GRE Verbal: Reading Comprehension Practice Questions
Test yourself on Reading Comprehension with 10 original GRE practice questions. Pick an answer to see instant feedback and a full explanation.
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1. A passage states: "While early ecologists assumed that stable ecosystems were the natural endpoint of succession, recent studies suggest that disturbance—fire, flood, storm—is not an aberration but a structuring force that maintains biodiversity." Which of the following best describes the function of the word "While" at the start of the sentence?
Explanation. "While" here sets up a contrast: it states what early ecologists assumed and then opposes it with what recent studies suggest. This is a classic concessive-contrast structure signaling that the author favors the newer view. It is not a chronological narrative, and the two views are presented as opposing, not equally supported.
2. Passage: "The novelist's prose, often praised for its lucidity, in fact conceals a deliberate ambiguity; sentences that appear transparent reward rereading with multiple, sometimes conflicting, meanings." The author's primary point about the prose is that it is:
Explanation. The phrase "in fact conceals a deliberate ambiguity" reverses the surface impression of clarity, and "reward rereading with multiple... meanings" confirms intentional layering. The prose is not poorly constructed (choice A misreads "conceals deliberate ambiguity" as a flaw), nor simpler, nor is universal admiration the author's point.
3. Passage: "Critics charged that the policy would depress wages. Yet five years after its implementation, average wages in affected industries had risen 3 percent, outpacing the national average." Which statement is best supported?
Explanation. The data (a 3 percent rise outpacing the national average) contradicts the predicted depression of wages, so the prediction was not borne out. Choice A overstates: correlation in the data does not establish that the policy CAUSED the rise. C contradicts "outpacing the national average" (which rose less, not declined). D concerns employment, which is not addressed.
4. Passage: "Although the theory elegantly accounts for the observed orbital data, it requires positing a form of matter for which no independent evidence exists. Until such evidence emerges, the theory must be regarded as provisional." The author's attitude toward the theory is best characterized as:
Explanation. The author credits the theory's elegance and explanatory power ("elegantly accounts") but withholds full acceptance pending evidence ("must be regarded as provisional"). That is qualified, cautious acceptance, not enthusiasm (A), dismissal (B), or indifference (D).
5. Select the sentence that, if true, would most WEAKEN the following argument: "Since the introduction of the new traffic-light timing system, accident rates at city intersections have fallen by 20 percent. Therefore, the timing system has made intersections safer."
Explanation. The argument assumes the timing system caused the decline. A simultaneous speed-limit reduction offers an alternative cause for fewer accidents, weakening the causal claim. Choice A strengthens applicability; C describes prior trends without an alternative cause for the drop; D concerns measurement source, not causation.
6. Passage: "Historians long held that the city declined because of foreign invasion. Newer scholarship, however, points to internal causes: soil exhaustion, political fragmentation, and the collapse of trade networks." The primary purpose of the passage is to:
Explanation. The passage contrasts an older single-cause view with newer scholarship emphasizing multiple internal causes—its purpose is to present this revision. It does not claim invasion played NO role (it merely shifts emphasis), nor deny the decline, nor compare two cities.
7. Passage: "The researcher's sample consisted entirely of volunteers recruited from a gym, yet the study's conclusions were stated as applying to adults generally." The most significant logical flaw indicated is:
Explanation. Gym volunteers likely differ from the general adult population (e.g., in fitness habits), so generalizing to all adults risks a non-representative sample. Size (A) is not mentioned; payment (C) is not stated; the hypothesis (D) is not at issue. The flaw is the sampling-to-generalization gap.
8. Passage: "It would be a mistake to dismiss the poet's later work as mere repetition of his earlier themes. The recurrence is real, but each return deepens rather than duplicates, refracting familiar concerns through the lens of age and loss." The author would most likely agree that the later poems:
Explanation. "Deepens rather than duplicates" and "refracting familiar concerns" indicate the themes return but with greater complexity. The author explicitly rejects the "mere repetition" view (B) and never claims the themes are abandoned (A) or that the work is inferior (D).
9. Passage: "The fossil's anatomy combines reptilian and avian features. Some paleontologists treat it as a transitional form linking the two groups; others contend it represents an evolutionary dead end, a lineage that independently evolved bird-like traits." The two groups of paleontologists disagree primarily about:
Explanation. Both groups accept the fossil's mixed anatomy (so A is shared, not disputed); they differ over what those features MEAN evolutionarily—transitional link versus convergent dead end. Authenticity, dating method (B, D) are not the points of contention.
10. Passage: "The argument rests on the premise that consumers act to maximize their economic self-interest. But anthropological studies of gift economies reveal exchanges governed by obligation, prestige, and reciprocity rather than profit." The author cites the anthropological studies in order to:
Explanation. The word "But" signals that the studies are introduced as a counterexample to the claim that consumers always maximize self-interest, challenging its universality. They do not support the premise (A), and the author neither focuses on methods (C) nor judges efficiency (D).
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FAQ
How should I approach long RC passages efficiently on the GRE?
Read for structure, not detail: identify the main point, the author's stance, and how each paragraph functions (support, contrast, example). Don't try to memorize facts—note where information lives so you can return to it. Then answer questions by locating relevant text rather than relying on memory.
What's the difference between an inference question and a detail question?
A detail (or 'according to the passage') question asks what the text states directly, so the answer is paraphrased from the passage. An inference question asks what must logically follow from the text. Correct inferences are tightly supported and conservative—avoid choices that go beyond what the passage guarantees.
How do I avoid trap answers in RC?
Common traps include extreme language ('always,' 'never,' 'no role'), out-of-scope claims, reversals of the author's view, and choices that are true in the real world but unsupported by the passage. Always verify each answer against specific textual evidence, and prefer the more moderate, fully supported option.