GRE Quiz: Detail Specific Information
20 questions · exam conditions
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Detail Specific InformationQuestion 1 of 20

Read the passage and answer the question.

A marine biology article reported on a tagging study of juvenile loggerhead turtles conducted off the coast of South Carolina. Researchers captured 64 turtles between July 10 and August 2, 2019, and attached satellite tags programmed to transmit location data every 6 hours. The article stated that 52 of the 64 tags transmitted for at least 30 days, while 19 transmitted for at least 90 days. The researchers defined "nearshore" as waters within 20 kilometers of the coastline and reported that, during the first 14 days after release, 41 turtles remained nearshore for at least 80% of their recorded locations. The article also noted that sea-surface temperature during the capture period ranged from 27.1°C to 29.4°C. It did not report turtle mass or carapace length.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?

The tags were programmed to transmit location data every 6 hours.
All 64 tags transmitted for at least 90 days.
The study reported turtle mass and carapace length for each individual.
The researchers defined "nearshore" as within 50 kilometers of the coastline.
Sea-surface temperature during the capture period was constant at 28.0°C.
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GRE Quiz

GRE Quiz: Detail Specific Information

Practice Detail Specific Information in GRE with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Detail Specific Information, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for GRE.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Read the passage and answer the question.

A marine biology article reported on a tagging study of juvenile loggerhead turtles conducted off the coast of South Carolina. Researchers captured 64 turtles between July 10 and August 2, 2019, and attached satellite tags programmed to transmit location data every 6 hours. The article stated that 52 of the 64 tags transmitted for at least 30 days, while 19 transmitted for at least 90 days. The researchers defined "nearshore" as waters within 20 kilometers of the coastline and reported that, during the first 14 days after release, 41 turtles remained nearshore for at least 80% of their recorded locations. The article also noted that sea-surface temperature during the capture period ranged from 27.1°C to 29.4°C. It did not report turtle mass or carapace length.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?

  1. The tags were programmed to transmit location data every 6 hours. (correct answer)
  2. All 64 tags transmitted for at least 90 days.
  3. The study reported turtle mass and carapace length for each individual.
  4. The researchers defined "nearshore" as within 50 kilometers of the coastline.
  5. Sea-surface temperature during the capture period was constant at 28.0°C.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking which statement is true according to the passage. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the second sentence, which describes the satellite tags. This sentence states that the tags were programmed to transmit location data every 6 hours. Choice A matches this text by restating the transmission frequency. A representative distractor, like choice C, fails because it claims the study reported turtle mass and carapace length, but the passage explicitly notes that it did not report these measurements. This distractor contradicts a direct statement.

Question 2

Read the passage and answer the question.

A research team studying bilingual education examined 240 middle-school students in three districts. District A used a "90–10" immersion model: in sixth grade, 90% of instruction time was in Spanish and 10% in English. District B used a "50–50" model, splitting instruction time equally between Spanish and English. District C offered traditional English-only instruction but provided an elective Spanish class that met three times per week for 45 minutes. The team administered the same standardized reading test in English at the end of seventh grade. Mean scores were 78 in District A, 81 in District B, and 79 in District C (on a 100-point scale). The report explicitly stated that the test was not translated and that no Spanish reading assessment was administered. The team also noted that District B had the highest proportion of certified bilingual teachers (84%), while District A had 71% and District C had 12%. The authors cautioned that the districts differed in median household income, but they did not provide income figures.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

  1. District C required all students to take a Spanish reading assessment at the end of seventh grade.
  2. The report provided specific median household income figures for each district.
  3. District B had the highest proportion of certified bilingual teachers, at 84%. (correct answer)
  4. District A's English reading mean score was 81 on the end-of-seventh-grade test.
  5. The authors concluded that the 90–10 model causes higher English reading scores than the 50–50 model.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking which statement is mentioned in the passage. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is found in the seventh sentence, which discusses the proportion of certified bilingual teachers in each district. This sentence states that District B had the highest proportion at 84%, while District A had 71% and District C had 12%. Choice C matches this text precisely by identifying District B's 84% figure. A representative distractor, like choice E, fails because it attributes a causal conclusion to the authors that is not stated; the passage reports scores but does not conclude that one model causes higher scores. The authors only cautioned about confounding factors like income differences.

