readingcomprehensionsectionofthegmat.docVIP

READING COMPREHENSION Section of the GMAT The Verbal section of the GMAT will contain two written passages (each between 400 - 600 words long) followed by a series of questions. Passages can be about any subject, but the most common themes are politics, history, science, business and the humanities. Most readers find the passages difficult because the subject matter is dry and obscure. Many are written in the passive voice and contain unpronounceable words. By design, no academic background offers an edge or greater likelihood of success in this section of the test. The material is purposely selected to test your reading comprehension, rather than your understanding of a specific subject area. This ensures: a) the passages do not require the reader to have any specialized knowledge in the subject area b) everything you need to answer the questions is presented in the passage The passages always use a formal, compact style. They are excerpted from academic journal articles, but are not printed verbatim. The original article is heavily edited to just one-quarter to one-third of its original length, retaining the formal style of the piece, but removing the introductory material, fillers and transitional phrases. Worse, passages are untitled and often start in the middle of an explanation or discussion, so the reader must jump in with no clear point of reference. The purpose of the section is to determine if you can quickly identify the structure, objective and logic of a long, difficult passage and apply the authors premise to new situations. To succeed in the rigid timeframe, students must read with a different mindset than they use in most traditional coursework. Here are the exact directions used on the exam: Directions: Each selection in this test is followed by several questions. After reading the selection, choose the best response to each question and mark it on your answer sheet. Your replies are to be based on what is stated or implied in the selecti