GRE: Changes introduced in November

GRE test takers experienced the new question types introduced this November. The introduction of new question types in the Sentence Completion and Quantitative sections was a well planned and systematic move by Education Testing Service (ETS) after their withdrawal of the proposed sudden and big changes in April 2007 worldwide.

This time the changes have been introduced in a very test-taker-friendly manner. The changes occurred in the form of at most one question each (either there will be one question of new type or none) in the Quantitative reasoning and Verbal reasoning modules of the test.

Moreover, in the initial takes (not clearly specified) of the test the new question type will not contribute to the test taker's score but the catch here is that test takers will not know when it actually started contributing to their score. In any case, it is time to get accustomed to the new types and start practicing them more often during your preparation for GRE.

Verbal reasoning experts from TCY have prepared 15 practice questions on the NEW sentence correction section exclusively for the rediff.com readers. These questions have been given in this article along with the solutions. The detailed explanations to these questions will follow in the article tomorrow. You may even visit www.tcyonline.com to attempt FREE GRE online tests.

GRE Verbal: NEW* Sentence Completion

1. The company's strategy __(Blank 1)__ focusing on the changing market, establishing __(Blank 2)__ distribution partnerships, making well timed investments and developing __(Blank 3)__ product features.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Combined	Crucial	Experimental
Amalgamated	Constant	Novel
Considered	Essential	Innovative

2. Progressive business leaders welcome constructive __(Blank 1)__ as a __(Blank 2)__ that leads to __(Blank 3)__ improvements in the quality of their decision making process.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Dissonance	System	Significant
Discord	Pattern	Ominous
Dissent	Process	Prized

3. The deal was a __(Blank 1)__ to show he had a gift for __(Blank 2)__ after years spent bringing order to __(Blank 3)__ groups of companies lacking strong coordination from the centre.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Chance	Coalition	Different
Platform	Coercion	Diverse
Coincidence	Cohesion	Disparate

4. Ultimately, in the __(Blank 1)__ against global poverty, it is the affected __(Blank 2)__, that have to pull themselves up and out of the __(Blank 3)__ swamp.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Initiative	Countries	Penury
Strike	Provinces	Paupery
War	Regions	Privation

5. The current makeover addresses inferior __(Blank 1)__ of service and __(Blank 2)__, lack of appropriate training, poor time management and __(Blank 3)__ pricing.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Quality	Material	Unrealistic
Pattern	Item	Quixotic
Nature	Product	Improbable

6. Some companies are __(Blank 1)__ on manufacturing industrial equipment in India with the objective of reducing cost and making the country their __(Blank 2)__ hub for __(Blank 3)__ equipment to neighboring countries.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Dependent	Sourcing	Distributing
Keen	Original	Transferring
Relying	Recruiting	Exporting

7. The earliest known Greek __(Blank 1)__ are Mycenaean, written on clay tablets, and __(Blank 2)__ records, but cannot be __(Blank 3)__ literature.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Runics	Document	Labeled
Transcripts	Register	Termed
Writings	Classify	Deemed

8. The Phoenician alphabet, a __(Blank 1)__ of the Semitic alphabet of the Canaanite area was __(Blank 2)__ throughout the Mediterranean world by the traders sailing along the __(Blank 3)__ trade routes.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Genre	Exchanged	Naval
Category	Disseminated	Maritime
Variant	Disbursed	Aquatic

9. A method suggested to enhance __(Blank 1)__ productivity is to build one's __(Blank 2)__ by working to the body's natural bio-rhythm of the __(Blank 3)__ and renewing of energy throughout the day.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Tangible	Power	Expending
Physical	Vigor	Using
Material	Energy	Conserving

10. Aristotle clearly __(Blank 1)__ that the __(Blank 2)__ plot is better than the simple one; in it there is the sudden reversal of situation and the __(Blank 3)__ of the truth.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Indicates	Puzzling	Unveiling
Concedes	Complex	Discovery
Testifies	Difficult	Exposition

11. The __(Blank 1)__ of feminist scholarship and funds for __(Blank 2)__, gave a new __(Blank 3)__ to the new ways of thinking about women.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Fostering	Development	Incentive
Advocacy	Advancement	Stimulant
Patronage	Education	Impetus

12. The __(Blank 1)__ Indian Scriptures __(Blank 2)__ the original dance forms as the manifestation of the __(Blank 3)__ rhythmic energy.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Ancient	Portray	Pristine
Archaic	Depict	Primal
Venerable	Limn	Paramount

13. Freud's work was __(Blank 1)__ by Rousseau's and the widely __(Blank 2)__ notion of hidden, __(Blank 3)__ forces at work in human nature.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Vaunted	Asserted	Mysterious
Influenced	Ubiquitous	Occult
Stimulated	Prevalent	Recondite

14. The corporation's __(Blank 1)__ franchise partner has decided to exit the mass production business and __(Blank 2)__ only on the __(Blank 3)__ brands.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Model	Concentrate	Premium
Prototype	Insist	Popular
Original	Rely	Profitable

15. One __(Blank 1)__ of record breaking skyscrapers is that they can say as much about __(Blank 2)__ as they can about wealth, __(Blank 3)__ and technology.

Blank 1	Blank 2	Blank 3
Notion	Hubris	Ambition
Perception	Haughtiness	Intention
Impression	Arrogance	Purpose

* Only Three blank questions are given here. As per the changed pattern, the other two ways possible are two blank questions and passage type questions.

The writer is a senior Verbal reasoning expert with Top Careers & You. Top Careers & You® (TCY) is an organisation that trains national and international students for high-end examinations viz. GRE, GMAT, CAT, SAT, IELTS and TOEFL.