4.

0 Reading Comprehension

4.0 Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension questions appear in the Verbal Reasoning section of the
reter to written passages consisting of generally between GMAT. lhey
in the social sciences, humanities, physical and 200 to 350 words. The passages discuss topics
biological sciences, and such business-related heldsas
marketing, economics, and human resource
of questions asking youto interpret the text,management.
apply the
Each passage is accompanied by a short sernes
make inferences (or informed assumptions) based on information you gather from the reading, and
split computer screen. The written passage will remainthe reading. For these questions, you wl see a
with that passage appears, in turn, on the right side. visible on the left side as each question associated
the number of questions You will see only one question at a time.
associated with each passage may vary. iowever,
As you
move through the Reading
works best for you. You might beginComprehension sample questions, try to determine a process that
by reading a passage carefully and
prefer to skim the passages the first time through, or even to thoroughly. Some test takers
passage. You may want to reread any sentences that present read the first question before reading the
new to you. Read each question and complicated ideas or that introduce terms
the question is asking and what the series of answers carefully. Make sure you understand exactly what
answer choices are.
If you need to, you may reread any parts of
currently viewing, but you will not be able tothereturn
passage relevant to answering the question that youare
to other questions after you have
and moved on. Some questions ask explicitly answered them
the portion referred to is highlighted while theabout particular portions of the passages. In some cases,
willexplicitly refer to the highlighted part. relevant question is displayed. In such cases, the
question
The following pages describe what Reading
directions that will precede the questions, andComprehension questions are designed to measure, the
the various question types. This chapter also
test-taking strategies, sample questions, and detailed explanations of all the questions. The provides
further illustrate how Reading Comprehension questions evaluate basic reading skills. explanations
4.1 What Is Measured
GMAT Reading Comprehension questions measure your ability to understand, analyze, apply, and
evaluate information and concepts presented in written form. All questions are to be answered on
the basis of what is stated or implied in the reading material, and no
the material is required. Success in all types of GMAT specific prior knowledge of
questionsexcept those that are purely
mathematical-requires strong reading skills. Thus, for some examinees, Critical Reasoning,
Sentence Correction, and word-based Quantitative questions inevitably test reading comprehension
in addition to the skills that they primarily target. But they do so only indirectly and only at the
level of proficiency needed to demonstrate the skills that are directly targeted. By contrast, the
Reading Comprehension questions are designed to focus directly on various components of Reading
Comprehension and to measure different levels of skill in those components.
Generally speaking, reaing comprehension skills are divided into two fundamental categories: Jdentif
Stated Idea and Identify Inferred ldea.
ldentify Stated ldea refers to your ability to understand the passage as a whole and its constituent
parts. To answer questions related to this skillcategory, you need not do anything further with the
information. The skills required for Identify Stated ldea are typically prerequisites for those in the

79
GMATTM Official Guide Verbal Review 2022

second category, ldentify Inferred ldea, but questions targeting either of these
types may be just as difhcult as those targeting the other. fundamental -
ldentify Inferred ldea refers to your ability to use information in a
passage for purposes such
inferring additional information on the basis of what is given, applying
contexts, critiquing theviews expressed in the passage, and the information to
writing is structured. evaluating ways in which the
the
further
More specifically, GMAT Reading
following: Comprehension questions evaluate your ability to do the
" Understand complex, sophisticated nontechnical writing.
Efective rcading involves understanding not only words and phrases in context but
messages conveyed by the writer. Although the questions also the oversll
do notdirectly measure your vocabulary
knowledge(they will not ask you to show that you know the standard
of them may test your ability to interpret
special
meanings of terms), some
passages. meanings of terms as they are used in the readino
" Understand the purposes and functions of passage
components, and the logical and rhetorical
relationships among concepts and pieces of information.
Questions that focus on this type of skill may ask you, for example, to
passage relates to other parts, to identify the strong and determine how part of a
the relative importance of weak points of an argument, or to evaluate
arguments and ideas in a passage.
Draw inferences from facts and statements.
With a little reflection,anyone who thoroughly
what further information can be inferred comprehends a text should be able to
from it. The inference questions will ask you determine
conclusions on the basis of factual statements, authors' claims and to reach
of areading passage. opinions, or other components
Understand and follow the development of quantitative concepts in
material. written
Reading Comprehension questions do not measure mathematical
the passages sometimes contain quantitative information or opinions knowledge. However,
percentages, proportions, trends, probabilities, or statistics, expressed inabout
ways
such matters as
that should be
understandable without technical mathematical training. You may be
or apply such quantitative
information, or to draw inferences from it. Inasked
need to use some very simple
to interpret, evaluat,
some cases, you might
arithnetic.
There are six kinds of Reading Comprehension
questions, cach kind focusing on a different skill. But
there is inevitably some peripheral overlap between
tested by others. For example, identifying a passage'sthemain
skills tested by one kind of question and those
point often
or rhetorical structure of the text, while
drawing inferences or applyingrequires recognizing the logical
accurately understanding of the passage's main and supporting ideas. information often requires
During the test,no labels will indicate which kind of
Reading Comprehension question you are
looking at, but cach question's wording will clearly indicate what you need to do. Most of the Reading
Comprehension question types willbe represented among the several Reading Comprehension
your test, but you may not see all the types. sets l
 4.1 Reading Comprehension What Is Measured

