You need to understand what is implied by the author.

Typical phrasing:

In paragraph X, what does the author imply about ….?

What can be inferred from paragraph X?

The answer is not directly stated in the reading passage. The task tests the skill to draw conclusions based on information given in the passage. 

E.g.

Experiments have shown that in selecting personnel for a job, interviewing is at best a hindrance and may even cause harm. These studios have disclosed that the judgements of interviewers differ markedly and bear little or no relationship to the adequacy of job applicants. Of the many reasons why this should be the case, three in particular stand out. The first reason is related to an error of judgement known as the halo effect. If a person has one noticeable good trait, their other characteristics will be judged as better than they really are. Thus, an individual who dresses smartly and shows self-confidence is likely to be judged capable of doing a job well regardless of his or her real ability. The horns effect is essentially the same error, but focuses on one particular bad trait. Here the individual will be judged as incapable of doing a good job.

What does the author mean by the phrase “essentially the same error“?   

a) The effect of the error is the same.

b) The error is based on the same kind of misjudgment.

c) The effect focuses only on negative traits.

d) The individual is considered less capable of the job.

Answer: b)

You need to understand the meaning of the word as it is used in the passage.

Typical phrasing:

The word X is closest in meaning to…

X is most likely a…

The word X can be replaced by…

E.g.

The Asian migration hypothesis is today supported by most of the scientific
evidence. the first “hard” data linking American Indians with Asians appeared
in the 1980s with the finding that Indians and northeast Asians share a common
and distinctive pattern in the arrangement of the teeth. But perhaps the most
compelling support for the hypothesis comes from genetic research. studies
comparing the DNA variation of populations around the world consistently
demonstrate the close genetic relationship of the two populations, and recently
geneticists studying a virus sequestered in the kidneys of all humans found that
the strain of virus carried by Navajos and Japanese is nearly identical, while
that carried by Europeans and Africans is quite different.

The word ‘distinctive’ in the passage is closest in meaning to
a) new
b) simple
c) different
d) particular

Answer: D

Tips

• Analyze the context and try to guess by the context!
• Look for definitions (phrases beginning with “include“, ” contain“, “consist of“, etc.).
• Look for synonyms

You are asked what the highlighted word refers to.

Typical phrasing:

The word X refers to…

E.g.

Other evidence suggests that the migration from Asia began about 30,000
years ago – around the same time that Japan and Scandinavia were being settled.
this evidence is based on blood type. the vast majority of modern Native
Americans have type o blood and a few have type A, but almost none have
type B. Because modern Asian populations include all three blood types, however,
the migrations must have begun before the evolution of type B, which
geneticists believe occurred about 30,000 years ago.

The word ‘which’ in the passage refers to
a) migrations
b) evolution
c) geneticists
d) populations

Answer: B

You need to understand why the author has included pieces of information. The answer is not directly stated in the reading passage. To solve this type of question, you need to understand the main point of the paragraph and how the referenced information is related to the main point of the paragraph.

Typical phrasing:

Why does the author mention XXX in paragraph X?

E.g.

Other evidence suggests that the migration from Asia began about 30,000
years ago – around the same time that Japan and Scandinavia were being settled.
This evidence is based on blood type. The vast majority of modern Native
Americans have type o blood and a few have type A, but almost none have
type B. Because modern Asian populations include all three blood types, however,
the migrations must have begun before the evolution of type B, which
geneticists believe occurred about 30,000 years ago.

Why does the author mention “blood types” in paragraph 3?
a) Blood types offered proof that the migration had come from Scandinavia.
b) the presence of type B in Native Americans was evidence of the migration.
c) the blood typing was similar to data from both Japan and Scandinavia.
d) Comparisons of blood types in Asia and North America established the date of
migration.

Answer: D

You are asked about some factual information.

Typical phrasing:

According to paragraph X, …

It is stated/indicated/mentioned in paragraph X …

Paragraph X answers which of the following …

E.g.

The average heat flow from the interior of the earth is very low, about
0.06 W/m2. This amount is trivial compared with the 177 W/m2 from solar
heat at the surface in the United states. However, in some areas, heat flow is
sufficiently high to be useful for producing energy. For the most part, areas of
high heat flow are associated with plate tectonic boundaries. Oceanic ridge
systems (divergent plate boundaries) and areas where mountains are being
uplifted and volcanic island arcs are forming (convergent plate boundaries) are
areas where this natural heat flow is anomalously high.

According to paragraph 3, the heat flow necessary for the production of geothermal
energy
a) is like solar heat on the earth’s surface
b) happens near tectonic plate boundaries
c) must always be artificially increased
d) may be impractical because of its location

There are words ‘NOT’ or ‘EXCEPT’ in this question.

Typical phrasing:

According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true of X?.

E.g.