Question 3

Read the passage and answer the question.

A historian summarized the publication history of a scientific treatise by the chemist Elara Minton. The treatise first appeared in 1894 as a 212-page volume printed in Bristol, with a print run of 600 copies. A second edition was published in 1901, expanded to 248 pages and printed in London, and it included a new appendix describing Minton's laboratory apparatus for gas collection. The historian noted that the 1901 edition's preface explicitly thanked two colleagues, R. Sato and J. Hargreaves, for reviewing early drafts. A third edition was issued in 1913, but the historian stated that it was a "photo-reproduction" of the 1901 edition and did not add new material. The summary did not mention any translations.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

  1. The treatise was translated into French in 1905.
  2. The first edition was printed in London and had a print run of 2,120 copies.
  3. The 1913 edition added a new appendix on gas collection.
  4. The 1901 edition included a new appendix describing laboratory apparatus for gas collection. (correct answer)
  5. The preface to the 1894 edition thanked R. Sato and J. Hargreaves for reviewing drafts.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking which statement is mentioned in the passage. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the third sentence, which describes the 1901 edition. This sentence states that the 1901 edition included a new appendix describing laboratory apparatus for gas collection. Choice D matches this text by identifying the edition and the content of the new appendix. A representative distractor, such as choice C, fails because it attributes a new appendix on gas collection to the 1913 edition, but the passage describes the 1913 as a photo-reproduction without new material. This distractor confuses the editions.

Question 4

Read the passage and answer the question.

A corporate sustainability report described a company's shift in electricity sourcing at its main manufacturing plant. In 2020, the plant used 48 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, of which 12 GWh came from on-site solar panels and the remainder from the regional grid. In 2021, total electricity use rose to 52 GWh, while on-site solar generation increased to 18 GWh. The report stated that the company also purchased renewable energy certificates (RECs) covering 20 GWh in 2021 but did not purchase any RECs in 2020. The report explicitly noted that it did not calculate Scope 3 emissions. It also stated that the plant's natural gas consumption decreased from 1.6 million therms in 2020 to 1.3 million therms in 2021.

The passage states that…

  1. On-site solar generation was 18 GWh in 2021. (correct answer)
  2. The company purchased RECs covering 20 GWh in 2020.
  3. Total electricity use declined from 52 GWh in 2020 to 48 GWh in 2021.
  4. The report calculated Scope 3 emissions for both 2020 and 2021.
  5. Natural gas consumption increased to 1.6 million therms in 2021.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking what the passage states. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the third sentence, which discusses 2021 electricity use and sourcing. This sentence states that on-site solar generation increased to 18 GWh in 2021. Choice A matches this text by restating the year and the 18 GWh figure for solar generation. A representative distractor, such as choice C, fails because it reverses the electricity use trend; the passage reports an increase from 48 GWh in 2020 to 52 GWh in 2021. This distractor inverts the stated numbers.

Question 5

An economics article examines the introduction of a congestion charge in the city of Mariton. The charge began on January 1, 2016, and applied on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. within a defined central zone. The article states that the fee was $8 per entry in 2016 and was increased to $10 per entry on January 1, 2018. Exemptions were explicitly listed: buses, emergency vehicles, and bicycles were exempt, while taxis were not exempt. The article's dataset covers traffic counts from 2014 through 2019 and includes both zone-entry counts and average travel speed on three arterial roads. As a detail not treated as a main conclusion, the authors note that the city installed 42 automatic license-plate recognition cameras to enforce the charge.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?​

