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4.0 Reading Comprehension
4.0 Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension questions appear in the Verbal Reasoning section of the GMAT™. They refer to written
passages consisting of generally between 200 to 350 words. The passages discuss topics in the social sciences,
humanities, physical and biological sciences, and such business-related fields as marketing, economics, and human
resource management. Each passage is accompanied by a short series of questions asking you to interpret the text,
apply the information you gather from the reading, and make inferences (or informed assumptions) based on the
reading. For these questions, you will see a split computer screen. The written passage will remain visible on the left
side as each question associated with that passage appears, in turn, on the right side. You will see only one question at
atime. However, the number of questions associated with each passage may vary.
As you move through the Reading Comprehension sample questions, try to determiié a process that works best for
you. You might begin by reading a passage carefully and thoroughly. Some test takers prefer to skim the passages the
Tirst ime through, or even to read the flist question before reading the passage. You diay want to reread any sentences
that present complicated ideas or that introduce terms new to you. Read each question and series of answers carefully.
Make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking and what the answer choices are.
Tf you need ro, you may reread any parts ofthe passage relevant 1q,aiWering the question that you are currently
viewing, but you will not be able to return to other questions after you have answered them and moved on. Some
questions ask explicitly about particular portions of the passages. In some cases, the portion referred to is highlighted
‘hile the relevant question is displayed. In such cases, thequestion will explicily refer to the highlighted part.
‘The following pages describe what Reading Comprehafision questions are designed to measure, the directions that
will precede the questions, and the various question types. This chapter also provides test-icking strategies, sample
questions, andl detailed explanations of all the questions. The explanations further HMlusirate how Reading
Comprehension questions evaluate basic reading skills.
4.1 What Is Measured
GMAT Reading Comprehension questions measure your ability to understand, analyze, apply, and evaluate
Information and concepts presented in written form. All questions are to be answered on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the reading material, and no specific prior knowledge of the material is required. Success in all types of
GMAT questions—except those that are purely mathematicel—requires strong reading skills. Thus, for some
examinees, Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction, and word-based Quantitative questions inevitably test reading
comprehension in addition to the skills that they primarily target. But they do so only indirectly and only at the level
of proficiency needed to demonstrate the skills that are directly targeted. By contrast, the Reading Comprehension
questions are designed to focus directly on various components of Reading Comprehension and to measure different
levels of skill in those components,
Generally speaking, reading comprehension skills are divided into two fundamental categories: Identify Stated Idea
and Identify Inferred Idea.
+ Identify Stated Idea refers to your ability to understand the passage asa whole and its constituent parts. To
answer questions related to this skill category, you need not do anything further with the information. The skills
required for Identify Stated Idea are typically prerequisites for thase in the second category, Identify Inferred
Idea, but questions targeting either of these fundamental skill types may be just as difficult as those targeting the
other.
«© Idemtfy Inferred Idea refers to your ability to use information in a passage for purposes such as inferring
additional information on the basis of what is given, applying the information to further contexts, critiquing the
‘views expressed in the passage, and evaluating the ways in which the writing is structured,
More specifically, GMAT Reading Comprehension questions evaluate your ability to do the following:
+ Understand complex, sophisticated nontechnical writing.
Effective reading involves understanding not only words and phrases in context but also the overall messages
conveyed by the writer. Although the questions do not directly measure your vocabulary knowledge (they will
not ask you to shaw that you know the standard meanings of terms), some of them may test your ability to
Printed hy: [email protected]. Printina is for nersonal_ nrivate use only. No nart of this hook may be reproduced or transmitted without publisher's prior permission. Violators will be
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interpret special meanings of terms as they are used in the reading passages.
‘+ Understand the purposes and functions of passage components, and the logical and rhetorical
relationships among concepts and pieces of information.
‘Questions that focus on this type of skill may ask you, for example, to determine how part of a passage relates to
other parts, to identify the strong and weak points of an argument, or to evaluate the relative importance of
arguments and ideas in a passage.
