| New Way of Teaching (NWT) by Academstar | GMAT and GRE Material | Reading Comprehension

| Week 3 | Lesson 1 |
1. Reading vocabulary quiz – main adverbs.
1. GMAT and GRE Passages – Main focus of the passage.
2. Predictions in Reading.
3. Reading – style of the passage.
4. Critical Reasoning – Analyzing the argument.
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Reading quiz.
Exercise 1. Match the following words with their meanings:
P.S. These adverbs are the most commonly used ones.
Line A Line B
1. unwittingly a. to show that something is definitely true
2. indubitably b. seeming to be everywhere at the same time
3. frankly c. when something is clear
4. seemingly d. appears to be true but in fact may not be
5. presumably e. being merciless
6. ubiquitously f. unaware what one is doing
7. relentlessly g. by accident
8. inadvertently h. in an honest way
9. obviously i. in a brave way
10. boldly j. to show that something can be true
11. exceedingly k.at the end of some time
12. eventually l. extremely much

Exercise 2. What can be inferred from these paragraphs?

P.S. We need to do this exercise because GMAT and GRE passages require a deep analysis and
understanding which is sometimes hidden in some words.
1. Literary critics are fond of referring to a work as a "musical novel" whenever a writer employs
techniques that can be conveniently described in musical terminology, but the notion that all such works
are of the same genre is an oversimplification. The writers who have given us the most important
"musical novels" have used musical techniques for very different purposes.
What can be really stated about the most important musical novels?
2. The belief that art originates in intuitive rather than rational faculties was worked out historically and
philosophically in the somewhat wearisome volumes of Benedetto Croce, who is usually considered the
originator of a new aesthetic. Croce was, in fact, expressing a very old idea. Long before the Romantics
stressed intuition and self-expression, the frenzy of inspiration was regarded as fundamental to art, but
philosophers had always assumed it must be controlled by law and by the intellectual power of putting
things into harmonious order.
What is mentioned about art inspiration by philosophers?
3. The individuals inhabiting the extreme north, in the vicinity of Great Slave Lake, for example, would
have developed still longer hair, and taken on more of the dense hairiness of the musk ox. In the “wood”
or “mountain buffalo” we already have a distinct foreshadowing of the changes which would have
taken place in the individuals that made their permanent residence upon rugged mountains.
What is the difference between a person inhabiting the extreme north and mountaneous regions?
4. It is exceedingly difficult to make people realize that an evil is an evil. For instance, we seize a man
and deliberately do him a malicious injury: say, imprison him for years. One would not suppose that it
needed any exceptional clearness of wit to recognize in this an act of diabolical cruelty. But in England
such a recognition provokes a stare of surprise, followed by an explanation that the outrage is punishment
or justice or something else that is all right, or perhaps by a heated attempt to argue that we should all be
robbed and murdered in our beds if such senseless villainies as sentences of imprisonment were not
committed daily. It is useless to argue that even if this were true, which it is not, the alternative to adding
crimes of our own to the crimes from which we suffer is not helpless submission. Chickenpox is an evil;
but if I were to declare that we must either submit to it or else repress it by seizing everyone who
suffers from it and punishing them by inoculation with smallpox, I should be laughed at; for though
nobody could deny that the result would be to prevent chickenpox to some extent by making people avoid
it much more carefully, and to effect a further apparent prevention by making them conceal it very
anxiously, yet people would have sense enough to see that the deliberate propagation of smallpox was a
creation of evil, and must therefore be ruled out in favor of purely humane and hygienic measures. Yet in
the precisely parallel case of a man breaking into my house and stealing my diamonds I am expected
as a matter of course to steal ten years of his life. If he tries to defeat that monstrous retaliation by
shooting me, my survivors hang him.
Can we say that chickenpox and burglary are analogous?
5. If a man is indolent, let him be poor. If he is drunken, let him be poor. If he is not a gentleman, let him be
poor. If he is addicted to the fine arts or to pure science instead of to trade and finance, let him be poor. If
he chooses to spend his wages on his beer and his family instead of saving it up for his old age, let him
be poor. Let nothing be done for "the undeserving": let him be poor. Serve him right! Also - somewhat
inconsistently blessed are the poor!
What is mentioned about poverty and how does a writer assess the criteria of being poor?
Does the writer believe that poverty is a choice, not a destiny?
6. Opposite Inferencing. GMAT and GRE passages give this opposite inferencing trick to test your
attentiveness to details. Let`s review the following passage:
The word democracy may stand for a natural social equality in the body politic or for a constitutional form
of government in which power lies more or less directly in the people’s hand. The former may be called
social democracy and the later democratic government. The two differ widely, both in origin and in
moral principle. Genetically considered, social democracy is something primitive, unintended, and proper
to communities where there is general competence and no marked personal eminence. There be no will
aristocracy, no prestige, but instead, an intelligent readiness to lend a hand and to do in unison whatever is
done.
If we know about social democracy? What can we talk about the later democratic government?

Exercise 1 answers - 1. g/f 2. a/c 3. H 4. D 5. J 6. B 7. E 8. g / f 9. a/c 10. i 11. l 12. K

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Topic: Finding the main focus of the passage
Focus of the passage – is the style of narration used to provide writers` ideas.
GMAT and GRE passages can have four main focuses:
1) promoting or weakening one idea
2) contrasting or comparing two ideas (old and new theories, two different approaches)
3) discussing some phenomenon (analyzing its main principles)
4) providing background information for some issues
The writer can provide information by expressing concern, disagreement, dissatisfaction, satisfaction,
neutrality, objective analysis and problem-solution/cause-effect relationships.