The Reading Comprehensionquestions fallinto the following

categories:
1. Main ldea
Each passage isa unified whole that is, the individual
one central oint and have a single unified purpose. sentences and paragraphs support ana deveop
Sometimes you will be told the central point in the
passagr itsclt, and sometimes youwill nced todetermine thc central
development of the assage. AMain ldea question may ask you point from the overall organization or
to
* reognize an accurate summary, restatement,or paraphrase of the main
idea of a passage
" identify the author's primary
purpose orobjective in writing the passage
assign a title that summarizes, briefly and pointedly, the
main idea developed in the passage.
Main idea questions are usually easy to
idea or main purpose, using phrases suchidentify
as:
as such. They generally ask explicitly about the
main
Wbicb of the following most acurately
Ibe primary purpose of the passage as aexpresses the main idea of the passage?,
whole is to ..., or
In the passage, the author seeks primarily to
Incorrect answer choices for these questions often take the form of ideas in
or tangential to the main point, statements that are the passage that are subsidiary
the main point,or statements that are superficially similar to but demonstrably distinct from
simply outside the scope of the passage even though they may be
conceptually related to it.
As you read a passage, you may find it helpful to consider the rhetorical
strategy the author is using. For
example, is the author primarily reporting facts, events, or other writers' views; arguing for a point of
view; or commenting on others' views or on events or states of affairs?
is essential in answering Main Idea questions that ask about the Identifying the rhetorical strategy
focus your thoughts for passage's purpose, but can also help
those that ask about a main idea as such. The two major rhetorical strategies
in reading passages are argumentation and exposition, each involving diferent kinds of main-idea
questions.
In passages primarily involving argumentation, the correct answer to a Main ldea question will typically
be aparaphrase or description of the main conclusion of the passage's main argument. This concusion
is the main position the passage is intended to persuade readersto accept. The mainconclusion is
sometimes, but not always, stated explicitly in the passage. When it is not, the passage will make it clear
to careful, perceptive readers what the author is arguing for. The correct answer choice may also briefly
mention to the reasonsgiven in support of the position. For example, the answer choice might begin
with the words An analysis of recent findings supports tbe bypothesis tbat ...
The answer to aMain ldea question about an expositorypassage can take various forms, depending
on the author's purpose and focus. In general, the answer will summarize the most important overall
ideaor theme discussed throughout the passage, or the overall purpose of the passage. For example,
the answer to a Main ldea question about a narrative passage may be either a concise one-sentence
summary of the events described or a statement of the overall outcome of the events, depending on
the author'sfocus. And the answer to a Main ldea question about the purpose of a descriptive passage
might be asentence fragment that begins with the words To desceribe the roles of....

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GMATTM OfficialGuide Verbal Review 2022

2. Supporting ldea
These questions measure your ability to comprehend ideasnorirectly expressed in apassage and
implicd in the
differentiate them from ideas that are neither expressed passage. They also
vour ability to diferentiate supporting ideas from the main idea and from ideas implied by the measure
but not explicitly stated. author
Like Main ldea questions, Supporting ldea questions simply assess whether you understand the
messages conveyed in the writing, without asking you to do anything further with the informatios
Supporting refers not only to ideas expressed as premises supporting a main conclusion, but alo
to other ideas other than the main idea. Since each GMAT Reading Comprehension passage has ax
overall main point or purpose, every part of the passage can be thought of as supporting that
maina.point
or purpose in some way, either directly or tangentially. Therefore, Supporting ldea questions mav
youto understand and identify anything (other than the main point) that is stated in the passa o

