Reading Comprehension

Skimming

Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information, or 'gist'. Run your eyes over the text, noting important information. Use skimming to quickly get up to speed on a current business situation. It's not essential to understand each word when skimming.

Examples of Skimming:

• The Newspaper (quickly to get the general news of the day) • Magazines (quickly to discover which articles you would like to read in more detail) • Business and Travel Brochures (quickly to get informed)

Scanning

Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information. Run your eyes over the text looking for the specific piece of information you need. Use scanning on schedules, meeting plans, etc. in order to find the specific details you require. If you see words or phrases that you don't understand, don't worry when scanning.

Examples of Scanning

• The "What's on TV" section of your newspaper. • A train / airplane schedule • A conference guide

Extensive reading

Extensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject and includes reading longer texts for pleasure, as well as business books. Use extensive reading skills to improve your general knowledge of business procedures. Do not worry if you understand each word.

Examples of Extensive Reading

• The latest marketing strategy book • A novel you read before going to bed • Magazine articles that interest you

Intensive reading

Intensive reading is used on shorter texts in order to extract specific information. It includes very close accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to grasp the details of a specific situation. In this case, it is important that you understand each word, number or fact.

Examples of Intensive Reading

• A bookkeeping report • An insurance claim • A contract

Now that you've reviewed the four reading skills, take this reading skills quiz to help you improve reading skills through understanding of these basic reading types.

GRE READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE-1

It must be the season of pessimism. Having worried about the war in Afghanistan, the battle against Al�Qaeda, the Arab reaction and the anthrax scare, we have found the next target for our gloom and it�s an easy one: the prospect for Afghanistan. You can hear the weary phrases tripping off people�s tongues: the country can�t be rebuilt, it will revert to civil war and a Marshall Plan would be a colossal waste of money. If these were just the musings of commentators, they wouldn�t matter much. But many within the administration are urging Washington to quickly and quietly wash its hands off Afghanistan and move on. Not only would this be a strategic error, but it would show blindness to one of the most important lessons of the last decade.

Let�s try a word � association game. What comes to mind when you think of the following: Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Mozambique and Uganda? For most people the answer is civil war, ethnic cleansing, failed states and intractable woes. And that�s what they represented the last time you looked at them. But a funny thing happened over the last five years. As the UN Development Chief, Mark Malloch Brown, puts it, �The spotlight went away, but these countries slowly began putting their houses in order. Today they are all peaceful, reasonably stable societies with the first stirrings of genuine economic activity�.

In some cases, it�s better than that. Mozambique, for example, was growing at nine per cent in 1999 when a flood hit its economic growth (temporarily, one hopes). There�s been political progress across the board. Rwanda has a war-crimes tribunal. Kosovo is doing better than anyone could have expected. East Timor will have seceded nonviolently from Indonesia and set up a liberal democratic regime in a few years. None of these places is likely to become a Switzerland or Singapore any time soon. But they are far removed from the hell holes of war, genocide, drugs and terrorism that many once were.

Despite mountains of skepticism (and I�ve been as guilty of this as anyone) the reality has been that over the last five years the international community and the United Nations learned tough lessons from their initial failures in dealing with peace�keeping and

nation�building. Today the major powers and the international agencies are pulling together and working effectively. As a result, once hopeless situations are moving toward some semblance of normalcy. Is it so crazy to think that may be Afghanistan can be next on this list?

Of course the situation in Afghanistan is gruesome. The country has been through invasion, occupation and civil war for two decades. Economic activity has come to a standstill, a condition worsened by periodic famine and drought. Millions of Afghans have come forward and improving people�s lives will not be so difficult. Even modest achievements � rebuilding the roads, getting rural irrigation flowing, restoring electricity- could have dramatic effects.

And there are many hopeful signs. So far there have been very few reprisals by the victors- a marked shift in behavior. The neighboring powers- Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Russia � are not competing to destabilize the country, as they did in the past, but working to stabilize it. As Richard Haass, Washington�s top diplomat on Afghanistan put it: �The Great Games has given way to the greater good.� Perhaps most significant, the generation of Afghans who thrived on the feuds of the civil war are being replaced by a younger wave of leaders who want to build a modern country. Rapacious warlords like Rashid Dostum may represent the past and moderate, modern men like the interim president, Hamid Karzai, the future. But first you need peace. The international community had learned one big lesson over the last decade: when a country is still plagued by problems of basic security � Somalia, Bosnia (for a while) and Congo � peacekeeping and reconstruction are impossible. The other important lesson is that the United Nations cannot provide this security. It must come from the major powers.

Thus, the most urgent priority in Afghanistan is a strong, multinational force that will bring security and stability to Kabul. Britain had volunteered to be the lead country and, if not for America�s strange foot dragging on this issue, the British would have already deployed their troops (Turkey is another possibility). Beyond Kabul, security must come from agreements between the Afghan war lords. It will be a test of their desire for peace and security in their regions.

There are good reasons for pessimism. Afghanistan is the most ambitious project that the international community will have ever undertaken. And as a senior American official said, �The one thing that seems to unite Afghans over long period of time is they don�t much like foreigners. But consider what the foreigners were up to in the past. The British and the Russians tried to colonize the place. The Arabs turned it into a base for international terrorism. Maybe now that the foreigners are coming for quite different reasons, the locals will be more welcoming�.

Questions 1.What could be the most appropriate title for the passage?

(A) Comparison of War-torn Countries.(B) Re-building of Afghanistan. (C) Internal Situation in Afghanistan. (D) Role and Interests of America in Afghanistan.(E) Ensuring Peace in Afghanistan.

2.According to the writer, the pre requisite for any development in Afghanistan is

(A)elimination of tribal leaders.(B)cooperation of the neighboring countries.(C)ensuring peace and security.(D)sending British troops before American troops.(E)sending troops of neighboring countries to Afghanistan.

3.Peace and security in Afghanistan can be achieved through

(I)agreements with tribal leaders.(II)cooperation of the neighboring countries.(III)sending multi-national forces to Afghanistan.

(A)I and II only.(B)I and III only.(C)II and III only.(D)All of the above.(E)None of the above.

4.Local population is now more likely to accept foreign forces due to following factor:

(A) Local leaders are now ready for negotiations.(B) Neighboring countries are now more supportive of the idea.(C) It will lead to economic growth.(D) Intentions of the multinational forces are likely to be in favor of Afghanistan.(E) Britain and America have now reached a consensus on the issue.

