GRE / GMAT - Reading Comp

  

 

 

  

Approach

Read and create a Map

  • Overall topic, scope, and purpose

  • Basic paragraph notes

Read the question and determine type

Answer

  • If global or detail, paraphrase and match

  • If inference or logic, scan choices

Cautions

Don’t read into the question with your own knowledge or experience!

 Be careful of answers that:

  • Offer extremes or a contrary direction

  • Twist or contradict the main idea

  • Use “true” facts in the wrong way

  • Introduce entirely new facts

Question Types

Global:  What is main idea / primary purpose of the passage?  What would be an appropriate title?

Detail:  Usually this is accompanied by a line reference and requires a reading in context?

 Inference:  Typically an inference is aligned to the main purpose, and negating such would weaken the passage.

 Logic:  These questions demand that you answer the question “why did the author…?”

An example (authored by yours truly)

Reading comprehension questions are often dense affairs, and usually not terribly interesting.  Creating a map will organize the reading, and will help you find key elements as you work through the questions:

  • What is the main idea of the passage?  Why did the author take the time to write it?
  • What key details, one or two words each, might you expect to see on a question?

 

 

Topic:

 

Scope:

 

Purpose:

 

Tone and or Opinion?

 

It is beyond contradiction that the economy has become one of global focus, and although many commentators may point to relatively-recent innovations involving the Internet and international jet travel, issues surrounding the integrity of trademarks across national borders have challenged business and the legal profession for much longer.  Even within the United States, geographical distinctions have seemingly vanished as the interstate highway system, a host of low-fare regional airlines, and the prominence of cellular phones have connected California to Connecticut and all points between.

 In a simpler time, an undefined period of yesteryear, it may have been easier to identify individual pockets of economic activity and, within such, trademarks limited to specific geographies.  As travel and communication have become more enhanced over the years, however, these isolated pockets have merged with their neighbors until the present, when it is questionable as to if there remain any such islands where commerce hasn’t reached.

 Within this expanding economy, companies naturally desire to introduce their products to new populations of consumers, and in doing so wish to bring forward the brand names, advertising, and goodwill created for and by those items introduced into other markets.  The issue becomes complicated when another party has previously utilized or registered a similar mark in that locale, as the situation forces a confrontation between the national aspects of trademarks laws and the underlying purpose of those laws.  In addition, questions will arise regarding the intent of the second user of the mark to trade upon the goodwill of the first user’s reputation; a double-edged sword that requires subjective judgment as to why the second user adopted the mark and how well-known the primary mark was at the time the second use started.

 The pure function of a trademark is a simple one; to act as an indicator of source and quality.  Territoriality complicates this simplicity, both domestically under one set of national laws through concurrent use, and internationally when goods and services are desired to cross political boundaries. 

 

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