Correct answers to Supporting Idea questions almost never consist of verbatim quotations from the
passage,, so you will need to be able to recognize paraphrases or more abstract expressions of
material. Among the passage components you may be asked to understand and recognize are:
the passag
a premise of an argument
a tangential point such as an acknowledgment of a potential objection to the author's position
an
example given to illustrate aprinciple or generalization
acounterexample intended to provide evidence against aprinciple or generalization
" afact cited as background information relevant to the main idea or to a subsidiary idea
acomponent of acomplex explanation, description, or narration
a brief statement of aposition against which the author's reasoning is directed
adescriptive detailused to support or elaborate on the main idea.
Whereas questions about the main idea ask you to determine the meaning of the passage as awhole,
questions about supporting ideas ask you to determine the meanings of individual phrases, sentences
and paragraphs that contribute tothe mneaning of the passageas a whole. In many cases, these questio
can be thought of as asking for the main point of one small part of the passage. Supporting ldea
questions often contain key phrases such as:

According to the passage ...,

Which of the following does the author cite as ..,
The passage mentions which of the following ., or
Which of the following does the author propose
Answering Supporting ldea questions requires remembering or quickly locating the relevantglancingto
information in the passage. Occasionally, it may be possible to answer aquestion by quickly
find the needed information without first fully reading through the passage, but as aa generalstrategy,
that could be riskyof theandrelationships
understanding eventime-consuming.
among partsSupporting ldea Inquestions
of the passage. typically
many cases, theyrequire
willaskagod
youto
identify a piece of information that plays a specified role or is presented in a specified context. Thus,
they may contain phrases such as:

82
 4.1 Reading Comprehension What Is Measured

Wbich of the following does the author offer as an objection to ...,

According to the passage, new businesses are more likely to fail if they..., or
The passage compares the sea turtle's thermoregulation to ....
3. Inference
Inference questions ask about ideas that are not explicitly stated in a passage but are
author or otherwise follow logically from the information in the implied by the
passage.
supporting ideas, which ask about information directlyexpressed in a passage,Unlike questions about
about ideas or meanings that must be inferred from the inference questions ask
information directly stated.
Authors often make their points in indirect ways, suggesting ideas without
Inference questions measure your ability tounderstand an author's intendedactually stating them.
passage where the meaning is only suggested.They sometimes also measure meaning parts of a in
further implications that clearly follow from the information in the passage,youreven
ability to understand
if the author does
not clearly intend them to be inferred. Therefore, when you
read a passage, you should concentrate
not only on the explicit meaning of the author's words,but also on the
subtler meanings and unstated
implications of those words. Inference questions do not ask about obscure or tenuous implications that
are very remote from the passage; rather, they ask about things that any astute,
be able to infer from the passage after a little reflection. observant reader should

You may be asked todraw inferences in order to identify:

a likely cause ofa phenomenon or situation described in the passage

a likely effect of a phenomenon or situation described in the passage
a specific instance or subset based on a generalization given in the passage.
For example, if the passage indicates that all reptiles have acertain property and also mentions that
crocodiles are reptiles, you could infer that crocodiles have the property in question.
a statement that the author (or someone referred to in the passage) likely considers true or false
an evaluative position that the author (or someone referred to in the passage) likely holds.
For example, it may be possible to infer from the author's word choices that she or he disapproves of
something discussed in the passage.
the intended meaning of a word or phrase based on how that word or phrase is used in the
passage. However, GMAT questions will not ask you to define a word used in the passage with a
standard meaning that could be accurately guessed from background vocabulary knowledge.
In some cases, the inference you are asked to draw will follow from a single statement or series of
statements in the passage. In other cases, it will require you to consider together two or more separate parts
of the passage. The relevant parts may be close together or far apart, but they will always be significant
aspects of the passage, not irrelevant or highly obscure details.The question may refer explicitly to one or
information.
more portions of the passage, or it may require you to locate or remember the relevant

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GMATTM Official Guide Verbal Review 2022

Interence questions often contain phrascs such as:

Wbich of the following statements about ... is most strongly supported by the passage?,
It can be inferred from the passage that ...
Ifthe claims made bythe author about ... aretrue, which of the following is most likely
also true?,
Ihe passage implies that ..., or
The information in the passage suggests that .....
Some of the inferences might depend on commonly known and
obviously true facts in addition to the
information supplied by the passage. For example, if the passage says
snowstorm, you could reasonably infer that the weather was not hot atthat an event happened during a
that time and place.
Incorrect answer choices for inference questions are often
to the passage but are not supported by the statements that appear superfhcially related
be inferred from a specific part of the information in question. When the question asks what can
passage, you
from some other part of the passage but not from should careful not to select an answer that follows
be
the part in question.
Incorrect answer choices are often true statements even
information in the passage. Conversely, the correct answerthough
could
they are not supported by the
be a false statement implied by false
information in the passage. For example, when the
be asked to infer that if the theory author explains why a theory is mistaken, you might
were true, such incorrect
information would also have to be true.
Occasionally, it may not be
asked to infer something or possible to tell merely from a
rather to recognize somethingquestion' swording whether youare being
directly expressed. For example, a question
beginning "In the passage, the author suggests might be asking you to note that the author
makes a certain suggestion in the passage.
will be asking you to identify an idea theMore typically, a question beginning "The passage suggestsexplicitly
..."
text implies but does not explicitly state.
understand the passage and the relationships However, if you
correct answer without having to worry aboutand implications of its parts, you will be able to find the
how the test writers classified the
question.
4. Application
Application questions
presented in the passagemeasure your ability to
and other situationsordiscern relationships between situations or ideas
ideas beyond the direct
crucial skillinvolved in answering scope of the passage. The most
from one context and applying them application questions is that of abstracting
working with scholarly, legal, effectively to other contexts. Thisskill is key features or principles
often needed when
professional, or business writings.
Application questions are often hypothetical or
would, could, might, or speculative, and therefore may
likely ruled out by. Someshould, or phrases such as most clearly exemplifies, is mostcontain words such a5
similar to, or is most
application questions pose analogies between passage topics and other topl
Because application questions can be about the
scope, you should not expect to be able to relationships
eliminate any
of the passage to topics
outside its
topic appears in the passage. For answer choice based on whether or not its
passage's explanation of a instance, all the answer choices for an analogy
water-treatment process might refer to book-publishingquestion relat1ng
processes.
 4.1Reading Comprehension What s Meaured

Here are some major application types you may encounter on the exarn:
A. Analogies. These could involve:
a function or purpose similar to the function or purpose of
sormething described in the passaze.
Aquestion might ask, for instancc, In wbich of the
following is the role played by a omputer program
most analogous to the role of the protein molecule in the
pesticidediscussed the passaye?
in
a method or procedure similar to onc described in the
passage but used in a different context
a goal or purpose similar to the goalor purpose sornething discussed in the passage.
of
For example, a protest demonstration's goal of changing one
more analogous to a politician's goal of changing another country's enivironnental policies would be
employee's goal of finding anew job. country's food safety regulations than to an
a part-whole relationship similar to a
part-whole relationship described in the passage.
Thiscould be, for example, a relationship between an organism and its
chapter and the book as a whole. ecosystern, or between a book
a logical relationship similar to the relationship between
of someone's reasoning described in the passage. parts of the passage or between elernents

B. Principles, policies, and procedures. You may be asked to identify, for

example:
a rule or policy that if enforced could help bring about a goal presented in
the passage
a principle that is not explicitly formulated in the passage but underlies the author's reasoning
a generalization supported by a range of specific instances referred to in the passage
an action or situation violating or conforming to a rule or policy mentioned in the passage
a potential solution to a problem discussed in the passage
an alternative approach that could have the sarne effect as one discussed inthe passage.
C. Extensions of theauthors rhetorical strategies.These include such things as:
an example effectively illustrating a point made by the author
a prediction about how the author would likely respond to an objection to her or hisposition
" an additional topic that could be relevantly added to the discussion in the passage
an idea the passage does not express but implies that the author would probably accept or reject.
D. What-ifscenarios. You might need to identify, for example:
a hypothetical extension of a trend or series of developments described in the passage
. how aresearcher's conclusions would have been logically affected if some observed data had been
different from the data reported in the passage

85
GMATM Official Guide Verbal Review 2022

how circumstances would likely have bcen different if developments described in the
not occurred passage had
" how someone whose views are described in the passage would likely respond if that person read
the passage.
5. Evaluation

Evaluation questions require you to analyze and evaluate apassage's organization and logic. They fall
into two broad subcategories: analysis and critique.
Analysis-type evaluation questions require you to determine how parts of the passage work in relation to
cach other. These questions often ask about the author's purpose. Unlike main-idea questions about
purposes, they do not ask youto identify the entire passage's overall purpose, but rather the purposesauthor!
of
specific elements within the passage, and the relationships among those purposes. However, some
questions may ask you to identify the logical structure of the passage or of a portion of the passage.evaluation
Critique-type evaluation questions require you to judge the strengths, weaknesses, relevance, or
effectiveness of parts of the passage, as well as those parts' relationships to potential objections or
justifications. These questions often involve some of the same types of reasoning
Critical Reasoning questions.Reading Comprehension evaluationquestions require encountered in
knowledge of formal logic nor familiarity with specialized terms of logic or neither technical
answer these questions using the information in the passage and careful argumentation. You can
reasoning.
Evaluation questions often contain phrases such as:
The purpose of...,
most accurately describes the structure of...,
... most strengthens ...

would most justify

is most vulnerable tothe objection that ...,or
Which... additional information would most help ....
Answer choices are often abstract and might not
passage. For example, a question that asks about acontain any words or concepts that appear in the
such as: It rejects a theory presented in the paragraph's function might have an answer choice
theory would need to meet. preceding paragrapb and offers some criteria that an alternatre
Here are sorne major application types that you
may encounter in the test:
A. Analysis. Answers to these questions
might be, for example, statements about:
how the passage as a whole is constructed.
Insuch cases, the answer will
the passage.
sometimes be expressed as an abstract summary of the elements that ma
" how a portion of the passage is constructed
" the purpose or function of one part of the passage.