  1. The congestion charge applied on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (correct answer)
  2. Taxis were explicitly exempt from the congestion charge.
  3. The fee was increased to $10 per entry on January 1, 2017.
  4. The dataset covers traffic counts from 2016 through 2019 only.
  5. Because 42 cameras were installed, enforcement relied primarily on manual ticketing by police officers.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by requiring identification of facts explicitly stated in the economics article. Correct answers must match the precise wording and facts presented in the passage. The passage clearly states "The charge began on January 1, 2016, and applied on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.," which directly corresponds to choice A. This operational detail is presented as a factual description of the congestion charge implementation. Choice B is incorrect because the passage explicitly states "taxis were not exempt" from the charge. Choice C incorrectly states the fee increase occurred in 2017, when the passage clearly indicates it happened on January 1, 2018.

Question 6

Read the passage and answer the question.

A geology article reports radiometric dating of volcanic ash layers to refine the chronology of a sedimentary basin. The researchers sampled three distinct ash beds labeled A1, A2, and A3 from measured stratigraphic sections. Zircon crystals were extracted and dated using U-Pb isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS). The passage states that A1 yielded an age of 12.84 ± 0.03 million years, A2 yielded 12.61 ± 0.04 million years, and A3 yielded 12.49 ± 0.05 million years; all uncertainties are reported at the 2σ level. The authors also specify that the ash beds were separated by mudstone intervals and that sample preparation included chemical abrasion to reduce the effects of lead loss. In discussing field methods, the passage notes that GPS coordinates were recorded for each sampling location using a handheld receiver with stated accuracy of ±3 meters.

The passage states that…

  1. Uncertainties on the ash-bed ages are reported at the 1σ level.
  2. A2 yielded an age of 12.61 ± 0.04 million years. (correct answer)
  3. The ash beds were separated by sandstone intervals.
  4. The zircons were dated using the K-Ar method.
  5. GPS accuracy was ±30 meters.

Explanation: This question requires identifying a detail that appears explicitly in the passage text. The correct answer must be information stated directly rather than implied or requiring calculation. The passage explicitly states that "A2 yielded 12.61 ± 0.04 million years," making option B the correct answer. This radiometric age determination is presented as a specific factual result from the dating analysis. Option A is incorrect because the passage states that "all uncertainties are reported at the 2σ level," not at the 1σ level as the option claims.

Question 7

Read the passage and answer the question.

A linguist analyzing changes in coastal dialects compiled a corpus of recorded interviews from the town of Greyhaven. The corpus consisted of 96 interviews: 48 recorded in 1975 and 48 recorded in 2015. Each interview lasted exactly 30 minutes, and all speakers were lifelong residents of Greyhaven. The linguist focused on the pronunciation of the vowel in words like "boat" and coded each instance as either a "raised" or "non-raised" variant. In the 1975 recordings, 31% of coded instances were raised; in the 2015 recordings, 54% were raised. The study explicitly noted that the 2015 speakers had a higher average level of formal education than the 1975 speakers, but it did not provide the education averages. The linguist also stated that the interviews were conducted by different fieldworkers in the two years.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?

  1. All interviews in the corpus were recorded in 2015.
  2. In the 2015 recordings, 54% of coded instances were classified as raised. (correct answer)
  3. The study reported exact average education levels for both speaker groups.
  4. Each interview lasted 45 minutes.
  5. The same fieldworker conducted the interviews in both 1975 and 2015.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking which statement is true according to the passage. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the sixth sentence, which provides the percentages of raised vowel variants in the recordings. This sentence states that in the 2015 recordings, 54% of coded instances were raised. Choice B matches this text exactly by restating the year and the 54% figure for raised instances. A representative distractor, like choice D, fails because it introduces a specific interview length of 45 minutes, whereas the passage explicitly states each lasted exactly 30 minutes. This distractor alters a stated detail to create confusion.