5.The writer hints towards inadequacy of UN when he says that :-

(A)Beyond Kabul warlords cannot be controlled.(B)UN cannot guarantee that multinational forces will not exploit the country.(C)On its own, UN cannot provide security. (D)It is difficult for UN to bring all the coalition partners on a common platform.(E)UN has been a failure in a number of such attempts in the past.

6.Optimism about Afghanistan can be derived from following factors:-

(I)Neighboring countries are not trying to destabilize Afghanistan.

(II)New generation of leaders.(III)Comparatively peaceful environment.

(A)I and II only.(B)I and III only.(C)II and III only.(D)All of the above.(F)None of the above.

7.One of the important lessons learnt by the international community in peace keeping missions and nation building is

(A)coordination between major powers and international agencies.(B)controlling local warlords.(C)economic development, for example, as in the case of Mozambique.(D)infrastructural development.(E)supporting the modern leadership.

8.A pitiable description of Afghanistan has been made by the writer consequent to civil war, famine, invasion, occupation etc. However, the writer claims that this situation can be exploited for betterment as

(A)civil wars have left the local warlords at their weakest levels.(B) it provides an opportunity for international forces to easily enter Afghanistan and eliminate terrorist hideouts.(C)even humble infrastructural developments can bring fruitful results.(D)UN gets an opportunity to demonstrate its capabilities and emerge as a stronger organization which could ultimately result in world peace.(E)if not entered now, the opportunity will be lost forever.

Explanations1.The most appropriate answer is D. The author compares various war torn countries to derive analogy for the future prospects of Afghanistan. Therefore, A is not correct as it cannot be a suitable title for the entire passage. C can be partially correct but the essence of the passage is to explain the reasons why America should show interest in Afghanistan and the role to be played by it. B and E are the reasons why America should show interest in Afghanistan. Therefore, the best answer is D.

2.The most appropriate answer is C. As can be seen from the examples of various countries given in the passage, development was possible only after peace and security had retuned. The writer emphasizes this fact several times in the passage. A, D and E are factually wrong as they have not been explicitly brought out by the writer. B is one of the means for ensuring security and peace. Therefore, the best answer is C.

3.Most appropriate answer is D as all three issues need to be negotiated for ensuring peace and security. After due deliberation on the facts stated by the writer it becomes

evident that all the three issues should be addressed appropriately for return of peace and security in Afghanistan. Therefore, the best answer is D.

4.Most appropriate answer is D. There are no indications in the passage that local leaders are now ready for negotiations. Therefore A is wrong. Support of neighboring countries on the issue has also not been explicitly stated in the passage, hence B is incorrect. C will eventually be correct once peace and security has been established. E is clearly wrong. The last paragraph of the passage clearly brings out the writer�s opinion about the local population which he believes would now be more supportive as compared to their reactions to earlier foreigners who had totally different intentions. Therefore, D is the best answer.

5. The most appropriate answer is C. Agreements between warlords are a pre requisite for lasting peace. However they cannot be interpreted as a shortcoming of UN. B has not been explicitly commented upon by the writer though references to the earlier occupying forces have been made. The writer clearly brings out option C in paragraph number 7 of the passage. Option D may be interpreted from general knowledge but the writer has not touched the topic. With regards to option E, attempts by UN to ensure peace and stability may have failed initially but eventually the programs were successful in most of the cases. Therefore, E cannot be termed as a completely correct statement. In view of the above, it is evident that C is the best answer.

6.The correct answer is A. The writer clearly brings out the changed stance of the neighboring countries with respect to the situation in Afghanistan and the new generation of Afghans who are willing to work for a better country. Option III is wrong as absence of peace in Afghanistan is perhaps the genesis of the article. Therefore, A emerges as the best answer.

7. Option A is the most appropriate answer as brought out by the writer in the course of the passage. The writer emphasizes this point in the third and fourth paragraphs of the passage. He has categorically stated the names of countries which are experiencing economic growth after years of turmoil. The writer conveys the message that countries are slowly moving towards normalcy as a result of the coordination between the major powers and international agencies. Options B to E are possible only after the restoration of peace and stability which can be enforced as a result of this coordination and this aspect has been aptly brought out in the second last paragraph. Therefore, A is the best answer.

8. Option C is the most appropriate answer as made aptly clear by the writer in paragraph number 5. Relative strength of the warlords has not been commented upon by the writer. Therefore, option A is incorrect. Option B is against the very essence of the passage with respect to the likely intention of the coalition forces. Option D and E have not been commented upon by the writer during the course of the passage. Therefore, C is the best answer.

GRE READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE-2

Nothing shows up the schizophrenia of the Indian mind in the face of this challenge than that the two principal leaders of the national struggle for independence Mahatma Gandhi and Mr. Nehru should have come to contrary conclusions. The Mahatma was for an outright rejection of the western civilization, which is often described as Satanic. Mr. Nehru was for all-out industrialization. Both spoke from utter conviction and were extremely articulate in stating their positions. But neither of them thought it worth his while to grapple with the troublesome details when it came to making the reality conform to the vision.

The Mahatma was, of course, most meticulous about detail and when he undertook a job, whether it was the spread of the spinning wheel, revival of village industries or helping the Harijans, he did not regard the smallest matter pertaining to the concerned organization or an individual grievance beneath his personal attention. It was a different story, however, with translating his larger vision of a non-violent society into a blueprint.

He enunciated the general principal very forcefully. But such details as the state structure the new society would build and the social legislation it would undertake, the precise industrial policy it would pursue or the defense policy it would opt for, he left alone or dealt with in bits and pieces. Did he fear that his vision would suffer by raising all these issues at one go? Or did he realize long before the day of India�s tryst with destiny that he would not count on anyone even among his closest colleagues in the Congress to back him?

Mr. Nehru was in a much better position to carry out his ideas. But the very Constitution-making process became a formal exercise. There was no attempt to think in terms of institutions, which while preserving the substance of democracy, would contain populist pressures, make government more business-like and more productive of results and make for easy and cheap access to justice. All this is not to believe his role in guiding the young republic in its formative years and setting norms which none of the regimes that came after him were also to live up to. But that does not detract from the processes of decline. The proliferation of slums had begun, and small groups were already hogging up the larger part of the gains of development. No concerted attempt was made to close the loopholes in land laws and little was done to make school education relevant to the needs of a developing society. The language policy was left to flounder.

That the people still look back to the Nehru era with a sense of nostalgia shows that even things which looked manageable in his days are now out of control. Perhaps this is the result of a deterioration in the quality of leadership, a distressing decline in the integrity of political life and an alarming build-up of populist pressure. But it also is the result of the way each government has been busy storing up trouble for future. Can one be sure after all this that the foundations on which the republic rests are durable enough?

