{"id":10462,"date":"2023-01-09T04:51:34","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T04:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/?p=10462"},"modified":"2025-12-12T18:01:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T18:01:36","slug":"detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/","title":{"rendered":"Detail &amp; Purpose (GMAT Course segment 1- Overview and Question Types)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"QAPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"Why does the author use the phrase 'complete toolbox for astronomers'?\",\n    \"text\": \"A. Promote the availability of the Hubble Space Telescope\\nB. Showcase the manifest abilities of a resource\\nC. Solicit interest in a newly launched solution\\nD. Hype the success of a research method\\nE. Demand credit for an underappreciated scientific field\",\n    \"answerCount\": 1,\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"The correct answer is B. The phrase 'complete toolbox for astronomers' is most likely used to showcase the manifest abilities of a resource. The phrase refers to the broad capabilities and usefulness of the resource, in this case, likely referring to scientific tools or instruments.\"\n    },\n    \"suggestedAnswer\": [\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A is incorrect. While the Hubble Space Telescope is mentioned in the passage, it is not the reason for using the phrase 'complete toolbox for astronomers'.\"\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"C is incorrect. The passage does not suggest soliciting interest in a newly launched solution, making this choice incorrect.\"\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"D is incorrect. The phrase does not emphasize the success of a research method, so this choice does not match.\"\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"E is incorrect. The phrase does not demand credit for a scientific field, so this option is not supported by the passage.\"\n      }\n    ]\n  }\n}\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"QAPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"In the passage, the community of researchers interested in using the Hubble Space Telescope is described as\",\n    \"text\": \"A. Tremendously successful\\nB. Global in its scope\\nC. Extremely complementary\\nD. Essential to modern astronomy\\nE. Larger than most other scientific communities\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"The correct answer is B. The community of researchers interested in using the Hubble Space Telescope is described as global in its scope. The passage emphasizes that the interest in the Hubble Space Telescope spans internationally, and researchers from all over the world are involved in its usage.\"\n    },\n    \"suggestedAnswer\": [\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A is incorrect. Although the Hubble Space Telescope has made major contributions, the passage does not specifically describe the community of researchers as 'tremendously successful'.\"\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"C is incorrect. The passage does not describe the community of researchers as 'extremely complementary'. This option is a trap answer based on the use of the term 'complementary' in the first paragraph, which is unrelated to the researchers' scope.\"\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"D is incorrect. The passage mentions the importance of modern optical astronomy, but it does not describe the community of researchers as 'essential to modern astronomy'. This is an extreme statement that goes beyond the passage's details.\"\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"E is incorrect. While the Hubble Space Telescope generates significant interest, the passage does not support the claim that the community of researchers interested in it is 'larger than most other scientific communities'. This is an assumption not directly stated in the passage.\"\n      }\n    ],\n    \"answerCount\": 5\n  }\n}\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"VideoObject\",\n  \"name\": \"Detail & Purpose (GMAT Course \u2013 Overview and Question Types)\",\n  \"description\": \"Reading Comprehension \u2013 Detail & Purpose (GMAT Course, Segment 1 \u2013 Overview and Question Types). Question Frequency: Most common reading comprehension tasks. Assume 1-3 questions per passage. Possible tasks for both specific and broad subjects.\",\n  \"uploadDate\": \"2021-08-26\",\n  \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/mFF8CKamXyE\/hqdefault.jpg\",  \n  \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mFF8CKamXyE\",\n  \"embedUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mFF8CKamXyE\",\n  \"duration\": \"PT27M01S\"\n}\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"611\" height=\"344\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mFF8CKamXyE\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p>The most common reading comprehension questions you will find on the verbal section of the GMAT exam are detail and purpose questions. Assume that 1-3 out of the three or four likely questions per passage will be asking about a detail or a purpose. These questions may address both specific and broad subjects, that is a specific detail or purpose of a specific phrase within the passage or, for instance, what is the primary purpose of the passage overall. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Strategic_Implications\" >Strategic Implications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Reading_Comprehension_Question_Process\" >Reading Comprehension Question Process<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Step_1_%E2%80%93_Identify_question_task\" >Step 1 &#8211; Identify question task<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Step_2_%E2%80%93_Read_prompts_and_note_relevant_details\" >Step 2 \u2013 Read prompts and note relevant details<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Step_3_%E2%80%93_Prediction\" >Step 3 \u2013 Prediction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Step_4_%E2%80%93_Process_of_elimination\" >Step 4 \u2013 Process of elimination<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Reading_Comprehension_Detail_Questions\" >Reading Comprehension Detail Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Static_reading_comprehension_passage_Passage_1\" >Static reading comprehension passage (Passage 1)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Detail_Task\" >Detail Task<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Reading_Comprehension_Purpose_Questions\" >Reading Comprehension Purpose Questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Purpose_Task\" >Purpose Task<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Examples_of_Detail_and_Purpose_Question_Tasks\" >Examples of Detail and Purpose Question Tasks<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Question_1\" >Question 1<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/analystprep.com\/blog\/detail-purpose-gmat-course-segment-1-overview-and-question-types\/#Question_2\" >Question 2<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strategic_Implications\"><\/span>Strategic Implications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This implies that if you have completed a full upfront read of the passage, then you will need to assume about 60 seconds per subsequent question in that section for all questions including those that are not details or purpose questions. If you are spending three, or sometimes as many as five minutes on that upfront read, it means you have to be prepared to go pretty quickly through the questions in the passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you choose not to do the full upfront read, probably because your first question was a specific detail or purpose question, then you can spend up to two minutes per question for all the questions in that passage because you will be taking in the information as you go rather than spending much time upfront to read. It is important to remember that the GMAT rewards flexibility in approach, so, as much as you can, let the questions determine your approach, more specifically, let the first question guide you on whether you need to read that passage in full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Restate the task in the form of a conventional What or Why question. The phrasing of the questions in GMAT can be terrible, so it is important that you rearrange the question in a way that is more accessible. You do this by considering the difference between when the question is asking you \u201cwhat did it say\u201d or \u201cwhy did it say it\u201d. A detail question will be asking for the little details, like \u201cwhat was said &#8221; in a paraphrase, but a purpose question will be asking you \u201cwhy was this said\u201d. Take note that you are always going to have trap answers that answer the other question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reading_Comprehension_Question_Process\"><\/span>Reading Comprehension Question Process<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_%E2%80%93_Identify_question_task\"><\/span>Step 1 &#8211; Identify question task<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like in all reading comprehension questions, note key terms such as \u201caccording to\u201d or \u201cin the passage\u201d to indicate a detailed task and rephrase it in the form of a \u201cwhat\u201d style question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_%E2%80%93_Read_prompts_and_note_relevant_details\"><\/span>Step 2 \u2013 Read prompts and note relevant details<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use specific term allocation reference provided by the question to target reading or potentially, a highlight in the passage. Sometimes the GMAT highlights relevant terms or phrases so you can just go straight to where they are pointing you to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is very important that you read at least a sentence above and a sentence below the term allocation reference to guarantee enough context. Don\u2019t just read the sentence or phrase that includes the term, read a sentence above and a sentence below and if possible, more than that as required by the context of the passage. The answer is often just above or just below the sentence in question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_%E2%80%93_Prediction\"><\/span>Step 3 \u2013 Prediction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Broadly predict what the answer should do by summarizing what the passage said as specifically as you can. This is going to be some kind of a delicate balance because you don\u2019t want to write down every little detail but, in your mind, you want to know what they are saying specifically about the term in question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_%E2%80%93_Process_of_elimination\"><\/span>Step 4 \u2013 Process of elimination<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Focus on your incorrect actions and descriptions for objective reasons four choices are definitely wrong. When dealing with detail questions, these are often reversals, things that are extreme based on the information provided or go too far beyond the details discussed, or potentially include outside information that isn\u2019t mentioned in the passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are down to two, remember to default to selecting the option with a less absolute claim, and for your direct answer to the question, go with the blunder option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reading_Comprehension_Detail_Questions\"><\/span>Reading Comprehension Detail Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Static_reading_comprehension_passage_Passage_1\"><\/span><em>Static