86
 4.1 Reading Comprehension What Is Measured

For instance, does that part of the

or refute an idea? passagedefine aterm, compareor contrast two ideas,
present anew Idea,
how one portionof the passage relates
" how the author tries to
logically or rhetorically to surrounding parts
persuade readers to accept his or her
* a likely reasonor
motivation for a view the author expresses or
assertions
attributes to someone else.
B. Critique. In these
questions, you may be asked to identify, for example,
an assumption involved in the
passage author's reasoning or in someone else's reasoning
discussed in the
crucial gaps in the information
a potential discovery that
provided in the passage
would help resolve an issue discussed in the
a statement that, if true,
would strengthen or weaken the author's
passage
reasoning presented in the passage reasoning or someone else's
a potential
counterexample to a general claim made in the passage.
6. Style and Tone
Efective reading often depends on recognizing and evaluating both
the
to have on readers. These areauthor's
and the effect the author intends the attitude toward a topic
writing
style and tone rather than stated explicitly. often implicit in the passage's

Some questions focus directly and exclusively on the style or

involve phrases such as: tone of the passage as a whole. They often

The overall tone of the passage can be most accurately described as ...,
The passage, as a whole, functions primarily as a..., or
The author's approachto ... can be most accurately described as ....
In the answer choices, you may be asked to select an adjective or adjective
phrase that accurately
describes the overall tone of the passage-for instance, critical, questioning, objective, dismissive,
or enthusiastic. Answer choices may also be noun phrases such as advocacy for a political
sarcastic portrayal ofa bistorical trend, or ajournalistic exploration of some attempts to solveposition, a
aproblem. Or
the answer choices may be more complex clauses or full sentences.
To answer questions about style and tone, you will typically have to consider the language of the passage
or alarge section of thepassage as awhole. It takes more than one pointed, criticalword to give an
entire passage or section a critical tone. Sometimes, style and tone questions ask what audience the
passage was probably intended for or what type of publication it would most appropriately appear in.
To answer any question involving style and tone, you must ask yourself what attitudes or objectives a
passage's words convey beyond their literal meanings.
You may sometimes need to consider style and tone in answering any type of Reading
Comprehension question, even a question that does not explicitly ask about that aspect of the
passage. Some question types are more likely than others to involve this type of consideration. An

87
GMATTM Official Guide Verbal Review 2022

inference question, for example, may ask you to infer the author's attitude
also need to consider the passage's tone in order to confidently identify the toward atopic. You
And some evaluation questions require you to
recognize the passage's main may
rhetorical approach
portionof the passage. the authorpurpose.
takes in a
4.2 Test-Taking Strategies
1. Do not expect to be
completely
You may find some passages casier familiar with material presented in the
to passages.
present a challenge. If you have some understand than others, but all passages are designed
this knowledge influence your familiarity with the material presented in a
of what is stated or choice of answers to the
questions. Answer alll passage, do not let
implied in the passage itself. questions on the basjs
2. Analyze each
passage carefully, because the
understanding of the passages. questions require you to have a specifhc and
You may find it easier to detailod
may prefer to skim the analyze a passage first before
passage the first time and read moving to the questions. Alternatively, vou
questions. You may more carefully
the method most even want to read the question before reading the once you understand the
suitable for you. passage. You should chooge
3. Focuson key
words and phrases, trying to
passage. maintain an overall sense of what is
discussed in the
Keep the following in mind:
" Note how
each fact relates to an idea
or an
" Note
where the passage moves from argument
one idea to the next
Distinguish the pasage's main idea from its
Determine what conclusions are reached andsupporting why.
ideas
4. Read the
An answerquestions carefully, making sure you
choice that accurately understand what is
answer the question. Refer back torestates information in the passageasked.
may be incorrect if it does1
the passage for
5. Read allthe
answer
clarification you need to.
if
choices
Never assurme that you have carefully.
selected the best answer without first
6. Select the
choice that reading all the choices.
Do not rely on outside answers the question best in
of the material toterms of the information given in the
passage.
7.
knowledge help you answer the
Remember that questions.
comprehension-not
Comprehension section. speed-is the critical success factor on the
Readme
4.3 Section Instructions
Go to
www.mba.com/tutorial to view
screens will look like on the actual instructions for the section and
GMAT exam. get a feel for what the
test
center
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a
 4.4 Reading Comprehension Practice Questions