Pay attention to the following paragraph:

The origin of the attempt to distinguish early from modern music and to establish the canons of
performance practice for each lies in the eighteenth century. In the first half of that century, when
Telemann and Bach ran the collegium musicum in Leipzig, Germany, they performed their own and other
modern music. In the German universities of the early twentieth century, however, the reconstituted
collegium musicum devoted itself to performing music from the centuries before the beginning of the
“standard repertory,” by which was understood music from before the time of Bach and Handel.
What can you see here? We can notice two opposing approaches – Bach and Telemann – playing
their own and modern and – German universities – playing music of the past. The paragraph
compares two ideas.
Information provided in passages can be:
1) based on pure experiments/evidence/facts and how the writer explains them
2) based on research/studies/ investigations – the writer may be neutral, support or weaken it.
3) based on his beliefs – nothing scientific, the writer provides his or her own view on some topics.
4) based on other writers/scientists/ public figures – may neutrally explain his / her view, support or
weaken it (can contrast two or more persons` ideas).
What can you say about the focus and the style of this passage?
Recent studies on Native American languages point towards an alarming problem in the United States
today. Language loss, a global phenomenon, is accelerating among indigenous groups in the United States.
A large majority of Native American vernaculars are spoken only by elders and the remainder are fast
approaching that status, as growing numbers of children speak only English.
Here, we can see that the writer states an alarming problem (worries, expresses concern). He states the
problem – shows its urgency and explains it.

Topic: Understanding the point of the author in the passage.

Look at the following part of the passage:
To many, the precedence of one “common” language seems like an achievement of globalization and hence
they argue that it would be wiser to spend resources on improving the English speaking skills of Native
Americans rather than resuscitating fading tongues. However, no language is just a collection of words and,
therefore, languages are not so simply substitutable for each other.
Can you see where the author states his / her view?
In the first sentence, we show the common view. In the second sentence, however, the writer shows that in
the reality language is not a collection of words – disagrees with the commonly accepted view.
How can we see the point of the author?
❖ linkers – In fact, Indeed, Undoubtedly, Obviously, Clearly, Admittedly (be careful – it also means –
It is commonly accepted that)
❖ while showing contrast – (People think X. However, it is not like this)
❖ While stating some points and facts – the views which the writer supports (Just some people …,
Even the most careful people …).
❖ Some sentences showing concern, doubt, certainty, uncertainty, good and bad points.

Pay attention to the following paragraph:

Around 1960, mathematician Edward Lorenz found unexpected behavior in apparently simple equations
representing atmospheric air flows. Whenever he ran his model with the same inputs, different outputs
resulted - although the model lacked any random elements. Lorenz realized that the tiny rounding errors in
his analog computer mushroomed over time, leading to erratic results. His findings marked a seminal
moment in the development of chaos theory, which despite its name, has little to do with randomness.
Here, we can see that the first, second, and third sentences refer to Lorenz and his equations.
In the end, the writer states a clear fact – the findings marked a seminal moment! The writer believes that
what Lorenz did was fundamental.
Topic: Stated information which is later weakened in the passage.
Quite often, GMAT and GRE passages provide some information (facts, observations) and then weaken
this at the end. Not a careful reader may be easily confused while reading and checking facts.
Pay attention to the following example:
Realising the magnitude of this language-loss, most indigenous tribes today are making some type of effort
toward a language-comeback. These efforts include everything from instituting apprenticeship programs,
which pair a fluent elder with a student, to using, what may seem like an unusual tool because of the
inherent reservations in Native American communities to being photographed or recorded in any form,
technology such as YouTube videos of native speakers or Google Hangout video chats for live, long-
distance conversations. The idea is to engage the younger members of the tribe who, in their effort to fit
into the more popular culture, are quickly losing ties with their unique heritage. All this seems meaningless
since younger and elderly ones have different goals. The actions of local tribes, nevertheless, do not
contribute to protecting language traditions.
The beginning of the passage states this point:
Tribes make some effort toward a language-comeback.
But the ending states the opposite point:
These actions do not contribute to the protection of languages.
So, what can be summarized here?
Despite some seeming efforts, there is no real benefit/value of local tribes.
Sometimes the passage may hide the corrected view:
Is there a massive black hole at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way? The evidence is inconclusive. Just
as the Sun’s mass can be determined, given knowledge of other variables, by the velocity at which its
planets orbit, the mass at the center of the Milky Way can be revealed by the velocities of stars and gas
orbiting the galactic center. This dynamical evidence, based on recently confirmed assumptions about the
stars’ velocities, argues for an extremely compact object with a mass two to three million times the mass
of our Sun. Although according to
current theory this makes the mass at the center of the galaxy too dense to be anything but a black hole, the
relative lack of energy radiating from the galactic center presents a serious problem. A black hole’s gravity
attracts surrounding matter, which swirls around the black hole, emitting some energy as it is engulfed.
Scientists believe that the amount of energy that escapes the black hole should be about 10 percent of the
matter’s rest energy (the energy equivalent of its mass according to the equation E=mc^2). But when the
energy coming from the galactic center is compared to widely held predictions based on how much
matter should be falling into a theoretical central black hole, there is a discrepancy by a factor of a
few thousand.
Pay attention to the first boldfaced statement – two or three million times the mass of our Sun – the
confirmed assumption.
The second assumption – while comparing energy, we can see that a theoretical black hole – there is a
discrepancy – so, we can claim that it is not two or three million times the mass of our Sun.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Topic: Predictions
Predictions are one of the key strategies used in the Reading part.
Pay attention to the following example:
According to the popular interpretation of the "Butterfly effect", a butterfly flapping its wings caused
hurricanes. A better understanding is that the butterfly causes uncertainty about the precise state of the air.
This microscopic uncertainty grows until it encompasses even hurricanes. Few meteorologists believe that
we will ever ben able to predict rain or shine for a particular day years in the future.
The text states the butterfly effect and then it shows what meteorologists think.
Predictions may be:
❖ optimistic – this is likely to solve the issue, it can be good in the long-term…
❖ pessimistic – to show impossibility or not likelihood of something
❖ focusing on extra evidence / extra research / information / solution which is required
❖ showing the possible consequences – neutral.
Example:
The manner of death of many of the bodies seems to support the idea that the bog people were human
sacrifices, although it is impossible to make any conclusive statements. Some bodies were found with the
ropes used to strangle them still hanging around their necks, while other bodies had deep cuts and head
wounds, possibly signs of torture. However, these manners of death are not expected to lead exclusively to
human sacrifice, as similar methods will be probably used for executing criminals.
We can see that the passage describes the manner of death and human sacrifices.
The last sentence shows – these manners will not lead to human sacrifice.
So, this shows the possible consequences (neutral).
Reading Passage Questions
One basic assumption lies at the root of all security 1. The passage is primarily concerned with
analysis: required financial statements balance sheets,
earnings statements, quarterly reports provide A. arguing for a reexamination of a previously-held
information that is meaningful but potentially belief
misleading. The Generally Accepted Accounting B. explaining the relative merits of two opposing
Principles (GAAP) offer accountants a wide latitude, positions
with the result that two companies with equivalent C. revisiting an old question concerning a company's
production and earnings figures can appear value
remarkably different based on how each firm chooses D. informing the reader of two similar positions
to represent itself in statements of earnings and net E. questioning the basis of an accepted piece of
worth. wisdom