reading comprehension passage (Passage 1)<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As usual, on the left-hand side will be your passage and, in this case, already highlighted is the place where the information is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read the question task first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Public health and economic efficiency approaches to choosing a role for government often reach opposite conclusions. From the public health perspective, the potential for illness or injury is sufficient to justify government action, large numbers of deaths or illnesses are mere compelling reasons for government action. The dollar value of benefits and costs derived from government programs does not necessarily affect the public health decisions calculus. Alternatively, economic efficiency demands that proposed government programs clear two hurdles. First, there must be an efficiency problem for government to solve. Second, a corrective program must be worth the cost.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So far economists have not reached a consensus on whether obesity raises economic efficiency problems. If obesity results from informed individuals&#8217; willingly making diet and lifestyle choices, there is no way to argue for efficiency; we have to conclude that many are willing to accept the extra weight because the cost of diet and exercise is too high. On the other hand, arguments for intervention could be mounted based on imperfect information about the relationship between diet and health. Nevertheless, many in the public health community have proposed interventions, and <u>taxing snack foods<\/u> has been advocated frequently. But without a clear statement of the efficiency problem caused by overweight and obesity, we cannot say whether such taxes might increase or decrease economic efficiency- i.e., whether benefits exceed costs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Detail_Task\"><\/span>Detail Task<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the passage, approaches used to choose possible government roles in public health can<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A.&nbsp;lobby for a change to public health policy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B. justify government action with economic evidence<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C. examine possible causes for public weight issues<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D. demand that health concerns supersede economic consensus&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E. consider variables impacting government decision making&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading the question, that phrasing is just not great. We look at the phrase \u201caccording to the passage\u201d and rephrase it as a \u201cwhat\u201d question in our minds. We can do this by ignoring the phrase \u201caccording to the passage\u201d and replacing it with \u201cWhat can\u201d, then replacing the \u201ccan\u201d at the end of that question with \u201cdo\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new question reads \u201c<em>what can approaches used to choose possible government roles in public health do<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What we need is focus and we know that our focus is now on that first paragraph. We may have to read the whole paragraph to get specific details, and we are going to have to be very careful as we go through the answer choices to not assume that something is \u201cout of scope\u201d. We must ensure that it is there unless we can say that it is a wrongful action or description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We will read that first paragraph to the end because the question is talking about both approaches so we will read until both approaches are done. We can then take a quick glance at the second paragraph to see if it is relevant, and we can see that it is talking about economists not having reached a consensus on whether obesity raises economic efficiency problems. We have changed subjects here so we will only look at the first paragraph that is talking about the two approaches introduced in the first sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We know that there are different approaches, and those approaches can sometimes reach different conclusions. That is what we should keep in mind as we work with our prediction as we go through the answer choices. It\u2019s pretty broad, public health says definitely this is important and doesn\u2019t even care about dollar value. Economics demands to clear two hurdles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice A, \u201clobby for a change to public health policy\u201d. We don\u2019t see any lobbying occurring here. We know that from a public health perspective, they could be sufficient, but we don\u2019t know if the economic or public health approaches are going to take precedence. So that is going to be extreme because we don\u2019t actually have the action of lobbying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice B, \u201cjustify government action with economic evidence\u201d. This is found in the bottom half of the paragraph. Note that this portion of the paragraph could have been easily ignored if we didn\u2019t know that there were two approaches at the beginning and we needed to read through both of those approaches. As we go back, we see that economic efficiency demands that these programs clear two hurdles, but we don\u2019t know that any of these programs would actually clear these hurdles. So, we can eliminate this option because we don\u2019t know that government action would actually be justified based on the evidence from the passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice C, \u201cexamine possible causes for public weight issues\u201d. This is the wrong subject. We are not discussing the second paragraph, so this is irrelevant to the task of this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice D, \u201cdemand that health concerns supersede economic consensus\u201d. Once again, we\u2019ve just got the two approaches, we don\u2019t know which one is going to take preference over the other. Saying that it supersedes economic consensus would be extreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice E, \u201cconsider variables impacting government decision making\u201d. This is good and bland, so we&#8217;ll go ahead and select choice E, knowing that that is clearly stated in the opening paragraph, and all the other answer choices are definitely and probably wrong.