• understanding the meaning of individual words and sentences


• 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 how the parts relate to one another


• identifying the author's assumptions and perspective


• analyzing a text and reaching conclusions about it


• identifying strengths and weaknesses of a position


• developing and considering alternative explanations

Description These are traditional multiple-choice questions with five answer choices, of which test taker must select one.
Tips for Answering

• Test takers should read all the answer choices before making the selection, even if he/she 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 the 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 selected should correctly represents the way the word is being used in the passage. Many words have different meanings when used in different contexts.

Description These questions provide three answer choices and ask test taker to select all that are correct; one, two or all three of the answer choices may be correct. To gain credit for these questions, test takers must select all 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 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 all the three answer choices are correct, since questions of this type can have up to three correct answer choices.

Description These questions ask test taker 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 highlight 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. Tips for Answering

• Evaluate each of the relevant sentences in the passage separately before selecting the answer. Do not evaluate any sentences that are outside the paragraphs under consideration.


• A correct answer choice must accurately 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 passages appearing on the GRE Verbal Reasoning measure are drawn from a wide variety of disciplines and sources. Passages deal with subject-matter from the physical sciences, biological sciences, social sciences, arts and the humanities, and everyday topics. GRE reading comprehension questions seek to assess critical reading skills by using texts that exhibit a level of complexity comparable to that encountered in graduate school. Passages exhibiting this kind of graduate-level prose are adapted from material found in books and periodicals, both academic and nonacademic.
Given that GRE reading passages are drawn from many different disciplines and sources, even well-prepared test takers are likely to encounter material with which they are not familiar. It is important to bear in mind, however, that all questions can be answered solely on the basis of information provided in the passage and that no specialized knowledge is assumed. Consequently, there is no need to try and acquaint oneself with every conceivable topic that might be covered by the Verbal Reasoning measure. Nonetheless, many test takers do have an interest in gaining more exposure to GRE-level reading material. For such individuals, the most fruitful approach would probably involve becoming more familiar with the kinds of logical reasoning and rhetorical patterns that are typically found in GRE reading passages. The best way of doing this is to read a wide variety of texts that exhibit similar features on a regular basis - or at least for a sustained period of time prior to the exam.
Where are such texts to be found? The good news is that the graduate-level prose sampled by GRE passages is not only to be found in highly specialized academic journals. There are many excellent sites for developing the habit of reading challenging prose, many of which are readily accessible. Some of these include (but are not limited to): feature articles in newspapers such as The New York Times, The Guardian, or The Wall Street Journal Asia; periodicals such as The Economist, Scientific American and London Review of Books; trade books by experts and journalists for general audiences. If test takers are interested in sampling academic prose in more specialized journals, online services for journal content (e.g., IOPscience2 and The Royal Society) provide links to interesting articles, some of which are open access.
In addition to reading widely in a range of fields, test taker should cultivate the habit of reading closely and critically while preparing for the GRE Verbal Reasoning measure. Focus on paragraphs that seem particularly dense in meaning and engage actively with the text: how would one sum up the author's larger point? What does a phrase used by the author mean in this specific context? What is not said but implied? Why does the author highlight this particular detail? Where is the argument most vulnerable to criticism? Ultimately, to succeed at GRE reading comprehension, how one read is just as important as what they read.

Question: 1 The last half of my life has been lived in one of those painful epochs of human history during which the world is getting worse, and past victories which had seemed to be definitive have turned out to be only temporary. When I was young, Victorian optimism was taken for granted. It was thought that freedom and prosperity would speed gradually throughout the world by an orderly process, and it was hoped that cruelty, tyranny, and injustice would continually diminish. Hardly anyone was haunted by the fear of great wars. Hardly anyone thought of the nineteenth century as a brief interlude between the past and future barbarism.
Question 1 to 5 is based on this passage.
1.  The author feels and about the later part of his life because.

a. The world had not become prosperous b. He was nostalgic about his childhood. c. The world was painfully disturbed during that period of time. d. The author had not won any further victories.

2. The victories of the past.

a. Filled men with a sense of pessimism b. Proved to be temporary events c. Ended, cruelty, tyranny, and injustice d. Brought permanent peace and security.

3. The world 'definitive' as used in the passage means

a. Incomplete b. Defined c. Temporary d. Final

4. During the Victorian age, people believed that

a. There would be unlimited freedom b. Strife would increase c. Peace would prevail and happiness would engulf the whole world. d. Wars would be fought on a bigger scale.

5. A brief interlude between the past and future barbarism' can be interpreted as

a. A dramatic performance during wars b. An interval between cruel wars c. A short space of time between two great events d. A short period of time between past and future acts of savagery.

Explanation-
1. The statement “The last half of my life has been lived in one of those painful epochs of human history during which the world is getting worse”. Give the correct answer.
2. The statement “past victories which had seemed to be definitive have turned out to be only temporary”. Give the correct answer.
3. The word “definitive” have close meaning with “Final”
4. The statement “It was thought that freedom and prosperity would speed gradually throughout the world by an orderly process, and it was hoped that cruelty, tyranny, and injustice would continually diminish”. Give the correct answer.
5. The statement “Hardly anyone was haunted by the fear of great wars. Hardly anyone thought of the nineteenth century as a brief interlude between the past and future barbarism.” Give the correct answer.
Question: 2 Among the earliest memories of my childhood are the stories from these epics told to me by my mother or the older ladies of the house, just as a child in Europe or America might listen to fairy tales or stories of adventure. There was for me both the adventure and the fairy tale element in them. And then I used to be taken every year to the popular open-air performances where the Ramayana story was enacted.
Question 1 to 3 is based on this passage.
1.  The author of this passage is in

a. A reflective mood b. A reminiscent mood c. A critical mood d. An introspective mood

2. 'Epics' are.

a. Long historical stories b. Poetic works of excellence c. Long narrative poems of the adventures of mythical heroes d. Popular versions of national histories.

3. The second sentence shows that the writer

a. Tolerated the old stories and open-air performances b. Analyzed old stories for their value c. Enjoyed them d. Dismissed them as untrue and silly.

Explanation-
1. The author of these passage recalling the earliest memories of his childhood so the author is in a reminiscent mood, the word reminiscent is known as Tending to recall or suggest something in the past
2. The epics provide long narrative poems of the adventures of mythical heroes.
3. The line “just as a child in Europe or America might listen to fairy tales or stories of adventure. There was for me both the adventure and the fairy tale element in them.” Gives the answer.