Many say that it is a waste of time to stumble through 2. The function of the second paragraph is to
the labyrinth of a companys financial statements.
Statistics show that a companys past earnings are not A. argue against the use of the GAAP-supported
predictive of future earnings and, even if they were, accounting methods mentioned in the first paragraph
an efficient market would already reflect the change B. present an assessment of the usefulness of the
in valuation by affecting the price of the companys GAAP guidelines presented in the first paragraph
stock. The Financial Accounting Standards Board C. support the view described in the first paragraph
(FASB) argues otherwise: financial statements are not D. introduce a new point of view that disagrees with
intended to give an indication of value otherwise the main point presented in the first paragraph
unavailable to the common stockholder, but rather to E. indicate an alternative to the points of view
give an indication of causality. The FASB believes presented in the first and third paragraphs
that if stockholders can understand the effect of
corporate strategies and external events on a stock, 3. The passage suggests that two companies with
they can more accurately watch for the recurrence of similar GAAP-acceptable balance sheets and
these or similar events and plan sales or purchases earnings statements
accordingly. Financial statements provide such
information. A. must be similar in product and structure
B. are useful benchmarks to predict future earnings
However long this debate continues will be C. may have chosen to represent themselves in similar
determined by how useful corporations find the ways
reports in pleasing stockholders and how well the D. can exercise many prerogatives in operating their
evidence of stock market trends reflects the companies
predictions made in the reports. Complicating this E. are required to structure themselves differently
prognosis is the average corporations unwillingness
to present a less than rosy picture of its financial 4. The members of the FASB and their critics
situation alongside the many independent factors that disagree about
affect market volatility.
A. acceptable sources of financial statements
B. the usefulness of financial statements as predictors
of future earnings
C. the history of financial statements
D. the accuracy of financial statements
E. the best method of interpreting financial statements
Critical Reasoning – Must be true questions
`Must be true` questions are questions that require you to deduce information from the given argument.
The simple case:
❖ Jim takes a GMAT test and will study in Princeton after this test.
What must be true here?
The link is like this – A uses B to get C. So, C should accept B.
Here the answer is – GMAT must be accepted by Princeton or Princeton should require all applicants to
have a GMAT score.

There are a number of cases that are used in these question type:
❖ A leads to B and B leads to C.
Thus, A leads to C.
❖ A leads to B, and C also leads to B.
Thus, A and C have something in common.
❖ A uses B to get C.
Thus, B is the key to C. Without B, it is impossible to get C.
❖ A is the part of B, B does C.
Thus, some A's also do C.
❖ only A leads to B.
Thus, no other factor, (C, D) can lead to B. Or B depends on A.
❖ A may be caused by B or C.
Thus, if not B it is because of C.

Look at this example:

The 38 corporations that filed United States income tax returns showing a net income of more than $ 100
million accounted for 53 percent of the total taxable income from foreign sources reported on all tax
returns. Sixty percent of the total taxable income from foreign sources came from the 200 returns reporting
income from 10 or more countries.

