{"id":13824,"date":"2019-09-02T06:00:18","date_gmt":"2019-09-02T11:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grockit.com\/blog\/gre\/?p=855"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:00","slug":"reading-comprehension-structure-of-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/gre\/reading-comprehension-structure-of-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading Comprehension: Structure of Ideas on the GRE"},"content":{"rendered":"

GRE Reading Comprehension tests you ability to read a passage carefully, and no question type will test you ability to read closely more than the\u00a0Structure of Ideas\u00a0prompts on the test. On these questions, you will have to identify a passage\u2019s main idea and understand how the passage is laid out, structurally. Although this sounds simple, the test-makers will throw in confusing \u201casides\u201d and extraneous details to trick you. The key to master GRE Reading Comprehension, then, is plenty of test prep.
\nTo ace Structure of Ideas questions in general, you will need to look at 1) transition words\/phrase, and 2) topic sentences. These two things will give you the biggest clues as to how the ideas of the passage are put together. Let\u2019s look at a sample paragraph with the important transitions and topic sentences highlighted:
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\nThe origin of the moon remains\u00a0a subject of contention<\/strong>\u00a0for some theorists. There is one contingent that insists that the moon was formed in the same way that the planets of the inner solar-system were.
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\nAccording to this view<\/strong><\/em>, the moon, like the Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury, was the product of planet-forming materials in the pre-solar nebula.\u00a0However,<\/strong>\u00a0the cores of those inner solar-system planets contain iron, and the materials from which they were formed were iron-rich.\u00a0By contrast<\/strong>, the moon\u2019s core contains barely any iron.<\/em>
\nThis leads us to the\u00a0second<\/strong>, more widely-accepted\u00a0theory<\/strong>, known as the \u2018collision hypothesis.\u2019 Collision hypothesis advocates believe that the moon was torn from the rocky mantle of the Earth when the Earth collided with another large celestial body,\u00a0probably about the size of Mars, some 4.51 billion years ago.\u00a0This hypothesis is supported<\/strong>\u00a0by the geochemical, mineralogical, and isotopic compositions of lunar samples gathered during the Apollo and Luna missions.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>
\nNotice how even just skimming for these structural phrases gives us big clues into how the argument is laid out. The first sentence introduces the topic: a \u201csubject of contention.\u201d The second paragraph explains that view, then reveals flaws in the first theory. The third paragraph introduces a secondary viewpoint, and ultimately gives evidence in support of it. We can tell all of that even without focusing on the details! Always identify transition words and read for structure. It\u2019s a way to avoid getting lost in the sometimes confusing details of GRE passages.
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Practice Passage<\/h3>
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\nFor now, though, let\u2019s examine a sample reading passage for its Structure of Ideas:
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\nThe criticism of art requires, above all else, the ability to separate one\u2019s own taste from one\u2019s intellectual evaluation of the work. It is easy for the unwary critic to find her judgment swayed by subjective factors such as her emotional response to a piece of art. This tendency must be strictly curbed so that the critic is able to judge the art with an unbiased eye. One of the best ways to build the foundation for this objective criticism is to obtain an education in the history of art, cultivating the ability to place a given work within a social and ideological context. Only once the critic has established this intellectual framework can she allow herself to react to the art on a visceral level, blending her subjective and objective responses into a unified critique.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>
\nWhat\u2019s the main point being made in the paragraph above? The first sentence (\u201cThe criticism of art requires\u2026the ability to separate one\u2019s own taste from one\u2019s intellectual evaluation of the work\u201d) is an important clue, as many first sentences for short passages will be. The important thing is to check if this idea remains constant throughout the passage. We see that the critic cannot be \u201cswayed by subjective factors\u201d and that she must be \u201cable to judge the art with an unbiased eye\u201d and even gain professional training to help her understand important aspects of art history. The main idea is staying the same, so let\u2019s move to the end of the passage. With the proper training in hand, the critic can, according to this passage, effectively critique a work of art without interjecting her own personal opinions.
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