What light does this throw on the Indian mind? The Indian mind delights in ambiguity in ambivalence, in trying to have the best of both worlds, in harboring a medley of conflicting ideas without much discomfort. Whatever the public rhetoric, the practice is always based on half- measures, of leaving things half done, of a refusal to anticipate trouble and a tendency to wake up when the crisis has already matured, this may be an exaggeration. But the slovenliness of approach to every problem is a fact of life which hits in the eye even the most sympathetic foreign observer.

It is not surprising that the Indian genius which excelled in production myths, which created works of sculpture �which endow the spirit with a body� and a music which enthralls the mind as well as the spirit, was often at a loss in facing up to the problems of state building. The Indian mind still falters as it tires to come to grips with these problems.

Question 1What is the main purpose of the writer behind writing this passage?A)To bring out the contrast in Nehru�s and Gandhi�s dreams and vision of India.B)To bring out the flaws in Indian democracy.C)To trace the reasons behind the disordered state of India as one based on hollow foundation laid by leaders in the past.D)To show the impact of Western Civilization on today�s India.E)To bring out the past as a disordered and mismanaged government as a result of improper implementation of the job undertaken by leaders.

Answer: C

Answer explanation: Option C is the right answer. The passage seeks to find out the reason behind the present situation where no attention is paid to issues that can turn into crisis if neglected. The writer comes to the conclusion that the present state of affairs is a result of the non-implementation of the larger visions held by Indian leaders into practice. Option A is just mentioned in the passage to explain the ideas held by Indian leaders. Options B and D are obviously wrong and lie beyond the scope of the passage. Option E is a misinterpretation of the passage. It does not deal with disorder in the past, but in the present.

Question 2What is the main idea expressed in the passage?A)The passage expresses the vision and dreams of Indian leaders for a better future.B)The passage expresses the shaping up of a disorganized state due to the constricted vision of our leaders.C)The passage is an account of a successful democratic set up of the Indian government as a result of the policies made by our leaders.D)The passage explains how the Constitution was made and what clauses it included.E)The passage gives an account of the mismanaged government due to the formulation of faulty laws.

Answer: B

Answer explanation: B is the correct answer since the passage deals with how the present situation has resulted as a disorderly and mismanaged state. The passage explains the visions of leaders being neglected by them themselves and thus turning things out of control. Option A has a narrow scope and just mentions the visions held by the leaders. It does not mention anything about their implementation. C is wrong since the writer does not give an account of success of policies, but refers to the failures of the same. Option D is irrelevant and thus obviously wrong. Option E seems to be a likely answer, but when you compare it with option B, its scope is narrow. It does not mention the lack of efforts in putting thoughts into practice.

Question 3Provide a suitable title to the passage.A)Leaders of the Freedom StruggleB)Nehru�s and Gandhi�s Vision of IndiaC)History of Indian DemocracyD)Reflections of the Past in the Present IndiaE)Lack of Effective Leaders in India Today

Answer: D

Answer explanation: The writer discusses the present situation as a result of the neglected and incomplete efforts done in the past by the leaders. Thus we can say that D is the most suitable answer option. A is obviously wrong since the passage does not deal with the leaders of freedom struggle. Similarly C is wrong since the writer does not explain what and how of Indian democracy. Option B is a part of the passage. It does not comprise the whole passage and thus it is rejected. Similarly option E also has a mention in the passage where the writer hints at deterioration in the quality of leadership that has resulted in the present situation. Thus it is not fit to be the title of the passage.

Question 4What are the writer�s feelings towards the subject of the passage?A)The writer is not satisfied with the present situation of mismanagement.B)The writer is comfortable with the medley of conflicting ideas present in today�s

world.C)The writer is nostalgic about the times when Nehru led India.D)The writer is depressed because of lack of efforts on part of Indian leaders to implement their ideas into practice.E)The writer is unaffected with the past or present.

Answer: A

Answer explanation: The option A is the best option. We find hints of dissatisfaction of the writer with the disorderly situation and careless attitude of people. He expresses this throughout the passage, partly by holding Indian leaders responsible and partly by referring to the approach of people as �slovenliness� towards the state of affairs. The writer refers to people of India being comfortable with the medley of conflicting ideas but does not share this feeling himself. Thus we reject B. Similarly we reject C since the writer mentions the nostalgic feelings, as people get sentimental about Nehru�s era. However, this is not the feeling that comes out in the passage as a whole. Option D refers to the feelings of the writer as depressed, but there is no hint of the writer being depressed about the lack of efforts. He is surely not happy and is concerned, but it cannot be concluded that he is depressed. The option E is also rejected, since we feel the writer�s emotions while reading the passage, thus we cannot say that he is unaffected.

Question 5What is the purpose of the writer behind mentioning Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru?A)To give an example of effective leadership to today�s incompetent leaders.B)To explain that they were incapable of putting their vision into practice which has resulted in the present situation.C)To bring out a contrast in the thinking of the two leaders towards the industrialization.D)To explain their policies and vision they held for all around development of India.E)To explain that they had high dreams and vision for the country which could take India to a bright future.

Answer: B

Answer explanation: In the passage, the writer mentions Gandhi�s and Nehru�s vision and refers to them while explaining a lack of efforts in putting them into practice. The larger visions held by such leaders were not put into action by them. Thus option B is the best choice. A is wrong since the writer does not glorify their achievements. C is rejected since the contrasting ideas of the leaders are mentioned just to explain the principles held by them, but the writer intends to explain more than that. Options D and E are rejected since the writer does not give an account of their policies and dreams for the development, rather he brings out the hollowness in the implementation of these ideas.

Question 6What is the writer�s interpretation of the way Indians have accepted the situations?A)Indians are delighted with the excellent conditions present.B)Indians are proud of the leaders of freedom struggle.

C)Indians are sentimental about the glorious past of Nehru�s times.D)Indians are disappointed by non-implementation of the dreams of leaders into reality.E)Indians have comfortably accepted the existing state of India along with its shortcomings and disorder.

Answer: E

Answer explanation: In the sixth paragraph, the writer goes on to examine the Indian mind. He believes that the Indians have accepted the present situation and are happy about the way things are moving, regardless of their being moving or not. Thus option E is the best answer choice. We reject A since it mentions the present situation as �excellent�, but nowhere does the writer refer to the situation in that sense. Option B is obviously wrong and is out of the scope of the passage. Option C is rejected since it does not refer to the feelings of Indians with respect to the present situation. D is also a wrong answer since the writer does not show disappointment from the side of Indians, but uses words like �delighted� to express their attitude.