If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true?
Explanation of the case:
So here 38 corporations show 53 % of their income coming from foreign resources. And the other fact – 60
% of total taxable income from 200 returns (incomes of companies) reported income from 10 or more
countries. Since we are talking about the total taxable income and 38 corporations are inside 200, we can
conclude that these 38 corporations with the net income exceeding 100 milion got resources from 10 and
more countries.
This is clearly the option 4.
38 corporations (100 million + income) – from foreign Total of 200 came from 10+ countries
resources
Some of these 38 corporations got funding from 10+ countries.

Let`s look at the answer choices:

A. Most of the total taxable income earned by corporations with net income above $ 100 million was
earned from foreign sources.

B. Wealthy individuals with large personal incomes reported 47 percent of the total taxable income from
foreign sources.

C. Income from foreign sources amounted to between 53 and 60 percent of all reported taxable income.

D. Some of the corporations with net income above $ 100 million reported income from 10 or more
countries.

E. Most of the tax returns showing income from 10 or more countries reported net income of more than $
100 million.
Explanation – we cannot say about `most` in A. In B – nothing is about wealthy and non-wealthy of the
remaining 47 % (100% - 53%), in C – we do not have enough information to calculate this figure and in E
– extreme – we do not know whether it is `most` or not.
The winner is clearly D.

Pay attention to the following question:

There are fundamentally two possible changes in an economy that will each cause inflation unless other
compensating changes also occur. These changes are either reductions in the supply of goods and services
or increases in demand. In a pre-banking economy the quantity of money available, and hence the level of
demand, is equivalent to the quantity of gold available.

If the statements above are true, then it is also true that in a pre-banking economy:

Here, we have two points:

➢ Point 1 – inflation happens 1) decreasing supply 2) increasing demand.
➢ Point 2 – gold is the demand in the pre-banking economy.
We need to choose the appropriate situation.
So, we either increase the demand of gold (by increasing its quantity) or reduce supply – inflation happens.
Options:
(A) any inflation is the result of reductions in the supply of goods and services
(B) if other factors in the economy are unchanged, increasing the quantity of gold available will lead to
inflation
(C) if there is a reduction in the quantity of gold available, then, other things being equal, inflation must
result
(D) the quantity of goods and services purchasable by a given amount of gold is constant
(E) whatever changes in demand occur, there will be compensating changes in the supply of goods and
services
Explanation:
A is wrong – over-general – we do not know about demand – maybe it will also decrease – no inflation will
happen and an extreme choice.
B is right – the clear statement – quantity of gold = demand increases – inflation happens (other factors,
including supply, do not change)
C is wrong – no quantity is demand – its reduction does not lead to inflation
D is wrong – nothing is given about fixed issues (inflation does not happen).
E is wrong – this cannot be clearly stated – maybe it will not change.
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Practice Questions.
1. Quasars---celestial objects so far away that their light takes at least 500 million years to reach Earth---
have been seen since 1963. For anything that far away to appear from Earth the way quasars do, it would
have to burn steadily at a rate that produces more light than 90 billion suns would produce. But nothing that
burns at a rate that produces that much light could exist for more than about 100 million years.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them?

A. Instruments in use before 1963 were not sensitive enough to permit quasars to be seen.
B. Light from quasars first began reaching Earth in 1963.
C. Anything that from Earth appears as bright as a quasar does must produce more light than would be
produced by 90 billion suns.
D. Nothing that is as far from Earth as quasars are can continue to exist for more than about 100 million
years.
E. No quasar that has ever been seen from Earth exists any longer.
2. The symptoms that US president Zachary Taylor began showing five days before his death are consistent
with arsenic poisoning. Recent examinations of Taylor's bones, however, revealed levels of arsenic
comparable to those found in the bones of Taylor's contemporaries. These levels are much lower than the
levels of arsenic that remain in the bones of arsenic poisoning victims who live for more than a day after
ingesting a lethal does of the poison.
Which of the following is most strongly supported by the statements given?
(A) The symptoms that Taylor began showing five days before his death are consistent with poisoning
other than arsenic poisoning
(B) Taylor's death was not the result of arsenic poisoning
(C) The symptoms that Taylor began showing five days before his death were not caused by a lethal dose
of arsenic
(D) The symptoms that Taylor began showing five days before his death grew more severe each day
(E) It is unusual for a person who has ingested a lethal dose of arsenic to live for more than a day
Reading Comprehension Explanation:
1. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. arguing for a reexamination of a previously-held belief

B. explaining the relative merits of two opposing positions
C. revisiting an old question concerning a company's value
D. informing the reader of two similar positions
E. questioning the basis of an accepted piece of wisdom

(A) The author definitely does not argue about any stance in the passage. Thus, this option is not correct.
(B) passage is simply presenting the two opposing positions, not stating their relative merits. This option is also
out.
(C) This can very well be our correct answer.
(D) The two positions discussed in the passage are contrasting, not similar. Thus, this option is incorrect.
(E) The author is not questioning the basis or any piece of wisdom.

