Information & Ideas

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering critical reading strategies for information and ideas passages, focusing on data interpretation, question analysis, and technical terminology.

Paraphrasing

The practice of restating each sentence as you read, particularly in dense or data-heavy passages, to remain engaged and retain meaning.

Graph/Claim Pinning

The process of identifying the exact claim in a passage, including its final clause, before attempting to match it to data provided in a graph.

Graph Distractors

Answer choices that contain information that is technically true according to the graph but irrelevant to the specific claim mentioned in the passage.

Field-Specific Meaning

The use of technical or scientific terms in specific ways within a domain, such as using "silence" to mean knock out a gene.

Trend or Change

Any directional shift described in a passage or graph, which should not be assumed to be strictly positive or negative in polarity.

Answer Choice Sufficiency

The requirement that a correct answer must directly and fully answer the specific question rather than simply being free of technical errors.

Logically Complete Text Questions

A question type where any choice involving claims not explicitly discussed or requiring extrapolation beyond stated info is considered wrong.

Character Analysis (Evidence)

The method of drawing from a character's internal monologue and thoughts found anywhere in the passage, rather than focusing only on the opening or closing lines.

One Wrong Element Rule

The principle that a single incorrect element within an answer choice makes the entire choice invalid.

Question Highlighting

The strategy of reading a question fully to its end to identify and highlight the actual query before evaluating the answer choices.