In some detail questions, you are asked where in the passage a particular piece of information is located.

The answers to this type of question are line numbers.

The following are examples of questions for locating details.

- At what point in the passage does the author discuss…..?

- Where in the passage does the author first mention…..?
- In which lines does the author explain……?

To answer such questions, scan the passage looking for the key words.

- Focus on one or two key words as you read the stem of each question. Lock these words in
your mind.
- Scan the passage looking for the key words or their synonyms. Look only for these words. Do
NOT try to read every word of the passage.
- It may help to use the eraser end of your pencil as a pointer to focus your attention. Don’t
reread the passage completely – just look for these words.
- When you find the key words in the passage, carefully read the sentence in which they occur.
You may have to read the sentence preceding or following that sentence as well.
- Compare the information you read with the four answer choices.
Question 1. Where in the passage does the author first mention how the test is given?

(A) Lines 2-3 (B) Lines 3-4 (C) Lines 5 (D) Lines 6-8

Answer (A) is incorrect because lines 2-3 only mention another name for lie detectors. Answer (B) is also
incorrect because in lines 3-4 only the purpose or aim of lie detectors is mentioned. Answer (C) also is
incorrect because lines 5 states only what the machine records, not how it works. The best answer to the
question is (D), lines 6-8, which state that "you are electronically connected to the machine and asked a
few neutral questions" and are therefore the first mention of how a polygraph works.

Question 2. In which lines does the author explain how some people learn to trick the polygraph?

(A) Lines 14-15 (B) Lines 15-16 (C) Lines 16-18 (D) Lines 19-21

Answer (A) is incorrect because lines 14-15 state how the machine can be unreliable. Answer (B) is also
incorrect since lines 15-16 mention only innocent people and not how they can trick the machine. Answer
(C) is also incorrect because lines 16-18 only mention how innocent people may react to the machine. The
best answer is (D), lines 19-21, which state how "some practiced liars" learn to "beat the machine" and in
this way trick the polygraph.
PRACTICE 1

Passage 1

Antlers grow from permanent knoblike bones on a deer’s

skull. Deer use their antlers chiefly to fight for mates or for
leadership of a herd. Among most species of deer, only the
males have antlers, but both male and female reindeer and
caribou have antlers. Musk deer and Chinese water deer do
not have antlers at all. Deer that live in mild or cold climates
lose their antlers each winter. New ones begin to grow the
next spring. Deer that live in tropical climates may lose their
antlers and grow new ones at other times of the year. New
antlers are soft and tender.
Thin skin grows over the antlers as they develop. Short, fine
hair on the skin makes it look like velvet. Full-grown antlers
are hard and strong. The velvety skin dries up and the deer
rubs the skin off by scraping its antlers against trees. The
antlers fall off several months later.
The size and shape of a deer’s antlers depend on the animal’s age and health. The first set grows when
the deer is from 1 to 2 years old. On most deer, the first antlers are short and straight. As deer get older,
their antlers grow larger and form intricate branches.

Question 1. Find the sentence in paragraph 1 that explains how deer primarily use their antlers.

Question 2. Find the sentence in paragraph 2 that explains how deer remove the skin from their antlers.

Question 3. Find the sentence in paragraph 3 that describes the antlers of young deer.

Passage 2
Today’s supermarket is a large
departmentalized retail store. It sells mostly food
items, but also health and beauty aids, housewares,
magazines, and much more. The dominant features
of supermarkets are large in-store inventories on
self-service aisles and centralized checkout lines.
The inclusion of non-food items on
supermarket shelves was once considered novel.
This practice is sometimes called “scrambled
marketing.” It permits the supermarket, as well as
other types of retail stores, to sell items that carry a
higher margin than most food items. In general,
however, supermarket profits are slim—only about 1 to 3 percent. Owners rely on high levels of
inventory turnover to reach their profit goals.
Supermarkets were among the first retailers to stress discount strategies. Using these strategies,
supermarkets sell a variety of high-turnover goods at low prices. To keep prices clown, of course,
supermarkets must keep their costs down. Other than the cost of the goods they sell, supermarkets’
primary costs involve personnel. By not offering delivery and by hiring cashiers and stockers rather than
true sales personnel, supermarkets are able to keep prices at a relatively low level.
Question 1. Find the sentence in paragraph 1 that gives the most important characteristics of
supermarkets.

Question 2. Find the sentence in paragraph 2 that explains the advantage of “scrambled marketing.”

Question 3. Find the sentence in paragraph 3 that explains how supermarkets are able to sell goods
cheaply.

PRACTICE 2
Question 1. At what point in the passage does the author specifically discuss the reasons why the
miners left Mineral King?
(A) Lines 10-12 (B) Lines 14-16 (C) Line 17 (D) Lines 26-28
Question 2. Where in the passage does the author first mention Disney's plans for Mineral King?
(A) Line 17 (B) Lines 18-21 (C) Lines 22-23 (D) Lines 26-28
Question 3. In which lines does the author first describe Mineral King?
(A) Lines 1-3 (B) Lines 3-6 (C) Lines 7-8 (D) Lines 9-10
Question 4. Where in the passage does the author mention the deciding factor in the final outcome of
the Disney plans?
(A) Lines 17-19 (B) Lines 22-23 (C) Lines 23-26 model (D) Lines 26-28
Question 5. At what point in the passage does the author describe the look of Mineral King Valley
during its occupation by the miners?
(A) Lines 3-6 (B) Lines 9-10 (C) Lines 10-12 (D) Lines 15-16
Question 6. Where in the passage does the author describe the reaction of environmentalists to the
Disney proposal?
(A) Lines 15-16 (B) Lines 22-23 (C) Lines 23-26 (D) Lines 26-28
Question 7. In which lines does the author explain how Mineral King got its name?
(A) Lines 1-3 (B) Lines 3- 6 (C) Lines 7-8 (D) Lines 7-10

PRACTICE 3
Question 1. Where in the passage does the author define the commercial joint-stock companies?
(A) Lines 4-7 (B) Lines 8-10 (C) Lines 12-14 (D) Lines 14-15
Question 2. At what point in the passage does the author give the names of the colonies established
by proprietorship?
(A) Lines 2-4 (B) Lines 10-12 (C) Lines 16-18 (D) Lines 18-20
Question 3. In which lines does the author explain how the corporate colony was different from other
colonies?
(A) Lines 12-14 (B) Lines 14-15 (C) Lines 18-20 (D) Lines 20-22
Question 4. Where in the passage does the author indicate when permanent English settlements were
established in North America?
(A) Lines 1-2 (B) Lines 2-4 (C) Lines 4-6 (D) Lines 10-12
Question 5. In what lines does the author explain proprietorships?
(A) Lines 12-14 (B) Lines 16-18 (C) Lines 18-20 (D) Lines 20-22
Question 6. Where in the passage does the author discuss the reasons why immigrants came to
America?
(A) Lines 1-2 (B) Lines 2-4 (C) Lines 4-7 (D) Lines 8-10