Reading Comprehension Flashcards
What are the following markers in passages for?
To a great extent
In general
Broadly speaking
In conclusion/sum/brief
Therefore/thus/so/hence
As a result/Overall
Generalization or conclusion
What are the following markers in passages for?
First, second
To begin with
Next
Finally
Again
Furthermore; for example; Also; In the same way
In other words; That is; Namely; So to speak
Important points or examples
*Think about W HY the author is mentioning these points!
What are the following markers in passages for?
X argues that;
X contends that;
theory
hypothesis
A named person/group holds a specific THEORY or OPINION
What are the following markers in passages for?
Traditionally
For some time
It was once believed
It had been assumed
Now, things are different than the past (contrast coming up soon)
Foreshadowing
What are the following markers in passages for?
Some (people) claim (believe, define, attribute etc.)
It is true that
Acknowledge a valid OPPOSING point
What are the following markers in passages for?
Current theory
Conventional wisdom
New or different theory/idea is COMING UP
Foreshadowing
e.g., current theory is this; here is the new theory/idea
What are the following markers in passages for?
Statement of a problem or question(?)
A possible fix for the problem or answer to the question (if any) is coming up
Foreshadowing
What are the following markers in passages for?
However
Yet
One one hand/on the other hand
While
Rather
Instead
In contrast
Alternatively
Contrasting idea
What are the following markers in passages for?
Granted (even assuming that)
It is true that
Certainly
Admittedly
Despite
Although
Author concedes a point or reluctantly agrees.
What are the following markers in passages for?
Actually
In fact
Indeed
Surprisingly
Unexpected result or phenomena
What are the following markers in passages for?
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
That said
Even so
Assert a different position after conceding a point
What are the following markers in passages for?
Supposedly
It was once thought
Seemingly
For some time
Something appeared to be a certain way, but it wasn’t that way at all.
What type of question is this?
“The author of the passage is primarily concerned with ___”
Main idea of the PASSAGE (primary purpose)
> “author” = PASSAGE
> eliminate answers that refer only to details! (think about what EACH PARAGRAPH TALKS ABOUT, especially first and last ones)
focus on starting VERBS
Pick the answer that relates to the MOST NUMBER OF PARAGRAPHS
What type of question is this?
“With which of the following would the author be most likely to agree with?”
Main idea of the PASSAGE (primary purpose)
> eliminate answers that refer only to details!
focus on starting VERBS
WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE SAY (tone of the passage = tone of the author)
What type of question is this?
“Which of the following best describes the relationship of the third paragraph to the passage as a whole?”
Main idea of the PARAGRAPH - Paragraph purpose
> focus on starting VERBS
What type of question is this?
“The author implies which of the following about ___”
“Which of the following is the most likely outcome for ____”
Inference
- Other hint words: infer, suggests, imply
- Inference Qs are a type of SPECIFIC Q that needs SUPPORT
Tip:
> Locate the point in the passage –> the correct answer should be close to that paragraph or sentence.
e.g., Passage states –> many co-wives lead to affluence and power.
Inference –> People with less affluence and power have fewer wives.
What type of question is this?
“According to the passage, which of the following occurs?”
Detail Question
- Type of SPECIFIC Q that needs SUPPORT
Tip:
> Locate the part(s) in the passage that mentions the point
What does “contention” mean?
Can mean a CONFLICT or CLASH
e.g., New discoveries frequently undermine accepted findings (new vs accepted).
What does “myth” mean?
Something people ERRONEOUSLY believe is true, typically without credible evidence.
What type of question is this?
“The passage quotes this person in order to”
IN ORDER TO => Specific Purpose Question
–> determine WHY the author mentions a piece of info.
What does “qualify” mean? (as a verb)
To qualify something means to DIMINISH or LIMIT it
e.g., qualify the main idea ==> diminish/oppose the main idea.
What do you do if you have two answers left and need to pick one?
Compare the WORDS closely - is every word substantiated by the passage?
> go back to the PASSAGE!
e.g., butterfly flight patterns –> passage doesn’t mention flight patterns, just the Butterfly Effect and butterfly flapping its wings.
