GMAT Reading Comprehension Discussions

MBA GMAT
82
TRy this-
Tammany Hall


Hi vikas,
My take:
1. D.
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. E

Lets discuss the answers for greater clarity. In the above i have guessed the first question and the last!
Cheers,
83
TRy this-
Lets Rock


1. The author is primarily concerned with which of the following?(A) The plight of Irish immigrants in New York City
(B) An important time in the history of democracy
(C) A venue in which the Irish joined the political arena
(D) Corruption in New York City politics
(E) New York City politics and how they differ from those of other cities2. According to the passage, the Irish joined Tammany because:
I. They felt comfortable around other immigrants
II. Tammany helped the Irish meet their basic needs
III. Tammany provided the Irish with organizational skills(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) I and II only
(D) I and III only
(E) I, II, and III
3. We can infer from the passage that:(A) The Irish continued to dominate Tammany after 1924
(B) Tammany helped the Irish in order to gain political power
(C) The Irish immigrants learned to be politically savvy in Ireland
(D) Tammany was located near the slums in which the Irish lived
(E) Immigrant groups which were unfamiliar with English were not involved in politics of New York City
4. The tone of the passage is:(A) Indignant
(B) Skeptical
(C) Objective
(D) Optimistic
(E) Reverent
5. What does the author mean by His infamously corrupt regime was brazen enough to incite an attempt at reform as used in the last paragraph?(A) Tweed was a bold mayor who called for reform among New York City government.
(B) Tweed was a corrupt mayor and did his best to keep this out of the public eye. However, he was unsuccessful.
(C) Tweed did much to help immigrants even though he was a corrupt leader.
(D) Tweed's corruption was so noticeable that other city officials decided to take control of the situation.
(E) Tweed chose to make boldly reform Tammany during his mayorship.
6. The author's primary objective in writing the passage is to:(A) Honor the great bosses of Tammany.
(B) Defend Tammany's political influence.
(C) Criticize political corruption.
(D) Present a new theory about immigrant self-empowerment.
(E) Illuminate a time in the history of politics.
84

Hi, How did u see the choice to be D?