RCO0184-03

3 According to the author of the passage, corporate

leaders of the future should do which of the following?
(A) They should encourage employees to put
long-term goals ahead of shortterm profits.
(B They should exerCise more control over
employees in order to constrain production
costs.
(C They should redefine incentives for employees'
performance improvement.
(D They should provide employees with
opportunities to gain new skills and expand their
capabilities.
(E) They should promote individual managers who
are committed to established company policies.
RC00184-04

4 The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A endorse a traditional corporate structure
(B introduce a new approach tO corporate
leadership and evaluate criticisms of it
(C explain competing theories about management
practices and reconcile them
(D contrast two typical corporate organizational
structures
(E propose an alternative to a common corporate
approach

91
 GMAT Oca Gude Verba Review 2022

Lne Strcra unemoioymenthe unempioyment Questions 5-10 refer to

tatremars even epek of the econoy's the
LpSWrgSS cased by an mbalance between the
types and locatons of avaiabie emoioyment on the
5. A cf the
folowing
the
are
controlling magnitudemettoned
pass2ge.
as N26-t
5 one hand and the Quaifcatons and locations of of
workers on he oer hand When such an mbalance
EXCEPT
(A)
stuctrz
exSts bcth labor shortages and
unemoioyment may using pubic funds to
ocour. desote a balance betNeen supoly and demand
for labornte economy as a whole.
B)
teaching new sks tocreate jobs
dspaced
(10 Because technoiogca change is likely todsplace
(C)
worers
allowing dsplaced workers to retire
(D)
some workers. tis a maor actor in
producing controling the mOvement of caotz
structuranemoloyment Whle technological E)
encouragng
adance aimost naiabiy resuts in shifts in available woTKers to move to where ichs
demands for dfferent types of workers. it does not
(15 necessariy resut in
or grada changes in nempioyment Reiatively smal
6. The
demand are kely to cause passage suggests that a potential
ite unempioyment in the higher structural is outcomei
he labor market as a inavidual frm or even in
(A)
unemployment
whole,
be suffcet to reduce the normal attriion may increased public spending for social sericas
size of the work force in B)
(20) the fected
occupatons. Relatvely large or rapid placement of
not qualified workers jobs for wrich tey :
in
changes. howeve, can cause serioUs
Workers may iose ther jobs and find problems. (C) higher wages for those workers who hae
without teskis necessary to obtain themseves that are in demand sls
new jobs.
25)
Whetrerttisasplacement leads to structural (D) an increase in the length of
time jobs reman
nempioyment depends on
prvate setor resOurces the amount of public and unfilled
devoted retraining and
to E) a shift in the
piacing those workers. Workers can be priorities
government's economic poicy
to move where
there are jobs, to encouraged
reeducate
(30) thernsehves,
or to retire. Iin addition, other or retrain
affecting structural factors
movermet can be unemployment,
controlled.
Such as capital
Increzsed
structural unernploymert, should it
makes t dfficut for the economy to ocCcur,
rates of achieve desired
(35) #there isunernployment
a growng p0olalong with low rates of low
of workers who inflation.
necessary sklis for the avalable
labor demand wllrapidly
lack the
jobs, increases in total
Workers. As the wages ofgenerate shortages of
labor costs, and thus those workers are bid qualified up,
(40) may be an prices, rise. This
for the pastimportant
two
factor in the risingphenomenon
trend, observed
with decades, of unemplhasoplaced
inflation. Government policy yrment combined
reducing inflation, but these eforts a priority on
caused have
unernployrnent to increase. nevertheless

92
 8. 7.

(E) (D) (C) (A) (B) RCO0144-06

The (E) (D) (C) (B) (A) It
combined stillthere RCOO14405
can
passage likely
relatively relations
an an
characteristic
unemployment
government addressed a wi th th eexceptionally
that the low the there the are be
applications
technologyan of a
socioeconomic
economiceconomic economic socioeconomic toinferred
unemployment the
workers the jobs level inflationunemployed
is occur
suggests pay available labor insuffcient
of
small by
intervention offered inforce structural rate if trom
problem problem problem of
government some
changes periods that isworkers, the
problem problem in
technologicalunusually
and in certain in passage
that that that the industries
those those unemployment
in in of inflation labor
can results that
intervention phenomenon
that
the management-labor resultsstructural places
areas high
industries that
labor be can can are shortages
is innovation
eliminated from from be require even
only dissatisfied lacks
force is
imperfect be of when
skills are
by

