1、Reading Comprehension QuestionsReading Comprehension questions are designed to test a wide range of abilities that are required in order to read and understand the kinds of prose commonly encountered in graduate school. Those abilities include: understanding the meaning of individual words and sente
2、nces understanding the meaning of paragraphs and larger bodies of text distinguishing between minor and major points summarizing a passage drawing conclusions from the information provided reasoning from incomplete data to infer missing information understanding the structure of a text in terms of h
3、ow the parts relate to one another identifying the authors assumptions and perspective analyzing a text and reaching conclusions about it identifying strengths and weaknesses of a position developing and considering alternative explanations As this list implies, reading and understanding a piece of
4、text requires far more than a passive understanding of the words and sentences it contains; it requires active engagement with the text, asking questions, formulating and evaluating hypotheses and reflecting on the relationship of the particular text to other texts and information.Each Reading Compr
5、ehension question is based on a passage that may range in length from one paragraph to several paragraphs. The test contains approximately 10 passages, the majority of which are one paragraph in length and only one or two of which are several paragraphs long. Passages are drawn from the physical sci
6、ences, biological sciences, social sciences, business, arts and humanities and everyday topics and are based on material found in books and periodicals, both academic and nonacademic.Typically, about half of the questions on the test will be based on passages, and the number of questions based on a
7、given passage can range from one to six. Questions can cover any of the topics listed above, from the meaning of a particular word to assessing evidence that might support or weaken points made in the passage. Many, but not all, of the questions are standard multiple-choice questions, in which you a
8、re required to select a single correct answer; others ask you to select multiple correct answers; and still others ask you to select a sentence from the passage.General Advice for Answering Reading Comprehension QuestionsReading passages are drawn from many different disciplines and sources, so you
9、may encounter material with which you are not familiar. Do not be discouraged if you encounter unfamiliar material; all the questions can be answered on the basis of the information provided in the passage. However, if you encounter a passage that seems particularly hard or unfamiliar, you may want
10、to save it for last. Read and analyze the passage carefully before trying to answer any of the questions, and pay attention to clues that help you understand less explicit aspects of the passage. o Try to distinguish main ideas from supporting ideas or evidence. o Try to distinguish ideas that the a
11、uthor is advancing from those he or she is merely reporting. o Try to distinguish ideas that the author is strongly committed to from those he or she advances as hypothetical or speculative. o Try to identify the main transitions from one idea to the next. o Try to identify the relationship between
12、different ideas. For example: Are they contrasting? Are they consistent? Does one support the other? Does one spell the other out in greater detail? Does one apply the other to a particular circumstance? Read each question carefully and be certain that you understand exactly what is being asked. Ans
13、wer each question on the basis of the information provided in the passage and do not rely on outside knowledge. Sometimes your own views or opinions may conflict with those presented in a passage; if this happens, take special care to work within the context provided by the passage. You should not e
14、xpect to agree with everything you encounter in the reading passages. Reading Comprehension Question TypesMultiple-choice Select One Answer ChoiceDescriptionThese are traditional multiple-choice questions with five answer choices, of which you must select one.Tips for Answering Read all the answer c
15、hoices before making your selection, even if you think you know the correct answer in advance. The correct answer is the one that most accurately and most completely answers the question posed; be careful not to be misled by answer choices that are only partially true or that only partially answer t
16、he question. Also, be careful not to pick an answer choice simply because it is a true statement. When the question asks about the meaning of a word in the passage, be sure the answer choice you select correctly represents the way the word is being used in the passage. Many words have different mean
17、ings when used in different contexts. Multiple-choice Select One or More Answer ChoicesDescriptionThese questions provide three answer choices and ask you to select all that are correct; one, two or all three of the answer choices may be correct. To gain credit for these questions, you must select a
18、ll the correct answers, and only those; there is no credit for partially correct answers.Tips for Answering Evaluate each answer choice separately on its own merits; when evaluating one answer choice, do not take the others into account. A correct answer choice accurately and completely answers the
19、question posed; be careful not to be misled by answer choices that are only partially true or that only partially answer the question. Also, be careful not to pick an answer choice simply because it is a true statement. Do not be disturbed if you think all three answer choices are correct, since que
20、stions of this type can have up to three correct answer choices. Select-in-PassageDescriptionThese questions ask you to click on the sentence in the passage that meets a certain description. To answer the question, choose one of the sentences and click on it; clicking anywhere on a sentence will hig
21、hlight it. In longer passages, the question will usually apply to only one or two specified paragraphs, marked by an arrow ( ); clicking on a sentence elsewhere in the passage will not highlight it.Note: Because these questions depend on the use of the computer, they do not appear on the paper-based
22、 test. Equivalent multiple-choice questions are used in their place.Tips for Answering Evaluate each of the relevant sentences in the passage separately before selecting your answer. Do not evaluate any sentences that are outside the paragraphs under consideration. A correct answer choice must accur
23、ately match the description given in the question; do not select a sentence if any part of the description does not apply to it. However, note that the question need not fully describe all aspects of the sentence. Reading Comprehension Sample QuestionsQuestions 1 to 3 are based on this passage.Reviv
24、ing the practice of using elements of popular music in classical composition, an approach that had been in hibernation in the United States during the 1960s, composer Philip Glass (born 1937) embraced the ethos of popular music without imitating it. Glass based two symphonies on music by rock musici
25、ans David Bowie and Brian Eno, but the symphonies sound is distinctively his. Popular elements do not appear out of place in Glasss classical music, which from its early days has shared certain harmonies and rhythms with rock music. Yet this use of popular elements has not made Glass a composer of p