Insect-eating bats rely heavily on echolocation, a method of sensory perception by which certain animals orient themselves to their surroundings, detect obstacles, communicate with others, and find food. While using echolocation, these bats emit a series of short, high-frequency sounds from their mouths or nostrils that bounce off objects and surfaces and then return to the animals’ ears. Since high-frequency waves do not diffract, or bend, extensively, these ultrasonic vibrations provide bats with accurate maps of their surroundings. The biosonar of some bats is so advanced that it allows them to fly in complete darkness, snatch moving insects out of the air, or hover just above water level to drink.
For years, scientists have been aware that bats emit slightly different frequencies in differing situations. Recent research has provided insight into how certain physical features help bats use this variability to differentiate among objects in their environments. Many species of bats have elaborate, intricately shaped flaps, or noseleaves, around their nostrils that are adorned with grooves and spikes. Three-dimensional computer simulations of these noseleaves revealed that furrows along the top of the noseleaves act as cavities that resonate strongly with certain frequencies of sound. As a result, the grooves cause different frequencies of sound to discharge in different directions. Lower frequency sounds are spread more vertically, while higher frequency sounds emit more horizontally. The complexity the noseleaves add to the bats’ ultrasound perception could help the bats perform difficult tasks, such as locating prey while avoiding obstacles.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion concerning the purpose of bats’ noseleaves?
(A) The range of frequencies that bats hear is much smaller than the range of frequencies that bats emit.
(B) Many bats emit echolocation sounds through their mouths rather than through their noses.
(C) Dolphins rely on echolocation, and they do not have noseleaves.
(D) When their food sources are stationary, some bats rely on eyesight and smell rather than echolocation.
(E) The sound waves emitted during echolocation are limited to a range of fewer than one hundred feet.
Purpose of noseleaves is to HELP some special species of bats “see” better and “perform difficult paths”
> Recall: Bats emit high frequency waves and then receive them back
A is correct - To weaken the conclusion about the purpose of noseleaves, we must show that they do not necessarily help bats in providing vital info.
NOT B - we don’t care about what “many bats” do - just these special bats with noseleaves.
Excerpt from a passage:
A number of details in the Deeds suggest that Augustus wanted to be remembered as a patriot in the tradition of Cincinnatus. Augustus would have us believe that his political career was driven not by personal ambition, but by a selfless desire to serve Rome and to uphold its ancient liberties and customs. He tells us that his seizure of power was a “liberation from the tyranny of a faction.” After he came to power “by universal consent,” he returned control of the state to the hands of the Roman senate and people. Emphasizing his humility, he lists numerous occasions on which he declined titles, ovations, and triumphs offered him by the senate.
It can be inferred from the passage that in Augustus’s day Cincinnatus was remembered as
A) someone unlikely to put his own interests before those of the state
B) a notably patriotic emperor
C) an intensely ambitious man
D) the founder of the libertarian faction in Roman politics
E) the bravest defender of Rome’s ancient liberties and customs
First line of the paragraph talks about Cincinnatus – basically says that Augustus wanted to be remembered as SOMEONE LIKE CINCINNATUS (“in the tradition of Cincinnatus”)
Question therefore asked back when Augustus was alive, who was Cincinnatus remembered as?
The subsequent sentences explain the characteristics Cincinnatus possessed/Augustus desired to be remembered for –> selfless desire to serve Rome, not personal ambitions, humility.
A is correct
Other answers are wrong
> No evidence that Cincinnatus was an EMPEROR
> Not intensely ambitious man (Direct Contradiction)
> No evidence that Cincinnatus was the FOUNDER of the libertarian faction in Rome politics
> No evidence that Cincinnatus was regarded as the BRAVEST defender of Rome’s ancient liberties and customs.
n the year of his death, Augustus Caesar completed an account of his life called Deeds of the Divine Augustus. It consists of thirty-five numbered sections, each of which records his achievements in a particular field. The first two sections, for instance, describe his role in the civil war that followed Julius Caesar’s death, while section twenty-eight enumerates the colonies he founded for his soldiers. Augustus left instructions that the Deeds be inscribed on two bronze pillars in Rome, as well as on monuments and temples throughout the empire. Clearly, Augustus intended the Deeds to mold his image for posterity.
A number of details in the Deeds suggest that Augustus wanted to be remembered as a patriot in the tradition of Cincinnatus. Augustus would have us believe that his political career was driven not by personal ambition, but by a selfless desire to serve Rome and to uphold its ancient liberties and customs. He tells us that his seizure of power was a “liberation from the tyranny of a faction.” After he came to power “by universal consent,” he returned control of the state to the hands of the Roman senate and people. Emphasizing his humility, he lists numerous occasions on which he declined titles, ovations, and triumphs offered him by the senate.