10. 9.
RCO0144-08 (D) RCO014407
(E (D) (C) (B because
According
(Ademand (E (C (B (A) Ihe
skills jobsare
WorkerS
workers sizenormal there such
upswings such imbalance
correct an
particular
evaluating social
policy problem
suggesting condition
discussing clarifyingpassage
proposing
for 4.4
of shifts shifts to
and the
attrition
labor the is Reading
can the
switch are work in the the a primarily
usually usually
be the are passage,
wil ways way
is frequently not steps sources definition
to force encouraged economy to to Comprehension
often occur
new
flexible usually small that alleviate eliminate concerned
jobs sufficient and of
slowly
accompanied have a
enough to
cause
by downward
consequences concept
the an
move been with Practice
to unemployment effects undesirable
to reduce taken
to shifts
learn Questions
where of
to a of
new the in
the a
93
94 (35) (20)
(30) (25) (15) (10) (5) Line GMATTM

predicted,
however.
frame by 95 years that sitespatterns earthquakes.
indistinguishable
that
efforts without
tocertainNoting large tremors,earthquakes,
the that wth these of waves, weakening the
effects expand
continues
decreasing phenomenon earthquakes.
asoffered otherwise) innotbut(those in
1992. In Researchers
their stress seismic the In
percent quakes base the magnitude most unusual field, Official
near along possible
predictions. regions, frorn
1980s, data and could by thatshort 1971
The of these large including volume, in builds, Guide
probabilityoccurred one recurrence,
the earthquakes velocities an the to "dilatancy waves researchers
e occur term
short-term but proved lead increase, thobserved
An
earthquake site San of precursors, increase
initially rock.
Lindh some foreshocks
fromearthquakes microfractures
rock's explanation that Verbal
an while a to allowing turned few a by
and Andreas In impending disheartening. change According
several theory,"
of at andresearchers other the were reported the
volume. had identifying Review
concluded a or to in in days hoping
intervals study tend small, rocks been their
did an earthquake Bakerlong-term historical but groundwater rock
earthquake minor indicate arerecorded precursory in based for before
not Fault, of to subsequent the to precursory to 2022
occur quake
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suchattention
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within in there
determined cycles, tremors.
phenomena
in to to close, to
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prior quakes
that their that are by analyses
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in

11. (50) (45) (40) Line

(E) (D) (C) (B) (A) RCO011301

fromearthquakes
The
Questions Sanearthquakes
132 determined
Paleoseismologists
paleoseismology. earthquake
such havefield, to
establishEvidence
passage Andreas
years,
44 unearthedas
earthquakes earthquakes
OCcurrence
establishing
describing which
ofphenomena
discussing tprediction
or
challenging method
prediction
explaining
term mustalternative
suggesting
to fault
explaining
combine 332 but thousands that cycles
has against
researchers is 11-16 Fault that scarps
has whyprimarily individual
years. and come
the the that took the
patterns the in that the
the elements proven one refer theaverage thatdated
development deficiency usefulness accurate place from Lindh kind
past of
were
have occurrence concerned
method to intervals years
geological
more at a of
in the two interval caused relatively and
the attempted of one regular
of earthquake ago. Baker
long-term
of practicable of passage. millennia
ranged
occurrence of two dilatancy of earthquake with site
between They features
methods by new tried
methodsprecursory along
to greatly. was have
predict and
forecasting the ten
ot theory than
for by short
past an
the
 4.4 Reading Comprehension Practice
Questions

RCO011305

12 According to the passage, laboratory evidence 15. Ihe passage suggests which of the following about the
concerning the effects of stress on rocks might help paleoseismologists' findings described in lines 42-50?
aCCOUnt for
(A) They suggest that the frequency with which
(A) differences in magnitude among earthquakes earthquakes occurred at a particular site
(B) certain phenomena that occur prior to decreased significantly over the past two
earthquakes millennia.
(C) variations in the intervals between earthquakes in (B) They suggest that paleoseismologists may
a particular area someday be able to make reasonably accurate
(D) differences in the frequency with which long-term earthquake predictions.
earthquakes occur in various areas (C) They suggest that researchers may someday
the unreliability of short-term earthquake be able to determine which past occurrences of
predictions minor trermors were actually followed by large
earthquakes.
13. it can be inferred from the passage that one
(D) They suggest that the recurrence of earthquakes
problem with using precursory phenomena to predict in earthquake-prone sites is too irregular to serve
earthquakes is that minor tremors as a basis for earthquake prediction.
(E) They indicate that researchers attempting to
A typically occur sonme distance from the sites of develop long-term methods of earthquake
the large earthquakes that follow them prediction have overlooked important evidence
B are directy linked to the mechanisms that cause concerning the causes of earthquakes.
earthquakes RCO011307