here is another rc for all..
Immigrants' adoption of English as their primary language is one measure of assimilation into the larger United States society. Generally languages define social groups and provide justification for social structures. Hence, a distinctive language sets a cultural group off from the dominant language group. Throughout United States history this pattern has resulted in one consistent, unhappy consequence, discrimination against members of the cultural minority. Language differences provide both a way to rationalize subordination and a ready means for achieving it.
Traditionally, English has replaced the native language of immigrant groups by the second or third generation. Some characteristics of today's Spanish-speaking population, however, suggest the possibility of a departure from this historical pattern. Many families retain ties in Latin America and move back and forth between their present and former communities. This "revolving door" phenomenon, along with the high probability of additional immigrants from the south, means that large Spanish-speaking communities are likely to exist in the United States for the indefinite future.
This expectation underlies the call for national support for bilingual education in Spanish-speaking communities' public schools. Bilingual education can serve different purposes, however. In the 1960s, such programs were established to facilitate the learning of English so as to avoid disadvantaging children in their other subjects because of their limited English. More recently, many advocates have viewed bilingual education as a means to maintain children's native languages and cultures. The issue is important for people with different political agendas, from absorption at one pole to separatism at the other.
To date, the evaluations of bilingual education's impact on learning have been inconclusive. The issue of bilingual education has, nevertheless, served to unite the leadership of the nation's Hispanic communities. Grounded in concerns about status that are directly traceable to the United States history of discrimination against Hispanics, the demand for maintenance of the Spanish language in the schools is an assertion of the worth of a people and their culture. If the United States is truly a multicultural nation-that is, if it is one culture reflecting the contributions of many-this demand should be seen as a demand not for separation but for inclusion.
More direct efforts to force inclusion can be misguided. For example, movements to declare English the official language do not truly advance the cohesion of a multicultural nation. They alienate the twenty million people who do not speak English as their mother tongue. They are unnecessary since the public's business is already conducted largely in English. Further, given the present state of understanding about the effects of bilingual education on learning, it would be unwise to require the universal use of English. Finally, it is for parents and local communities to choose the path they will follow, including how much of their culture they want to maintain for their children.
1.It can be inferred from the passage that one of the characteristics of immigrant groups to the United States has traditionally been that, after immigration, relatively few members of the group
(A) became politically active in their new communities
(B) moved back and forth repeatedly between the United States and their former communities
(C) used their native languages in their new communities
(D) suffered discrimination in their new communities at the hands of the cultural majority
(E) sought assimilation into the dominant culture of the new communities they were entering
2.The passage suggests that one of the effects of the debate over bilingual education is that it has
(A) given the Hispanic community a new-found pride in its culture
(B) hampered the education of Spanish-speaking students
(C) demonstrated the negative impact on imposing English as the official United States language
(D) provided a common banner under which the Spanish-speaking communities could rally
(E) polarized the opinions of local Spanish-speaking community leaders
3.In lines 38-39, the phrase "different political agendas" refers specifically to conflicting opinions regarding the
(A) means of legislating the assimilation of minorities into United States society
(B) methods of inducing Hispanics to adopt English as their primary language
(C) means of achieving nondiscriminatory education for Hispanics
(D) official given responsibility for decisions regarding bilingual education
(E) extent to which Hispanics should blend into the larger United States society
4.In lines 64-65 the author says that "It would be unwise to require the universal use of English." One reason for this, according to the author, is that
(A) it is not clear yet whether requiring the universal use of English would promote or hinder the education of children whose English is limited
(B) the nation's Hispanic leaders have shown that bilingual education is most effective when it includes the maintenance of the Spanish language in the schools
(C) requiring the universal use of English would reduce the cohesion of the nation's Hispanic communities and leadership
(D) the question of language in the schools should be answered by those who evaluate bilingual education, not by people with specific political agendas
(E) it has been shown that bilingual education is necessary to avoid disadvantaging in their general learning children whose English is limited
5.In the last paragraph, the author of the passage is primarily concerned with discussing
(A) reasons against enacting a measure that would mandate the forced inclusion of immigrant groups within the dominant United culture
(B) the virtues and limitations of declaring English the official language of the United States
(C) the history of attitudes within the Hispanic community toward bilingual education in the United States
(D) the importance for immigrant groups of maintaining large segments of their culture to pass on to their children
(E) the difference in cultures between Hispanics and other immigrant groups in the United States

85
Hi, How did u see the choice to be D?


Are you asking about the last ques..?
86
TRUEINDIAN Says
Are you asking about the last ques..?

OH no!! yup. the last question .. !
87
usualsuspect Says
OH no!! yup. the last question .. !


Aco to me it suits the best as the passage demonstrates immigration self empowerment and focuses on that.

Anyways can anybody post the right answers?....
88

Hi Guys , The answer to the#80 -
1.C
2.B
3.B
4.C
5.D
6.E

Well Guys you have hit it with a good accuracy.Mine was only 40%.
Keep it up Guys.

89
Hi Guys , The answer to the#80 -
Well Guys you have hit it with a good accuracy.Mine was only 40%.
Keep it up Guys.


Hi vikas, thanks for the OA. Maybe all of us can help each other out by explaning why we chose a particular answer. Tht way, we can understand Rcs better. Maybe we can do with the forthcoming RC s.
Cheers,
90
Hi, How did u see the choice to be D?

here is another rc for all..
1. It can be inferred from the passage that one of the characteristics of immigrant groups to the United States has traditionally been that, after immigration, relatively few members of the group
(A) became politically active in their new communities
(B) moved back and forth repeatedly between the United States and their former communities
(C) used their native languages in their new communities
(D) suffered discrimination in their new communities at the hands of the cultural majority
(E) sought assimilation into the dominant culture of the new communities they were entering.
E