2. The function of the second paragraph is to

A. argue against the use of the GAAP-supported accounting methods mentioned in the first paragraph
B. present an assessment of the usefulness of the GAAP guidelines presented in the first paragraph
C. support the view described in the first paragraph
D. introduce a new point of view that disagrees with the main point presented in the first paragraph
E. indicate an alternative to the points of view presented in the first and third paragraphs

(A) The author is not arguing for the usage of these methods.
(B) No guidelines are discussed and their assessment is definitely not done in the second paragraph.
(C) According to the first paragraph, the financial statement may be meaningful but misleading. According to
FASB, this is certainly not the case. How you interpret makes all the difference. Thus, this option is opposite of
what is correct.
(D) This is the correct choice.
(E) There is only one point of view suggested in paragraph one and none in three. Alternatives are not
suggested. Incorrect choice.

3. The passage suggests that two companies with similar GAAP-acceptable balance sheets and
earnings statements

A. must be similar in product and structure

B. are useful benchmarks to predict future earnings
C. may have chosen to represent themselves in similar ways
D. can exercise many prerogatives in operating their companies
E. are required to structure themselves differently

According to the first paragraph, two such companies may be very similar in balance sheets and earnings
statements, but may choose to represent themselves in drastically different ways. There is another option to
those two companies that they can represent themselves in similar ways. This matches with what is stated in
option (C).
4. The members of the FASB and their critics disagree about

A. acceptable sources of financial statements

B. the usefulness of financial statements as predictors of future earnings
C. the history of financial statements
D. the accuracy of financial statements
E. the best method of interpreting financial statements

The FASB believes that financial statements are not intended to give an indication of value. They are used to
indicate causality. There their usage is the point of disagreement here.
(A) Soirces of these statements is not a point of disagreement.
(B) This is the correct choice.
(C) They're not concerned with the history of these financial statements.
(D) Both are not concerned about the accuracy of these statements.
(E) The best method is not discussed in the passage.

Critical Reasoning Explanation:

1. Now, let’s evaluate the options below.

A. Instruments in use before 1963 were not sensitive enough to permit quasars to be seen.
-> No infos about the instruments in unse before 1963 was mentioned above. Therefore we can’t
even judge the validity of this option. Pass.

B. Light from quasars first began reaching Earth in 1963.

-> We only can find the information about when the light from quasars first started to be seen,
not when the light started to go towards to the Earth. Pass.

C. Anything that from Earth appears as bright as a quasar does must produce more light than would be
produced by 90 billion suns.
-> Not only this option is “meh” using extreme expression such as <<must>>, but also the
statement does not offers any infos to generalize like this option. We are given with the RATE
that produces more light tha 90 billion suns would produce, not brightness. As you must, it can be
Can Be True, not Must Be True. Pass.

D. Nothing that is as far from Earth as quasars are can continue to exist for more than about 100 million years.
-> Same trick as option C above. The statement says that nothing that burns at a RATE that
produces that much light could exist for more than about 100 million years. This option is talking
about distance. Pass.

E. No quasar that has ever been seen from Earth exists any longer.
-> This option needs little bit of math. So since the birth of quasars, its light started to travel to
earth, or every where cuz the light doesn’t have a path, it spreads. Its light arrived on Earth at
1963, and at that point, it was 500 million years old. But wait, the statement says that quasars’
life expectancy is 100 million years old. Therefore, quasars was already dead when its light
arrived to Earth. And only its light, which had been radiated from quasars will travel until it fades
away. Therefore, quasar extists any longer. E must be true.
2. Victims of arsenic poisoning that live for more than one day will have high levels or arsenic in their bones.
Zachary showed signes, lived for 5 more days, but levels of arsenic are low.

a) Incorrect - we only know that they are consistent with arsenic poisoning, this could be one of many types of
poisoning
b) Incorrect - It was not arsenic poisoning, could have very well been other type
c) Correct - he lived for more than a day, so if it was arsenic, his levels should have been higher
d) Incorrect - out of scope, no indication that he got worse each day
e) Incorrect - last sentence indicates that this happens, not sure how often, but it does
| New Way of Teaching (NWT) by Academstar | GMAT and GRE Material | Vocabulary
| Week 3 | Lesson 2 |
1. Yet and But – to show contrast.
2. Colons (:)
3. Logical collocations of nouns.
4. Correlation between elements and parts.
5. Opposite sides – reconcile or estrange.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Topic: Yet and But to show contrast.
We generally use yet and but to show opposite trends:
In general, children tend to mimic their parents; yet, when they grow older, peers have more
influence over them.
As you see, in the first sentence, the parents influence them, but after time, peers are more
influential and parents are less.
Example 1:
Gravity is the _____________ of the four fundamental forces existing in nature, the others being
the electromagnetic force, and the strong and weak nuclear forces: yet over large distances, it is
gravity that dominates.
A. most stable
B. least enigmatic
C. most pervasive
D. least potent
E. least understood

Explanation:
So, we don`t clearly understand from the first part what to write to the gap. But the second part –
“yet over …” clearly states that gravity dominates. So, in general, gravity is not very strong –
least potent (potent means strong). Others are illogical.
Example 2:
Psychologists have found that forgetting is not (i)_____________ to learning but
(ii)_____________ to it, a principle that is (iii)_____________ machine learning. If a machine
learns a task, then forgets it, then learns another task and forgets it, and so on, it can be coached
to grasp the common features of those tasks, and it will pick up new variants faster. It won't have
learned anything specific, but it will have learned how to learn.