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reading_Comprehension_Purpose_Questions\"><\/span>Reading Comprehension Purpose Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The approach is largely the same as the detail question task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1 <\/strong>\u2013 Take note of key terms such as \u201cprimary\u201d, \u201cpurpose\u201d, or \u201cin order to\u201d to indicate purpose question tasks and rephrase in the form of a \u201cwhy\u201d standard question so that it is easier to understand what we are supposed to do within the passage to address the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2<\/strong> \u2013 Read the prompt and note the relevant context. Use term or location reference to target reading. Remember to read at least a sentence above and below to guarantee enough context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3<\/strong> \u2013 Specifically predict as well as you can what the answer should do by considering the purpose of the information as it pertains to the context of the passage. This simply means you should think about the information and ask yourself the reason the author included it in the context of everything rather than just regurgitating what it literally said. We know that sometimes there will be \u201cwhat\u201d answer traps to \u201cwhy\u201d questions. we should be on the lookout for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 4 <\/strong>\u2013 Start the process of elimination. Focus on incorrect actions and descriptions for objective reasons that four choices are definitively wrong. Look out for reversals, extremes, wrong subject matter, options requiring outside knowledge, etc. Force yourself to come up with something more than \u201cI don\u2019t like it\u201d or \u201cI didn\u2019t read it.\u201d Always remember that with these specific detail or purpose questions it may be just outside of where you read and under the time constraints of the GMAT it is very possible that you just missed something. Allow yourself to go back to the passage to read specifically when you are dealing with specific detail or purpose questions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are down to two, remember to default to selecting the option with less absolute claim and fewer direct terms from the passage. i.e., go bland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the same sample passage (passage 1). Note that there is a highlighted phrase as there might be in the actual GMAT exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Purpose_Task\"><\/span>Purpose Task<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The purpose of the statement that economists have not reached a consensus is most likely to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A. introduce a problem that economists must solve<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B. qualify obesity as an insignificant health concern for the economy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C. provide contrast to a possible public health policy consensus<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D. make an argument for imminent public health intervention<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E. &nbsp;indicate they are hesitant to allocate public funds in the fight against obesity<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can start by crossing out some of the clumsy phrasings such as \u201cThe purpose of the statement\u201d, and rephrase our question with a \u201cwhy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our question will now read, \u201cWhy mention that economists have not reached a consensus?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The location is already highlighted. We know that we are going to have to go at least one sentence below. If you take a quick glance at the next sentence, you will notice that it starts with \u201con the other hand\u201d, which is a contrast so we won\u2019t concern ourselves with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What we need to do now is consider where to start our reading. As we go up, we see, \u201c<em>Second, a corrective program must be worth the cost.<\/em>\u201d But we don\u2019t know what came first. So, we move further up to \u201c<em>First there must be an efficiency problem&#8230;<\/em>\u201d but we don\u2019t know why we are talking about \u201cFirst\u201d. Then if we move to \u201c<em>Alternatively, economic efficiency&#8230;<\/em>\u201d. This raises the question, \u201cWhat is the other alternative?