© Draw inferences from facts and statements.
With a litte reflection, anyone who thoroughly comprehends a text should be able to determine what further
information can be inferred from it. The inference questions will ask you to reach conclusions on the basis of
factual statements, authors’ claims and opinions, or other components of a reading, passage.
‘+ Understand and follow the development of quantitative concepts in written material.
Reading Comprehension questions do not measure mathematical knowledge. Hower, the passages sometimes
contain. quantitative information or opinions about such matiets as percentageseproportions, trends, probabilities,
cr statistics, expressed in ways that should be understandable without techni¢al mathematical training. You may
be asked to interpret, evaluate, or apply such quantitative information, or to éravy inferences from it. In some
cases, you might need to use some very simple arithmetic.
‘There are six kinds of Reading Comprehension questions, each kind focusing on a different skill. But there is
inevitably some peripheral overlap between the skills tested by one kind of question and those tested by others. For
example, identifying a passage’s main point often requires recognizing the logical or rhetorical structure of the tex,
while drawing inferences or applying information often requires accurately understanding of the passage’s main and
supporting ideas.
During the test, no labels will indicate which kind of Reading Comprehension question yoti are looking at, but each
question’s wording will clearly indicate what you need to do, Most of the Reading Comprehension question types will
be represented among the several Reading Comprehension sets in your test, but you may not see al the types.
‘The Reading Comprehension questions fall inigthe following categories:
1. Main Idea
Each passage is a unified whole—that is, the individual sentences and paragraphs support and develop one central
point and have a single unified purpose, Sonietines you will be told the central point in the passage lself, and
sometimes you will need to determine the central point from the overall organization or development of the passage.
A Main Idea question may ask,youto
‘© recognize an accurate summary, restatement, or paraphnase of the main idea of a passage
‘= identify the author's primary purpose or objective in writing the passage
+ assign a ttle that summarizes, briefly and poistedly, the main idea developed in the passage.
Main idea questions af® usually easy to identify as such. They generally ask explicitly about the main idea or main
purpose, using phrases such as:
Which of the following most accurately expresses the main idea of the passage?,
‘The primary purpose of the passage as a whole is to ..., or
In the passage, the author seeks primarily to «...
Incorrect answer choices for these questions often take the form of ideas in the passage that are subsidiary or
tangential to the main point, statements that are superficially similar to but demonstrably distinct from the main point,
or statements that are simply outside the scope of the passage even though they may be conceptually related to it.
‘As you read a passage, you may find it helpful to consider the chetorical strategy the author is using, For example, is,
the author primarily reporting facis, events, or other writers” views; arguing for a point of view; or commenting on
others’ views or on events or states of affairs? Identifying the hetorical strategy is essential in answering Main Idea
questions that ask about the passaye’s purpose, but can also help focus your thoughts for those that ask about a main
Idea as such. The two major rhetorical strategies in reading passages are argumentation and exposition, each
involving different kinds of main-idea questions.
In passages primarily involving argumentation, the correct answer to a Main [dea question will typically be a
paraphrase or description of the main conclusion of the passage's main argument, This conclusion is the main position
the naceana ie intandadd 9 marctiaea nanders tn arrant Tha main canclicinn is enmatimar hart nat ahunwe etated Printed by: 514.y,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only, No part ot this book
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the passage is intended to persuade readers to accept’ The main conclusion is sometimes, but not always, stated
explicitly in the passage. When itis not, the passage will make it clear o careful, perceptive readers what the author is
arguing for. The correct answer choice may also briefly mention to the reasons given in support of the position. For
example, the answer choice might begin with the words An analysis of recent findings supports the hypothesis that
‘The answer to a Main Idea question about an expository passage can take various forms, depending on the author’s
purpose and focus. In general, the answer will summarize the most important overall idea or theme discussed
Uroughout the passage, or the overall purpose of the passage. For example, the answer to a Main [dea question about
a narrative passage may be either a concise one-sentence summary of the events described or a statement of the
overall outcome of the events, depending on the author's focus. And the answer to a Main Idea question about the
purpose of a descriptive passage might be a sentence fragment that begins with the words To describe the roles of...