Question 8

A climatology note describes the instrumentation at the Alpine Ridge weather station. The note states that the station is located at an elevation of 2,480 meters and began continuous operation on October 1, 1998. The station measures air temperature at 2 meters above ground and wind speed at 10 meters above ground. Precipitation is recorded with a tipping-bucket gauge that has a resolution of 0.2 millimeters per tip. The note also specifies that data are logged at 10-minute intervals and transmitted via satellite once per day at 02:00 local time. As a maintenance detail, the note reports that the temperature sensor is calibrated twice per year: in April and in October.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?​

  1. Precipitation is recorded with a tipping-bucket gauge with a resolution of 0.2 millimeters per tip. (correct answer)
  2. Wind speed is measured at 2 meters above ground.
  3. Data are logged at 1-minute intervals and transmitted hourly.
  4. The station began continuous operation on October 1, 2008.
  5. Because the station is at 2,480 meters, it records only snowfall rather than rainfall.

Explanation: This question tests detail-specific information by asking which statement accurately reflects the instrumentation specifications. Correct answers restate explicit technical details from the climatology note without inference. The passage states "Precipitation is recorded with a tipping-bucket gauge that has a resolution of 0.2 millimeters per tip," which exactly matches choice A. This technical specification appears in the middle of the passage describing the station's measurement capabilities. Choice B is incorrect because the passage states wind speed is measured at 10 meters, not 2 meters above ground. Choice C incorrectly states 1-minute intervals when the passage specifies 10-minute intervals for data logging.

Question 9

Read the passage and answer the question.

A linguistics dissertation reports an eye-tracking study on sentence processing conducted with 72 native speakers of German. Participants read 48 experimental sentences and 96 filler sentences presented in a randomized order. The passage states that each sentence was displayed in a single line of black 14-point font on a gray background, and that participants were seated 60 centimeters from the monitor. Eye movements were recorded at 1000 Hz using a desktop-mounted tracker, and calibration was repeated whenever average error exceeded 0.5 degrees of visual angle. The dissertation also notes that comprehension questions followed exactly one-third of the trials and that participants responded using a two-button response box. For analysis, the author excluded fixations shorter than 80 milliseconds and removed trials in which track loss occurred for more than 25% of the sentence. Finally, the passage specifies that the study was approved by the university's ethics committee in March 2022.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

  1. Participants read 96 experimental sentences and 48 filler sentences.
  2. Eye movements were recorded at 1000 Hz. (correct answer)
  3. Calibration was repeated after every trial regardless of error.
  4. Participants were native speakers of Dutch.
  5. The study found that comprehension questions increased first-pass reading time by 12%.

Explanation: This question tests the ability to identify specific details mentioned in the passage. The correct answer must be information explicitly stated in the text without requiring inference. The passage explicitly states that "Eye movements were recorded at 1000 Hz using a desktop-mounted tracker," making option B the correct answer. This technical specification about the recording frequency is presented as a factual detail of the experimental methodology. Option C is incorrect because the passage states calibration was repeated "whenever average error exceeded 0.5 degrees," not after every trial regardless of error.

Question 10

Read the passage and answer the question.

A political science article analyzes archival records from a 1974 parliamentary committee in order to track how amendments were negotiated. The author examined 312 pages of meeting minutes stored in a national archive and cross-referenced them with 46 newspaper articles published during the same month. The passage specifies that the committee met on five dates—March 4, March 7, March 11, March 18, and March 25—and that the March 11 session lasted 6 hours, longer than any other session. The author notes that only two members spoke in every meeting and that the chair formally called for a vote on three amendments, all of which passed. In describing limitations, the passage states that audio recordings were not available and that the minutes occasionally omitted the names of speakers when multiple people interrupted each other.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

  1. The committee met on six dates in March 1974.
  2. The March 11 session lasted 6 hours. (correct answer)
  3. All three amendments failed despite being put to a vote.
  4. Audio recordings were used to verify the accuracy of the minutes.
  5. The chair spoke in every meeting.