Explanation: First and second gaps are antonyms and pairs are – related and irrelevant, inimical
(=harmful, hostile) and essential. The third gap is – applicable because the next sentence explains
how machine learning applies it. As we see, if it is applicable to it, it means the second gap
should be – essential (main, key, characteristic), and obviously, the first gap will be the antonym
– inimical.

Remember! The same rule is applied for `by contrast, conversely, in contrast, contrary to”
phrases.
Example:
His basic argument regarding individuals is that being (i)____________ a problem can lead to a
creative (ii) ____________ . When we are relaxed, by contrast, we are more likely to direct our
attention inward and thus detect the connections that lead to fruitful insights and discoveries.

Explanation: First sentence and the second sentence are opposite – in the first we talk
about something opposite to being relaxed (- which is obsessively focused on). So, if
relaxing leads to detecting connections and getting fruitful insights, focusing too much
leads to something bad – impasse (=roadblock).
Remember!

Newly-added GRE words – impasse, roadblock, standstill, deadlock, halt – which mean –
some situation where progress is not possible (generally because of disagreement).
Topic: Colons.
Read the following sentence:
Opulent lifestyle was always typical of him: amassed wealth, spending money lavishly, and
ostentatious display of jewelry were all characteristic of this man, while his friends literally
starved.
What does `opulent lifestyle` mean?
Opulent lifestyle is the lifestyle characteristic of people who have much money and spend
money thoughtlessly.
In the first part of a sentence, we can see the mention of `opulent lifestyle` and in the second part
- after the colon we define it – lavishly, amassed, ostentatious display:
Lavishly – excessively, typical of rich
Amassed – much
Ostentatious – trying to show that you are rich.

The structure of colon sentences is like this:

Main sentence and the defining term : explanatory sentence.
So, the main sentence is Opulent lifestyle was always typical of him and the defining word is
“Opulent lifestyle” – the subject. The sentence after is the explanatory sentence.
______________________________________________________________________________
Topic: Logical collocations of nouns.
On the GRE test, it is important to understand how to fill in a gap in noun phrases.
Pay attention to this sentence:
It was understandable that … differences between two nations would hardly allow them to reach
a consensus.
So, we need to fill in the gap for the noun phrase - … differences. What can be used here?
Workable, vast or problematic?
Workable is a positive word in general, while the sentence is negative. Problematic is good,
but we don`t say problematic differences. Differences can be vast, significant or small and
insignificant.
Look at the following sentence:
… measures to restrict and prohibit vehicle growth (stern or lenient?)
Here, we should decide, stern measures – strong ones, and lenient – merciful, soft. Of course, as
we use strong words such as `restrict` and `prohibit`, it is logical that measures should be stern.
Let`s look at the following example:
The political upheaval caught most people by surprise: despite the _____ warnings of some
commentators, it had never seemed that imminent.

Two Answers
A. stern
B. prescient
C. prophetic
D. indifferent
E. repeated
F. apathetic

Explanation: Here, we can see the word `political upheaval` that caught most people `by
surprise` - it means this was not expected. In the second sentence, we can see that there is a
concession sentence:
Despite the … warning, it had never seemed that imminent (coming, approaching).
Here, we need to group words according to same meanings: here, B and C, D and F are
synonyms.
So, here, we should find something that was expected to come, and people did not believe it was
imminent. A is wrong (stern means serious, unrelenting, frowning), D and F are wrong, E is out
of topic. The correct answers are B and C.
Reminder: `Once` to refer to something opposite.

Once a silent place, it is now overcrowded.

(Once does not mean However, it just indicates that it was different in the past).
Example 1:
Film is now widely respected as a serious art form: even Westerns, once (i)___________by most
critics as patent escapism, are now commonly lauded as (ii)___________of creative expression
by even the most jaded reviewers.

Blank (i) Blank (ii)

A. rhapsodized D. exemplars

B. deflected E. anomalies

C. derided F. antitheses

Explanation:
Now, films are serious. They were once not serious, blank 1 should be something opposite to it –
they did not consider it seriously, mock (=deride) Answer C. Rhapsodize means to praise, to
flatter and to deflect means to change. Now they are good, positive and serious – D is correct.
Anomalies and antitheses are negative words, and are therefore illogical.

Let`s look at the following example:

Passing through the narrow gap in the remote area of the mountains, the explorers found not the
__________ wilderness they expected, but a bustling community surrounding a hive of industrial
activity.

Two Answers
A. measured
B. populous
C. civilized
D. hazardous
E. unsullied
F. pristine

Explanation:
So, we are talking about wilderness, so area is not populated. A means something that is
assessed, populous – occupied, civilized – kind and courteous, hazardous is risky, and only
unsullied and pristine mean not touched.
As we talk about wilderness, E and F are more logical here. In addition, they found not … but
… so, it should be opposite to something industrial.
______________________________________________________________________________

Topic: Correlation between elements and parts.

On the GRE test, it is quite frequent to see how some parts of systems or objects take the
characteristics of the system.
Look at the following system:
Despite her mild character, it was unreasonable to expect her not to be tyrannical in the
autocratic system which pervaded her life.
You can see that she was tyrannical (it was illogical not to see her being not tyrannical).
Why? This is because she was the part of an autocratic system (it pervaded – captured /
surrounded her life).
Example:

In a book that inclines to _____, an epilogue arguing that ballet is dead arrives simply as one
more overstatement.

