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READ THE FIRST SENTENCE CAREFULLY

LOOK FOR THE KEY WORDS

RELATION BETWEEN SENTENCE:SUPPORTING/CONTRASTING

PARAPHRASE THE MAIN IDEA IN YOUR HEAD AFTER READING

ELIMINATE THE WRONG ANSWER

APPLICATION OF STRATEGY:

It's hard to remember a time when not everyone had electricity, and when those that did used it sparingly. That's because from about 1900 to 1965 or so, the electric power industry pushed the price of electricity down and down and down. By the end of their incredible technological surge, electricity cost very little and Americans used a lot of it. And because it was cheap and the government had intervened in rural areas through outfits like the Tennessee Valley Authority, electricity became very evenly distributed across the land (though, even now, the price per kilowatt hour varies substantially). In 1921, however, that was not true. The use of electricity did not basically track population. Instead, there were wide regional variations in access to and consumption electricity. The entire south used relatively less electricity than the rest of the country.

1.       Which of the following conveys the main idea of the passage?

a.       Electricity is becoming cost effective day by day.

b.      The entire south used relatively less electricity than the rest of the country.

c.       Electricity was unevenly distributed in the country in early twentieth century 

d.      Electricity was widely used in 1900s and was cheaper then now.

e.      Electricity was cheaper in china than any other country.

Sentence Equivalence is the new addition to revised GRE. Sentence equivalence has 6 answer choices from which you have to pick two, and there is no partial credit for 1 right answer. To get the full credit you have pick both choices correctly. What does Sentence Equivalence justify? Here is the say of ETS official:

"Like Text Completion questions, Sentence Equivalence questions test the ability to reach a conclusion about how a passage should be completed on the basis of partial information, but to a greater extent they focus on the meaning of the completed whole. Sentence Equivalence questions consist of a single sentence with just one blank, and they ask you to find two choices that lead to a complete, coherent sentence while producing sentences that mean the same thing."

SENTENCE EQUIVALENCE STRUCTURE:

First, second, third	A,B,C
In the first place	For one thing
then	next
before	now
after	while
into (far into the night)	until
last	during
since	always
o’clock	on time
later	earlier

for example	specifically
for instance	to illustrate
such as	much like
in the same way as	similar to

a major development	it all boils down to
a significant factor	most of all
a primary concern	most noteworthy
a key feature	more than anything else
a major event	of course
a vital force	pay particular attention to
a central issue	remember that
a distinctive quality	should be noted
above all	the most substantial issue
by the way	the main value
especially important	the basic concept
especially relevant	the crux of the matter
especially valuable	the chief outcome
important to note	the principle item

1. Continuation Signals 

and, also, another, again, and finally, first of all, a final reason, furthermore, in addition, last of all, likewise, more, moreover, next, one reason, other, secondly, similarly,too, with

2. Change-of-Direction Signals

although, but, conversely,despite, different from, even though, however, in contrast, instead of, in spite of, nevertheless, otherwise, the opposite, on the contrary, on the other hand, rather,  still, yet, while, though


3. Conclusion Signals 

as a result, consequently, finally, from this we see, in conclusion, in summary,
hence, last of all, therefore,

Today I am going to compile important reading comprehension link from various sources that will help you win the gre exam.



how-to-read-a-reading-comp-passage

what-to-read-and-what-not-to-read-on-gre-reading-comprehension-passages

how-to-analyze-a-reading-comprehension-problem-on-the-gre

how-to-analyze-a-gre-reading-comprehension-infer-question

using-a-passage-map

7-types-of-reading-comprehension-questions

inferring-from-the-meteor-stream-passage

gmat-sample-reading-notes

gmat-science-reading-comprehension

twin-passages-for-practicing-your-rc-main-point-skills

paragraph-summaries-an-approach-to-main-point

what-to-read-and-what-not-to-read-on-rc-passages

If you are preparing for GRE as well as Lsat and GMAT, you might be familiar with critical reasoning. Unlike Lsat and gmat, GRE has few question based on critical reasoning. Though it is less in quantitatively, it is pivotal as you might face 1-3 critical reasoning question. Today I am going to review best book for critical reasoning so far.

Best Book for Critical reasoning: ""GMAT CRITICAL REASONING BIBLE" by Powerscore

Review:
To be fair, this book is exhaustive, one who is struggling with critical reasoning, this is boon for them. It explains all types of questions and strategy for each.If you are struggling in critical reasoning, go grab a copy of this.

• explains every concept
• lots of practice for each section
• strategies for each question types
• exhaustive

--supporting

Text Completion strategy:

• Read the Sentence first:

Just read the sentence first without looking the answer choices, If you look answer choices first, they may mislead you about the sentence. So just go through the sentence.

• Hunt for the clue:

There will be always clue for the text completion explicitly or implicitly. Just find the clue to determine answer. For instance, supporting, contrasting, emphasizing etc.

• Come up with own words:

Come with your own words before looking the answer choice, if not, at least get the sense about it, whether it is positive or negative.