2. Supporting Idea
‘These questions measure your ability to comprehend ideas directly expressed in a passage and differentiate them from
ideas that are neither expressed nor implied in the passage. They also measure your ability to differentiate supporting
ideas from the main idea and from ideas implied by the author but not explicitly stated.
Like Main Idea questions, Supporting Idea questions simply assess whether you understand the messages conveyed in
the writing, without asking you to do anything further with the information. Supporting refers not only to ideas
expressed as premises supporting a main conclusion, but also to other ideas other than.the main idea. Since each
GMAT Reading Comprehension passage has an overall main point or purpose, every part of the passage can be
thought of as supporting thet main point or purpose in some way, ether directly of tangentially. Therefore, Supporting
Idea questions may ask you to understand and identify anything (other than themain point) that is stated in the
passage.
Correct answers to Supporting Tdea questions almost never consist of verbatim quotations from the passage, so you
will need to be able to recognize paraphrases or more abstract expuéssions of the passage material. Among the
passage components you may be asked to understand and recognize are:
a premise of an argument
‘= a tangential point such as an acknowledgment of afpotential objection to the author’s\position
+ an example given to illustrate a principle or generalization
+ a counterexample intended to provide evidence against a principle or generalization
= a fact cited as background informatiofielevant to the main idea or to a subsidiary idea
‘= a component of a complex explatiation, description, or narration
«a brief statement of a position against which the author’s reasoning is directed
a descriptive detail useditélsupport or elaborate on the main idea
‘Whereas questions about the main idea ask you to determine the meaning of the passage as a whole, questions about
supporting ideas ask you to determine the meanings of individual phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that contribute
to the meaning of. the passage as a whole. In many,cases, these questions can be thought of as asking for the main
point of one small part of the passage. Supporting [dea questions often contain key phrases such as:
According to the passage ...
Which of the following does the author cite as...
‘The passage mentions which of the following ..., or
Which of the following does the author propose ..
Answering Supporting Idea questions requires remembering or quickly locating the relevant information in the
passage. Occasionally, it may be possible to answer a question by quickly glancing to find the needed information
without first fully reading through the passage, but as a general strategy, that could be risky and even time-
consuming. Supporting Idea questions typically require a good understanding of the relationships among patts of the
passage. In many cases, they will ask you to identify a piece of information that plays a specified role or is presented
Ina specified context. Thus, they may contain phrases such as: Printed by: 514,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only. No part ot this book
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Which of the following does the author offer as an objection to...
Accoriling to the passage, new businesses are more likely to fall ifthey .., or
‘The passage compares the sea turtle’s thermoregulation to ..
3. Inference
Inference questions ask about ideas that are not explicitly stated in a passage but are implied by the author or
otherwise follow logically from the information in the pessage. Unlike questions about supporting ideas, which ask
about information directly expressed in a passage, inference questions ask about ideas or meanings that must be
inferred from the information directly stated.
Authors often make their points in indirect ways, suggesting ideas without actually stating them. Inference questions
measure your ability to understand an author’s intended meaning in parts of a passage where the meaning is only
suggested. They sometimes also measure your ability to understand further implications that clearly follow from the
information in the passage, even if the autor does not clearly intend them to be inferred. Therefore, when you read
passage, you should concentrate not only on the explicit meaning of the author’s words, but also on the subtler
‘meanings and unstated implications of those words. Inference questions do not ask about obscure or tenuous
implications that are very temote from the passage; rather, they ask about things that any astute, observant reader
should be able to infer from the passage after a little reflection.