Few historians accept Augustus’s account of his political motivation. Mark Antony’s faction was not particularly tyrannical, and Augustus’s seizure of power appears to have been motivated mainly by opportunism. In Gibbon’s persuasive analysis, Augustus’s subsequent restoration of the outward forms of republican government was designed to lend political legitimacy to what was essentially a dictatorship. Augustus’s refusal of numerous honors appears to have been part of this same political stagecraft. According to Suetonius, the senate felt obliged to offer Augustus a steady stream of honors. Augustus accepted a great many of these, including the titles of “First Citizen” and “Father of the Country,” but refused enough to maintain the appearance of humility.
According to the passage, which of the following is an assertion made in the Deeds?
A) Augustus was victorious in the civil war that followed Julius Caesar’s death.
B) The example of Cincinnatus was an inspiration to Augustus in times of conflict.
C) Augustus’s restoration of republican forms gave political legitimacy to his regime.
D) Augustus brought freedom to Rome.
E) Augustus accepted the title of “First Citizen” in a spirit of humility.
RECALL WHAT THE DEEDS said about Augustus –> painted him in a very good light
A - no evidence
B - no evidence that Cincinnatus was an inspiration to him during times of conflict
C - NO - the passage does not tell us whether a similar assertion is made in the Deeds. For all we know, the Deeds may not mention the concept of political legitimacy.
D - Yes - only answer that paints Augustus in a good light (“liberation from the tyranny of a faction”) –> also in quotation marks (quoting the Deed!)
E - not correct factually in the passage (not in the spirit of humility)
In recent years, a class of drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors has gotten much publicity for the drugs’ power to relieve inflammation and pain. These drugs are relatively new to the pharmaceutical industry, their mechanisms of action having been discovered only in 1971. That year, John Vane discovered the relationship between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, and a group of molecules, called prostaglandins, responsible for producing the sensation of pain in the human body, among other functions.
Prostaglandins were first discovered in the 1930s and are now known to be generated by most mammalian tissues in response to external stimuli. Unlike classical hormones that are synthesized in one tissue but act on a distant one, prostaglandins act on the cells that produce them or on cells located close to the prostaglandins’ cells of origin. Aspirin alleviates pain by inhibiting the function of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase or COX; this inhibition prevents the production of prostaglandins. The three forms of this enzyme, COX-1, COX-2, and COX-3, all stimulate the production of prostaglandins, but each serves a different purpose. COX-1 functions to protect the stomach from irritating gastric acids. COX-2 functions to induce inflammation in injured tissue and COX-3 functions to control the sensation of pain. Aspirin and other similar drugs, such as naproxen, inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2, sometimes producing or aggravating stomach ulcers in patients who take them.
In order to eliminate the side effects of aspirin and related drugs, several pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s developed drugs that inhibited only COX-2. However, side effects almost always cropped up, even after clinical trials that seemed to indicate none. This often occurs because trials are conducted within very limited parameters; once the drug has been approved for mass distribution, however, the number of people taking it and the length of time that it is taken increase dramatically. Several COX-2 drugs that have been popular in recent years fit this pattern: initially successful in clinical trials, subsequent studies showed them to have serious, potentially lethal side effects.
According to the passage, all the of the following are true of prostaglandins EXCEPT:
A. They were discovered in the 1930s.
B. They are generated by most mammalian tissues.
C. They produce the sensation of pain in the body, but are also responsible for other bodily functions.
D. They cause side effects that clinical trials failed to detect.
E. Their production is affected by enzymes COX-1, COX- 2, and COX-3.
Specific Detail –> need support FROM THE PASSAGE
A - They were discovered in the 1930s.
True - “Prostaglandins were first discovered in the 1930s”
B - They are generated by most mammalian tissues.
True - “Prostaglandins… are now known to be generated by most mammalian tissues in response to external stimuli.”
C - They produce the sensation of pain in the body, but are also responsible for other bodily functions.
THIS IS TRUE: “…prostaglandins, responsible for producing the sensation of pain in the human body, among other functions.”
D - They cause side effects that clinical trials failed to detect.
FALSE - COX-2 inhibiter drugs produced side effects, NOT prostaglandins
- Error - Not Quite Right / Mix Up
E - Their production is affected by enzymes COX-1, COX- 2, and COX-3.
