1. Reading Comprehension
Breaking Down the Text
Reading Comprehension

2. Approaching Reading Comprehension Questions
Think of Reading Comprehension as a book
The correct answer to every question is somewhere in the book
Reading comprehension questions are tricky
Test takers often spend too much time trying to understand what they have read
Your critical thinking skills may cause you to overanalyze the text

3. Structure and Tone
A key strategy for Reading Comprehension is to understand its structure and tone
Many question sets will contain a question that concerns how the author organizes or expresses his or her ideas.

4. Here Are Some Classic GRE Passage Structures:
Arguing a position
Often used in social science passages
Discussing something specific within a field of study
For example a passage about Shakespearean sonnets in literature
Explaining some significant new findings or research
Often a science passage

5. Tone
Refers to an author’s attitude towards his or her topic, or how he or she expresses a point of view.
In passages that cite significant new findings or research, the tone is likely to be academic or detached
In passages that argue a position, the tone may be more forceful and opinionated
In some passages, the author may be describing the opinions of someone else.
In this case, the tone might be narrative or descriptive
The tone would be argumentative if the author mentions the opinions of others in order to debunk them

6. Using Process of Elimination
The correct answer choice for a tone question will use language similar to that found in the passage; a correct answer choice will not use the language more extreme than that used in the passage

7. Extreme Answer Choices Moderate Answer Choices
Avoid Extreme Answers!
Extreme Answer Choices
Moderate Answer Choices
Must
The first
Each
Every
All
The best
Only
Totally
Always No
May
Can
Some
Many
Sometimes
Often

8. Determine the topic, scope, and author’s purpose
Every passage boils down to one or more main ideas
Your job is to read through the passage and find it
The main idea is often presented in the first third of the passage, but occasionally the author builds up to it gradually
Everything else supports the main idea

9. Topic, Scope, and Purpose
You can break down the main idea of the passage by determining the topic, scope and purpose of the passage
Topic vs scope
A topic is broad
A scope is focused and particularly important because answer choices that go beyond it will always be wrong
Author’s Purpose
The author develops a passage by including certain aspects and excluding others. Those choices reflect the author’s purpose and main idea.

10. As you read each passage, remember to do the following
Identify the topic
Narrow it down to its precise scope
Make a prediction about why the author is writing and where he or she is going with the passage

11. Read Strategically You can be an active reader by
Thinking about what you’re reading
Paraphrasing complex ideas
Asking yourself questions about the passage as you read
Jotting down notes about the author’s arguments counterarguments

12. Let’s Practice!

13. Use the strategies we learned in class today to help you deconstruct Reading Comprehension passages such as this one:
The admissions policy at Carver City University stipulates that in considering applicants for freshmen admission from potential students who meet the entrance requirements, preference will be given to high school graduates who are permanent residents of Carver City. This policy is followed consistently by all admissions officers; however, although over 600 students have graduated from Carver City’s high schools in the past year, some slots in the freshmen class of 200 are filled by students who are not permanent residents of Carver City.

14. As a Class…
Let’s identify
The topic
The scope
The author’s purpose