You may be asked to draw inferences in order to identify:
« allikely cause of a phenomenon or situation described in the passage
«a likely effect of 2 phenomenon or situation described in the passage
+ a specific instance or subset based on a generalization given in the passage.
For example, ifthe passage Indicates that all reptiles have a certain property alidalso mentions that crocodiles are
reptiles, you could infer that crocodiles have the property in question.
+ a statement that the author (or someone referred to in the passage) likely considers true or false
+ an evaluative position that the author (or someone referred to in the passage) likely hols
For example, it may be possible to infer from the author's word choices that she or he disapproves of something
discussed in the passage.
«© the intended meaning of a word or phrase based on Bow that word or phraséis"used in the passage. However,
GMAT questions will not ask you to define a word used in the passage witiva standard meaning that could be
accurately guessed from background vocabulary knowledge.
In some cases, the inference you are asked to draw will follow from a shrigle statement or series of statements In the
passage. In other cases, it wiil require you to consider together two or more separate parts of the passage. The relevant
paris may be close together or far epart, but they will always be significant aspects of the pessage, not irrelevant or
highly obscure details. The question may refer explicily 10 one-Gr more portions of the passage, or It may require you
to locate or remember the relevant'information.
Inference questions often contain phrases such as:
Which of the following statements about... is most strongly supported by the passage?,
Tecan be inferred from the passage that...
Ifthe claims made by the author about ... are true, which of the following is most likely also true?,
The passage implies that...., ot
The information in the passage suggests that ....
Some of the inferences might depend on commonly known and obviously true facts in addition to the information
supplied by the passage. For example, ifthe passage say’ that an event heppened during a snowstorm, you could
reasonably infer that the weather was not hot at that time and place. Printed by: 514.y,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only, No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted without publisher's prior permission, Violators will be
— precacyhad,
Incorrect answer choices for inference questions are often statements that appear superficially related to the passage
but are not supported by the information in question. When the question asks what can be inferred from a specific part
of the passage, you should be careful not to select an answer that follows from some other part of the passage but not,
from the part in question.
Incorrect answer chotces are often true statements even though they are not supported by the information in the
passage. Conversely, the correct answer could be a false statement implied by false information in the passage. For
example, when the author explains why a theory is mistaken, you might be asked to infer that if the theory were true,
such facortect information would also have to be tue.
Occasionally, it may not be possible to tell merely from a question’s wording whether you are being asked to infer
something or rather to recognize something direcily expressed. For example, a question beginning “In the passage,
the author suggests...” might be asking you to note that the author explicitly makes a certain suggestion in the
passage. More typically, a question beginning “The passage suggests ...” will be asking you to identify an idea the
text implies but does not explicitly state. However, if you understand the passage and the relationships and
Implications of tts parts, you will be able to find the correct answer without having to worry about how the test
writers classified the question.
4. Application
Application questions measure your ability to discern relationships between situations or ideas presented in the
passage and other situations or ideas beyond the direct scope of the passage. ‘The most crucial skill involved in
answering application questions is that of abstracting key features or principles from one context and applying them
effectively to other contexis. This skill is often needed when working with scholarly, legal, professional, or business
writings.
Application questions are often hypothetical or speculative, and therefore may contain Words such as would, could,
might, or should, or phases such as most clearly exemplifies, is most similar (0, or is most likely ruled out by. Some
application questions pose analogies between passage topics and ather topics.
Because application questions can be about the relationships of the passage to topits outside its scope, you should not
expect to be able 0 eliminate any answer choice based on whether or not iis topfe appears in the passage. For
instance, all the answer choices for an analogy question relating to a passage’s explanation of a water-treatment
process might refer to book-publishing processes.
Here are some major application types you may encounter on the exam:
A. Analogies. These could involve:
+ function or purpose similar to the function or purpose of something describedjin the passoge.