True - “Inhibiting the function of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase or COX; this inhibition PREVENTS the production of prostaglandins”
In recent years, a class of drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors has gotten much publicity for the drugs’ power to relieve inflammation and pain. These drugs are relatively new to the pharmaceutical industry, their mechanisms of action having been discovered only in 1971. That year, John Vane discovered the relationship between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, and a group of molecules, called prostaglandins, responsible for producing the sensation of pain in the human body, among other functions.
Prostaglandins were first discovered in the 1930s and are now known to be generated by most mammalian tissues in response to external stimuli. Unlike classical hormones that are synthesized in one tissue but act on a distant one, prostaglandins act on the cells that produce them or on cells located close to the prostaglandins’ cells of origin. Aspirin alleviates pain by inhibiting the function of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase or COX; this inhibition prevents the production of prostaglandins. The three forms of this enzyme, COX-1, COX-2, and COX-3, all stimulate the production of prostaglandins, but each serves a different purpose. COX-1 functions to protect the stomach from irritating gastric acids. COX-2 functions to induce inflammation in injured tissue and COX-3 functions to control the sensation of pain. Aspirin and other similar drugs, such as naproxen, inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2, sometimes producing or aggravating stomach ulcers in patients who take them.
In order to eliminate the side effects of aspirin and related drugs, several pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s developed drugs that inhibited only COX-2. However, side effects almost always cropped up, even after clinical trials that seemed to indicate none. This often occurs because trials are conducted within very limited parameters; once the drug has been approved for mass distribution, however, the number of people taking it and the length of time that it is taken increase dramatically. Several COX-2 drugs that have been popular in recent years fit this pattern: initially successful in clinical trials, subsequent studies showed them to have serious, potentially lethal side effects.
The passage suggest which the following about COX- 2 inhibitors?
A. They fail to protect the stomach from gastric acids that can cause irritation, but protect the body from tissue inflammation.
B. They produce similar side effects as those caused by Naproxen.
C. They were introduced approximately 20 years after the relationship between aspirin and prostaglandins was discovered.
D. They stimulate production of prostaglandins that cause tissue inflammation.
E. They are generated by external stimuli and act on the cells that produce them.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE QUESTION: COX-2 INHIBITORS (drug), NOT the enzyme!!!
A. They fail to protect the stomach from gastric acids that can cause irritation, but protect the body from tissue inflammation.
> No
> Cox-2 inhibitors do not inhibit cox-1 enzyme, so they do still protect the stomach from gastric acids
B. They produce similar side effects as those caused by Naproxen.
> NO
> Naproxen is like aspirin
> Both inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, whereas COX-2 inhibitors only inhibit COX-2
> “In order to eliminate the side effects of aspirin and related drugs”
C. They were introduced approximately 20 years after the relationship between aspirin and prostaglandins was discovered.
> TRUE
> Cox-2 inhibitors were developed in 1990s
> The “RELATIONSHIP” between aspirin and prostaglandins were discovered by John Vane in 1971
D. They stimulate production of prostaglandins that cause tissue inflammation.
> NOT TRUE –> Cox-2 enzyme
E. They are generated by external stimuli and act on the cells that produce them.
> No - prostaglandins
RC
Common wrong answer choices
- Incorrect inferences about Quantities (the “most”, “more”)
- Incorrect inferences about Location (“only place”)
- Strong wording (incapable, only, must, most important cause)
Pay attention to FIRST VERB (i.e., purpose questions - argue, compare, describe)
Unassailable meaning
Invincible
Tone questions tips
Observe the CONNOTATION of key words in the sentence AND PASSAGE (where ever the highlighted word is mentioned)
> “even” - surprising, maybe even unlikely
Pre-think what the tone is!
Define what each word in the answer choices means
> “critical” means the author uses pretty harsh words (e.g., “penny-pinching, mechanistic culture”, “fell under the spell”)
> “qualified” means the author LIMITS his/her feelings toward something with a caveat of some sort
> “Unqualified” means unconditional/unlimiting
> Realistic, indifferent, analytical, objective = neutral tone (kind of like an academic paper)
> “noncommittal” - equivocal, unrevealing
> “complex” = comprised of multiple parts
> “abstract” = unclear or vague
BE WARE OF EXTREME TERMS:
> “completely neutral”
Hard sentence:
If a company is already effectively on a par with its competitors because it provides service that avoids a damaging reputation and keeps customers from leaving at an unacceptable rate, then investment in higher service levels may be wasted, since service is a deciding factor for customers only in extreme situations.