Question 7Which of the following lies beyond the scope of the passage?A)Mahatma Gandhi favored the use of spinning wheel in place of western culture.B)Mahatma Gandhi dealt with the formation of the structure of the state in bits and pieces.C)The government did not make an effort to remove the deficiency in the laws of land.D)Mahatma could not give personal attention to the revival of village industries since he felt that his vision would not materialize as a whole.E)It is a custom in India to leave things incomplete till it becomes dangerous.

Answer: D

Answer explanation: We get a proof of option A in the first two paragraphs of the passage, according to which Gandhi opposed the western civilization and wanted to spread the spinning wheel. Thus option A is rejected. Option B also lies well within the scope of the passage since the writer says that Gandhi did not deal with such details forcefully, but in bits and pieces. C is also mentioned in the passage where the writer goes on to explain the process of decline due to things like increase in slums, little attention given to school education etc. Here the writer also mentions that no attempts were made to close the loopholes existing in land laws. Thus C is rejected. E is also mentioned in the end of passage where the writer refers to the Indian mind, thus it is rejected. Option D is false since according to the passage, Mahatma dealt with issues like revival of village industries with most meticulous detail. He did not ignore it, but the larger visions of structure of state as a whole. Hence we reject option D on account of its being false or an untrue statement.

Question 8Complete the following sentence according to your understanding of the passage. According to the writer, the things are mismanaged today since_________

A)Indians do not have leaders like Gandhi and Nehru to control the situations leading to a disorderly state.B)the population of India has increased manifold and enough attention cannot be paid to the grievances of all.C)small groups are consuming the larger part of the gains of development.D)the government did not form an easily accessible judiciary.E)the government has been ignoring issues and piling up problems for the future.

Answer: E

Answer explanation: Option A is rejected since the writer does not express the need of leaders like Gandhi to mend the situations. Option B does not come under the scope of the passage and thus is rejected. C is also false since it is only one of the reasons for the decline of the system. Similarly D is rejected since it refers to one of the areas which was not given due attention by the leaders. E is the best answer option since it sums up the reasons behind the things being out of order in today�s world. The writer mentions this in the fifth paragraph as the government�s being busy storing up trouble for future.

GRE READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE-3

Billie Holiday died a few weeks ago. I have been unable until now to write about her, but since she will survive many who receive longer obituaries, a short delay in one small appreciation will not harm her or us. When she died we � the musicians, critics, all who were ever transfixed by the most heart-rending voice of the past generation � grieved bitterly. There was no reason to. Few people pursued self-destruction more whole-heartedly than she, and when the pursuit was at an end, at the age of forty-four, she had turned herself into a physical and artistic wreck. Some of us tried gallantly to pretend otherwise, taking comfort in the occasional moments when she still sounded like a ravaged echo of her greatness. Others had not even the heart to see and listen any more. We preferred to stay home and, if old and lucky enough to own the incomparable records of her heyday from 1937 to 1946, many of which are not even available on British LP, to recreate those coarse-textured, sinuous, sensual and unbearable sad noises which gave her a sure corner of immortality. Her physical death called, if anything, for relief rather than sorrow. What sort of middle age would she have faced without the voice to earn money for her drinks and fixes, without the looks � and in her day she was hauntingly beautiful � to attract the men she needed, without business sense, without anything but

the disinterested worship of ageing men who had heard and seen her in her glory?

And yet, irrational though it is, our grief expressed Billie Holiday�s art, that of a woman for whom one must be sorry. The great blues singers, to whom she may be justly compared, played their game from strength. Lionesses, though often wounded or at bay (did not Bessie Smith call herself �a tiger, ready to jump�?) their tragic equivalents were Cleopatra and Phaedra; Holiday�s was an embittered Ophelia. She was the Puccini heroine among blues singers, or rather among jazz singers, for though she sang a cabaret version of the blues incomparably, her natural idiom was the pop song. Her unique achievement was to have twisted this into a genuine expression of the major passions by means of a total disregard of its sugary tunes, or indeed of any tune other than her own few delicately crying elongated notes, phrased like Bessie Smith or Louis Armstrong in sung in a thin, gritty, haunting voice whose natural mood was an unresigned and voluptuous welcome for the pains of love. Nobody has sung, or will sing, Bess�s songs from Porgy as she did. It was this combination of bitterness and physical submission, as of someone lying still while watching his legs amputated which gives such a blood-curding quality to her song, Strange Fruit, the anti-lynching poem which she turned into an unforgettable art song. Suffering was her profession; but she did not accept it.

Little need be said about her horrifying life, which she described with emotional, though hardly with factual, truth in her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues. After an adolescence in which self-respect was measured by a girl�s insistence on picking up the coins thrown to her by clients with her hands, she was plainly beyond help. She did not lack it, for she had the flair and scrupulous honesty of John Hammond to launch her, the best musicians of the 1930s to accompany her � notably Teddy Wilson, Frankie Newton and Lester Young � the boundless devotion of all serious connoisseurs, and much public success. It was too late to arrest a career of systematic embittered self-immolation. To be born with both beauty and self-respect in the Negro ghetto of Baltimore in 1951 was too much of a handicap, even without rape at the age of ten and drug-addiction in her teens. But, while she destroyed herself, she sang, unmelodious, profound and heartbreaking. It is impossible not to weep for her, or not to hate the world which made her what she was.

Question 1What is the main focus of the passage?A)To find the reasons behind Billie Holiday�s death.B)The passage tells how Billie Holiday�s death is not grieved by anyone.C)The passage is an appreciation of Billie Holliday�s life and achievements as a singer.D)To give an account of her struggle as a singer.E)To describe Billie Holiday�s wrecked life, by giving an account of her rise as well as her destruction.

Answer: E Answer explanation: The passage revolves around Billie Holliday�s ravaged existence after the decline of her career as a singer and her consequent death. Thus, option E is the most appropriate answer. We reject A since the writer mentions her death as a result of self-destruction, and does not dwell any further on it. Option B refers to a part of the passage where the writer mentions that no one had the heart to see or listen to her and she had subjected herself to self-destruction. However, the passage moves on to her life and her unique art. Thus, we reject it. Similarly, option C is also a part of the passage and other than her appreciation as a singer, the passage focuses on her ravaged existence as well. D is obviously wrong since the passage does not discuss her struggle, rather according to it, she was fortunate to be launched and be among the best singers.

Question 2What according to the writer was the cause of her death?A)She died by committing suicide since she was not happy with her downfall as a singer. B)She was forced to death by other singers.C)She indulged in ruining her life by giving herself up to drugs and drinks when her career as a singer was on a decline.D)She had an overdose of drugs, which became toxic.E)She was suffering from some illness.