‘A question might ask, for instance, In which of the following is the role played by a computer program most
analogous to the role of the protein molecule in the pesticide discussed in the passage?
‘= amethod or procedure similar to one é&scrbied in the passage but ued ha different context
© a goal or purpose similar to the goal ofypurpose of something discussed in the passage.
For example, a protest demonstration’s goal of changing one countty’s environmental policies would be more
analogous (o a politician’s goal of changing another country's food safety regulations than to an employee's goal of
finding a new job.
+ apart-whole relationship similar to a part-whole relationship described in the passage.
This could be, for exainpléy a relationship between an organism and its ecosystem, or between a book chapter and the
book as a whole.
+ a logical relationship similar to the relationship between pars of the passage or between elements of someone’s
reasoning described in the passage.
B. Principles, policies, and procedures. You may be asked to identify, for example:
+ arule ot policy that if enforced could help bring about a goal presented in the passage
‘a principle that is not explictily formulated in the passage but underlies the author's reasoning,
‘= a generalization supported by a range of specific instances referred to in the passage
+ an action or situation violating or conforming to a rule or policy mentioned in the passage Printed by: 514.y,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only, No part ot this book
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© a potential solution to a problem discussed in the passage
‘= an alternative approach that could have the same effect as one discussed in the passage.
C. Extensions of the author's rhetorical strategies. These include such things as:
an example effectively illustrating a point made by the author
a prediction about how the author would likely respond to an objection to her or bis position
an additional topic that could be relevantly added to the discussion in the passage
an idea the passage does not express but implies that the author would probably accept or reject.
D. What if scenarios, You might need to identify, for example:
a hypothetical extension of a wend or series of developments described in the passage
how a researcher's conclusions would have been logically affected if some observed data had been different
from the data reported in the passage
‘how circumstances would likely have been different if developments described in the passage had not occurred
‘= how someone whose views are described in the passage would likely respond if that person read the passage.
5. Evaluation
Evaluation questions require you to analyze and evaluate a passage's organization afd logic. They fall into two broad
subcategories: analysis and critique.
Analysis-type evaluation questions require you to determine how parts of the'Pasage work in relation to each other.
‘These questions often ask about the author's purpose. Unlike main-Idea quiestions about authors’ purposes, they do
not ask you to identify the entire passage’s overall purpose, but rather the purposes of specific elements within the
passage, and the relationships among those purposes. However, somié evaluation questions may ask you to identify
the logical structure of the passage or of a partion of the passage.
Critique-type evaluation questions require you to judge the strengths, weaknesses, relevance,.or effectiveness of parts
of the passage, as well as those parts’ relationships to potefitial objections or justifications. These questions often
Involve some of the same types of reasoning encountered in Critical Reasoning questions. Reading Comprehension
evaluation questions require neither technical knowledge of formal logic nor familiarity with specialized terms of
logic or argumentation. You can answer these quéStions using the information in th passage and careful reasoning.
Evaluation questions often contain phrases such as:
The purpose of...
. most accurately describes the structure of .
most strengthens.
would most justify
. is most vulnerablé'to the objection that ..., or
Which ... additional information would most help ...
Answer choices are often abstract and might not contain any words or concepts that appear in the passage. For
example, a question that asks about a paragraph’s function might have an answer choice such as: It rejects a theory
presented in the preceding paragraph and offers some criteria that an alternative theory would need (o meet.
Here are some major application types that you may encounter in the test:
A. Analysis, Answers to these questions might be, for example, statements about:
how the passage as a whole is constructed.
In such cases, the answer will sometimes be expressed as an abstract summary of the elements that make up the
passage.
‘© how a portion of the passage is constructed
‘= the purpose or function of one part of the passage. Printed by: 514.y,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only, No part ot this book
may be reproduced or transmitted without publisher's prior permission, Violators will be
= Gn purpose vr runcuun ur une pare vi an pussugerncectited
For instance, does that part of the passage define a term, compare or contrast two idees, present a new idea, or refute
an idea?