Explanation: This question requires identifying a detail that is explicitly mentioned in the passage. The correct answer must reflect information stated directly in the text rather than requiring inference. The passage explicitly states that "the March 11 session lasted 6 hours, longer than any other session," making option B the correct answer. This specific detail about the duration of one particular committee meeting is presented as a factual statement. Option C is incorrect because the passage states that "the chair formally called for a vote on three amendments, all of which passed," contradicting the claim that all three amendments failed.

Question 11

Read the passage and answer the question.

A museum conservation report describes a controlled experiment on paper yellowing conducted in 2021 at a university archive. The researchers used 60 sheets of rag paper manufactured in 1998 and cut each sheet into two equal halves, yielding 120 samples. Exactly 40 samples were stored in darkness at 20°C and 45% relative humidity, 40 samples were exposed to 200 lux of LED lighting for 8 hours per day at the same temperature and humidity, and 40 samples were exposed to 200 lux for 8 hours per day but at 30°C and 60% relative humidity. Yellowing was quantified with a spectrophotometer using the CIE b∗b^* coordinate, and measurements were taken at day 0, day 30, and day 90. The passage states that the LED lighting had a correlated color temperature of 4000 K and that the spectrophotometer was calibrated before each measurement session using a white tile standard. In addition, the report notes that no optical brightening agents were detected in the paper, based on ultraviolet fluorescence screening performed prior to the experiment.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

  1. The LED lighting had a correlated color temperature of 4000 K. (correct answer)
  2. The researchers used 60 samples in total.
  3. Measurements were taken weekly from day 0 to day 90.
  4. The paper was manufactured in 2008.
  5. The archive replaced fluorescent bulbs with LEDs specifically to reduce yellowing.

Explanation: This question requires identifying a detail that is explicitly mentioned in the passage. The correct answer must be information stated directly in the text rather than implied or inferred. The passage explicitly states that "the LED lighting had a correlated color temperature of 4000 K," making option A the correct answer. This technical specification about the lighting conditions is presented as a factual detail of the experimental setup. Option B is incorrect because while the passage mentions 60 sheets were used, each was cut in half to yield 120 samples total, not 60 samples as the option claims.

Question 12

Read the passage and answer the question.

A climatology note described how a regional weather station network handled missing data. The network consisted of 14 stations, each recording hourly temperature and precipitation. For temperature, if fewer than 3 consecutive hours were missing, the network filled gaps by linear interpolation between the nearest available observations. If 3 or more consecutive hours were missing, the data were left as missing and excluded from daily averages. For precipitation, however, the note stated that no interpolation was performed; missing precipitation values were treated as missing regardless of gap length. The note also specified that all timestamps were stored in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), even though the stations were located in a single time zone.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?

  1. Missing precipitation values were filled by linear interpolation when fewer than 3 consecutive hours were missing.
  2. All timestamps were stored in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). (correct answer)
  3. If 3 or more consecutive temperature hours were missing, the network estimated them using nearby stations.
  4. The network consisted of 24 stations recording daily temperature and precipitation.
  5. Temperature gaps of up to 6 consecutive hours were always interpolated.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking which statement is true according to the passage. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the last sentence, which discusses timestamp storage. This sentence specifies that all timestamps were stored in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Choice B matches this text by restating the use of UTC for timestamps. A representative distractor, such as choice D, fails because it misstates the number of stations as 24 and the recording frequency as daily, whereas the passage describes 14 stations recording hourly. This distractor alters key details.

Question 13

Read the passage and answer the question.

