前言 ETS经过成熟酝酿后，讲于2006年10月推出的新的GRE GeneralTest。作为历史悠久的GRE一般化考试，历史55年来上也是首次发生重大变化。面对变化，中国考试应该尽早适应并且从考试考察能力转变之中解读中出调整和应对策略。本文通过详细剖些ETS官方给出的VerbalReasoning权威样题，和广大考生分享新GRE阅读部分的变化究竟在哪里，本质上延续的根本特点是什么以及相应的备考策略以及启发。站在命题哲学的高度透视这次变化，做到知己知彼，百战不殆。
总体宏观变化
从ETS官方网站的叙述中，最为核心的整个考试的变化趋势为如下几点：
Greater emphasis on higher cognitive skills and less dependence on vocabulary
More text-based materials, such as reading passages
A broader selection of reading passages
Emphasis on skills related to graduate work, such as complex reasoning
Expansion of computer-enabled tasks (e.g., clicking on a sentence in a passage to highlight it)
Two 40-minute sections rather than one 30-minute section
逐点分析，不难发现几乎每条都于阅读部分难度和重要性的提高分不开的。所为cognitive认知性能力，是所有阅读测试的核心，即主要依赖文章本身而非经验性的一种理解能力。不仅在能力上提出了更高要求，阅读文章本身不论从选择题材的广度，每个Section考察的篇幅数量都大大提升。在计算机新媒介的辅助下，ETS把GRE阅读注册商标般的推理也提高到新的层次进行考察。简而言之，阅读可谓成为了新GRE考试中的重中之重。
样题剖析
笔者对给出的样题中阅读部分做一个综合评述，慢慢揭开新GRE阅读的神秘面纱。在对题目做完剖析之后，总结相关的变化和值得注意的要点。
Questions 6 through 8 are based on the following reading passage.
Music critics have consistently defined James P. Johnson as agreat early jazz pianist, originator of the 1920's Harlem "stride"style, and an important blues and jazz composer. In addition, however,Johnson was an innovator in classical music, composing symphonic musicthat incorporated American, and especially African-American, traditions.
Such a blend of musical elements was not entirely new: by 1924both Milhaud and Gershwin had composed classical works thatincorporated elements of jazz. Johnson, a serious musician moreexperienced than most classical composers with jazz, blues, spirituals,and popular music, was particularly suited to expand Milhaud's andGershwin's experiments. In 1927 he completed his first large-scalework, the blues- and jazz-inspired Yamekraw, which included borrowingsfrom spirituals and Johnson's own popular songs. Yamekraw, premieredsuccessfully in Carnegie Hall, was a major achievement for Johnson,becoming his most frequently performed extended work. It demonstratedvividly the possibility of assimilating contemporary popular music intothe symphonic tradition.
本选文难度和风格几乎和现行的GRE阅读没有太大区别。题材又谈到了黑人，尤其是爵士音乐。这种题材在95-00笔考期间也经常出现。把握住文章首段重要词汇however抓住主题。分清文中矛盾对象(创新与传统，不同音乐家间的逻辑联系)，文章应该比较容易处理。
6. The passage states that Johnson composed all of the following EXCEPT
A. jazz works B. popular songs C. symphonic music D. spirituals E. blues pieces
此题正确答案为D。文中开始谈到Johnson作为伟大爵士音乐家，因为其创始了新的风格，其中包括了blues andjazz。而在文章末句提到了他吸收了同时代的popularmusic以及symphonic。注意该题的spirituals文中确实也出现过，但是措辞用的是borrowfrom，题干问的是compose。
7. Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
The author suggests which of the following about most classical composers of the early 1920's?