There were two later migrations into North America. About 5000 B.C.e. the
Athapascan or Na-dene people began to settle the forests in the northwestern
area of the continent. eventually Athapascan speakers, the ancestors of the
Navajos and Apaches, migrated across the Great Plains to the southwest.
the final migration began about 3000 B.C.e. after Beringia had been submerged,
when a maritime hunting people crossed the Bering straits in small
boats. the Inuits (also known as the Eskimos) colonized the polar coasts of the
Arctic, the Yupiks the coast of southwestern Alaska, and the Aleuts the Aleutian
Islands.

According to paragraph 6, all of the following are true about the later migrations EXCEPT
a the Athapascans traveled into the southwest United states.
b the eskimos established homes in the Arctic polar region.
c the Aleuts migrated in small boats to settle coastal islands.
d the Yupiks established settlements on the Great Plains.

Answer: D

Choice D is not true because the Yuptiks settled the coast of Alaska, not
the Great plains.

Tips:

These questions are rather time-consuming, even though they are worth 1 point. So, if you are pressed for time, skip this question and return to it later. You can press the Review button to return to the unanswered questions later.

Strategy:

• Choose the keywords in the question and answer options.
• Scan the indicated paragraph for the key words  or related ideas.
• Read the sentences which contain the keywords carefully.
• Look for the answers that are certainly true, according to the paragraph, and eliminate them.
• Choose the answer that is not true or not mentioned in the passage.

There is a sentence highlighted in the reading passage. The task is to choose which of the 4 answers is equal in meaning to the highlighted sentence. The correct sentence will be paraphrased, but still convey all the important information. Incorrect sentences will represent a detail or concept inaccurately, leave out an important detail, change the original meaning of the sentence.

Typical phrasing:

Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in X?

E.g.

There were two later migrations into North America. About 5000 B.C.e. the
Athapascan or Na-dene people began to settle the forests in the northwestern
area of the continent. Eventually Athapascan speakers, the ancestors of the
Navajos and Apaches, migrated across the Great Plains to the southwest.
The final migration began about 3000 B.C.e. after Beringia had been submerged,
when a maritime hunting people crossed the Bering straits in small
boats. the Inuits (also known as the Eskimos) colonized the polar coasts of the
Arctic, the Yupiks the coast of southwestern Alaska, and the Aleuts the Aleutian
Islands.

Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted statement in the passage? The other choices change the meaning or leave out important information.
a Beringia was under water when the last people crossed the straits in boats about 3000
B.C.e.
b Beringia sank after the last people had crossed the straits in their boats about 3000
B.C.e.
c About 3000 B.C.e., the final migration of people in small boats across Beringia had
ended.
d About 3000 B.C.e., Beringia was flooded, preventing the last people from migrating in
small boats.

Answer: A. 

The task is to decide where a new sentence best fits into the reading passage. This question type tests the understanding of the logic in the passage and grammatical connections.

Typical phrasing:

In paragraph X of the passage, there is a missing sentence. The paragraph shows four letters (A, B, C, and D) that indicate where the following sentence could be added. Choose the place where the sentence fits best.

E.g.

By 25,000 years ago human communities were established in western
Beringia, which is present-day Alaska. [A] But access to the south was blocked
by a huge glacial sheet covering much of what is today Canada. How did the
hunters get over those 2,000 miles of deep ice? The argument is that the climate
began to warm with the passing of the Ice Age, and about 13,000 B.C.e.
glacial melting created an ice-free corridor along the eastern front range of the
Rocky mountains. [B] Soon hunters of big game had reached the Great Plains.

In the past several years, however, new archaeological finds along the
Pacific coast of North and south America have thrown this theory into question.
[C] The most spectacular find, at Monte Verde in southern Chile, produced striking
evidence of tool making, house building, rock painting, and human footprints
conservatively dated long before the highway had been cleared of ice.
[D] Many archaeologists now believe that migrants moved south in boats along
a coastal route rather than overland. These people were probably gatherers
and fishers rather than hunters of big game.

Look at the four squares […] that show where the following sentence could be inserted in
the passage.
Newly excavated early human sites in Washington State, California, and Peru have
been radiocarbon dated to be 11,000 to 12,000 years old.
Where could the sentence best be added?

Answer: C

Chronological order and place reference are transitional devices that connect the insert sentence with the previous sentence. The date, 13,000 B.C.E. in the previous paragraph is a date that precedes 11,000 to 12,000 years old in the insert sentence. In addition, Washington State, California, and Peru in the insert sentence refer to the pacific coast of North and South America in the previous sentence.

You are given a summary statement of the reading passage and 6 answer options. You need to drag and drop 3 answers that represent major ideas or contain important information from the passage. You need to drag and drop them from the bottom area of your computer screen into a blank area above with 3 positions marked off. The 3 correct options will NOT have the exact wording of any sentence in the passage. The other 3 will have errors in detail, or state an unimportant concept. This question always has a value of 2 points. You will get 1 point if you get 2 out of 3 correct.

