Reading Comprehension Flashcards

A passage argues that early detection of diabetic retinopathy significantly improves outcomes. The author then cites three separate longitudinal studies supporting this claim. What argumentative strategy is the author using?

Answer: Multiple empirical citations to strengthen the credibility of a central claim

Citing multiple independent studies is a strategy to build evidentiary credibility for a central claim through convergent validity.

In a passage about accommodation, the term 'presbyopia' is defined in a parenthetical immediately after its first use. What does this tell you about the passage's intended audience?

Answer: The audience is likely a general or mixed readership that may be unfamiliar with the term

Authors define technical terms inline when writing for general or mixed audiences who may lack specialized vocabulary.

A reading passage concludes by stating that 'further research is needed.' This phrase most commonly signals that:

Answer: The existing evidence is suggestive but incomplete, and additional studies would strengthen conclusions

'Further research is needed' is a standard scientific hedge indicating that current evidence is preliminary and warrants continued investigation.

Which of the following BEST illustrates the difference between a passage's explicit content and its implicit content?

Answer: Explicit: 'The author mentions glaucoma.' Implicit: 'The author prefers surgery over medication.'

Explicit content is directly stated; implicit content requires the reader to draw inferences beyond what is literally written.

A passage uses a numbered list to present steps in a diagnostic procedure. What does this structural choice MOST likely indicate?

Answer: The steps must be performed in sequence, and order is significant

Numbered lists signal sequential, order-dependent processes in which each step follows logically from the previous.

When reading a passage quickly under time pressure, which technique helps you locate a specific detail without re-reading the entire text?

Answer: Use scanning: move eyes rapidly over the text searching for key words related to the detail

Scanning involves moving rapidly over text to locate specific keywords or phrases without reading every word sequentially.

A passage states: 'The optic nerve carries approximately 1.2 million nerve fibers.' A question then asks what this statistic PRIMARILY illustrates. The BEST approach is to:

Answer: Return to the passage and identify what argument or point the statistic is being used to support

Statistics serve argumentative functions in passages; understanding what claim a statistic supports is more important than memorizing the number itself.