A. They were strongly influenced by the musical experiments of Milhaud and Gershwin.
B. They had little working familiarity with such forms of American music as jazz, blues, and popular songs
C. They made few attempts to introduce innovations into the classical symphonic tradition
本题即为新GRE阅读中新酝酿推出的所谓恐怖的"多选题"。其实这种题型即为原来GRE阅读中罗马数字题的变体，只是难度进一步加大。正确答案B。 ——They had little working familiarity with such forms of Americanmusic as jazz, blues, and popularsongs。本题从出题点分析涉及文中的比较点。最后的逻辑关系用东方阅读体系表示可以是:Johnson=Milhaud andGershwin<>most composers。运用取非解题思路。
8. The author suggests that most critics have
A. underrated the popularity of Yamekraw
B. undervalued Johnson's musical abilities
C. had little interest in Johnson's influence on jazz
D. had little regard for classical works that incorporate popular music
E. neglected Johnson's contribution to classical symphonic music
此题正确答案为E。该题题干提到的critics指引考生定位到文章首段。经过逻辑和套路熟练训练后，不难把握Music criticshave consistently defined James P. Johnson as a great early jazzpianist…… however, Johnson was an innovator in classicalmusic。类似于两个观点的对立，为结构上重要内容。
Questions 9 and 10 are based on the following reading passage.
Scholarship on political newspapers and their editors is dominatedby the view that as the United States grew, the increasing influence ofthe press led, ultimately, to the neutral reporting from which webenefit today. Pasley considers this view oversimplified, becauseneutrality was not a goal of early national newspaper editing, evenwhen editors disingenuously stated that they aimed to tell all sides ofa story. Rather, the intensely partisan ideologies represented innewspapers of the early republic led to a clear demarcation betweentraditional and republican values. The editors responsible for thepapers' content - especially those with republican agendas - began tosee themselves as central figures in the development of politicalconsciousness in the United States.
本文为符合现行GRE考试部分文章套路分类中的广义新老观点对比型。文首观点说报纸最后的政治取向将会趋于neutral。而之后Pasley提出的观点否认了这种看法(oversimplified)。具体从早期国家报纸的党派差异论证自己观点。文章首句符合一贯GRE阅读的品味：长度达到35词的复杂难句子，为理解上的一个难点。
9. Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
The passage suggests that Pasley would agree with which of the following statements about the political role of newspapers?
A. Newspapers today are in many cases much less neutral in their political reporting than is commonly held by scholars.
B. Newspapers in the early United States normally declared quiteopenly their refusal to tell all sides of most political stories.
C. The editorial policies of some early United States newspapers became a counterweight to proponents of traditional values.
仍然是多项选择题，要求考生自主列出ABC正确的组合。正确答案为C。A选项极具干扰度，文首谈到的一种报纸变化乃是一种未来的趋势。而A项做出了 GRE阅读中很敏感的比较(than)，原文没有明确的关于现在报纸的风格比较。B项为文中让步层面内容：even when editorsdisingenuously stated that they aimed to tell all sides of astory，体会该叙述，与公开声明的程度不符。C项counterweight解释为平衡物，表达了文末关于一些支持republican编辑的态度。
10. In the context in which it appears, "disingenuously" most nearly means
A. insincerely B. guilelessly C. obliquely D. resolutely E. pertinaciously
此题即为新GRE在取消词汇部分后，做出的相应调整。把部分词汇转移到阅读部分来考察，取代之前单纯的词之间的逻辑关系，这种做法也是吸收了 TOEFL阅读考察中的部分经验。disingenuously作为GRE重点词汇，为ingenuous反义(和ingenious形近)。即使考生现场不认识该单词，也可以从上下文逻辑关系得到提示。前半句because neutrality was not a goal of earlynational newspaper editing基本意群表达非单纯目的, 后半句even when editorsdisingenuously stated that they aimed to tell all sides of astory声明事务的方方面面。从之间相反关系推理，state动词的修饰可以缩小到AC选项的范围。句子本身goal与aimedto为上下句平行结构的标志。(考察的该词在文中也被加亮)
Questions 16 through 18 are based on the following reading passage.
In Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry does not rejectintegration or the economic and moral promise of the American dream;rather, she remains loyal to this dream while looking, realistically,at its incomplete realization. Once we recognize this dual vision, wecan accept the play's ironic nuances as deliberate social commentariesby Hansberry rather than as the "unintentional" irony that Bigsbyattributes to the work. Indeed, a curiously persistent refusal tocredit Hansberry with a capacity for intentional irony has led somecritics to interpret the play's thematic conflicts as mere confusion,contradiction, or eclecticism. Isaacs, for example, cannot easilyreconcile Hansberry's intense concern for her race with her ideal ofhuman reconciliation. But the play's complex view of Black self-esteemand human solidarity as compatible is no more "contradictory" than DuBois's famous, well-considered ideal of ethnic self-awarenesscoexisting with human unity, or Fanon's emphasis on an idealinternationalism that also accommodates national identities and roles.
笔者发现本文本身就是现行GRE考试阅读部分曾经考过的真题文章，全文不做一字修改。从这个意义上说，考生对于新GRE部分不用抱任何恐惧感。所有现在成熟的训练体系和阅读方法仍然是有效的，本质上的阅读文章风格没有任何变化。
16. The author's primary purpose in the passage is to
A. explain some critics' refusal to consider Raisin in the Sun a deliberately ironic play
B. suggest that ironic nuances ally Raisin in the Sun with Du Bois's and Fanon's writings
C. analyze the fundamental dramatic conflicts in Raisin in the Sun
D. emphasize the inclusion of contradictory elements in Raisin in the Sun
E. affirm the thematic coherence underlying Raisin in the Sun
正确答案E，全文逻辑关系理解有点难度。文章为了说明LH的讽刺的才能，而不像对批评意见所说的那样some criticsinterpret the play's thematic conflicts as mere confusion,contradiction, or eclecticism。所以全文论证作用上应该为affirm coherence。
17. The author of the passage would probably consider which of thefollowing judgments to be most similar to the reasoning of the criticsdescribed in the highlighted sentence?
A. The world is certainly flat; therefore, the person proposing to sail around it is unquestionably foolhardy.
B. Radioactivity cannot be directly perceived; therefore, a scientist could not possibly control it in a laboratory.
C. The painter of this picture could not intend it to be funny; therefore, its humor must result from a lack of skill.
D. Traditional social mores are beneficial to culture; therefore, anyone who deviates from them acts destructively.
E. Filmmakers who produce documentaries deal exclusively withfacts; therefore, a filmmaker who reinterprets particular events ismisleading us.
此题在原来老题中也相同出现。唯一的变化在于老题给出具体行号定位，而新GRE借助机考形式，方便考生，直接在原文highlight所需定位的句子。此题选C选项。逻辑上都是缺乏能力导致的结果而不是故意产生的预期结果。
18. Click on the sentence in the passage in which the authorprovides examples that reinforce an argument against a criticalresponse cited earlier in the passage.
这种新的考题形式将在新GRE阅读中普遍出现，笔者称其为选择句子题。其实该题仍然是老题在机考形式下稍做改动而成，免去了考生按照A-E选项依次定位文章寻找的时间，而直接要求考生自主选择。答案为句子But the play's complex view of Blackself-esteem and human solidarity as compatible is no more"contradictory" than Du Bois's famous, well-considered ideal of ethnicself-awareness coexisting with human unity, or Fanon's emphasis on anideal internationalism that also accommodates national identities androles.该题难度比原题，由于其开放型，有一定提高。离开来考虑;
Rain-soaked soil contains less oxygen than does drier soil. Theroots of melon plants perform less efficiently under the low-oxygenconditions present in rain-soaked soil. When the efficiency of melonroots is impaired, the roots do not supply sufficient amounts of theproper nutrients for the plants to perform photosynthesis at theirusual levels. It follows that melon plants have a lower-than-usual rateof photosynthesis when their roots are in rain-soaked soil. When thephotosynthesis of the plants slows, sugar stored in the fruits is drawnoff to supply the plants with energy. Therefore, ripe melons harvestedafter a prolonged period of heavy rain should be less sweet than otherripe melons.
