How many reading comprehension passages on the gmat

A recent computer-modeling experiment tested this hypothesis by tracking the influence of planetary gravitation over a projected 5,year period on the positions of a group of hypothetical dust particles. In the model, the particles were randomly distributed throughout a computer simulation of the orbit of an actual meteor stream, the Geminid.

The researcher found, as expected, that the computer-model stream broadened with time. Conventional theories, however, predicted that the distribution of particles would be increasingly dense toward the center of a meteor stream.

Surprisingly, the computer-model meteor stream gradually came to resemble a thick-walled, hollow pipe. Whenever the Earth passes through a meteor stream, a meteor shower occurs. Moving at a little over 1,, miles per day around its orbit, the Earth would take, on average, just over a day to cross the hollow, computer-model Geminid stream if the stream were 5, years old. Has the predicted twin-peaked activity been observed for the actual yearly Geminid meteor shower?

The Geminid data between and shows just such a bifurcation, a secondary burst of meteor activity being clearly visible at an average of 19 hours 1,, miles after the first burst.

The time intervals between the bursts suggest the actual Geminid stream is about 3, years old. A In each of the years between and , the Earth took exactly 19 hours to cross the Geminid meteor stream. D The Geminid meteor stream has not broadened as rapidly as the conventional theories would have predicted. E The computer-model Geminid meteor stream provides an accurate representation of the development of the actual Geminid stream. Eliminate it. C takes a number that was brought up a few times—5, years—and misapplies it.

D tests your understanding of how multiple theories compare and contrast in this passage. The conventional theory is that meteor streams will broaden and become denser at the center.

The new experimental finding is that meteor streams will broaden and become a hollow, thick-walled pipe. Both of them agree on the broadening, just not on the specific shape. Thus, D intentionally misinterprets the experimental finding. E gives us some food for thought. The computer model had predicted that if the stream were 5, years old, it would take earth 24 hours to pass through. It actually took earth 19 hours to pass through, which—according to the computer model—makes the stream about 3, years old.

So E is correct. It was in the first paragraph. Because they break off from the comet at different speeds, they gain ahead or fall behind it differently, ultimately landing in a variety of orbital positions and forming a kind of cloud.

Choice A nails it, but we should still make sure we can eliminate the other options. E brings in information never stated in the passage. All we know for certain is that the ejection velocities of the particles differ from each other , not the comet itself. So this answer option is at best speculative and at worst contrary. A Meteor activity would gradually increase to a single, intense peak, and then gradually decline. D Random bursts of very high meteor activity would be interspersed with periods of very little activity.

E In years in which the Earth passed through only the outer areas of a meteor stream, meteor activity would be absent. This is clearly an inference question. The author is asking us to hypothesize about what would happen if the conventional theories were true as opposed to the experimentally proven one. So, given that the passage gives us the answer for the new theory, can we extrapolate from that what would happen for the conventional theory? First, we have to identify what the conventional theory really is.

If bursts happen when earth enters and exits the walls of the pipe, what would happen if earth passed through a centrally dense formation?

A makes perfect sense. The showers would gradually increase to a peak at the center, and then decrease again. TL; DR? You will probably find it harder to interpret the meaning or function of sentences and be more likely to choose trap choices. So, to better ensure your understanding of an RC passage and your ability to work through RC questions efficiently, read the passage carefully, in its entirety, before you read the first question.

DO: Read the passage carefully, in its entirety before you read the first question. GMAT students sometimes make the mistake of trying to remember or understand every detail in an RC passage, an unproductive strategy.

The fact is, you cannot predict which details the questions associated with the passage will focus on and which details will prove irrelevant. So, when you first read an RC passage, read to basically understand what the author is saying.

Notice what type of thing the author is saying. Is she presenting a contrast? Disputing a common belief? Showing how a historical development occurred? However, you should come away from your initial reading of the passage with an understanding of how the author went about saying what she said, the function of each paragraph, how she chose to present the material.

Were any cause-and-effect claims made in the passage? Problems and their solutions introduced? Contrasting viewpoints expressed? Processes explained? Do you need to understand every bit of jargon the author uses to explain a particular process, theory, etc.

