GRE Revised General Test: Verbal

Reasoning Question Types

The GRE Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE revised General Test contains
three types of questions:
Reading Comprehension
Text Completion
Sentence Equivalence
Reading Comprehension questions appear in sets Text Completion and
Sentence Equivalence questions are independent!
Reading Comprehension Questions
There are three types of Reading Comprehension questions:
Multiple-choice QuestionsSelect ne !ns"er #hoice: These are the
traditional multiple"choice questions #ith five ans#er choices of #hich you must
select one!
Multiple-choice QuestionsSelect ne or More !ns"er #hoices: These
provide three ans#er choices and as$ you to select all that are correct one%
t#o% or all three of the ans#er choices may be correct! To gain credit for these
questions% you must select all the correct ans#ers% and only those there is no
credit for partially correct ans#ers!
Select-in-$assage: The question as$s you to clic$ on the sentence in the
passage that meets a certain description! To ans#er the question% you choose
one of the sentences and clic$ on it clic$ing any#here on a sentence #ill
highlight it!
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Reading comprehension passages are dra#n from the physical sciences% the
biological sciences% the social sciences% the arts and humanities% and everyday
topics% and are based on material found in boo$s and periodicals% both
academic and nonacademic! The passages range in length from one paragraph
to four or five paragraphs!
Sa&ple 'uestions % to ( belo" are based on this passage:
&olicyma$ers must confront the dilemma that fossil fuels continue to be
an indispensable source of energy even though burning them produces
atmospheric accumulations of carbon dioxide that increase the li$elihood of
potentially disastrous global climate change! Currently% technology that #ould
capture carbon dioxide emitted by po#er plants and sequester it harmlessly
underground or undersea instead of releasing it into the atmosphere might
double the cost of generating electricity! 'ut because sequestration does not
affect the cost of electricity transmission and distribution% delivered prices #ill
rise less% by no more than () percent! Research into better technologies for
capturing carbon dioxide #ill undoubtedly lead to lo#ered costs!
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Sample Multiple-choice QuestionSelect One Answer
Choice
*! The passage implies #hich of the follo#ing about the current cost of
generating electricity+
,! -t is higher than it #ould be if better technologies for capturing carbon
dioxide #ere available!
'! -t is some#hat less than the cost of electricity transmission and
distribution!
C! -t constitutes at most half of the delivered price of electricity!
.! -t is d#elt on by policyma$ers to the exclusion of other costs associated
#ith electricity delivery!
E! -t is not fully recovered by the prices charged directly to electricity
consumers!
!ns"er: C! -t constitutes at most half of the delivered price of electricity!
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Sample Multiple-choice QuestionSelect One or More
Answer Choices
Consider each of the three choices separately and select all that apply!
/! The passage suggests that extensive use of sequestration #ould% over
time% have #hich of the follo#ing consequences+
,! The burning of fossil fuels #ould eventually cease to produce atmospheric
accumulations of carbon dioxide!
'! The proportion of the delivered price of electricity due to generation #ould
rise and then decline!
C! &o#er plants #ould consume progressively lo#er quantities of fossil fuels!
!ns"er: '! The proportion of the delivered price of electricity due to
generation #ould rise and then decline!
Sample Select-in-Passage Question
0! Select the sentence that explains #hy an outcome of sequestration that
might have been expected #ould not occur!
!ns"er: 1'ut because sequestration does not affect the cost of electricity
transmission and distribution% delivered prices #ill rise less% by no more than ()
percent!2
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Sa&ple 'uestions ) to * belo" are based on this passage:
Reviving the practice of using elements of popular music in classical
composition% an approach that had been in hibernation in the 3nited States
during the *45)6s% composer &hilip Glass 7born *4089 embraced the ethos of
popular music #ithout imitating it! Glass based t#o symphonies on music by
roc$ musicians .avid 'o#ie and 'rian Eno% but the symphonies6 sound is
distinctively his! &opular elements do not appear out of place in Glass6s classical
music% #hich from its early days has shared certain harmonies and rhythms
#ith roc$ music! :et this use of popular elements has not made Glass a
composer of popular music! ;is music is not a version of popular music
pac$aged to attract classical listeners it is high art for listeners steeped in roc$
rather than the classics!
Sample Multiple-choice QuestionSelect One Answer
Choice
<! The passage addresses #hich of the follo#ing issues related to Glass6s use
of popular elements in his classical compositions+
,! ;o# it is regarded by listeners #ho prefer roc$ to the classics
'! ;o# it has affected the commercial success of Glass6s music
C! =hether it has contributed to a revival of interest among other composers
in using popular elements in their compositions
.! =hether it has had a detrimental effect on Glass6s reputation as a
composer of classical music
E! =hether it has caused certain of Glass6s #or$s to be derivative in quality
!ns"er: E! =hether it has caused certain of Glass6s #or$s to be derivative in
quality
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Sample Multiple-Choice QuestionSelect One or More
Answer Choices
Consider each of the three choices separately and select all that apply!