are difficult to distinguish from major tremors 16. The author implies which of the following about the
D have proven difficult to measure accurately ability of the researchers mentioned in line 18 to
predict earthquakes?
E are not ahways followed by large earthquakes
RCOCII304 (A) They can identify when an earthquake is likely to
14. According to the passage, some researchers based Occur but not how large it will be.
their research about long-term earthquake prediction (B) They can identify the regions where earthquakes
on which of the following facts? are likely tooccur but not when they will occur.
(A) (C) They are unable to determine either the time or
The historical record confirms that most
the place that earthquakes are likely to occur.
earthquakes have been preceded by minor
tremorsS. (D) They are likely to be more accurate at short
(B) term earthquake prediction than at long-term
The average interval between earthquakes in one
earthquake prediction.
region of the San Andreas Fault is 132 years.
(C) (E) They can determine the regions where
Some regions tend to be the site of numerous earthquakes have occurred in the past but not
earthquakes over the course of many yearS.
the regions where they are likely to occur in the
(D) Changes in the volume of rock can occur as future.
a result of building stress andcan lead to the
weakening of rock.
(E) Paleoseismologists have been able to unearth
and date geological features caused by past
earthquakes.

95
 (40) (35) (30) (25) (20) (15) (10) (5) Line GMATM
96

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RCO049204 (E) (D) (C) (B) (A)
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23. 22

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97
 GMATTM Official Guide Verbal Review 2022

Line Suppose we were in a spaceship in free fall, where Questions 24-28 refer to the
objects are weightless, and wanted to know a smal
solid object's mass. We could not simply balance
RCO0222-01
24. It can be inferred
from the
passage.
that object against another of known weight, as we procedures
described
in passage that thhe two
the
(5) would on Earth. The unknown mass could be the following in common? passage have which of
determined, however, by placing the object on a
spring scale and swinging the scale in a circle at (A) They have been
applied in
the end of a string. The scale would measure the (B) They rely on the use of a practice.
tension in the string, which would depend on both tension. device that
(10) the speed of revolution and the mass of the object. (C) Their purpose is to measures
The tension would be greater, the greater the mass
or the greater the speed of revolution.
(D) They can only be determine an unknOwn mass.
From the applied to small solid obiects
measured tension and speed of whirling, we could (E) Theyinvolve
determine the object's mass. similar mass. attraction between objects of
(15) Astronomers use an analogous procedure to RCO022202
"weigh" double-star systems. The speed with
the two stars in a which 25. According to the passage, the tension in the string
double-star system circle one mentioned in lines 8-9 is analogous
another depends on the gravitational force to which of the
following aspects of a double-star system?
them, which holds the system between
(20) attractive force, together. This (A)
analogous to the The speed with which one
string, is proportional to the stars' tension in the (B)
star orbits the other
combined mass,
according to Newton's law of gravitation.
The gravitational
attraction between the stars
By (C) The amount of time it takes for
observing the time required for the stars to circle the stars to circle
each other (the period) and one another
(25) between them, we can deduce measuring the distance (D) The distance between the two stars
force, and hence the masses. the restraining (E) The combined mass of the two stars
RCO0222-03
26. Which of the following best describes the
between the first and the second paragraphrelationship
of the
passage?
(A) Ihe hrst paragraph provides an ilustration usetu
Tor understanding aprocedure described in tle
second paragraph.
(B) Ihe hirst paragraph describes a hypothetical
situation whose plausibility is tested in the
second paragraph.
(C) The first evaluates the usefulness
of a
paragraph
procedure whose application is described
further
in the second
(D)
paragraph.
The second paragraph provides evidence to
Support a claim made in the first paragrapl
(E) The second paragraph analyzes the practical
proposedinthe
implications of a methodology
first paragraph.

98
 4.4 Reading Comprehension Practice Questions

RCO022204

27. The author of the passage mentions observations

regarding the period of adouble-star system as being
useful for determining
(A) the distance between the tWo stars in the system
(B) the time it takes for each star to rotate on its
axis
(C) the size of the orbit the system's two stars
OCcupy
(D) the degree of gravitational attraction between
the system's stars
(E) the speed at which the star system moves
through space
RCO022205.02
28. The primary purpOse of the passage is to
(A) analyze a natural phenomenon in terms of its
behavior under special conditions
(B describe the steps by which a scientific
measurement is carried out
(C point out the conditions under which a scientific
procedure is most useful
(D contrast two different uses of a methodological
approach in science
(F explain a method by which scientists determine
an unknown quantity

99