GUIDE SA PAGSAGOT SA READING COMPREHENSION

Short passages on the GRE may be a paragraph or two in length. Although they’re less
to read than long passages, GRE test-makers use the same tricks and types of
questions to evaluate your reading ability. Proper test prep will make it so you easily
master short passages on the GRE. And the good thing is that the same types of
questions are, and similar strategies can be, used for short passages and long ones!
Look below to see the five types of questions you’ll be asked as well as the top
strategies for doing well on short passages.

The five types of reading comprehension questions:

1) The main point of a passage

2) What’s explicitly stated in the passage

3) Inferences based off what’s in the passage

4) Ways in which the information in the passage may be applied to other situations

5) The author’s logic, or reasoning, in the passage

Make sure you know how to answer each type of reading comprehension question.

1) Make sure you read the entire passage before looking at the first question. Reading
the question first could trick or mislead you into thinking the passage’s main topic is
something other than what it is. Simply read the passage first to avoid this mistake.
2) Take notes while you read. Although these passages are not long, you’ll save time
when answering the questions if you take some notes. Notes should focus on:

a. The main topic of each paragraph.

b. Any transition from paragraph-to-paragraph (or even sentence-to-sentence in short

passages), focusing on whether these transitions are contrary or complementary to
each other.

c. The points and conclusions the author draws in the passage.

d. Hints or clues that will help you answer less explicit aspects of the passage.
3) Reading for the big picture. Trying to memorize the details in any passage—short or
long—is a waste of time. Make sure you understand the passage’s purpose, or main
idea(s); you can find details if you’re asked about them.
4) Read each question very carefully. Most test-takers don’t get questions wrong
because they aren’t able to find the right answer. Rather, they get them wrong because
they misread the question. Make sure you know what the question’s asking.
5) Read every answer choice before confirming your answer. Choosing A may seem so
tempting, and like a time-saving tactic, if it looks like the correct answer. No matter how
perfect it seems, make sure you eliminate the other answer choices before deciding on
it.
6) Refer back to the passage before answering a question…always! No matter how
sure you are that B is the correct answer, back it up by returning to the text. Chances
are that if you’re so sure about the answer, you’ll only spend a few seconds validating
it. It’s good to be safe.