Two Answers
A. pessimism
B.
misinterpretation
C. imprecision
D. vagueness
E. exaggeration
F. hyperbole

Explanation:
In the following sentence, we can see that a book inclines towards something. We mention that
its epilogue – beginning – is something like overstatement – exaggeration. So, as there is no
contrast, we need to choose something like E and F. A is out of topic, B – wrong – there is not
wrong interpretation, C – there is nothing not fixed or not exact, D – there is nothing strange.
Be careful!
Words referring to the category strange (peculiar, weird, bizarre, odd) bring opposite
meanings. Look what would happen with this sentence if it included something `strange`:
In a book that inclines to _____, it was peculiar to note that an epilogue arguing that ballet is
dead arrives simply as some form of overstatement.
In this case, we need to find something opposite to `overstatement` - it will probably be realism,
rationalism etc. – something opposite to exaggeration.
Of course, contrast and concession words (but, yet, whereas, however, while, despite) would
make it 100 % opposite:
In a book that inclines to _____, an epilogue arguing that ballet is dead arrives, however, simply
as overstatement.
Here, we also expect something opposite to be the case.

Topic: Opposite sides – reconcile or estrange.

GRE frequently gives us the ideas that are opposite. There are normally two possibilities that
happen among them:
1) negative scenario - differences / discrepancies / gaps between them become bigger,
broader, differences become vast and significant, they alienate, estrange or drift apart, hostility
grows. Their views become opposite, reverse, polar and antithetical, they tend to debate (it is
hard to placate or pacify them). We can see / build communication barriers, hurdles and
difficulties and we can hardly communicate or cooperate.
2) positive scenario - differences / discrepancies / gaps between them become smaller, they
narrow, differences become small and insignificant, they reconcile, drift together, they
accommodate to each other, hostility disappears. Their views become closer, more identical,
similar, resembling and cognate. They tend to agree and it is possible to placate / pacify them.
We can destroy, eliminate, dissolve, dismantle, erode barriers or limits between these two.

Look at the following sentence:

The expected positions of conservative and liberal parties showed that heated debates are
inescapable; with some new arguments, however, their notions became almost identical.
Here, the situation turns to be positive – their heated debates are replaced with their views
becoming identical.
Example:
The traditional gap between theorists and experimentalists is (i) _____ as one of the haughty
high priests versus pugnacious pragmatists. But the reality is more often that one researcher does
not understand another’s jargon, or is afraid to ask stupid questions, or is hesitant about giving up
vital and hard-won information to a distant colleague. These were the kinds of (ii) _____ that Dr.
Sonnenwald was able to (iii) _______, leading to greater cooperation between theorists and
experimentalists.

Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)

(A) often caricatured (D) deceptions (G) propagate

(B) most accurately described (E) collusions (H) dismantle

(C) unnecessarily lamented (F) barriers (I) identify

Example:
Here, we can see that something is described as being different but in reality, it is not like this.
Sentence styles are soft, so we should choose A (B and C are very harsh in style, and not suitable
to this context). They are afraid to ask about something, there are clear barriers (F), there is no lie
(deceptions) or secret agreements (collusions). There is one person who can dismantle barriers
between them (= destroy, answer H). Propagate and identify means the situation is worse, while
we are talking about cooperation – destroying barriers means there is some way for
communication. Even though the word `dismantle` is negative, it is used in the positive context
`dismantle barriers`.

Beware of negative words used in positive contexts:

Be careful! GRE has a common trick of using negative words in phrases which seem to be
negative, but in reality, are positive because two negative words in one phrase often turn to
something positive. This is particularly true regarding words meaning changing or
destroying something. Here are some examples:
To eliminate errors (positive) while to eliminate good workers from organizations (negative)
To demolish myths (positive) while to demolish strong arguments (not positive).
| New Way of Teaching (NWT) by Academstar | GMAT and GRE Material | GMAT and GRE
Homework class
| Week 2 | Lesson 3 |
1. Vocabulary Quiz.
2. Practice Reading Passages.
3. Practice Math questions.
4. Homework control.
______________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Vocabulary quiz. Choose one correct answer.

