Eliminate Answer Choices That Are Inconsistent with the Main Idea Regardless of the type of question you are dealing with, keep in mind the overall thesis, main idea, or point that the author is making in the passage as a whole. You can safely eliminate any answer choice that runs contrary to or is inconsistent with that thesis. You may be surprised how many questions can be answered correctly using only this guideline. Be Alert to the Test Makers’ Favorite Wrong-Answer Ploys Keep a mental list of the wrong-answer ploys you learned about in this chapter. When you have trouble narrowing down the answer choices, review this list in your mind. The remaining wrong answers should reveal themselves. Chapter 14: Reading Comprehension 413 www.petersons.com SUMMING IT UP • With Reading Comprehension questions, ask yourself what the passage’s main thesis is; how each part of the passage relates to the main idea and author’s overall purpose; and what the author’s line of reasoning is. Keeping an “active” mindset while reading will help you understand questions better and score higher. • To get a good handle on what you need to answer the GMAT Reading Comprehension questions, first try to figure out the basic structure of the passage and how it conveys its main ideas. • Take notes and make outlines—you’ll save time in the long run and the notes will help you organize your thoughts. • Watch for wrong-answer ploys that may throw you off the track. Your clues are responses that distort the information in the passage, cite information that doesn’t answer the question at hand, rely on speculation, run contrary to or reverse what the passage says, confuse opinions, are too broad or too narrow, rely on outside information, or are nonsensical. 414 PART V: GMAT Verbal Section www.petersons.com P ART VI FIVE PRACTICE TESTS PRACTICE TEST 2 PRACTICE TEST 3 PRACTICE TEST 4 PRACTICE TEST 5 PRACTICE TEST 6 . opinions, are too broad or too narrow, rely on outside information, or are nonsensical. 414 PART V: GMAT Verbal Section www.petersons.com P ART VI FIVE PRACTICE TESTS PRACTICE TEST 2 PRACTICE. 417 www.petersons.com ✁ 418 PART VI: Five Practice Tests www.petersons.com Analysis of an Argument ✁ answer sheet Practice Test 2 419 www.petersons.com ✁ 420 PART VI: Five Practice. With Reading Comprehension questions, ask yourself what the passage’s main thesis is; how each part of the passage relates to the main idea and author’s overall purpose; and what the author’s