Here is a sample of text completion and how to breakdown it:

Although the affable scientist is known for his geniality in his public life, he is ..........................in his private life, misbehaving with his daughters and wife.

1. vehemently calm
2. ludicrously mad
3. utterly unamicable
4. scandalously rogue
5. severely spartan 

So Clue is here: Although and Geniality
So the answer should be opposite of geniality, lets come up with our own word, so it should be "unfriendly"
Now go through the answer choice and match your prediction.
The matched answer choice is 3. utterly unamicable which means unfriendly.

1. Read Critically:

GRE Reading comprehension is to be read critically unlike daily news reading. You have to read for the main idea, authors point, authors view, purpose of the paragraph etc. Don't just read, read strategically. Don't rush when reading the gre passages worrying about time; if you don't get the point of the passage, you may struggle.


2. Predict the Next:

Predict the next by the sigal words used, eg, although, while, despite, nevertheless, etc. These words signal for contrast, or support. So look for these key words.


3. Skip the Details:

When you already got the main point, skip the details. If you get a question from the detail, then comeback, scan the passage for the clue words, check the sentences, predict the answer, match the answer.


4.Use POE for difficult questions:

In gre reading comprehensions, you can predict for the 60% questions, but some questions are hard enough to be predicted, So use POE(process of elimination) to get wrong answers out. Inference questions are likely to be hard.


5. Read the answer choices critically:

Answer choices are not written straight forwardly, rather they are twisted enough to make you frustrate. So read the answer choice carefully. And also look for the tone of the answer choices, if it is extreme, eliminate  it unless it is justified by the passage.

Perfect score in GRE is not easy task, but still not improbable. Time, strategy, materials, practice and patience are needed to get that score. Today I am posting lists of materials that are needed to score a perfect score.


All ets official guide:

1. ETS official guide 2
2.ETS paperbased guide 1 and 2
3.Big book gre guide(old material)
4.PowerprepII

Manhattan GRE MST 6 practice test

Verbal:
1.Manhattan gre reading comprehension guide
2.Cracking the new gre, 2013
3.Manhattan basic and advanced wordlist
4.Manhattan Text completion guide( for strategy)
5.Gmat official guide 2013 (for Reading comprehension and Critical reasoning)

Quantitative: 
1.Manhattan gre guide 1-6
2.Ets official guide 2
3.Gmat official guide 13th edition( for advanced quantitative practice)
4.5 lb book of gre practice problem
5.beathegmat.com forum( there are lots of rc, quant practice and strategy as well as RC strategy by Various instructors)

 Read the sentence as explained below:

The autonomous movements’ relationship with the state is one such point of ambiguity. Most social movement theory makes the state central to its analysis, viewing movements as chiefly concerned with making claims “on public authorities, other holders of power, competitors, enemies, and objects of popular disapproval,” as Charles Tilly has it. Sitrin rightly wants to explain the movements in front of her, some of which, at least initially, don’t follow this pattern, preferring instead to “build a new society in the shell of the old.” She furthermore wants to judge success from the perspective of the movements themselves: if the “new subjects” see themselves as successful, then who is some observer social scientist to tell them otherwise? But then when the movements silently defect from the scholarly dictate of “autonomy” and engage the state, however partially, the theory shows its rigidity: it can neither sufficiently account for defections from the ideal nor describe them in any terms that would reflect badly on the movement. Caught between the twin aims of studying the movements and exalting them, Sitrin habitually defers to the latter.





5.to acknowledge the Sitrin was morally wrong

 2.Occasionally, they entertained themselves with --------------- stunts, like running from a 200-degree sauna to touch the South Pole while wearing nothing but shoes.

A. weary
B. latitude
C. plastic
D. daredevil
E. litigation

3.Eventually, workers who were predisposed to seasonal affective disorder were ------------. The darkness and cold caused sleepiness and memory problems, and over time some of the winter-overs became disoriented and -------------------.

A. Affected	D. healthy
B. diverted	E. lethargic
C. loped	F. robust

4.The financial crisis  inspired a shallow but --------------- revival of Marxist analysis in academic life.

A. ignorable
B. superficial
C. significant
D. handy
E. liable

5.Even where demands have seemed social democratic, many of the more creative and disruptive protests fueling them have been ---------------.

A. disciplined
B. martinet
C. anarchist
D. tremor
E. republican

 6.Like Marxist analysis, which often seeks to--------------- the real tendencies of history beneath the surface of the quotidian, anarchist theory, too, has an unmasking strategy : it sees ---------------- activity where one might be tempted to see stasis and homogeneity.

A. unmask	D. lend
B. conceal	E. fervent
C. enumerate	F. static

7.And yet Simone's methodology, because it places a special emphasis on diverting the subject, renders some of her more expansive claims about the novelty of the movements harder to be --------------. She tends too often to ------------- those aspects of her analysis that suggest missteps, setbacks, and failures.

A. unlikely	D. disabuse
B. trustworthy	E. obfuscate
C. obliterate	F. interpret

For STRATEGY check this link: TEXT COMPLETION STRATEGY
ANSWER:
1.BDH
2.D
3.AE
4.C
5.C
6.AE
7.BE