best way to tackle this was to paraphrase all the main points in the passage itself and come up with my own answer and I knew based of the passage and paraphrased the relevant part that A worked best

The primary purpose of the passage is to A) describe the difference between REM sleep and non-REM sleep in regards to learning B) explore the implications of an experiment on the consolidation of memory during non-REM sleep C) illustrate the effects of sleep on learning D) repudiate several claims made by sleep researchers E) discuss how specific results were obtained using a new means of dealing with a hitherto difficult problem

Level: Medium -Here I focused on eliminating which were incorrect as opposed to which was completely right -E works because all parts of it are based on the passage (Initially I thought it too specific but no part of this choice is incorrect) -A and B are *too specific* and these things are only mentioned as part of the passage and not its main point -C is too vague and also not correct... The point of the passage is to show how learning is generated during sleep not the effect of sleep on learning

The example of Winston Churchill siding with Joseph Stalin best serves to undermine which of the following views? A) Soldiers involved in World War II were motivated to fight for their leaders. B) Beevor's thesis was not entirely plausible. C) Any sweeping interpretation of World War II tends to elude historians. D) The war was mostly fought along ideological lines. E) The Japanese were less influenced by ideology than Beevor claims.

Level: Medium -Narrowed down to B and D -B is wrong because we want the opposite of that. The example is serving to undermine "Beevor's thesis" not to undermine that fact that Beevor's thesis was "not" entirely plausible. Undermining B would mean the example is used to support the thesis but that's the opposite we want. -So D is right and there is evidence for it in the passage

Meanwhile the sea level will continue to rise as temperatures warm, accelerating saline contamination of freshwater aquifers and river deltas. The temperature will cause increased evaporation, which in turn will lead to a greater incidence of drought. Based on information in the second paragraph, which of the following can best be supported? A) Precipitation across different latitudes can differ significantly. B) An increase in soil moisture can have devastating effects on agriculture. C) Increased temperatures at sea level can affect the highest altitudes. D) Saline contamination mostly results from an increase in sea levels. E) Hydrological activity at one elevation has little to no effect on hydrological activity at another elevation.

Level: Medium -The main thing here is to see why D is wrong; and the reason is that the effects are ambiguous, is it the temperature of the rising sea level or both in conjunction that are causing this to happen? -On the other hand, the reasoning for A is objective and easily found in the passage, which shows how precipitation can differ in multiple latitudes

Which of the following best parallels the relationship between Charles-Edwards's and John Morris's interpretations regarding the existence of King Arthur? A) An ancient historical document is transcribed by three scholars, each of whom have similar translations but divergent interpretations. B) According to one archaeologist recent evidence unearthed at a dig suggests that North America may have been populated earlier than thought, while another archaeologist says that the evidence is too insubstantial to say for certain whether this is the case. C) Radio static picked up from distant space was thought to not follow a typical pattern, and therefore was thought by some scientists as indicative of other life forms, an interpretation that another group of scientists dismissed outright. D) A team of marine biologists recently found a prehistoric fish thought extinct for thousands of years. E) A work thought to be that of a Flemish master, upon being exposed as a forgery, was nonetheless bought by a museum claiming that the work was indeed the original.

Level: Medium This again is one where I first broke down what the question was asking and then looked for the explicit clues and tried to frame them into an answer. "The latest research shows that the Annales Cambriae was based on a chronicle begun in the late 8th century in Wales. Additionally, the complex textual history of the Annales Cambriae precludes any certainty that the Arthurian annals were added to it even that early. They were more likely added at some point in the 10th century and may never have existed in any earlier set of annals. This lack of convincing early evidence is the reason many recent historians exclude Arthur from their accounts of post-Roman Britain. In the view of historian Thomas Charles-Edwards there may well have been an historical Arthur, but a historian can as yet say nothing of value about him. These modern admissions of ignorance are a relatively recent trend; earlier generations of historians were less skeptical. Historian John Morris made the putative reign of Arthur the organizing principle of his history of post-Roman Britain and Ireland." This was the clue and the second part I understood to be that TCE is willing to admit that there may have been such a person but was skeptical about his impact on history. JM on the other hand always thought Arthur was important. And the paragraph preceding this talked about the timeline not lining up. B came the closest to this. -C could be right but "another group of scientists dismissed it outright" is wrong since TCE does admit there is some evidence of the person

The primary purpose of the passage is to A) discredit the findings of a study due to flaws in the design of the study B) point out a factor that may modify the extent of certain findings C) show how results in a finding were unintentionally fabricated D) bolster an argument concerning the interaction of learning and caffeine intake E) expand on several oversights of a noteworthy study