An economics article summarizes a randomized controlled trial of a text-message reminder program for property-tax payments in a mid-sized municipality. The trial enrolled 12,000 households that had been at least 30 days delinquent in the previous tax year. Households were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 4,000 received no messages, 4,000 received a single reminder 14 days before the due date, and 4,000 received two reminders—one 14 days before and one 3 days before the due date. The passage explicitly states that the due date for the tax installment studied was October 31, 2022. Payment outcomes were assessed using administrative records on November 30, 2022. The article reports that the two-reminder group had a 6.2 percentage-point higher on-time payment rate than the control group, and it notes that messages were sent in both English and Spanish. The municipality's average delinquent balance at baseline was $740 per household, and the passage specifies that households with balances above $5,000 were excluded from the study.

The passage states that…

  1. Households with balances above $5,000 were excluded from the study. (correct answer)
  2. Payment outcomes were assessed on October 31, 2022.
  3. Each treatment household received reminders by both text message and phone call.
  4. The control group contained 6,000 households.
  5. The municipality's average delinquent balance at baseline was $470 per household.

Explanation: This question tests comprehension of specific details presented in the passage. The correct answer must reflect information explicitly stated in the text without requiring any inference. The passage explicitly states in the final sentence that "households with balances above $5,000 were excluded from the study," making option A the correct answer. This exclusion criterion is presented as a factual detail about the study's methodology. Option B is incorrect because while October 31, 2022 was the tax due date, the passage states that payment outcomes were assessed on November 30, 2022, not October 31.

Question 14

Read the passage and answer the question.

A transportation agency evaluated a pilot program that replaced some curbside parking with protected bicycle lanes on Alder Avenue. The pilot covered a 1.6-mile segment between 3rd Street and 19th Street and was implemented in May 2021. According to the agency's report, the project removed 112 on-street parking spaces and added 0.8 miles of protected bike lane (counting one direction only). The report also stated that average weekday bicycle counts at a mid-segment counter increased from 420 in June 2020 to 690 in June 2021. However, the agency noted that traffic signal timing was also adjusted in April 2021 to reduce vehicle speeds, and it did not claim that the bike lane alone caused the increase in cycling. The report did not include weekend bicycle counts.

The passage states that…

  1. The pilot program covered a 16-mile segment of Alder Avenue.
  2. Weekend bicycle counts were included to confirm the weekday trend.
  3. The report claimed the protected bike lane alone caused the increase in cycling.
  4. The project removed 112 on-street parking spaces. (correct answer)
  5. Traffic signal timing was adjusted in May 2021, after the pilot began.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking what the passage states. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the third sentence, which describes the project's impact on parking. This sentence states that the project removed 112 on-street parking spaces. Choice D matches this text by restating the exact number of parking spaces removed. A representative distractor, like choice C, fails because it attributes a causal claim to the report that is not present; the passage explicitly notes that the agency did not claim the bike lane alone caused the cycling increase. This distractor adds an unstated assertion.

Question 15

Read the passage and answer the question.

A literary journal article compared two annotated editions of a 17th-century play. Edition R, published in 1998, included 214 footnotes and a 36-page introduction. Edition S, published in 2016, included 287 footnotes and a 22-page introduction. The article stated that both editions modernized spelling in the main text but retained original punctuation in stage directions. It also noted that Edition S added a glossary of 140 terms, while Edition R did not include a glossary. The author of the article observed that Edition R's notes more frequently cited contemporary pamphlets, but the article did not provide counts of those citations.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

  1. Edition R included a glossary of 140 terms.
  2. Edition S included 287 footnotes. (correct answer)
  3. Edition S retained original spelling throughout the main text.
  4. The article provided exact counts of pamphlet citations in both editions' notes.
  5. Edition R was published in 2016 and Edition S in 1998.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking which statement is mentioned in the passage. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the third sentence, which compares the footnotes in the editions. This sentence states that Edition S included 287 footnotes. Choice B matches this text by identifying Edition S and the exact footnote count. A representative distractor, like choice D, fails because it claims the article provided exact counts of pamphlet citations, but the passage notes only that Edition R cited them more frequently without providing counts. This distractor adds unstated specifics.