1. Refute: A. Confirm B. Disprove C. Support D. Strengthen
2. Consequence: A. Cause B. Result C. Predict D. Interpret
3. Conflation: A. Separation B. Mixing C. Clarification D. Agreement
4. Clustered: A. Separated B. Combined C. Expanded D. Sorted
5. Hypothesize: A. Experiment B. Predict C. Confirm D. Reject
6. Advantageous: A. Detrimental B. Beneficial C. Uncertain D. Neutral
7. Foundational: A. Recent B. Fundamental C. Irrelevant D. Complicated
8. Variable: A. Fixed B. Changing C. Consistent D. Unpredictable
9. Dehydration: A. Overhydration B. Water retention C. Fluid balance D. Lack of water
10. Extremes: A. Averages B. Middle ground C. Limits D. Medians
11. Ascribed: A. Attributed B. Hidden C. Divided D. Disregarded
12. Impact: A. Effect B. Cause C. Prevent D. Neglect
2. Look at this argument – who supports the argument – Jim or Jill?
Argument: One strong argument for creating environmentally protected zones for wild animals is that they
provide a refuge where species can recover from population declines and adapt to environmental changes.
These zones offer a safe haven for wildlife in the face of habitat destruction, pollution, and other human-
induced threats. By creating protected areas, we give species a chance to survive and thrive, contributing to
the long-term health and resilience of ecosystems. This argument emphasizes the critical role that protected
zones play in ensuring the survival of vulnerable species and maintaining biodiversity.
Jim: Creating environmentally protected zones provides a safe haven for wildlife, enabling species to
recover from population declines and adapt to changing environments, thereby preserving biodiversity and
ecosystem health.
Jill: Creating environmentally protected zones can lead to conflicts with local human populations who may
depend on these areas for resources, potentially resulting in negative socioeconomic consequences.
Reading practice.
In many cases warmer climate favors animals with smaller body sizes, in accordance with Bergmann's rule
- that a larger body surface area relative to volume promotes heat loss, which would be adaptive under a
scenario of increasing temperatures. However, several case studies have highlighted opposite trends. Such
discrepancies can be explained by the type and extent of temperature change. Gradual increases in ambient
temperatures may indeed favor animals with smaller body size: they have relatively large surface-area-to-
volume ratios and thus increased rates of heat loss. Smaller-bodied individuals are, however, disadvantaged
when exposed to short bouts of high-temperature extremes that lead to acute dehydration and increased
mortality: under such conditions, larger-bodied individuals fare better because their smaller surface-area-to-
volume ratio reduces their rate of water loss.
1. Which of the following best describes the function of the highlighted sentence?
A. It describes research that is relevant to a hypothesis mentioned earlier in the passage.
B. It undermines a claim that is made earlier in the passage.
C. It refines a theory that is discussed earlier in the passage.
D. It describes a consequence of an observation made earlier in the passage.
E. It dismisses a rule that is discussed earlier in the passage.
2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author would probably agree with which of the following
claims about animals and temperature change?
A. Larger-bodied animals are affected more significantly by sudden temperature change than smaller-
bodied animals are.
B. The smaller surface-area-to-volume ratio of larger-bodied animals is most advantageous during periods
of gradual increases in temperatures.
C. Larger-bodied and smaller-bodied animals are similarly affected by warming temperatures, in spite of
the differences in surface-area-to-volume ratio.
D. Smaller-bodied animals are largely unaffected by gradual temperature change because of their smaller
surface-area-to-volume ratio.
E. In determining how smaller-bodied animals are differentially affected by temperature change, the rate
of change is just as important as the magnitude.
Contradictory findings on the relationship of workspace design to job satisfaction may arise from research
studies' conflation of various types of open-plan layouts. For example, Kim and de Dear (2013)
summarized the positive and negative impacts on occupant satisfaction for those in open-plan
accommodations, but clustered three different office settings together: high-partition cubicles, low-
partition cubicles, and completely open-plan offices. Furthermore, less than 7 percent of their sample were
from completely open-plan layouts. Therefore, cubicles, which have well-known drawbacks, were
conflated with settings that arguably varied. Differentiating the degree of partitioning played a major role
in foundational studies in the 1980s: partitioning was hypothesized to affect worker satisfaction, was
classified by the number of sides enclosed, and was used as a variable in statistical models.
1. Which of the following can be inferred about the "drawbacks"?
A. They might not have become so widely known if Kim and de Dear had been less influential among
work space researchers.
B. They did not figure prominently in studies of work space design that were conducted during the 1980s.
C. They may have been ascribed by Kim and de Dear to work spaces where they rarely occurred.
D. They rarely arose in settings where workers themselves chose the type of partitioning around their
work spaces.
E. They gave rise to innovations in work space design that did not measurably improve workers' job
satisfaction.
2. The author mentions"statistical models" primarily to
A. support a claim about factors considered in certain research studies
B. explain why researchers chose to highlight a particular factor
C. refute an assertion about a method used by certain researchers
D. distinguish two closely related aspects of a study
E. account for the later impact of a particular type of research
Reading Passage 1 Answers: 1.C 2.E Reading Passage 2 Answers: 1.C 2.E
____________________________________________________________________________________
Math quiz:
1. A number is to be selected from the set {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}, and a number is to be selected from the set {2, 4,
6, 8, 10}. P is the product of the two numbers selected. What is the probability that the product is more
than 30?
2. Sixty-eight people are sitting in 20 cars, and each car contains at most 4 people. What is the maximum
possible number of cars that could contain exactly 1 of 68 people?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 5 E. 6
3. Last month a certain contractor received $350,000 for each home in a group of 8 homes sold.
Additionally, the contractor received a total of $2,150,000 for all 7 homes sold in another group of homes.
For the 15 homes sold how much less was the average (arithmetic mean) selling price than the median
selling price?
A. $15,000
B. $20,000
C. $24,000
D. $32,000
E. $40,000
4. Five gift cards will be distributed among 10 people so that no person receives more than one gift card.
The gift cards consist of one $100 gift card, one $50 gift card, one $25 gift card and two $10 gift cards.
How many different distributions of the five gift cards among the 10 people are possible if the two $10
gift cards are considered to be identical?
A. 720
B. 2,520
C. 5,040
D. 15,120
E. 30,240

5. Sum of x+y+z+u+v+w-?
Math Answers:
1. 12/25 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. 360