(! The passage suggests that Glass6s #or$ displays #hich of the follo#ing
qualities+
,! , return to the use of popular music in classical compositions
'! ,n attempt to elevate roc$ music to an artistic status more closely
approximating that of classical music
C! , long"standing tendency to incorporate elements from t#o apparently
disparate musical styles
!ns"er: , 7, return to the use of popular music in classical compositions9 and
C 7, long"standing tendency to incorporate elements from t#o apparently
disparate musical styles9
Sample Select-in-Passage Question
5! Select the sentence that distinguishes t#o #ays of integrating roc$ and
classical music!
!ns"er: 1;is music is not a version of popular music pac$aged to attract
classical listeners it is high art for listeners steeped in roc$ rather than the
classics!2
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Text Completion Questions
Text Completion questions include a passage composed of one to five sentences
#ith one to three blan$s! There are three ans#er choices per blan$% or five
ans#er choices if there is a single blan$! There is a single correct ans#er%
consisting of one choice for each blan$! The examinee receives no credit for
partially correct ans#ers!
Sample Text Completion Questions
.irections: >or each blan$ select one entry from the corresponding column of
choices! >ill all blan$s in the #ay that best completes the text!
Te+t #o&pletion Question %,
-t is refreshing to read a boo$ about our planet by an author #ho does not
allo# facts to be -.!/0 by politics: #ell a#are of the political disputes about
the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity% this author does not
permit them to -.!/0 his comprehensive description of #hat #e $no# about
our biosphere! ;e emphasi?es the enormous gaps in our $no#ledge% the
sparseness of our observations% and the -.!/0% calling attention to the many
aspects of planetary evolution that must be better understood before #e can
accurately diagnose the condition of our planet!
!ns"er choices 1or 'uestion %,
'lan$ * 'lan$ / 'lan$ 0
overshado#ed enhance plausibility of our hypotheses
invalidated obscure certainty of our entitlement
illuminated underscore superficiality of our theories
!ns"er: overshado"ed% obscure% and super1iciality o1 our theories
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!ns"er to Question % in #onte+t:
-t is refreshing to read a boo$ about our planet by an author #ho does not
allo# facts to be overshado"ed by politics: #ell a#are of the political
disputes about the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity% this
author does not permit them to obscure his comprehensive description of #hat
#e $no# about our biosphere! ;e emphasi?es the enormous gaps in our
$no#ledge% the sparseness of our observations% and the super1iciality o1 our
theories% calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that
must be better understood before #e can accurately diagnose the condition of
our planet!
Te+t #o&pletion Question 2,
Vain and prone to violence% Caravaggio could not handle success: the more his
-.!/0 as an artist increased% the more -.!/0 his life became!
!ns"er choices 1or 'uestion 2,
'lan$ * 'lan$ /
temperance tumultuous
notoriety providential
eminence dispassionate
!ns"er: e&inence and tu&ultuous
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!ns"er to Question 2 in #onte+t:
Vain and prone to violence% Caravaggio could not handle success: the more his
e&inence as an artist increased% the more tu&ultuous his life became!
Te+t #o&pletion Question (,
The author6s -.!/0 style renders a fascinating sub@ect% the role played by luc$
in everyday life% extraordinarily -.!/0!
!ns"er choices 1or 'uestion (,
'lan$ * 'lan$ /
soporific pedantic
lucid tedious
colloquial opaque
!ns"er: sopori1ic and tedious
!ns"er to Question ( in #onte+t:
The author6s sopori1ic style renders a fascinating sub@ect% the role played by
luc$ in everyday life% extraordinarily tedious!
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Te+t #o&pletion Question ),
>rom the outset% the concept of freedom of the seas from the proprietary
claims of nations #as challenged by a contrary notionAthat of the -.!/0 of
the oceans for reasons of national security and profit!
,! promotion
'! exploration
C! surveying
.! conservation
E! appropriation
!ns"er: E, appropriation
!ns"er to Question ) in #onte+t:
>rom the outset% the concept of freedom of the seas from the proprietary
claims of nations #as challenged by a contrary notionAthat of the
appropriation of the oceans for reasons of national security and profit!
Sentence Equivalence Questions
Sentence Equivalence questions consist of a single sentence% one blan$% and six
ans#er choices! These questions require the examinee to select t#o of the
ans#er choices! The examinee receives no credit for partially correct ans#ers!
Sample Sentence Equivalence Questions
.irections: Select the t"o ans#er choices that% #hen used to complete the
sentence% fit the meaning of the sentence as a #hole and produce completed
sentences that are ali$e in meaning!
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*! ,lthough it does contain some pioneering ideas% one #ould hardly
characteri?e the #or$ as -.!/0!
,! orthodox
'! eccentric
C! original
.! trifling
E! conventional
>! innovative
!ns"er: C 7original9 and > 7innovative9
/! The corporation expects only -.!/0 increases in sales next year despite
a yearlong effort to revive its retailing business!
,! dynamic
'! predictable
C! expanding
.! modest
E! slight
>! volatile
!ns"er: . 7modest9 and E 7slight9
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