Question 16

Read the passage and answer the question.

An economics paper examined the effect of eliminating late fees at a municipal library system with 9 branches. The policy change took effect on January 1, 2020. The authors compared circulation in 2019 and 2020 and reported that total checkouts rose from 1.82 million in 2019 to 1.95 million in 2020. The paper also reported that the number of active cardholders increased from 112,000 to 119,000 over the same period. However, the authors stated that in-person visits declined in 2020 and attributed part of the decline to temporary branch closures between March 20 and June 15, 2020. The paper explicitly noted that it did not separate the effect of the late-fee policy from the effect of the closures. It also stated that the library's maximum loan period for books remained 21 days in both years.

The passage states that…

  1. Total checkouts decreased from 1.95 million in 2019 to 1.82 million in 2020.
  2. The maximum loan period for books remained 21 days in both 2019 and 2020. (correct answer)
  3. Branch closures lasted from January 1 to March 20, 2020.
  4. The authors isolated the late-fee policy's effect by controlling for closures.
  5. The library system had 12 branches at the time of the policy change.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking what the passage states. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the last sentence, which discusses the library's loan policies. This sentence states that the maximum loan period for books remained 21 days in both 2019 and 2020. Choice B matches this text by restating the unchanged 21-day loan period for both years. A representative distractor, such as choice A, fails because it reverses the reported checkout figures; the passage states an increase from 1.82 million in 2019 to 1.95 million in 2020. This distractor inverts the numbers to imply a decrease not supported by the text.

Question 17

Read the passage and answer the question.

A pharmacology trial compared two dosing schedules for the same antihypertensive medication. The trial enrolled 320 adults with stage 1 hypertension and assigned 160 to Schedule M (one 20 mg dose each morning) and 160 to Schedule E (one 20 mg dose each evening). Blood pressure was measured at baseline and again after 12 weeks, using the same automated cuff model at all sites. The paper reported that mean systolic blood pressure decreased by 9.4 mmHg in Schedule M and by 10.1 mmHg in Schedule E. The authors also reported that 14 participants in Schedule M and 17 in Schedule E discontinued due to adverse effects. The paper stated that participants were instructed not to change their diet during the study, but dietary intake was not monitored.

The passage states that…

  1. Dietary intake was monitored weekly through food diaries.
  2. Schedule E involved one 20 mg dose each evening. (correct answer)
  3. Participants were assigned to receive different medications in the two schedules.
  4. Blood pressure was measured only once, at the end of 12 weeks.
  5. Exactly 31 participants discontinued due to adverse effects in Schedule M.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking what the passage states. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the second sentence, which describes the dosing schedules. This sentence assigns 160 participants to Schedule E, involving one 20 mg dose each evening. Choice B matches this text by restating the schedule and dosage for Schedule E. A representative distractor, like choice D, fails because it claims blood pressure was measured only once at the end, but the passage states measurements at baseline and after 12 weeks. This distractor omits the baseline measurement.

Question 18

Read the passage and answer the question.

An archaeology report described a survey of ceramic fragments at the Tel Harun site. The team excavated four trenches, each measuring 2 meters by 5 meters, during a 12-day season in October 2023. In total, the team cataloged 1,460 ceramic fragments. Of these, 310 were classified as "rim sherds," 980 as "body sherds," and 170 as "base sherds," with the categories defined in the report's methods section. The report stated that carbon dating was performed on two charcoal samples from Trench 3, yielding calibrated dates centered on 740 BCE and 710 BCE. The report explicitly noted that no human remains were recovered.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

  1. The excavation season took place in March 2023.
  2. Carbon dating was performed on two charcoal samples from Trench 3. (correct answer)
  3. Human remains were recovered from Trench 1.
  4. A total of 1,710 ceramic fragments were cataloged.
  5. All four trenches measured 5 meters by 5 meters.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by asking which statement is mentioned in the passage. Correct answers in such questions restate explicit information from the text without adding inferences or external knowledge. The relevant detail is in the fifth sentence, which discusses carbon dating. This sentence states that carbon dating was performed on two charcoal samples from Trench 3. Choice B matches this text by identifying the method, number of samples, and trench. A representative distractor, such as choice E, fails because it claims all trenches measured 5 meters by 5 meters, but the passage specifies 2 meters by 5 meters. This distractor changes the stated dimensions.