\u201d We remember from the first question that we were contrasting the public health perspective and the economic one, so we\u2019ll start reading from \u201cThe public health perspective\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have to think about why the author specifically mentioned that economists have not reached a consensus. We know that throughout the passage, there has been this discussion of the public health perspective versus the economic perspective. We also know that those in public health basically say that potential illness or injury is enough to justify government action. It doesn\u2019t matter what the costs or benefits of the program are, the objective is just to help people avoid illness and injury. The economists on the other hand have not reached a consensus. They haven\u2019t decided whether these two hurdles will be cleared for the specific issue of obesity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice A, \u201cintroduce a problem that economists must solve\u201d. We are introducing a problem, but we are not introducing a problem that economists must solve. While this is relevant to the paragraph, it is not why this specific subject matter has been presented in the passage. This could qualify as a somewhat \u201cwhat\u201d trap. Yes, there is a problem of obesity, but no, it is not why the author mentioned that economists have not reached a consensus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice B, \u201cqualify obesity as an insignificant health concern for the economy\u201d. This is a reversal because they have not reached a consensus on obesity and whether it raises economic efficiency problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice C, \u201cprovide contrast to a possible public health policy consensus\u201d. We already know that the public health people say that if there is illness or injury, that would be sufficient to justify government action, but the economists have not reached this consensus. There is a contrast here and that is why the economists have not reached a consensus is being mentioned. That matches our prediction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice D, \u201cmake an argument for imminent public health intervention\u201d. We don\u2019t know that the argument is imminent for public health intervention because they haven\u2019t reached a consensus, so that would be a reversal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice E, \u201cindicate they are hesitant to allocate public funds in the fight against obesity\u201d. There isn\u2019t any indication they are hesitant to allocate public funds. This can be considered extreme. They may allocate public funds; we just don\u2019t know yet. We can eliminate choices D and E and choose choice C as the reason for the highlighted statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Examples_of_Detail_and_Purpose_Question_Tasks\"><\/span>Examples of Detail and Purpose Question Tasks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, we will read the question task first. \u201c<em>The author uses the phrase complete toolbox for astronomers mostly likely to<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The phrase, complete toolbox for astronomers may be highlighted in the actual GMAT but you might also have to skim through for the phrase.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Possibly the most critical factor in the Hubble Space Telescope&#8217;s success has to do with how it is operated. Hubble is a public facility observatory, open for use by any astronomer from around the world. Each year an announcement goes out to the worldwide community soliciting research proposals for use of Hubble and its instruments. That instrumentation is a complementary set of cameras, spectrographs, and other more specialized devices such as stellar coronagraphs, and interferometers. It is extremely versatile and covers a wide range of performance characteristics such as sensitivity, resolution, and wavelength coverage. Taken together, the Hubble instruments provide essentially a complete toolbox for astronomers to utilize in attacking almost any problem in modern optical astronomy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Hubble observations have yielded major advances in virtually every area of astronomy and astrophysics. The mechanism by which this is achieved is the open proposal solicitation, peer review, and a selection process that brings in the <u>Hubble research program<\/u> observers from the entire international astronomical community. The demand for Hubble observing time is enormous, five or six times as much observation time is requested than is available. It is a typical proposal cycle, many extremely worthy research proposals are rejected each cycle, simply because there is not nearly enough time on the telescope to go around. Only the very best scientific ideas put forward by the community find their way into Hubble&#8217;s observing schedule.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Question_1\"><\/span>Question 1<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The author uses the phrase complete toolbox for astronomers mostly likely to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A. promote the availability of the Hubble Space Telescope<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B. showcase the manifest abilities of a resource<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C. solicit interest in a newly launched solution<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D. hype the success of a research method<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E. demand credit for an underappreciated scientific field<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<strong>Step 1<\/strong>&#8211; Rephrase this as a what or why question. If we are being asked about the author\u2019s use of something, that is a \u201cwhy\u201d. So, our question becomes \u201cWhy does the author use the phrase complete toolbox for astronomers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2<\/strong> &#8211; We will go to the passage and seek the phrase \u201ccomplete toolbox for astronomers\u201d. We find it at the end of the first paragraph, but we are going to have to read way more. We could go up to \u201cIt\u2026\u201d, but we don\u2019t know what \u201cit\u201d is. We may go up to \u201cThat instrumentation\u2026\u201d but we don\u2019t know what \u201cThat instrumentation\u201d is either. So, we can start reading from \u201cEach year\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then we will also