+ how one portion of the passage relates logically or rhetorically to surrounding parts
+ how the author tries to persuade readers fo accept his or her assertions
= a likely reason or motivation for a view the author expresses or attributes to someone else.
B. Critique, In these questions, you may be asked to identify, for example,
an assumption involved in the author's reasoning or in someone else’s reasoning discussed in the passage
‘= crucial gaps in the information provided in the passage
+ a potential discovery that would help resolve an issue discussed in the passage
‘© a statement thar, if true, would strengthen or weaken the author's reasoning or someone else’s reasoning,
presented in the passage
+ a potential counterexample to a general claim made in the passage.
6. Style and Tone
Effective reading often depends on recognizing and evaluating both the author's attitude toward a topic and the effect
the author intends the writing to have on readers. These are often implicit in the passdge’s style and tone rather than
stated explicitly.
Some questions focus directly and exclusively on the style or tone of the passé@las a whole. They often involve
phrases such as.
The overall tone of the passage can be most accurately described As...
The passage, as a whole, functions primarily as a..., oF
‘The author's approach to ... can be most accurately desefibed as ....
In the answer choices, you may be asked to selg6t an adjective or adjective phrase‘that accurately describes the overall
tone of the passage—for instance, critical, questioning, objective, dismissive, ot enthusiastic. Answer choices may
also be noun phrases such as advocacy for'apolitical position, a sarcastic portrayal of a historical trend, ot a
journalistic exploration of some attempts to solve a problem. Or the answer choices may be more complex clauses or
full sentences.
To answer questions about style and tone, you will typically haveto consider the language of the passage ora large
section of the passage as a_ytole. Ik takes more than one pointed, critical word ro give an entire passage or section &
critical tone. Sometimes, style and tone questions ask what.audience the passage was probably intended for or what
type of publication it would most appropriately appear in, To answer any question involving style and tone, you must
ask yourself what auiitides or objectives a passage's words convey beyond their literal meaning
‘You may sometimes need to consider style and.tone in answering any type of Reading Comprehension question, even
a question that does not explicitly ask about.that aspect of the passage. Some question types are more likely than
others to involve this type of consideration. An inference question, for example, may ask you to infer the author's
aititude toward a topic. You may also need to consider the passage’s tone in order to confidently identify the passage's
main purpose. And some evaluation questions require you to recognize the rhetorical approach the author takes in a
portion of the passage.
4.2 Test-Taking Strategies
1, Do not expect to be completely familiar with material presented in the passages.
‘You may find some passages easier to understand than others, but all passages are designed to present a
challenge. If you have some familiarity with the material presented in a passage, do not let this knowledge
influence your choice of answers to the questions. Answer all questions on the basis of what is stated or implied
in the passage itself.
2. Analyze each passage carefully, because the questions require you to have a specific and detailed Printed by: 514.y,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only, No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted without publisher's prior permission, Violators will be
proces thagl.. j-
~ understanding of the passages.
“You may find it easier to analyze a passage first before moving to the questions. Altematively, you may prefer 10
skim the passage the first time and read more carefully once you understand the questions, You may even want
to read the question before reading the passage. You should choose the method most suitable for you.
3. Focus on key words and phrases, trying to maintain an overall sense of what is discussed in the passage.
Keep the following in mind:
+ Note how each fact relates to an idea or an argument
Nove where the passage moves from one idea to the next
‘= Distinguish the passage’s main idea from its supporting ideas
= Determine what conclusions are reached and why.
4. Read the questions carefully, making sure you understand what is asked.
An answer choice that accurately restates information in the passage may be incorrect if it does not answer the
question, Refer back to the passage for clarification if you need wo.
‘5. Read all the answer choices carefully.
‘Never assume that you have selected the best answer without first reading all the choices:
6. Select the choice that answers the question best in terms of the information givéitin the passage.
‘Do not rely on outside knowledge of the material to help you answer the questidns.