Question 19

A 2021 archaeology paper describes the excavation of a coastal site at Cape Lumen. The authors state that the excavation grid covered exactly 24 square meters and was divided into 96 equal squares. Charcoal samples were collected from two distinct layers: Layer 2 and Layer 4. The paper explicitly reports that 14 charcoal samples from Layer 2 were submitted for radiocarbon dating, while 6 charcoal samples from Layer 4 were submitted. The laboratory used accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for all submitted samples. The paper also notes, as a minor methodological detail, that all sediment was dry-sieved through 3-millimeter mesh, and that shell fragments larger than 2 centimeters were weighed separately from smaller fragments. In discussing results, the authors mention that the median calibrated age for the Layer 2 samples was 2,350 years before present.

The passage states that…​

  1. The excavation grid covered 24 square meters and was divided into 96 equal squares. (correct answer)
  2. The median calibrated age for Layer 4 samples was 2,350 years before present.
  3. Exactly 20 charcoal samples from Layer 2 were submitted for radiocarbon dating.
  4. The laboratory used conventional (non-AMS) radiocarbon dating for all submitted samples.
  5. Because shell fragments were weighed separately, the site must have been used primarily for shellfish processing.

Explanation: This question tests detail comprehension by requiring identification of explicitly stated information from the archaeological report. Correct answers must precisely match what is written in the passage without adding interpretation. The passage clearly states "the excavation grid covered exactly 24 square meters and was divided into 96 equal squares," which directly corresponds to choice A. This information appears early in the passage as a factual description of the excavation methodology. Choice B incorrectly identifies Layer 4 instead of Layer 2 for the median age of 2,350 years. Choice C states 20 samples when the passage explicitly mentions 14 samples from Layer 2 were submitted for dating.

Question 20

A neuroscience methods section describes an fMRI study of working memory in healthy adults. The study recruited 48 participants aged 20 to 35 years; the authors explicitly report that 26 participants identified as female and 22 as male. Scanning was performed on a 3-tesla MRI system using a gradient-echo echo-planar imaging sequence with repetition time (TR) of 2,000 milliseconds and echo time (TE) of 30 milliseconds. Functional images were acquired with 36 axial slices and a voxel size of 3×3×3 millimeters. As a procedural detail, the authors state that participants completed a practice session outside the scanner lasting 10 minutes. The paper also reports that head-motion exclusion was defined as more than 2 millimeters of translation in any direction.

Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?​

  1. Head-motion exclusion was defined as more than 2 millimeters of translation in any direction. (correct answer)
  2. The study recruited 48 participants aged 18 to 50 years.
  3. Functional images were acquired with 30 axial slices and a voxel size of 2×2×2 millimeters.
  4. The MRI system used a 7-tesla field strength.
  5. Because participants practiced for 10 minutes, the authors concluded that any learning effects were fully eliminated.

Explanation: This question tests detail-specific information by asking which statement is explicitly mentioned in the neuroscience methods section. Correct answers restate technical specifications exactly as presented in the text. The passage states "head-motion exclusion was defined as more than 2 millimeters of translation in any direction," which precisely matches choice A. This methodological criterion appears at the end of the passage as a data quality control measure. Choice B incorrectly states the age range as 18 to 50, when the passage specifies 20 to 35 years. Choice C incorrectly states 30 slices and 2×2×2 millimeter voxels, when the passage specifies 36 slices and 3×3×3 millimeter voxels.