2. The passage suggests that one of the effects of the debate over bilingual education is that it has
(A) given the Hispanic community a new-found pride in its culture
(B) hampered the education of Spanish-speaking students
(C) demonstrated the negative impact on imposing English as the official United States language
(D) provided a common banner under which the Spanish-speaking communities could rally
(E) polarized the opinions of local Spanish-speaking community leaders
D

3. In lines 38-39, the phrase different political agendas refers specifically to conflicting opinions regarding the
(A) means of legislating the assimilation of minorities into United States society
(B) methods of inducing Hispanics to adopt English as their primary language
(C) means of achieving nondiscriminatory education for Hispanics
(D) official given responsibility for decisions regarding bilingual education
(E) extent to which Hispanics should blend into the larger United States society
B

4. In lines 64-65 the author says that It would be unwise to require the universal use of English. One reason for this, according to the author, is that
(A) it is not clear yet whether requiring the universal use of English would promote or hinder the education of children whose English is limited
(B) the nations Hispanic leaders have shown that bilingual education is most effective when it includes the maintenance of the Spanish language in the schools
(C) requiring the universal use of English would reduce the cohesion of the nations Hispanic communities and leadership
(D) the question of language in the schools should be answered by those who evaluate bilingual education, not by people with specific political agendas
(E) it has been shown that bilingual education is necessary to avoid disadvantaging in their general learning children whose English is limited
A
5. In the last paragraph, the author of the passage is primarily concerned with discussing
(A) reasons against enacting a measure that would mandate the forced inclusion of immigrant groups within the dominant United culture
(B) the virtues and limitations of declaring English the official language of the United States
(C) the history of attitudes within the Hispanic community toward bilingual education in the United States
(D) the importance for immigrant groups of maintaining large segments of their culture to pass on to their children
(E) the difference in cultures between Hispanics and other immigrant groups in the United States
B

Hi Usual suspect , Its really a delay,But will request you to post the answer.
91

the OA's are : B, D, E, A, A

92
usualsuspect Says
the OA's are : B, D, E, A, A

Thnx Usualsus..,
Can you post the OE , if available?

Regards


Vikas
93
Thnx Usualsus..,
Can you post the OE , if available?

Regards

Vikas

Hi vikas,
I dont have the OEs. maybe, i can give u why i chose the answers. i got 2 wrong in this.. will try to explain OEs.
1. The passage is asking us to infer one of the characteristics: the RC says " Many families retain ties in Latin America and move back and forth between their present and former communities. This revolving door phenomenon, ' shows that the communities go back and forth. This is one of the inference.
Note that the question is not asking for overall inference from the passage

2. the 4th para passage says : the demand for maintenance of the Spanish language in the schools is an assertion of the worth of a people and their culture. Hence B

3. The issue is important for people with different political agendas from absorption at one pole to separatism at the other. Choice E sums this up .

4. the author casts his doubt on english language by saying in the last para: ' present state of understanding about the effects of bilingual education". One point for bilingual education is A, hence A!

5. Question 5 is asking us why the author is taking pains to explain about english language. the author is not discussing virtues of english, hence B is not correct. C , again is not the main reason. D is a classic out of context answer. Other immigrant groups are not discussed at all, hence E is eliminated as well. So that leaves us with A!

Whew!!
94

hello puys,
can you please send me the link from where i can download 1000RC?

95

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96

can someone out here clarif the explanantion provided for question 131 of OG 11 in the RC section.somehow the explanation doesnt make sense

97

Any specific strategies for attempting the RC questions other than skimming the passage, getting the gist of it and taking the purpose and main idea would really help.

How does one train oneself in the above traits... Where to find passages to practice. Any material to practice upon?