7. Remember that comprehension—not speed—is the critical success factor on the Reading Comprehension
section,
4.3 Section Instructions
Go to weww.mba,com/tutorial to view instructions for the section and get a feel for what the test center screens will
look like on the actual GMAT exam.
To register for the GMAT exam go to www.mba.com
4A Practice Questions
Each of the Reading Comprehension questidais is based on the content of a(passage. After reading the passage,
answer all questions pertaining to it on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage. For each question,
select the best answer of the choices given:On the actual GMAT exard, you will see no more than four
questions per passage.
Questions 1 to 36 - Difficulty: Easy
Line Human beings, borff withla drive to explore
‘nd experiment, thrive on learning. Unfortunately,
corporations are oriented predominantly toward
controlling émployees, not fostering their learning,
(5) Tronically, this orientation creates the very
conditions that predestine employeestd mediocre
performances. Over time, superior performance
requires superior learning, because long-term
corporate survival depends on continually exploring
(10) new business and organizational opportunities that
can create new sources of growth.
To survive in the future, Corporations must
become “Ieaming organizations,” enterprises that
are constantly able to adapt and expand their
(15) capabilities. To accomplish this, corporations must,
change how they view employees. The traditional
‘view that a single charismatic leader should set the
corporation’s direction and make key decisions is Printed by: 514,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only. No part ot this book
may be reproduced or transmitted without publisher's prior permission, Violators will be
Uuipurauun > unecuuu anu uae ney ueuwiR Bee tad
rooted in an individualistic worldview. In an
(20) increasingly interdependent world, such a view is no
longer viable. In learning organizations, thinking and
acting are integrated at all job levels. Corporate
leadership is shared, and leaders become
designers, teachers, and stewards, roles requiring
(25) new skills: the ability to build shared vision, 0
reveal and challenge prevailing mental models, and
to foster broader, mote integrated pattems of
thinking. In short, leaders in leaming organizations
are responsible for building organizations in which
(30) employees are continually learning new skills and
expanding their capabilities to shape their futur.
Questions 1-4 refer to the passage.
=RCoOLaH
1. According to the passage, traditional corporate leaders differ from leaders in learning organizations in that the
former
A. encourage employees to concentrate on developing 2 wide range of skills
B. enable employees to recognize and confront dominant corporate models and ta,develop altemative models
C. make important policy de
decisions
ions alone and then require employees in the ebrporation to abide by those
1D. instill confidence in employees because of their willingness to make risky decisions and aceept their
consequences
E. are concerned with offering employees frequent advice and career guidance
co0184-02
2. Which of the following best describes employee behavior encouraged within Teariting organizations, as such
organizations are described in the passage?
A. Carefully defining one’s job description and! taking care to avoid deviations from it
B, Designing mentoring programs that train new employees to folloW procedures that have been used for many
years
C. Concentrating one’s efforts on mastering one aspect ofa complicated task
D. Studying an organizational problem, preparing a report, and submitting it toa corporate leader for approval
E. Analyzing a problemfélated to productivity, making a decision about a solution, and implementing that
solution,
CoOL
3. According to the author of ihe passage, cérporate leaders of the future should do which of the following?
A. They should encourage employees to put longterm goals ahead of short-term profits.
B. They should exercise more control over employees in order to constrain production costs
C. They should redefine incentives for employees’ performance improvement.
D. They should provide employees with opportunities to gain new skills and expand their capabili
E. They should promote individual managers who are committed to established company policies.
Rco0184-04
4, The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. endorse a traditional corporate structure
B. introduce a new approach to corporate leadership and evaluate criticisms of it
C. explain competing theories about management practices and reconcile them Printed by: 514.y,[email protected], Printing 1s tor personal, private use only, No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted without publisher's prior permission, Violators will be
: oe