Level: Medium This one ultimately boiled down to me coming up with an answer and then looking for the closest answer A is too intense and wrong, C doesn't make sense and E doesn't make sense since the point of the article isn't to expand on "oversights" (things that one may have missed) and "noteworthy" is too strong a word for the studying which is still in its beginning stages. D is wrong

Which of the following is NOT an assumption that Gall makes regarding the relation between a person's aptitude and personality traits, and that person's brain? A) Each bump in the skull corresponds to a distinct part of the brain, which is responsible for a personality trait. B) The more a person develops a certain ability the more an area of that person's skull will protrude. C) There are certain personality traits that do not manifest themselves in the shape of a person's skull. D) One can judge a person's character simply by looking at the shape of the person's skull. E) The diseased brain lends no useful insight into a person's typical behavior.

Level: Medium -Here, I narrowed down to C and D; my initial intuition is C but I first had to eliminate D to be sure -I also knew that I had to look in the paragraph to get an explicit thing that I could point to and so... This is what I found: *The idea that all mental functions are derived from the brain originated with Hippocrates, but it was largely neglected until the late 18th century, when Franz Gall attempted to link psychology and brain science.* This in another way suggests that every mental function or capability, etc. can be explained by the brain and so D has its support. -C doesn't have a support because nowhere is it mentioned that Gall said that he believed that he couldn't find a protrusion that didn't explain behavior

According to the passage, children cannot learn from a process of imitation alone for which of the following reasons? [A] Children copy adults even when adults intentionally use incorrect verb endings. [B] When children are prompted to repeat a verb that follows an irregular ending they are unable to do so. [C] Children tend to generate verb endings, that while incorrect, follow an established pattern.

Level: Medium -I think I'm learning the lesson here about picking all those that work -C is obvious, B is slightly changed from the actual paragraph... "The other kind of evidence is based on the way children seem unable to imitate adult grammatical constructions exactly, even when invited to do so." -What B does is give a specific example of the generality in the statement but is in fact correct and so I picked it; the choices in the GRE are not going to be exactly phrased like the passage

Demotic Greek (language of the people) is the modern vernacular form of the Greek language, and refers particularly to the form of the language that evolved naturally from ancient Greek... The passage supports which of the following regarding Demotic Greek? A) It shares many common features with Katharevousa B) It can be traced back to ancient Greek C) It does not represent an example of diglossia D) It does not relate to the social context E) It is synonymous with modern Greek

Level: Medium -The key is to find the evidence in the passage but... you've read the passage correctly then you see that: -A is wrong because Katharevousa shares commonalities with Demotic Greek not the other way around -B is correct since it is mentioned in the first paragraph -C is wrong because two languages do occupy the same time and thus diglossia exists -D is off the rockers wrong -E is just plain wrong since the passage mentions that Demotic Greek is NOT synonymous with modern Greek

Select a sentence in the passage whose function is to describe the manner in which a writer resigns him- or herself to writing for the present. ...That leaves the present as the only audible judge of his work; but the present is made up of precisely the people whom the writer cannot live among, which is why he subtracts himself from the actual world in order to deposit a version of himself in his writing. The approbation of the living is thus meaningful to a writer only insofar as he can convince himself that it is a proxy for the approbation of the past or the future—insofar as it becomes metaphorical.

Level: Medium -The key is to focus on "the *manner* in which the writer resigns himself to the present". The first sentence here does that since it says "that leaves the present as the only audible judge"; in other words "the present is the only viable option"; The "manner" in which the author achieves this is by "subtracting himself form the present" -The last sentence gives more reason as to why the present is the only viable option so it is supporting the first sentence but is not the original declaration or reason of why the author says the present is the only option to write for. The last sentence also does not "describe a manner"

*Strategy: For questions like this, focus only on the one or two sentences that come before the sentence under examination.* Which of the following best describes the primary function of the third sentence ("The Coatzacoalcos...plain")? A) To call into question information mentioned in the sentence that immediately precedes it. B) To introduce the role meteorological conditions played in the change in crop subsistence patterns. C) To highlight evidence offered up by most scholarship on the disappearance of the Olmec. D) To provide a specific example supporting a hypothesis that differs from that mentioned in the first sentence. E) To indicate how major geographical changes affected the Olmec's ability to govern effectively.