Answer: CAnswer explanation: Option B is obviously wrong, as there is no mention of her being forced to death. Similarly the passage has no mention of her being ill, which makes us conclude that option E is also false. We reject option A on grounds of its referring to her death as a suicide. Although the writer mentions self-destruction, he refers to it as an effort to ruin her life by indulging in drinks and drugs, and not by committing suicide. We reject D since it mentions that an overdose of drugs was the reason of her death. However, it was not an overdose, but a result of gradual and persistent habit of drugs and drinks. Thus, we conclude that C is the best answer.

Question 3What cannot be understood from the last paragraph of the passage?A)Her career was launched by reliable and accomplished producers.B)She was praised for her art equally by expert judges as well as people.C)In her autobiography, she described her life with sentimental and passionate truth.D)She was gifted with good looks.E)Her style of music was different from others in terms of the treatment of tunes.

Answer: EAnswer explanation: Option E is the correct answer since it is not described in the last paragraph but the second paragraph, where the writer mentions about her unique achievements of twisting the usual tunes and a total disregard of its sugary tunes. All the other options have a mention in the last paragraph, and thus are rejected. The writer says that she had the flair and honesty of John Hammond to launch her. Thus, we reject A.

Similarly, B is mentioned in the paragraph where the writer says that she did not lack devotion of connoisseurs, and much public success. The writer�s first line of the paragraph refers to her autobiography as an emotional truth. Further, in the passage the writer also says that she was born with beauty, thus option D is also proved as a wrong answer.

Question 4Provide a suitable title for the passage.A)Billie Holiday: Wreckage of a Great Singer B)Billie Holiday: A Great SingerC)Billie Holiday: A Lost TalentD)Billie Holiday: End of an EraE)Billie Holiday: A Singer of the Blues

Answer: AAnswer explanation: A is the correct answer since the passage is an account of Billie Holiday�s rise as well as fall as a singer, her ravaged life and her consequent death. Thus, the option A covers the topic well. B is rejected since the passage refers to her glorious days of fame in the past and talks of her ruined life. Option C proposes a title that suggests the loss of a great singer. However, according to the passage, she was no more artistic as she had been earlier, and her death does not affect the world of music. Similarly, option D suggests that an era ended with the death of Billie, but there is no suggestion in the passage that her death has ended any period in the music world. Option E is a part of the passage and does not tell us anything more about the passage, other than about her style of singing. Thus, it is also rejected.

Question 5Which of the following statements is beyond the scope of the passage?A)Billie Holiday would be remembered more than other persons who have long obituaries written about them.B)Pain, bitterness and surrender were reflected in Billie�s voice.C)Billie did not have the money to buy her drinks, which led her to depression and isolation.D)Billie had not accepted pain, sorrow and suffering present in her profession.E)Billie had lost her money as well as looks.

Answer: CAnswer explanation: Option C is beyond the scope of the passage since it is not mentioned in the passage. The passage surely mentions that she did not have the money to buy drinks (and had lost her looks, proving E as a wrong answer), but it does not mention her isolating herself due to depression. This is an overstated option. Option A is mentioned in the beginning of the passage by the writer when he mentions that she will survive many who receive longer obituaries. The statement in option B is rejected since it is also within the scope of the passage as the writer mentions that her style was a combination of bitterness and physical submission. Option D is also taken from the passage when the writer says that suffering was her profession but she did not accept it.

Thus, we reject this option as well.

Question 6According to the writer, why is her death a comfort more than a grievance?A)Because she was an intolerable singer.B)Because otherwise she would have had a miserable and ruined life.C)Because she was a failure in life.D)Because she was a competition for other singers.E)Because she had no one to mourn her death.

Answer: BAnswer explanation: Option B is the most suitable answer. We come to this conclusion by the writer�s views expressed in the first paragraph. The writer expresses doubts of her leading a comfortable life without her talent, money and looks. Option A is rejected since, tough the writer holds that lately she did not sing as well as she sang in her yesteryears, he does not mention this as a reason of her death being a source of comfort. Options D and E are obviously wrong and have no mention in the passage. Option C is also not a satisfactory answer, since her failure in life does not mean that she would not be grieved. It does not suggest why her death would be a relief.

Question 7How can the passage best be described?A)It is a tribute.B)It is an obituary.C)It is an ode.D)It is a critical analysis.E)None of the above.

Answer: EAnswer explanation: A tribute refers to a statement or account of admiration of a person in order to show respect to him, especially after death. We cannot call this passage a tribute since along with appreciation it also refers to Billie Holiday as an �artistic wreck�. Thus we reject A. We reject B since an obituary is a notice or announcement of someone�s death along with his achievements in life for the purpose of printing in the newspaper soon after the death. However, this passage is not in the form of a notice and the writer also mentions his delay in writing about her after a few weeks of her death. The passage is definitely not an ode, as an ode is essentially a poem dedicated to someone, thus we reject option C. The writer does not analyze Billie Holiday�s work critically, but is a general article about her life and existence. Thus, we reject D as well. Thus, we conclude that option E is the best answer since all the above options stand rejected.

Question 8What is the antonym of the word �scrupulous� mentioned in the passage?A)MeticulousB)Dishonest

C)FortunateD)CarelessE)Pity

Answer: DAnswer explanation: The word �scrupulous� means careful about paying attention to every detail. In the passage it refers to the nature and character of John Hammond who launches Billie Holiday in her career. Although the most acceptable opposite is unscrupulous, it is not given as an option. Thus, we conclude that option D is the most appropriate answer. Option A is a synonym of the given word. The other adjectives given as options B, C and E are not related to the main word and thus are rejected as the probable answer.

GRE READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE-4

The ways in which organized society has dealt with criminal offenders constitutes a long and painful chapter in the history of man. Reference to that history need only be made in sufficient detail to demonstrate that as unenlightened as our present penal system is today, it represents a giant step forward from earlier societies. In primitive societies, each individual dealt with wrongs done to him or to his family in his own way. The victim was motivated chiefly by ideas of revenge, retaliation, or compensation for loss of property. Since in those early societies there were no well-established rules, the strong predator very often went unpunished, and the strong victim sometimes overreacted, resulting in a compounding of the damage.