If a company is competitive with other competitors because its service does not damage its reputation and it RETAINS CUSTOMERS AT AN ACCEPTABLE RATE / KEEPS CUSTOMERS FROM LEAVING AT AN UNACCEPTABLE RATE, then investment in higher service levels may be a waste; service quality is NOT an area of differentiation for most customers.
Derision meaning
Mockery
Scornful
Provenance meaning
Place of origin
The author “anticipates” which of the following as a possible OBJECTION to her argument?
> What should you be on the look out for?
Look out for sentences in which the author ACKNOWLEDGES something SURPRISING and then RESPONDS TO IT with further explanation
e.g., “It is perhaps surprising to argue that an employed population could be enticed to move, but an explanation lies in the labor conditions then prevalent in the South….”
Give way meaning
Surrender, yield
Conjecture meaning
Opinion, guess or conclusion formed on incomplete information
Denunciatory meaning
Containing a warning of PUNISHMENT; condemn something
Pernicious meaning
Harmful
Disinterested meaning
Unbiased
Archaeologists had noticed that sixteenth-century Native American sites were strewn with iron bolts and metal pins. Only later, upon reading Nicolas Denys’s
1672 account of seventeenth-century European
settlements in North America, did archaeologists
realize that sixteenth-century European fishing crews had dismantled and exchanged parts of their ships for furs.
Which of the following best describes the primary function of lines 11–16?
A. It offers a reconsideration of a claim made in the preceding sentence.
B. It reveals how archaeologists arrived at an interpretation of the evidence mentioned in the preceding sentence.
C. It shows how scholars misinterpreted the significance of certain evidence mentioned in the preceding sentence.
D. It identifies one of the first significant accounts of seventeenth-century European settlements in North America.
E. It explains why Denys’s account of seventeenth-century European settlements is thought to be significant.
Ans: B
First sentence describes some evidence
Second sentence shows how archaeologists interpreted the evidence
NOT E:
> the second sentence does not explain why Denys’s account was “significant” –> just that his account allowed archaeologists to arrive at a conclusion
Tips for questions referring to pronouns
e.g., The author mentions the view in lines 14-15 to do what?
A: It demonstrates ___
B: It ___
e.g., Which of the following can be inferred about supplier partnerships, as they are described in the passage?
A: They cannot be sustained ___
B: They are not feasible ___
Replace the pronoun with the correct antecedent
Historiography meaning
The study of HISTORICAL WRITING
Approbation meaning
Approval or praise
Chauvinism meaning
Extreme or prejudiced support of something
Antedate meaning
Precede
“These techniques have strongly suggested that although the true bacteria indeed form a large coherent group, certain other bacteria, the archaebacteria, which are also prokaryotes and which resemble true bacteria, represent a distinct evolutionary branch that far antedates the common ancestor of all true bacteria”
According to the passage, researchers working under the two-category hypothesis were correct in thinking that
(A) prokaryotes form a coherent group
(B) the common ancestor of all living things had complex properties
(C) eukaryotes are fundamentally different from true bacteria
(D) true bacteria are just as complex as eukaryotes
(E) ancestral versions of eukaryotic genes functioned differently from their modern counterparts
The new techniques have provided evidence that there are THREE distinct evolutionary groups:
1) Eukaryotes
2) True bacteria - a type of prokaryote
3) Archaebacteria - a type of prokaryote
So A is WRONG
> the researchers were incorrect in thinking that prokaryotes formed a coherent group (rather, “TRUE bacteria” formed a large coherent group)
C is correct
> Support from the passage: “Moreover, arguments pointing out the extent of both structural and functional DIFFERENCES between eukaryotes and true bacteria convinced many biologists that the precursors of the eukaryotes must have diverged from the common ancestor before the bacteria arose.”