E.g.

The whole reading passage:

Migration from Asia

The Asian migration hypothesis is today supported by most of the scientific
evidence. the first “hard” data linking American Indians with Asians appeared
in the 1980s with the finding that Indians and northeast Asians share a common
and distinctive pattern in the arrangement of the teeth. But perhaps the most
compelling support for the hypothesis comes from genetic research. Studies
comparing the DNA variation of populations around the world consistently
demonstrate the close genetic relationship of the two populations, and recently
geneticists studying a virus sequestered in the kidneys of all humans found that
the strain of virus carried by Navajos and Japanese is nearly identical, while
that carried by Europeans and Africans is quite different.

The migration could have begun over a land bridge connecting the continents.
during the last Ice Age 70,000 to 10,000 years ago, huge glaciers locked
up massive volumes of water and sea levels were as much as 300 feet lower
than today. Asia and North America were joined by a huge subcontinent of icefree,
treeless grassland, 750 miles wide. Geologists have named this area
Beringia, from the Bering straits. summers there were warm, winters were
cold, dry and almost snow-free. this was a perfect environment for large
mammals—mammoth and mastodon, bison, horse, reindeer, camel, and saiga
(a goatlike antelope). Small bands of stone Age hunter-gatherers were
attracted by these animal populations, which provided them not only with food
but with hides for clothing and shelter, dung for fuel, and bones for tools and
weapons. Accompanied by a husky-like species of dog, hunting bands gradually
moved as far east as the Yukon River basin of northern Canada, where
field excavations have uncovered the fossilized jawbones of several dogs and
bone tools estimated to be about 27,000 years old.

Other evidence suggests that the migration from Asia began about 30,000
years ago – around the same time that Japan and Scandinavia were being settled.
this evidence is based on blood type. the vast majority of modern Native
Americans have type o blood and a few have type A, but almost none have
type B. Because modern Asian populations include all three blood types, however,
the migrations must have begun before the evolution of type B, which
geneticists believe occurred about 30,000 years ago.

By 25,000 years ago human communities were established in western
Beringia, which is present-day Alaska. But access to the south was blocked
by a huge glacial sheet covering much of what is today Canada. How did the
hunters get over those 2,000 miles of deep ice? The argument is that the climate
began to warm with the passing of the Ice Age, and about 13,000 B.C.e.
glacial melting created an ice-free corridor along the eastern front range of the
Rocky mountains. Soon hunters of big game had reached the Great Plains.

In the past several years, however, new archaeological finds along the
Pacific coast of North and south America have thrown this theory into question.
The most spectacular find, at Monte Verde in southern Chile, produced striking
evidence of tool making, house building, rock painting, and human footprints
conservatively dated long before the highway had been cleared of ice.
Many archaeologists now believe that migrants moved south in boats along
a coastal route rather than overland. These people were probably gatherers
and fishers rather than hunters of big game.

There were two later migrations into North America. About 5000 B.C.e. the
Athapascan or Na-dene people began to settle the forests in the northwestern
area of the continent. Eventually Athapascan speakers, the ancestors of the
Navajos and Apaches, migrated across the Great Plains to the southwest.
The final migration began about 3000 B.C.e. after Beringia had been submerged,
when a maritime hunting people crossed the Bering straits in small
boats. the Inuits (also known as the Eskimos) colonized the polar coasts of the
Arctic, the Yupiks the coast of southwestern Alaska, and the Aleuts the Aleutian
Islands.

While scientists debate the timing and mapping of these migrations, many
Indian people hold to oral traditions that include a long journey from a distant
place of origin to a new homeland.

Directions: An introduction for a short summary of the passage appears below. Complete the summary by selecting the tHRee answer choices that mention the most important points in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not included in the passage or are minor points from the passage.
This question is worth 2 points.
There is considerable evidence supporting a theory of multiple migrations from
Asia to the Americas.
•
•
•
Answer Choices
A Ancient stories of migrations from a faraway place are common in the cultures
of many Native American nations.

B The people who inhabited Monte Verde in southern Chile were a highly evolved
culture as evidenced by their tools and homes.
C Genetic similarities between Native American peoples and Asians include
the arrangement of teeth, viruses, and blood types.
D Hunters followed the herds of big game from Beringia south along the Rocky
mountains into what is now called the Great Plains.
E Excavations at archaeological sites provide artifacts that can be used to date the
various migrations that occurred by land and sea.
F The climate began to get warmer and warmer, melting the glacial ice about 13,000 B.C.e.

Answer: E, D, C summarize the passage. Choice A is a concluding point that is not developed with examples and details. Choice B is a minor point that supports major point E. Choice F is a minor point that supports major point D.

d South America in the previous sentence.