As the primitive societies developed, the government, represented by the chief or the king, gradually began taking over the protection of persons and property and the punishment of offenders in the name of public peace and order. The basic concept behind the intervention of government, however, continued to be that of retribution � a balancing of the scales of justice. The scales tended to be balanced on the side of the superior power of the state. The death penalty was the most common response to common crime. It is recorded that in London, in January 1801, a 17 year old boy was hanged for stealing a silver spoon. During the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, some thirty types of death penalties were in use, ranging from drawing and quartering to burning at the stake and breaking on the wheel. Physical torture of all forms was

common, including mutilation, such as cutting out the tongue and burning out the eyes. Public flogging and other forms of public degradation were commonly in use for relatively minor offences. Imprisonment was not looked upon as a means of punishment, but was used rather for the purpose of guaranteeing the presence of the offender at his trial and ultimate punishment. With a relatively small population, there were eight hundred executions in a year in England alone towards the end of the 16th century. Then, even more than now, the recipients of these harsh punishments were mainly the poor and the `underprivileged.

Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by the pilgrims in 1620, not merely out of a desire to worship as they chose, but also because of the social, economic, and legal injustices then so commonplace in England. However, strange as it may seem, the American colonists, knowing no better way, brought with them criminal codes almost as severe as those they had left behind.

The exception to the harsh colonial laws was the 'Great Law' of William Penn, embodying the comparatively humane Quaker criminal code. This continued in force in Pennsylvania until the death of William Penn, when, in 1718, it was repealed, and Pennsylvania, along with the other colonies, continued under the harsh laws of the American colonies until the late 18th century and the beginning of the new Union.

The Quakers provided the keystone around which modern penal reform developed in America, and was accompanied by parallel developments in England and on the Continent. Although the harsh methods of Europe are no longer used, current penologists are beginning to feel dissatisfaction with the dichotomy between what our prisons are supposed to be�institutions of rehabilitation, and what they all too often are�institutions of punishment and demoralization. Many feel that the movement away from torture and capital punishment to containment is but the first step in effective penology.

Question 1What is the main idea expressed in the passage?

A)The passage gives an account of the use of cruel and inhuman discipline in order to punish the offenders.B)The passage deals with the use of unlimited power of the primitive government to suppress the people and gain supremacy.C)The passage expresses the need for a better form of government in order to overcome the cruelties afflicted by rulers in the past.D)The passage traces the development of a reformed society in terms of law and order.E)The main idea expressed in the passage is the rise and control of American power over its colonies.

Answer: AAnswer explanation: Option A expresses the main idea of the passage most effectively. The passage describes use of harsh punishment in order to bring justice. Thus it describes the penal system as one-sided, favoring the government and the powerful, and not as a system to restore peace and order. We reject option B since this statement does not refer to punishments being used by the government. It only refers to use of unlimited power, which can be interpreted in other ways as well. Option C is also rejected since the writer is revealing facts about cruelties done in the name of justice in the past. He does not refer to any change required in the form of government. The difference lies in the way the passage is written. Option D also mentions a false statement. The passage is not about the development of a reformed society, but of a society where reforms were not brought about. Option E is obviously wrong since the passage does not give us any details of the American power and its colonies.

Question 2 Which of the following best describes the passage?A)The American Penal CodeB)History of Capital PunishmentC)Rule of The KingsD)History of Severe Penal SystemE)Development of Penal Reform

Answer: DAnswer explanation: Option D is the best answer since it covers the whole topic effectively. The passage is about the use of harsh laws to punish even those guilty of a crime most trivial in nature. It traces the role of government of primitive societies in the execution of such punishments, the extent of torture inflicted on people and the wide use of such laws. Option B is rejected since the passage does not talk about only death sentence, but harsh punishments in every form. Option C is also rejected as according to it, the passage is about the rule in general, and not about penal code specifically. Option E is also not suitable since according to it the passage largely talks about the reforms in the penal system, but out of the whole passage, only the end is dedicated to this topic.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true about the passage?A)The writer says that a minority population was subjected to execution in England.B)The modern American system of reformed justice is based on the guidelines of the Quaker law.C)William Penn forced the harsh colonial laws.D)A balance was created by the government in delivering justice.E)Massachusetts Bay Colony served to bring economic growth.

Answer: B

Answer explanation: Option A is false since the writer mentions a relatively small population, and not a minority, that was subjected to about 800 executions in a year in England. Option B is an appropriate answer since the passage mentions that Quaker law was the keystone around which modern penal reform developed in America. Option C is a distorted version of the fact mentioned in the passage, since William Penn introduced the Great law that was an �exception� to the harsh colonial law. Option D is false since the passage mentions that the scales of justice were not equal and tended to be balanced towards the state. Option E is rejected on grounds that it mentions the motive behind the institution as economic growth, but it served to bring reforms, and not growth.

Question 4According to the passage, what was the main approach of the government in delivering justice in the primitive societies?

A)The approach was reformative, and the government wanted to introduce welfare.B)The approach was of greed to gain more wealth.C)The approach of the government was progressive to spread prosperity.D)The approach of the government was positive to maintain law and order.E)The approach of the government was harsh to give torturous punishments.

Answer: EAnswer explanation: According to the passage, the basic concept behind the government�s way of punishing the offenders was cruel and harsh. In the primitive societies, pain and suffering was inflicted on the offenders without any scope of excuse. Thus E is the best answer option. A is wrong since the passage does not refer to welfare of state in primitive society, and reforms in the penal code were far from practice. Option B is obviously wrong since there is no mention of the government�s ways and measures of amassing wealth. Option C mentions the approach as progressive in order to spread prosperity. We reject this option since it is beyond the scope of the passage. Option D mentions the approach as positive in order to maintain peace. However, the means and approach to reach this goal was not positive, but harsh and repressive. Thus we reject it.

Question 5What can be understood by the �Great Law� from the passage?A)It was a different form of colonial law.B)It was enforced after the death of William Penn.C)It was compassionate in nature.D)It led Pennsylvania to compassionate penology forever.E)It was prevalent in American colonies.

Answer: CAnswer explanation: We reject option A since the passage mentions the Great Law as an �exception� to colonial law, thus it cannot be a �different form� of the same. Option B is rejected since it was William Penn who introduced this law and it was

enforced as long as he was alive. Option D can be rejected because it mentions that this law led Pennsylvania to reformed penal justice �forever�. However, according to the passage, harsh law of America continued after William Penn�s death. According to option E this law was prevalent in all American colonies, but this is a false statement since harsh and cruel laws were administered in them instead of compassionate laws like the Great Law. Option C is the best option, which mentions it as a compassionate law. We conclude this from the passage where it is referred to as �humane� and �exception� to harsh colonial laws.

Question 6How does the second paragraph add to the development of the structure of the passage?A)It forms the conclusion of the passage.B)It is an introduction to the main idea in the passage.C)It brings forth the hidden intention of the writer.D)It reflects a counter-view of the main idea of the passage.E)It forms the basis of the passage.