read a sentence or two below the phrase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that our reading window may be fairly broad, but it is better to have a broad window than to miss something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3<\/strong> \u2013 We can make a broad prediction. Say, \u201cTo summarize its uses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 4<\/strong> \u2013 Elimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice A, \u201cpromote the availability of the Hubble Space Telescope\u201d. This could be a trap. We talk about the availability of the telescope later in the second paragraph, but that is not why the complete toolbox for astronomy was mentioned (wrong subject matter). Rule out choice A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice B, \u201cshowcase the manifest abilities of a resource\u201d. If you don\u2019t know the meaning of the word manifest, put a question mark next to B and move on. Manifest means \u201call\u201d or \u201ca great number\u201d, so choice B matches our prediction quite nicely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice C, \u201csolicit interest in a newly launched solution\u201d. We are not soliciting interest. We also don\u2019t know that the instrument is newly launched, even if it was it is not stated here. This choice qualifies as extreme and can therefore be eliminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice D, \u201chype the success of a research method\u201d. We are not talking about the successes. It is not why it is mentioned as a complete toolbox for astronomers. D is not a match. Eliminate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice E, \u201cdemand credit for an underappreciated scientific field\u201d. This action is not supported by the passage. This choice qualifies as extreme and can thus be ruled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The correct answer is choice B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Question_2\"><\/span>Question 2<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the passage, the community of researchers interested in using the Hubble Space Telescope is described as<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A.&nbsp;tremendously successful<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B. global in its scope<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C. extremely complementary<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D. essential to modern astronomy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E. &nbsp;larger than most other scientific communities<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1<\/strong> \u2013 Rephrase the question. The phrase \u201cIn the passage\u201d already tells us that this is a \u201cwhat\u201d question. Our question becomes, \u201cwhat describes the community of researchers interested in using the Hubble Space Telescope?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2<\/strong> \u2013 We now go to the passage to find the researchers interested in using the Hubble Space Telescope. We find more about the interest in the second paragraph. The good thing about reading the questions and passages piecemeal is that after answering the first question, you don\u2019t have to read to know that the information you are looking for now is in the second paragraph. So, we can continue reading from where we stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that sometimes you will not be given the exact term so you may have to look for it, and make approximations. Our phrase here is \u201cHubble research program\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<strong>Step 3<\/strong> \u2013 we can now make our prediction: international, more interest than availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<strong>Step 4 <\/strong>\u2013 elimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice A, \u201ctremendously successful\u201d. This seems reasonable. But reaching such a conclusion would require outside knowledge. We know that the observations have yielded major advances in knowledge before, but we don\u2019t know that the community of researchers is necessarily tremendously successful. This choice is extreme and can be ruled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice B, \u201cglobal in its scope\u201d. This matches our prediction. But always remember to go through all the choices just to be sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Choice C, \u201cextremely complementary\u201d. This is a trap answer. They are hoping you might remember the term complementary used in the first paragraph. This is a case of reused terms and can be ruled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Choice D, \u201cessential to modern astronomy\u201d. Modern optical astronomy is mentioned at the end of paragraph one, but it has nothing to do with the community of researchers. That is extreme, so we will eliminate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Choice E, \u201clarger than most other scientific communities\u201d. We do know that the Telescope generates more interest than they have time available to fulfill. What we do not know is that the community of researchers interested in using the Hubble Space Telescope is larger than most other scientific communities. This goes outside the scope and we cannot make that assertion based solely on the information in the passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a summary of how you can go about answering the most common questions in the GMAT reading comprehension, detail, and purpose questions. You can do more practice on your own to improve your skills in addressing these questions. &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The most common reading comprehension questions you will find on the verbal section of the GMAT exam are detail and purpose questions. 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