Level: Medium Most scholarship into the sudden disappearance of the Olmec civilization 2,500 years ago has focused on the change in meteorological conditions favorable to subsistence crops. Much of this research, though, has overlooked the role that changing geography, most notably the course of rivers, played. The Coatzacoalcos River, the main river passing through La Venta, could have had notable tributaries diverted as a result of climate change, leading to not only severe flooding in certain areas, but also to a lack of sufficient water for subsistence crops planted near the erstwhile alluvial plain... D makes the most sense since it is the most comprehensive and gets the interpretation correct

Based on the passage, the way science has progressed, according to the first sentence, is ironic in that A) this process could break down when we try to understand our universe B) many phenomena in the universe once thought of as accidents can be explained according to fundamental laws C) science has not always been able to explain phenomena by understanding their causal nature D) though it originally applied to readily observable phenomena now applies to something as vast as the very universe E) few had anticipated that science would evolve in such a direction

Level: Very Hard -B false this the the opposite of what we are going for -C false that is not why this is ironic -D false not true at all -E we don't know about that -A makes sense since it is ironic that we thought these weren't random through our processes but they actually are random

Regarding coffee's effectiveness on memory amongst those who do not display "sensitivities to caffeine," the author assumes that A) more rigorous analysis in the form of follow up studies must be conducted B) the researchers must be more forthcoming in their findings C) this group displayed a uniform tendency D) any positive effects will be negated by the effects exhibited by those with sensitivities to caffeine E) this effectiveness was fleeting, and tended to all but disappear within a week of the study

Level: Very Hard -Here I approached each choice with a logical mind after interpreting the meaning of the question, which wants us to focus only on the people that were not sensitive -A is wrong because that would be the case for people who are sensitive -B is wrong for the same reason as A -C I don't know D- not true since the studies are random and so the distribution is no 50-50 E- false, it is long lasting -So even though I didn't know C worked I knew that all the others didn't work

Montaigne's relationship to "Myself" is most similar to that of A) a detective who is finally able to apprehend a criminal B) a person who inspires a writer to create well-known works C) an athlete plagued by a nemesis who can always anticipate the next move D) a serial killer who deliberately leaves clues so that the police will find him E) an artist attempting a self-portrait that ends up looking different from the artist

Level: Very Hard -Here I relied on my interpretation of the passage -A is wrong because Myself is elusive and can't be pinned down -B there is nothing about inspiration of "well-known" works in the passage -D there is nothing about "clues" being left behind. Both are equal and one step ahead of the other -Myself is not described as being a self-representation but simply a character created from imagination (we also don't know if it looks different from the author)

According to the author of the passage, Temoshotka, in her estimation of Nabokov, does which of the following? A) Reconcile two antagonistic tendencies that coexisted in the author. B) Make a claim without providing any evidence to this claim. C) Present a thesis, that while at points valid, is overly ambitious.

Level: Very Hard -I used my logic and relied on it to get me to the right answer. When I do that I usually get them right. -A is wrong because of the word "antagonistic" -B is wrong because there are examples in the passage -C is very much correct

According to the passage, all of the following can account for Galileo's inability to identify Neptune as a planet EXCEPT? A) The direction in which Neptune rotates B) A shift in the orientation between Neptune and the Earth C) The almost indiscernible distance between Neptune and Jupiter D) The condition of Galileo's instruments E) The fact that Neptune's lack of motion suggested another celestial phenomenon Galileo's drawings show that he first observed Neptune in 1612, and again in 1613. On both occasions, Galileo mistook Neptune for a fixed star when it appeared very close—in conjunction—to Jupiter in the night sky; hence, he is not credited with Neptune's discovery. During the period of his first observation, Neptune was stationary in the sky because it had just turned retrograde that very day (retrograde refers to the apparent backward motion created when the orbit of the Earth takes it past an outer planet). Since Neptune was only beginning its yearly retrograde cycle, the motion of the planet was far too slight to be detected with Galileo's small telescope.

Level: Very Hard -I was between A and E and went with A; there is nothing which talks about "rotation" in the passage. You would try to assume it based off the second paragraph but that is an assumption. -E can be account for, since Neptune appeared stagnant and Galileo thought because of this Neptune is a star

It can be most reasonably inferred from the passage that in regard to the manner in which the Monte Verde village was preserved that A) unless evidence of other pre-Clovis people was fossilized the same way it was in Monte Verde, archaeologists will be unable to determine the extent of the settlement of pre-Clovis people B) major discoveries can sometimes result from random processes in the environment C) plant species can offer valuable clues into the origin of other pre-Clovis settlements D) sites dated from slightly after the period of the Clovis people did not offer archaeologists such a trove of information E) archaeologists are unlikely to find any other significant evidence of pre-Clovis people unless they venture as much as 150 miles from the site Even if one subscribes to this line of reasoning, the "Clovis first" school still have an objection: proponents of a pre-Clovis people rely solely on the Monte Verde site in Chile, a site so far south that its location begs yet another question: What of the 6,000 miles of coastline between the ice corridor and Monte Verde? Besides remains found in a network of caves in Oregon, there has been scant evidence of a pre-Clovis people. *Nonetheless, Meade and Pizinsky claim that a propitious geologic accident could account for this discrepancy: Monte Verde was located near a peat bog that essentially fossilized the village.* Archaeologists uncovered two wooden stakes, which, at one time, were used in twelve huts. Furthermore, plant species associated with areas 150 miles away were found, suggesting a trade network.