Answer: EAnswer explanation: The second paragraph gives an account of the harsh punishments carried out by the kings and the government in the 16th and 17th century in the name of peace and order. This is the main focus of the passage and thus this paragraph contains the main content, or forms the basis of the passage. Thus option E is the best answer option. We reject A since the writer is not deriving a conclusion but is explaining the details of his topic. This paragraph is also not an introduction to the passage since it is a direct explanation of the subject matter in detail, and comes after the introductory first paragraph. Thus we reject B. As mentioned, it is a direct explanation, and thus there are no hidden intentions of the writer that come out in this passage, which proves C wrong. Option D is obviously wrong since the passage is about the cruelties carried out by the government, and there is no counter-view mentioned.

Question 7Fill in the blanksIn the 16th and 17th century, _______ was prevalent for comparatively________.A)severe punishment�.serious crimeB)retribution�.trivial offenceC)justice�.minor sinD)crime�.larger societyE)peace�bigger state

Answer: BAnswer explanation: The passage mentions that public torture and other forms of public degradation were commonly in use for relatively minor offences. Thus the best answer option is B. We reject A since it suggests that harsh punishments were given for serious and big crimes, but people were punished for small crimes equally. Option C is obviously wrong, as it does not make much sense. Option D mentions that crime was prevalent in large societies. However, the passage does not focus on the crime and does not mention

the extent of crime that was prevalent, but the extent of punishment given for the most trivial crime. Thus we reject D. Option E is also rejected since there is no mention of peace being prevalent. The passage only mentions that the government indulged in such judgment in order to maintain peace, but there is no account of peace and order as it was mentioned in the primitive societies.

Question 8Which of the following is the synonym of the word �humane�?A)CruelB)IndividualC)BenevolentD)NaturalE)Sober

Answer: CAnswer explanation: A synonym is a word similar in meaning to the given word. The word �humane� means showing kindness towards people by making sure that they do not suffer more than required. Thus a synonym of this word should represent this nature. Option C is therefore the correct answer. Option A is an antonym of the given word since it is opposite in meaning, thus it is rejected. Option B, D and E are not related to the main word in any manner. Thus all these options are incorrect.

GRE READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE-5

Studies of the factors governing reading development in young children have achieved a remarkable degree of consensus over the past two decades. This consensus concerns the causal role of phonological skills in young children�s reading progress. Children who have good phonological skills, or good �phonological awareness�, become good readers and good spellers. Children with poor phonological skills progress more poorly. In particular, those who have a specific phonological deficit are likely to be classified as

dyslexic by the time that they are 9 or 10 years old.

Phonological skills in young children can be measured at a number of different levels. The term phonological awareness is a global one, and refers to a deficit in recognizing smaller units of sound within spoken words. Developmental work has shown that this deficit can be at the level of syllables, of onsets and rimes, or of phonemes. For example, a 4-year old child might have difficulty in recognizing that a word like valentine has three syllables, suggesting the lack of syllabic awareness. A 5-year old child might have difficulty in recognizing that the odd word out in set of words fan, cat, hat, mat is fan. This task requires an awareness of the sub-syllabic units of the onset and the rime. The onset corresponds to any initial consonants in a syllable, and the rime corresponds to the vowel and to any following consonants. Rimes correspond to rhyme in single-syllable words, and so the rime in fan differs from the rime in cat, hat, and mat. In longer words, rime and rhyme may differ. The onsets in val : en : tine are / v / and / t /, and the rimes correspond to the spelling patterns �al�, �en� and �ine�.

A 6-year old might have difficulty in recognizing that plea and pray begin with the same initial sound. This is phonemic judgement. Although the initial phoneme / p / is shared between the two words, in plea it is part of the onset �pl�, and in pray it is part of the onset �pr�. Until children can segment the onset (or the rime), such phonemic judgements are difficult for them to make. In fact, a recent survey of different developmental studies has shown that the different levels of phonological awareness appear to emerge sequentially. The awareness of syllables, onsets, and rimes appears to emerge at around the ages of 3 and 4, long before most children go to school. The awareness of phonemes, on the other hand usually emerges at around the age of 5 or 6, when children have been taught to read for about a year. An awareness of onsets and rimes thus appears to be a precursor of reading, whereas an awareness of phonemes at very serial position in a word only appears to develop as reading is taught. The onset-rime and phonemic levels of phonological structure, however, are not distinct. Many onsets in English are single phonemes, and so are some rimes (e.g., sea, go, zoo).

The early availability of onsets and rimes is supported by studies that have compared the development of phonological awareness of onsets, rimes, and phonemes in the same subjects using the same phonological awareness tasks. For example, a study by Treiman and Zudowski used as same-different judgement task based on the beginning or the end sounds of words. In the beginning sound task, the words either began with the same onset, as in plea and plank, or shared only the initial phoneme, as in plea and pray. In the end-sound task, the words either shared the entire rime, as in spit and wit, or shared only the final phoneme, as in rat and wit. Treiman and Zudowski showed that 4- and 5- year old children found the onset-rime version of the same / different task significantly easier than the version based on phonemes. Only the 6 � year � olds, who had been learning to read for about a year, were able to perform both versions of the tasks with an equal level of success.

Question 1What is the purpose of the writer behind writing this passage?A)To analyze the phonological awareness and its levels in children that can affect their reading process.B)To introspect deep into the psychology of a child and find out the capabilities of 3 to 6 year olds.C)To trace the skills of a child to recognize different words of a language.D)To compare the development of reading skills amongst children in good and poor readers.E)To discuss the difficulty in recognizing one word from the other.

Answer: AAnswer explanation: Option A is the best option as in the passage the writer explains the meaning of phonological awareness, and the level of phonological skills in children. The writer solves this purpose with the help of examples of different words with smaller units of sound, representing some relation in either of onset, rime, phonemes or syllables. Option B is rejected since the passage is not about child psychology and thus the purpose of the writer is surely not to examine it. Option C is also rejected, since the passage does not explain larger words, but small words with small units of sound. Option D is also wrong, as the passage does not compare reading skills. This is only mentioned in the first paragraph of the passage in relation to phonological awareness. Option E is also rejected since the purpose behind the passage is not just to discuss the difficulty to find the odd word out, but to analyze the level of difficulty. Moreover, it does not deal with all words in general.

Question 2Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?A)A child�s ability of reading is independent of his phonological skills.B)Syllables, onsets, rimes and phonemes are the smaller components of sound from which words are formed.C)The development of phonological awareness is independent of factors like age.D)Phonological awareness adds to the ability of clear speech of a child.E)Level of phonological awareness depends on how quickly a child grasps whatever he reads.