Another way to interpret a shared “understanding”
e.g., “The first was Black workers’ understandable skepticism toward unions”
Appreciation
> author clearly conveys APPRECIATION of the attitude of many Black workers in the 1920s toward unions
There is NO regret expressed by the author
The system of patent-granting, which confers temporary monopolies for the exploitation of new technologies, was originally established as an incentive to the pursuit of risky new ideas. Yet studies of the most patent-conscious business of all—the semiconductor industry—suggest that firms do not necessarily become more innovative as they increase their patenting activity. Ziedonis and Hall, for example, found that investment in research and development (a reasonable proxy for innovation) did not substantially increase between 1982 and 1992, the industry’s most feverish period of patenting. Instead, semiconductor firms simply squeezed more patents out of existing research and development expenditures. Moreover, Ziedonis and Hall found that as patenting activity at semiconductor firms increased in the 1980’s, the consensus among industry employees was that the average quality of their firms’ patents declined. Though patent quality is a difficult notion to measure, the number of times a patent is cited in the technical literature is a reasonable yardstick, and citations per semiconductor patent did decline during the 1980’s. This decline in quality may be related to changes in the way semiconductor firms managed their patenting process: rather than patenting to win exclusive rights to a valuable new technology, patents were filed more for strategic purposes, to be used as bargaining chips to ward off infringement suites or as a means to block competitors’ products.
The passage is primarily concerned with discussing
A. a study suggesting that the semiconductor industry’s approach to patenting during the period from 1982 to 1992 yielded unanticipated results
B. a study of the semiconductor industry during the period from 1982 to 1992 that advocates certain changes in the industry’s management of the patenting process
C. the connection between patenting and innovation in the semiconductor industry during the period from 1982 to 1992
D. reasons that investment in research and development in the semiconductor industry did not increase significantly during the period from 1982 to 1992
E. certain factors that made the period from 1982 to 1992 a time of intense patenting activity in the semiconductor industry
Main idea:
Ans: C
Even though the passage spends a great deal discussing the results of a study, the main point is to discuss the relationship (or absence in relationship) between innovation and patenting activity in the semi-conductor industry
CONNECTION could be an actual relationship or absence of a relationship
Invariably meaning
Always, in every case
During and immediately after a war, Hollywood films typically trumpet the glory of sacrifice and unquestioning patriotism. Ten to fifteen years later, however, morally fraught and sometimes pacifistic movies about the conflict typically emerge. For example, after America joined World War I in 1917, the still infant film industry glorified the fight against “the Hun.” But by the early 1930s, films such as All Quiet on the Western Front did not shy away from depicting the horrors of combat and the disillusionment of soldiers. After World War II began, the cycle repeated itself. Guadalcanal Diary, produced during the second world war, portrayed “the ultimate sacrifice” as a noble and undisputed good while diminishing the ethical complexities. By 1957, though, films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, first published in book form in 1952, were winning awards for depicting the moral confusion inherent in war. Subsequently, the movie The Green Berets, produced at the height of the Vietnam war in the late 1960s, was far closer in tone to Guadalcanal Diary than to The Bridge on the River Kwai. A decade or more passed before the film industry finally began producing more complex and ambivalent depictions of the Vietnam war, such as Apocalypse Now and Platoon.
Which of the following best conveys the meaning of the word “fraught” in the second sentence of the passage?
A) ”pacifistic” (second sentence)
B) ”glorified” (third sentence)
C) ”diminishing the ethical complexities” (sixth sentence)
D) ”confusion” (seventh sentence)
E) ”complex” (final sentence)
Ans E
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT morally fraught MOVIES
> different from the use of “moral confusion” to DEPICT perhaps CHARACTERS’ own moral confusion
Other hints:
> “ethical COMPLEXITIES”
> “began producing more COMPLEX and ambivalent depictions of the Vietnam war”
“known to researchers” might imply what?
e.g., 50 species known to researchers in Mexico…
hedging –> there may be UNKNOWN things to researchers
“Perhaps amphibians - whose permeable skin makes them unusually sensitive to environmental changes - are the biological harbingers of the natural world”
What does this imply about amphibians?
Amphibians are “unusually sensitive to environmental changes” because of their permeable skin.
So other animals are not as sensitive as amphibians.
> they must not have permeable skin.
