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Flashcards: Understanding Style, Argument, and Organization in Natural Science Passages
Adapted from “Birds in Retreat” in “Animal Defences—Active Defence” in Volume Four of The Natural History of Animals: The Animal Life of the World in Its Various Aspects and Relations by James Richard Ainsworth Davis (1903)
Among the large running birds are forms, like the African ostrich, in which the absence of powers of flight is largely compensated by the specialization of the legs for the purpose of rapid movement on the ground. For straightforward retreat in open country nothing could be more effective; but another kind of adaptation is required in birds like rails, which are deficient in powers of flight, and yet are able to run through thickly-growing vegetation with such rapidity as to commonly elude their enemies. This is rendered possible by the shape of their bodies, which are relatively narrow and flattened from side to side, so as to easily slip between the stems of grasses, rushes, and similar plants. Anyone who has pursued our native land-rail or corn-crake with intent to capture will have noted how extremely difficult it is even to get within sight of a bird of this sort.
Certain birds, unfortunately for themselves, have lost the power of flight without correspondingly increased powers of running, and have paid the penalty of extinction. Such an arrangement, as might be anticipated, was the result of evolution in islands devoid of any predatory ground-animals, and a classic example of it is afforded by the dodo and its allies, birds related to the pigeons. The dodo itself was a large and clumsy-looking species that at one time abounded in the island of Mauritius, which, like oceanic islands generally, possessed no native mammals, while its indigenous reptiles were only represented by lizards. The ubiquitous sailor, however, and the animals (especially swine) which he introduced, brought about the extinction of this helpless bird in less than a century after its first discovery in 1598. Its memory is now only kept green by a few contemporary drawings and descriptions, certain museum remains, and the proverb "as extinct as a dodo.” A similar fate must overtake any organism suddenly exposed to new and unfavorable conditions, if devoid of sufficient plasticity to rapidly accommodate itself to the altered environment.
Which of the following best describes the tone the author employs throughout the passage?
None of the other answers
Carefree
Despondent
Furious
Oversensitive
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The appearance of Reading Comprehension questions on this section likely come as no surprise, as being able to quickly and accurately understand what one reads is a skill necessary to success in business. The GMAT’s Reading Comprehension questions present passages of about 350 words in length drawn from topics in the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and business. While some Reading Comprehension questions test relatively straightforward concepts like main idea and argumentative claims, others require more abstract reasoning and concern elements of writing such as authorial tone, passage organization, and the purpose and effect of given selections. Still other questions demand that students pick up on subtle cues to make inferences and draw conclusions.
Sentence correction questions may come as a slight surprise on the same section featuring the analysis of prose passages, as many standardized exams split these two skills into a reading section and a writing or English section; however, one cannot deny that the ability to communicate concisely and unambiguously serves well individuals in managerial roles. The GMAT’s Sentence Correction questions provide you with a complete sentence, part or all of which is underlined. Your task is to decide whether the underlined portion of the sentence is incorrect or could be better phrased by exchanging it with one of the provided answer choices. These questions demand a rigorous attention to small grammatical details as well as a sense of how proposed changes function in the context of the sentence as a whole. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like a free GMAT Verbal Practice Tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider a GMAT tutor.
Perhaps the most surprising GMAT Verbal question type, the Critical Reasoning questions featured on this section of the exam measure a student’s skill in analyzing the logic and soundness of arguments. Critical Reasoning questions present you with a short argument a few sentences in length and concern premises, weaknesses, and implications of that argument. Familiarizing yourself with common argumental flaws such as flaws of sampling, flaws of analogy, and causal flaws can give you a framework to rely on when approaching these questions. In addition to the GMAT Verbal Flashcards and GMAT tutoring, you may also want to consider using some of our free GMAT Verbal Diagnostic Tests.
If you feel unprepared for one, two, or all of the question types that appear on the GMAT’s Verbal section, trying practice problems in your problem areas can be a first step toward mastering them. Varsity Tutors’ free GMAT Verbal flashcards are an excellent resource that you can use anywhere at any time to practice in a focused fashion on just the topics that trouble you. Our free GMAT Verbal flashcards each offer a full explanation of the reasoning used to arrive at the correct answer; this allows any flashcards you miss to become potential learning experiences. After all, any missteps you identify and correct while studying are mistakes you are not likely to make on test day. Whether you want to review an entire problem type or focus on one specific concept tested, our GMAT Verbal flashcards are organized so that you can study at the level of specificity that best suits the current needs of your review. With the help of our flashcards and other free GMAT Verbal resources, you can make yourself an expert on each GMAT Verbal question type and look forward to demonstrating your newly-sharpened skills on your exam.