19. In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A. The first states the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second provides support for that conclusion.
B. The first provides support for the conclusion of the argumentas a whole; the second provides evidence that supports an objection tothat conclusion.
C. The first provides support for an intermediate conclusion thatsupports a further conclusion stated in the argument; the second statesthat intermediate conclusion.
D. The first serves as an intermediate conclusion that supports afurther conclusion stated in the argument; the second states theposition that the argument as a whole opposes.
E. The first states the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second supports the conclusion of the argument.
此题形式为曾经笔考中逻辑部分的考察重点：逻辑单题，即全文对应了一道涉及直接逻辑推理的问题。此题正确答案为C选项。两个黑体部分都不是直接结论，而是中间的支持型结论(前提和推理过程)。全文逻辑：oxygen->root efficiency->nutrient forphotosynthesis-> sugar reserve->sweet。对于这种题型，考生可能比较陌生，逻辑作用上的抽象和把握成为新GRE的特色。
For the past two years at FasCorp, there has been a policy toadvertise any job opening to current employees and to give no job to anapplicant from outside the company if a FasCorp employee applies who isqualified for the job. This policy has been strictly followed, yet eventhough numerous employees of FasCorp have been qualified for any givenentry-level position, some entry-level jobs have been filled withpeople from outside the company.
24. If the information provided is true, which of the followingmust on the basis of it also be true about FasCorp during the past twoyears?
A. There have been some open jobs for which no qualified FasCorp employee applied.
B. Some entry-level job openings have not been advertised to FasCorp employees.
C. The total number of employees has increased.
D. FasCorp has hired some people for jobs for which they were not qualified.
E. All the job openings have been for entry-level jobs.
仍然是逻辑单题的类型。原文说如果在F公司内部有任何职位空缺并且内部员工有资格，则该职位一定给予内部员工。在这个条件约束下，结果现状是很多员工对任何entry-level职位都合适，任有部分来自公司外的员工。理解文章基础上，为了解释这些信息，可以推出有些职位空缺因为没有合适的本公司内部员工申请，才会有外人成功应聘。所以答案选A。
A tall tree can transport a hundred gallons of water a day from itsroots deep underground to the treetop. Is this movement propelled bypulling the water from above or pushing it from below? The pullmechanism has long been favored by most scientists. First proposed inthe late 1800's, the theory relies on a property of water not commonlyassociated with fluids: its tensile strength. Instead of making a cleanbreak, water evaporating from treetops tugs on the remaining watermolecules, with that tug extending from molecule to molecule all theway down to the roots. The tree itself does not actually push or pull;all the energy for lifting water comes from the sun's evaporativepower.
套路非常清晰的短文章。文章首句神秘现象。设问句给出两种可能解释。余下文章篇幅主要集中在一种解释之上。
25. The passage is primarily concerned with
A. refuting a hypothesis advanced by scientists
B. discussing the importance of a phenomenon
C. presenting a possible explanation of a phenomenon
D. contrasting two schools of thought
E. discussing the origins of a theory
主题写作手法题型。把握住现象解释型套路，全文作用即为解释现象——C选项。干扰来自D选项。全文虽然有两种可能解释，但始终没有明确进行过对比。
26. Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?