“in any case” marker
Regardless –> regardless of the info in the preceding sentence, ___
“given” marker meaning
Provided (not the same thing as because)
“contemporaries” meaning
a person or thing living or existing at the same time as another
e.g., Darwin’s contemporaries
“an expedient”
a MEASURE or METHOD
“preclude”
Prevent from happening (prevent, exclude)
“unequivocal” versus “equivocal”
Unequivocal = unambiguous
Equivocal = ambiguous = ambivalent (two interpretations)
“purport”
appear to be or to do something
“confer” vs “confer with”
Confer = grant
Confer with = consult
Virginia Democrats, in response, began to make similar appeals to women as well. By the mid-1850’s the inclusion of women in the rituals of party politics had become commonplace and the ideology that justified such inclusion had been assimilated by the Democrats.
. According to the passage, which of the following was true of Virginia Democrats in the mid-1850’s?
A. They feared that their party was losing its strong moral foundation.
B. They believed that the Whigs’ inclusion of women in party politics had led to the Whigs’ success in many elections.
C. They created an ideology that justified the inclusion of women in party politics.
D. They wanted to demonstrate that they were in support of the woman’s rights movement.
E. They imitated the Whigs’ efforts to include women in the rituals of party politics
Ans E
NOT C
- there is no evidence in the passage that suggests that the Democrats CREATED the ideology that justified the inclusion of women in party politics
E –> it is true that the Democrats did the same things as the Whigs (imitated them)
“Virginia Democrats, in response, began to make similar appears to women as well”
What should you do for harder RC passages (e.g., medicine or biology) that involves many processes?
Jot down the PROCESS
Inference question tips
Which word should you look out for in the answer choices?
“sometimes”
“some”
**some also is often an irrelevant answer in CR
Meaning of Nonpartisan
Not biased or partisan, especially toward any particular political group.
Nonpartisan politics –> NO political groups
Meaning of Perfunctory
Carried out with minimum effort or reflection
> similar to “performative”
Meaning Indulgent
Overly forgiving and tolerant
Meaning of Affront
Insult (noun)
Affronted = insulted (verb)
Meaning of Laudable
Praiseworthy
Meaning of presupposition
Assumption
Meaning of veneration
respect
Meaning of Marginal regions or land
Very poor quality land
The passage supports which of the following statements?
What does this question mean?
Ans choices are different statements (claims)
Choose the answer that the passage has EVIDENCE to support it
Common errors…
Not Quite Right / Mix Up
> sounds NICE, uses similar language, but the MEANING IS OFF
> or MISSING one word
e.g., business entrepreneur =/ self-made entrepreneur
e.g., The power of these elites generally forestalled the development of a large class of self-made entrepreneurs. —> NOTHING in the passage suggests that elites prevented the DEVELOPMENT of self-made entrepreneurs (just their entry into elite class)
Meaning of seminal
Adj: Groundbreaking, pivotal, influential, pioneering
e.g., seminal piece of work
Bugbear
e.g., Shaw’s defense of a theater of ideas brought him up against both his great bugbears
Noun: a CAUSE of obsessive fear, irritation, or loathing; or an IMAGINED SOURCE of fear
Didactic
Adj: instructive; educational; intended to TEACH, particularly in having MORAL instruction as an ulterior motive.
Hedonist
engaged in the pursuit of PLEASURE; sensually self-indulgent.
Epoch
a period of time, era
Adulation
Excessively flattering or praising
Fallacious
erroneous; based on false beliefs
related to Fallacy
Diffident
Adj: Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence
Irreverent
DISrespectful
Reverent = respectful
General tips
If PART of the answer choice seems off (e.g., extreme word) –> the ENTIRE ANSWER CHOICE is WRONG
Enervation
Fatigue
*think NERVES = tied to fatigue
Reproach / reproaching
Express disapproval
Slavish
Resembling a slave (begging, servile, subservient)
e.g., slavish following
Condemnatory
Strong DISAPPROVAL
Demur
Verb: Object, protest, take issue with
Jettison
Verb: to throw or drop something, usually from an aircraft or ship
Pedantic
Adj: highly accurate/precise, perfectionist
Captious
Adj: trying to find fault; hypercritical
Remember: “capture” fault = “Cap”
Vitriolic
Adj: acrimonious; bitter; malice
Panacea
Adj: cure for all ills
Furnishes
Verb: provides
Cupidity
N: greed
Think of “cupid” = desire = wants = greed
e.g., cupidity of retention, cupidity of seizure
Sterile
Adj: Inefficient, unproductive, pointless, fruitless
Common error to avoid
Do not play the “matching game” (i.e., choose an answer because the passage mentioned it)
Remember, RC is about COMPREHENSION (identifying the underlying meaning of sentences)
