Detail, Inference, Application, Assumption, Weaken & Strengthen

Question 1

When reading R.C passages, you should memorize every detail in the passage

True/False

Answer 1

False

Attempting to memorize details is a waste of time

Keep your focus on the big picture.

your goal is “comprehension” not “memorization”

Question 2

What should you do when you encounter specific details in a passage?

Answer 2

1. Don’t try to memorize it
2. Focus in the “Big picture”
3. Use the details to help you
   better understand the
   passage
   
   • Why was this info
     mentioned
   • why does the author want
     me to know this
   • How does this info fit into
     the passage as a whole
4. Note where the details are located so that you can refer back to them (if needed)

Question 3

What will you do when you encounter complex-jargon details in a passage?

Answer 3

I wont try to understand it

I will find out what role the info plays in the passage and use this finding to help me understand the passage better
- Why is this jargon here
- What role does it perform

Question 4

What are the 3 steps to find specific information in a passage?

Answer 4

1. Find the FOCUS of the question
2. Find the KEYWORDS to look for in
   question stem or answer choice.
   (e.g Capitalised words, Dates,
   Technical words)
3. Find the info you need in the
   passage

Question 5

2 common characteristics of Gmat R.C. detail question correct answers that make it tricky?

How can you overcome this?

Answer 5

1. The correct answer sometimes uses other words (synonyms) to say the same thing
2. The correct answer sometimes says the same thing the passage says but in a completely different way

KEY - Look for “meaning”

Question 6

9 common Traps in “detail” questions

Answer 6

1. Distortion
2. Exaggerated
3. Speculation (could be true/likely to be true)
4. Opposite
5. Half right
6. Nearby
7. Matches but incorrect
8. Wrong comparison
9. Mix-up

Question 7

Strategy for avoiding Distortion traps in detail questions

Answer 7

Pay attention to for verbs, nouns and modifiers

Don’t pick an answer choice just because it “feels” right, crosscheck the passage to be sure it is right.

Question 8

Strategy for avoiding Exaggeration traps in detail questions

Answer 8

Lookout for “extreme markers” or “strong language” in an answer choice and crosscheck that the choice says what the passage says

Question 9

Strategy for avoiding Speculation traps in detail questions

Answer 9

The correct answer will always be explicitly stated by the passage and must be true

avoid answers that may/could/likely to be true but not **explicitly stated **by the passage

Question 10

Strategy for avoiding Opposite traps in detail questions

Answer 10

Pay attention to the direction of the answer choice and compare with the direction of what the passage says.

Question 11

Strategy for avoiding Half right traps in detail questions

Answer 11

Read each answer choice to the very end and compare each part with what the passage says.

Question 12

Strategy for avoiding Nearby traps in detail questions

Answer 12

Choose answers that “logically” answer the questions asked and not just match keywords

Question 13

Strategy for avoiding
“Matches but incorrect” traps in detail questions

Answer 13

Make sure the answer choice doesn’t just restate what the passage says but answers the question asked.

Question 14

Strategy for avoiding “wrong comparison” traps in detail questions

Answer 14

Whenever you see comparisons - “yellow flags”, to indicate that you should crosscheck to see if it matches with what the passage says

Question 15

Strategy for avoiding “Mix-up” traps in detail questions

Answer 15

1. Don’t try to memorise who’s point is what at first, just understand the main idea of what is being said
2. Multiple p.o.v - “a marker” to anticipate mix-up traps in the answer choice
3. Cross-check the answer choice with what the passage says to rule out mix-ups

Question 16

Detail “Except” questions require you to …?

Answer 16

• rule out 4 “must be true” incorrect answers that say what the passage says
• Pick 1 correct answer that says something the passage does not say i.e May/could/likely to be true answers

Question 17

Detail vs inference questions

Answer 17

Details questions ask for what’s explicitly stated by the passage

Inference questions don’t ask for what is explicitly stated, they ask for what is “implied” by the passage

Question 18

C.R inference vs R.C inference

Answer 18

C.R inference “must be true” given what the passage says

R.C inference says something that is “logically supported” by what the passage says

Question 19

the correct answer to a R.C inference question will…

Answer 19

state something that is “logically supported” by the passage but not explicitly stated by the passage

Question 20

Keywords to identify inference question stem

Answer 20

what can be ……“implied”, “inferred”, “suggest“…. based on ‘X’ in the passage

Question 21

3 ways R.C inference correct answers work

Answer 21

1. states a conclusion supported by one statement
2. states a conclusion supported by multiple statements
3. reverses what the passage says to state the logical equivalent of what the passage says

Question 22

9 common inference question traps

Answer 22

1. distortion
2. Exaggeration
3. Speculation
4. nearby
5. mix-up
6. opposite
7. half right
8. match but not correct
9. wrong comparison

Question 23

Strategy for avoiding Distortion traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 23

dont just pick an answer choice just because it “feels” right, you should be able to pint out a specific info in the passage and explain how the info supports your choice

Question 24

Strategy for avoiding Exaggeration traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 24

lookout for “estreme markers” and “strong language” - yellow flags, and crosscheck that what the passage actually says supports it

Question 25

Strategy for avoiding Speculation traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 25

use what the passage says to support your anser and not your own ideas

Question 26

Strategy for avoiding Opposite traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 26

Compare the direction of the answer choice to the direction of what the passage supports to see if they match

Question 27

Strategy for avoiding Half-right traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 27

Read each answer choice to the end amd make sure each part is fully supported by the passage

Question 28

Strategy for avoiding Nearby traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 28

Pick a choice that truly answers the question asked not just keyword match

Question 29

Strategy for avoiding “Matches but incorrect” traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 29

Pick a choice that is not only supported by what the passage says but also cirrectly answers the question

Question 30

Strategy for avoiding wrong comparison traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 30

Comparisons in an answer choice- yellow flag
Check to see that the comparison is supported by what the passage says

Question 31

Strategy for avoiding mix-up traps in R.C inference questions

Answer 31

Multiple p.o.v/topics - “a marker” to anticipate mix-up traps in the answer choice

Cross-check the answer choice with what the passage says to rule out mix-ups

Question 32

The correct anwer to an “application” question will be…?

Answer 32

about something outside of the passage that is related to the passage in a particular way

Question 33

Question stem;

Which of the ffg is the best example of X as it is defined in the passage?

Which of the ffg most clearly represents an instance of the X-effect as it is described in the passage?

..Is what type of question

Answer 33

R.C Application question

Question 34

4 step Strategy for answering Application questions

Answer 34

1. Identify the questions “focus” by reading the question stem
2. Identify the relationship between the focus of the question and the correct answer as defined by the question stem
3. Find the focus of the question in the passage and review what the passage says about it
4. find the choice that has the relationship with the focus of the question that the stem says the correct answer must have

Question 35

3 step Strategy for answering Assumption/Weaken/Strenghthen R.C questions

Answer 35

1. Find in the passage the conclusion mentioned in the question stem
2. Find in the passage the evidence used to support that conclusion
3. Find the choice that *states an assumption necessary for conecting the evidence to /casts doubt on/strenghtens *the conclusion

Question 36

The correct answer to an R.C inference question “must be true” given what the passage says

True / False?

Answer 36

False
Unlike CR inference correct answers, RC inference correct answers do not have to be true given what the passage says; They simply must be logically supported by the passage