Answer: BAnswer explanation: Option A is false since in the beginning of the passage, the writer says that children with good phonological skills become better readers, thus we can not say that reading ability is independent of phonological skills. Option C is also wrong since the passage explains how different levels of phonological awareness develop sequentially, by taking examples of ages from 4 to 6. Thus, it is not independent of age. Option D is rejected since the passage does not explain speech defects and development. Thus, it does not explain if phonological awareness adds or does not add to the clarity in speech of a child. Option E is also false since understanding and grasping the read material has no mention in the passage. Therefore, there is no question of level of phonological awareness depending on it. Option B is the correct answer option since it is

mentioned in the second paragraph while explaining the meaning of phonological awareness.

Question 3Provide a suitable title for the passage.A)Development of Reading Habit in ChildrenB)Development of Language in ChildrenC)Importance of Reading ProgressD)Child Psychology and ReadingE)Phonological Awareness Amongst Children

Answer: EAnswer explanation: A title must be reflective of the passage and must tell us in brief what the passage is about. This passage contains details of phonological awareness and level of phonological skills amongst children. Thus, option A is rejected since the passage is not about reading habit. Option B is also rejected since it does not deal with language, but sounds of a language. Option C is also rejected since the passage does not concentrate on reading process but on the basis of reading process, as well as the development of phonological skill with knowledge of reading. Option D is also wrong, since there is no explanation of child psychology in the passage. Option E is the best option since it describes the passage completely.

Question 4 What is meant by phonological awareness?A)The deficit of recognizing units into which a word is divided, containing a vowel sound and usually one or more consonants.B)The deficit of recognizing the terminal sounds of words.C)The deficit of recognizing initial consonants in a syllable.D)The deficit of recognizing phonemes.E)All of the above.

Answer: EAnswer explanation: Option A is rejected since it means that phonological awareness means deficit of recognizing syllables, however, it also means deficit of recognizing rimes, onsets as well as phonemes. Similarly, option B is rejected since it mentions only deficit of recognizing the terminal sounds of words, which are the same as rimes. Options C and D are also incomplete as they also mention deficit of recognizing onset and phonemes respectively. Thus, the option E that mentions all the choices, that is the deficit of recognizing syllables, rime, onset as well as phonemes is the complete meaning of phonological awareness.

Question 5What can be concluded from the study done by Treiman and Zudowski?A)That 4-5 year old children found the task based on phonemes easy.B)That 6-year-old children find it easier to read since they have been learning for a year. C)That the same-different task, where words like spit and wit were compared, was

comparatively easier for 4 to 5 years old, than the task where plea and pray were compared.D)That the same-different tasks, where words like plea and plank or where plea and pray were compared were easier for 4-5 year olds then the task where wit and spit were compared. E)That the tasks where words like rat and wit or words like plea and pray were compared were comparatively simpler for 4-5 year old children.

Answer: CAnswer explanation: Option A is wrong, since the paragraph clearly mentions that children of the age 4 to 5 find the task based on phonemes tougher than that based on onset-rime. Option B is obviously wrong since the study did not conclude anything about reading of 6 year olds. Option D is rejected since the words plea and pray are ones which share the initial phoneme, and this version is not easy for 4 to 5 year olds. Option E is also rejected for the same reason, as the words plea, pray, and wit and rat share either initial or the final phonemes, and according to the study done by Treiman and Zudowski, this version based on phonemes was difficult for 4 to 5 year olds. The best answer option is C since according to it the words like spit and wit, which share the same rime were easier for 4 to 5 year olds to recognize than words like plea and pray that share the same phoneme.

Question 6How can the scope of the second paragraph be extended to the following set of words: nut, hut, cut, sunA)4-5 year olds can recognize the odd one out.B)All the words share the same rime.C)4-5 year olds find it difficult to recognize the odd one out as these sets of words contain three syllables.D)To recognize the odd one out children require the awareness of initial consonants in a syllable and a rime.E)Children who can recognize the odd one out become good readers and can gain mastery over spellings.

Answer: DAnswer explanation: Option A is wrong since the second passage takes the example of fan, cat, hat, mat to describe that a 5 year old finds it difficult to recognize the odd one out. Similarly, in this set of words, sun differs from nut, hut and cut in rime, is difficult to recognize for a 4 to 5 year old. Option B is obviously wrong, since the rime of sun is different from other words in the same way as fan is different from cat, hat and mat. We reject option C because it mentions that these words contain three syllables. However, these words contain lesser syllables than the word valentine, which has three syllables. Option E is false since this is not mentioned in the second paragraph. Option D is the most satisfactory answer, since according to the paragraph, the task of recognizing the odd one out of similar words, an awareness of the sub-syllabic units of the onset and the rime is required.

Question 7Fill in the blanks: option According to the passage, the___________ around the ages of 4 � 5, whereas _________ at around the age of 5 - 6.A)phonological awareness begins�.reading and writing skills developB)knowledge of syllables, onsets and rimes generally begins�.phonemic judgementC)specific phonological deficit can be found in children�.it can be overcomeD)difficulty in recognizing a word with one syllable happens�. difficulty in recognizing a word with three syllables happensE)phoneme version of same-different task is easier�.onset-time version of same different task is easier.

Answer: BAnswer explanation: We reject option A since it mentions that reading and writing develop at the age of 5 to 6, but the passage does not talk about writing skills at all. Option C is rejected since it mentions that a child becomes dyslexia at the age of 4 to 5, but in the passage it is mentioned in the first paragraph that it happens at the age of 9 or 10. Option D is rejected since it can be understood from the passage that children of the age 4 or 5 can recognize words with one syllable, and nothing is mentioned about 5 to 6 year olds recognizing three syllables in a word. Option E is also false as the last paragraph mentions that phoneme version of the same-different task is not easy for 4 to 5 year olds. Option B is the best answer choice since according to the passage the awareness of syllables, onsets, and rimes appears to emerge at the age of 4 or 5 and that of phonemes at the age of 5 to 6.

Question 8What is the synonym of the word �precursor� mentioned in the third paragraph?A)RequirementB)Forerunner C)DescendantD)Obstacle E)Help

Answer: BAnswer explanation: The word �precursor� means something that precedes or comes before. A synonym of this word will be same in meaning. In the passage it is used to explain that awareness of onsets and rimes comes before reading. Thus option B is the correct answer. Option C is an antonym and thus it is rejected. The other options, A, D and E are not related to the main word, and thus are rejected.