Level: Very Hard -The key was to read only the information that was given and nothing else (bolded), which says that the peat bog was a "propitious" or lucky/favorable thing, which helped to preserve the evidence -A is wrong - this is where you have to decide if there is an inferential leap. A is too strong it says that peat bog is the only way that other evidence was preserved and that doesn't have to be true -B makes sense -C, I knew immediately that this is a trap answer for those that read too much and not focus on the "manner in which the Monte Verde was preserved" -D, this isn't supported by the passage -E, this is untrue and tries to use some real information from the passage but in the wrong way

In the context in which it appears "register" most nearly means A) range B) record C) account D) language E) format Although we are offered a vivid picture of the single-handed daily management of a high-minded literary magazine, few of the Criterion letters are riveting or revelatory, and they are couched in a scrupulously courteous register that becomes wearisome when read in quantity.

Level: Very Hard -The words that I came up with were "prose" "way of talking/speaking" -My first choice was language but I thought maybe format could work (because of prose) -- ultimately I decided that I couldn't eliminate D since prose and way of speaking worked great with it and format didn't really have that same meaning

In the context in which it is used, 'betrayed' most nearly means A) denied B) offered up C) suggested D) acted traitorously E) leaked The clearest syrups and whitest sugars, which betrayed the least hint of their rustic origins, commanded premium prices.

Level: Very Hard -The words that I came up with were "revealed" or "showed". My first choice was C and I knew that if wanted to pick something else I would need to eliminate this one for sure. -Leaked seems like it could work but it is not close to the words that I came up with. Leaked could imply 1) leaking liquid or product or 2) leaking a secret but the second is a very specific use and in this case we are not talking about secrets.

Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage? A )Subjects only exhibit a learned response to a pleasant or unpleasant smell upon waking. B) The conditioning observed in the experiment tends to involve, almost exclusively, higher brain areas. C) The process of learning during sleep includes a combination of both REM and non-REM sleep.

Level: Very Hard -This is a good example of where it is key to look at details and if something is making an inferential leap -For B the key is "almost exclusively" while the passage mentions that it involves "some" higher parts of the brain. This is different than the Gall example which is does NOT make a strong claim is that *all* *any* "every* *only*. You may interpret and get caught in the trap by looking at too much information but the only questions which you need to make assumptions of judge the inferential leaps about are questions like this one

All of the following would help support Turcotte's contention that Venus' geology is quite different from every other geological entity in the solar system EXCEPT A) the size of the volcanoes on Venus B) the absence of oceans to provide erosion and weathering C) the rising temperature of the planet's core D) no natural satellite to induce continuous seismic forces E) a radioactive core that continues to generate great amounts of heat

Level: Very Hard -This was a good example of how I used my brain to figure this out even though none of the answer choices were that great -First thing to recognize was that Venus surface is all the same and so we need something that doesn't account for this -B and D obviously account for this. C and E are way too similar to cross off so I left them and went with the only answer I couldn't cross off A

According to the passage, as a result of stringent regulation of specific aspects of the production process other aspects of the production process are A) regulated slightly less B) adversely affected C) given undue consideration D) provided greater autonomy E) virtually overlooked

Level: medium -Narrowed down to C and E but the clue from the passage is "which means that some aspects of business are regulated tightly, although sometimes not cost-effectively, while others are [ignored]"; meaning they are not even give attention to... -E works best C would means that they are looked at but not that much, but we want something that says that are "not even looked at"

*Strategy: rephrase the question into something you can understand*

Select the sentence that describes a reason that psychotherapists were initially regarded as different by most. -This is basically asking "which sentence tells us why the psychotherapists were different from other people"

*Strategy: pick the option which is the most inclusive and tells the whole truth, not just a part of it*

The author of the passage believes that writers are ambivalent to recognition because it is A) rarely commensurate to the way in which posterity will regard a writer's work B) only of consequence in the future, yet an author will never know what the future thinks of his or her work C) typically bestowed in the present, whereas a writer is more concerned with approbation from the past and the future D) unfairly meted out to those who possess only a modicum of talent E) mostly unrelated to the quality of a writer's prose Based off the passage, C is correct because the passage talked about why the author wants to be recognized by the past *and* the future but *subtracts* himself from the present