Your job is to understand what role the information plays in the passage — why is it there? What function does it perform? Remember, RC is not a subject test. DO: Read RC passages for basic understanding, to notice what type of thing the author is saying, and to understand the function of each paragraph.

Since you can just about count on 1 main idea question for each RC passage you see on the GMAT, always identifying the main point or primary purpose of a passage when you first read the passage is a wise strategy.

How would you summarize what the passage says? Many GMAT students fall into the trap of assuming that the main idea of an RC passage will be stated in either the first or last paragraph of the passage. While that is certainly possible, there is no rule that the main idea has to be in the first or the last paragraph. If you assume that the main idea is contained within the first or last paragraph, or the first three sentences, or the first sentence of the last paragraph, etc.

This is another reason why reading the passage thoroughly before you start reading the questions is a good idea. So, when you do your initial read-through of an RC passage, quickly identify what you think is the main point or primary purpose of the passage. DO: As you initially read an RC passage, quickly identify what you think is the main point or primary purpose of the passage.

Certain words can help you understand the logic of a passage, the function of different elements of the passage, the relationships between ideas and facts, and the intention or viewpoint of the author. Showing a Cause-and-Effect Relationship : consequently; as a result; thus; therefore; hence; because; accordingly. Indicating a Contrast or Disagreement : however; although; yet; conversely; regardless; in spite of; on the other hand; then again; nevertheless; instead. Indicating Agreement : similarly; furthermore; moreover; in addition; not only, but also.

Introducing Examples or Evidence : for instance; in particular; in fact. Introducing a Conclusion : all things considered; in summary; in essence; in any event; all in all. Look out for structural keywords and phrases such as these because they provide important clues, helping you navigate and understand the progression of a passage and telling you what. Furthermore, make sure to always consider keywords in the broader context of the passage because some keywords can be used in multiple ways.

DO: Be on the lookout for keywords and phrases that indicate cause-and-effect relationships, contrast, or agreement or that introduce examples or conclusions. But there is another very important skill that you must hone in order to perform well in Reading Comprehension, and that is the skill of noticing WHERE key information is located in the passage. Again, this is not a memorization game or even an exact science. However, the fact is, RC passages are composed of dozens of sentences, but to answer a question you may need only two of those sentences.

Thus, you need to be skilled in finding the right information. Perhaps the passage is about the history of natural disasters on a certain island. Where did the author mention volcanoes?

In the second paragraph, or the fourth? Where did she mention earthquakes? Before or after volcanoes? Now, do you need to memorize or note down exactly what she said about volcanoes or earthquakes? The point is to have a sense of where in the passage the information is, so that if a question asks you about a particular aspect of that information, you can quickly locate the information you need within the passage.

DO: Get a sense of where key pieces of information are placed in the passage, so that you can quickly locate them if you need to answer questions related to them. In fact, privatization has not only rescued individual industries and a whole economy headed for disaster, but also raised the level of performance in every area.

At British Airways and British Gas, for example, productivity per employee has risen by 20 percent. At British Telecom, there is no longer a waiting list—as there always was before privatization—to have a telephone installed. Part of this improved productivity has come about because the employees of privatized industries were given the opportunity to buy shares in their own companies. They responded enthusiastically to the offer of shares: at British Aerospace, 89 percent of the eligible workforce bought shares; at Associated British Ports, 90 percent; and at British Telecom, 92 percent.

When people have a personal stake in something, they think about it, care about it, work to make it prosper. Some economists have suggested that giving away free shares would provide a needed acceleration of the privatization process. Send me the lesson! Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the privatization process in the United Kingdom? GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice, Sample Passage While there is no blueprint for transforming a largely government-controlled economy into a free one, the experience of the United Kingdom since clearly shows one approach that works: privatization, in which state-owned industries are sold to private companies.

Correct answer is E. It is important to remember that the GMAT is a standardized test, and correct answers in reading comprehension must be concretely supported in some way by the passage.

A majority of students pick incorrect answer choice D because it is a reasonable statement given our knowledge of the world strikes occur more in state-owned industries than in private ones. However, it is not supported in any way by the passage: there is zero evidence given that the author believes this about labor disruptions.