98

hiii need sum help
actually i hve just started wid my GMAT prep 1 week back.. started wid KAPLAN PREMIER PROGRAM...completed RC part.Actually d thng is , i wanna practice more of RCs ..so should i work wid KAPLAN verbal workbook or switching to MANHATTAN would b a guud option..
Pls suggest me hw shld i go bout it ......
thanks

99

Hi Guys,

This is Sujoy here.
I have not going to through any class room based coaching - rather i have huge pile of study material and i am praticing it. I am confidant of Quanta section and regularly scoring 85-90% question correct. But when its comes to Verbal section, i am doing miserable. My accuracy rate is 55%.
Sometime i cant answer all the questions.

I am solving RC, CR snd SC sections with watch in my hand, but when i am analysing the answers, its alsmost 55% correct.

As a result my overall score is coming down and i am really tensed for this.

My GMAT due date is 27th June, 09.

please suggest me what should i do to improve my verbal section. Should i enroll for any class room based coaching or buy particular material?

By the way i am BE from NIT Durgapur and i currenly working with 5 yr of exp. Now working in USA.

Please help me with any suggestion!!!

Thanks a lot.

Sujoy

100
Hi Guys,

This is Sujoy here.
I have not going to through any class room based coaching - rather i have huge pile of study material and i am praticing it. I am confidant of Quanta section and regularly scoring 85-90% question correct. But when its comes to Verbal section, i am doing miserable. My accuracy rate is 55%.
Sometime i cant answer all the questions.

I am solving RC, CR snd SC sections with watch in my hand, but when i am analysing the answers, its alsmost 55% correct.

As a result my overall score is coming down and i am really tensed for this.

My GMAT due date is 27th June, 09.

please suggest me what should i do to improve my verbal section. Should i enroll for any class room based coaching or buy particular material?

By the way i am BE from NIT Durgapur and i currenly working with 5 yr of exp. Now working in USA.

Please help me with any suggestion!!!

Thanks a lot.

Sujoy


Sujoy... few pointers from me;
  1. Come what may.. make sure you dont leave any question unanswered. :sneaky:
  2. Try and divide 75mins for set of questions.. like 20mins for last 10 questions... Like the way we used to do in school/college.
  3. Try and read as many 'stupid' articles as possible.. dont bother about the subject, just keep reading.
  4. And as far as your accuracy is concerned, that's not promising either. Please try and work on the verbal basics. Read OG12 if possible.
  5. Classroom sessions.. I am not sure.. I have never tried or known anyone who has taken GMAT classes :)
  6. And dont worry about the date... try and concentrate on the basics.. read articles...solve questions... and have fun (fun is important )
Hope that helps!!
101
Hi Guys,

This is Sujoy here.
I have not going to through any class room based coaching - rather i have huge pile of study material and i am praticing it. I am confidant of Quanta section and regularly scoring 85-90% question correct. But when its comes to Verbal section, i am doing miserable. My accuracy rate is 55%.
Sometime i cant answer all the questions.

I am solving RC, CR snd SC sections with watch in my hand, but when i am analysing the answers, its alsmost 55% correct.

As a result my overall score is coming down and i am really tensed for this.

My GMAT due date is 27th June, 09.

please suggest me what should i do to improve my verbal section. Should i enroll for any class room based coaching or buy particular material?

By the way i am BE from NIT Durgapur and i currenly working with 5 yr of exp. Now working in USA.

Please help me with any suggestion!!!

Thanks a lot.

Sujoy



Hi Sujoy,

I will tell you what I did in the past 1.5 months which has improved my verbal percentile from 24 to 36( in mocks 😉 ).

1) I found OG's explanation poor. I mean to say they have the best questions but somehow their explanations are not able to make things clear. Its good to practice OG. It will give you a fair amount of idea as to what questions u need to expect in the actual exam.
2) What helped me most was princeton book. I found its verbal explanations much better than that of OG's. The same thing goes with Kaplan. It may have jus 50 questions to practice but the explanation provided by it is pretty good.
3) Finally analyze ur CAT. Which is ur pain area n stuff. for me it was sentence correction n RC, I have improved a lot in SC but RC still remains a pain area for me.

Lets hope both of us can pull it off!! My G day is on 16th July.

thanks,
Dreamer!