26、opular music. His music is not a version of popular music packaged to attract classical listeners; it is high art for listeners steeped in rock rather than the classics.Select only one answer choice.1. The passage addresses which of the following issues related to Glasss use of popular elements in h
27、is classical compositions? A. How it is regarded by listeners who prefer rock to the classics B. How it has affected the commercial success of Glasss music C. Whether it has contributed to a revival of interest among other composers in using popular elements in their compositions D. Whether it has h
28、ad a detrimental effect on Glasss reputation as a composer of classical music E. Whether it has caused certain of Glasss works to be derivative in quality Consider each of the three choices separately and select all that apply. 2. The passage suggests that Glasss work displays which of the following
29、 qualities? A. A return to the use of popular music in classical compositions B. An attempt to elevate rock music to an artistic status more closely approximating that of classical music C. A long-standing tendency to incorporate elements from two apparently disparate musical styles 3. Select the se
30、ntence that distinguishes two ways of integrating rock and classical music. ExplanationThe passage describes in general terms how Philip Glass uses popular music in his classical compositions and explores how Glass can do this without being imitative. Note that there are no opposing views discussed;
31、 the author is simply presenting his or her views.Question 1: One of the important points that the passage makes is that when Glass uses popular elements in his music, the result is very much his own creation (it is “distinctively his”). In other words, the music is far from being derivative. Thus o
32、ne issue that the passage addresses is the one referred to in answer choice E it answers it in the negative. The passage does not discuss the impact of Glasss use of popular elements on listeners, on the commercial success of his music, on other composers or on Glasss reputation, so none of choices
33、A through D is correct. The correct answer is choice E.Question 2: To answer this question, it is important to assess each answer choice independently. Since the passage says that Glass revived the use of popular music in classical compositions, answer choice A is clearly correct. On the other hand,
34、 the passage also denies that Glass composes popular music or packages it in a way to elevate its status, so answer choice B is incorrect. Finally, since Glasss style has always mixed elements of rock with classical elements, answer choice C is correct. Thus the correct answer is choice A and choice
35、 C.Question 3: Almost every sentence in the passage refers to incorporating rock music in classical compositions, but only the last sentence distinguishes two ways of doing so. It distinguishes between writing rock music in a way that will make it attractive to classical listeners and writing classi
36、cal music that will be attractive to listeners familiar with rock. Thus the correct answer is the last sentence of the passage.Text Completion QuestionsSkilled readers do not simply absorb the information presented on the page; instead, they maintain a constant attitude of interpretation and evaluat
37、ion, reasoning from what they have read so far to create a picture of the whole and revising that picture as they go. Text Completion questions test this ability by omitting crucial words from short passages and asking the test taker to use the remaining information in the passage as a basis for sel
38、ecting words or short phrases to fill the blanks and create a coherent, meaningful whole.Question Structure Passage composed of one to five sentences One to three blanks Three answer choices per blank (five answer choices in the case of a single blank) The answer choices for different blanks functio
39、n independently; i.e., selecting one answer choice for one blank does not affect what answer choices you can select for another blank Single correct answer, consisting of one choice for each blank; no credit for partially correct answers Tips for Answering Do not merely try to consider each possible
40、 combination of answers; doing so will take too long and is open to error. Instead, try to analyze the passage in the following way: Read through the passage to get an overall sense of it. Identify words or phrases that seem particularly significant, either because they emphasize the structure of th
41、e passage (words like although or moreover) or because they are central to understanding what the passage is about. Try to fill in the blanks with words or phrases that seem to complete the sentence, then see if similar words are offered among the answer choices. Do not assume that the first blank i
42、s the one that should be filled first; perhaps one of the other blanks is easier to fill first. Select your choice for that blank, and then see whether you can complete another blank. If none of the choices for the other blank seem to make sense, go back and reconsider your first selection. When you
43、 have made your selection for each blank, check to make sure the passage is logically, grammatically and stylistically coherent. Text Completion Sample QuestionsFor each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices.Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.1. It is r
44、efreshing to read a book about our planet by an author who does not allow facts to be (i)_ by politics: well aware of the political disputes about the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity, this author does not permit them to (ii)_ his comprehensive description of what we know abou
45、t our biosphere. He emphasizes the enormous gaps in our knowledge, the sparseness of our observations, and the (iii)_, calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the condition of our planet. Sample Question 1 Answers.
46、Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)(A) overshadowed (D) enhance (G) plausibility of our hypotheses(B) invalidated (E) obscure (H) certainty of our entitlement(C) illuminated (F) underscore (I) superficiality of our theories2. Explanation3. The overall tone of the passage is clearly complimentary. To un
47、derstand what the author of the book is being complimented on, it is useful to focus on the second blank. Here, we must determine what word would indicate something that the author is praised for not permitting. The only answer choice that fits the case is “obscure,“ since enhancing and underscoring
48、 are generally good things to do, not things one should refrain from doing. Choosing “obscure“ clarifies the choice for the first blank; the only choice that fits well with “obscure“ is “overshadowed.“ Notice that trying to fill blank (i) without filling blank (ii) first is hard each choice has at l
49、east some initial plausibility. Since the third blank requires a phrase that matches “enormous gaps“ and “sparseness of our observations,“ the best choice is “superficiality of our theories.“4. Thus the correct answer is choice A (overshadowed), choice E (obscure) and choice I (superficiality of our theories).5. Vain and prone to violence, Caravaggio could not handle success: the more his (i)_ as an artist increased, the more (ii)_ his life became. Sample Question 3 Answ