A. The pull theory is not universally accepted by scientists.
B. The pull theory depends on one of water's physical properties.
C. The pull theory originated earlier than did the push theory.
多选题型。正确选项AB。A项对应文章The pull mechanism has long been favored by mostscientists，也就说明了not universally accepted byscientists。B项为文中细节：水的张力，改写符合一贯研究的解题经验：用抽象宏观的词替代原文具体内容。C项考察了关键的推理严谨性：尽管文中说长久以来pull theory被很多人接受，但没有明确提到任何两理论时间先后比较的内容。
27. The passage provides information on each of the following EXCEPT
A. when the pull theory originated
B. the amount of water a tall tree can transport
C. the significance of water's tensile strength in the pull theory
D. the role of the sun in the pull theory
E. the mechanism underlying water's tensile strength
属于传统上GRE阅读中比较难细节题，无法从题干本身获得定位主题词的信息。A项文中对应时间1800，B项所提最小单位可能是水分子。C项提到的 tensilestrength为理论涉及的基础性原理，26题已经有所涉及。D项对应文章末句。而E选项对文中信息做了推广延伸。在 tensilestrength更底层的具体原理机理文中没有进一步解释。
Producing and using biodiesel, a fuel derived from cultivatedrapeseed, causes 35 percent less air pollution per gallon than doesproducing and using regular diesel fuel. The government plans to reducediesel-related air pollution over the next decade by 25 percent, soreplacing regular diesel with biodiesel would seem to be the obvioussolution. Unfortunately, the greatest possible production of biodieselwould amount to only one percent of all diesel fuel to be producedduring the next 15 years.
28. The passage is structured to lead to which of the following as a conclusion?
A. The use of biodiesel will increase by less than one percent over the next 15 years.
B. During the next 15 years, the production of biodiesel will be increased as fast as it is possible to increase it.
C. During the next 15 years, it will be impossible, just byswitching to biodiesel, to meet the government's stated goal withrespect to reducing air pollution.
D. Fifteen years from now, the air pollution caused by theproduction and use of one gallon of regular diesel fuel will be farless than it currently is.
E. There will be no significant year-to-year increase in the amount of regular diesel fuel used during the next 15 years.
全文给出了很多细节性的数字，而解题需要对相关数字做出简单推算。可以设现在每加伦传统diesel油的污染x，现在一年需要消耗的油量y加伦。简单估算后，产量严重限制了最后biodiesel最后对减少污染的实际作用，所以正确答案为C。A选项混淆了产量和使用情况;B选项与原文末句叙述不符;D 选项比较的是一加仑现在使用的diesel油与15年后污染情况;E选项比较具有迷惑性，但是核心主体为diesel，而不是文中的biodiesel。
变化趋势详解
经过刚才对每道样题的理解过程中，考生可能会鲜明感到新GRE的创新和传承分别如何实现。本文的讨论从基本的参数分析，最后上升到能力要求的层面。
(1)阅读题量和速度要求
| 文章篇幅长度（单词数） | 题干选项总长度（单词数） | 总计阅读量（单词数） | |
| 短文1（6－8题） | 155 | 206 | 361 |
| 短文2（9－10题） | 117 | 112 | 229 |
| 短文3（16－18题） | 158 | 195 | 353 |
| 短文4（19题） | 112 | 134 | 246 |
| 短文5（24题） | 76 | 85 | 161 |
| 短文6（25－27题） | 119 | 150 | 269 |
| 短文7（28题） | 79 | 131 | 210 |
考生最为关心的变化之一集中在对阅读速度的要求上。根据东方填空老师估计，新GRE填空题部分总计需要6.25+3+6+9=24.25min时间，相应大致考生所需的阅读速度应该达到1829/15.75=116.12 words permin(去除思考时间)。总体从阅读速度要求上，基本和现行GRE阅读处在相近水平。
(2)阅读新题型变化
| ETS对逻辑推理能力的更高要求 | 逻辑单题题型重新出现 |
| 取消类比反义词的单纯词汇题 | 词汇的考察落到阅读文章中的词汇题 |
| 传统的罗马数字题难度增加 | 多项选择题（ABC三项组合题），错选概率加大 |
| 利用机考形式的便利性 | 细节定位由屏幕不同颜色提示，出题方法更加灵活 出现了直接在文中选择给定要求作用句子的题目 |
(3)阅读题目分配
出了单纯的阅读篇幅和题量比较，依照笔者经验，一个更重要发生变化的参数为"出题密度"。现行GRE阅读部分长文章对应7道题而短文章对应4道题。
相比之下，现在平均每篇117词的文章后，平均对应2道考题。"出题密度"的下降的背后，体现出ETS更加重视考生更为基本的阅读实力。原本长文章的理解过程中，经过训练的考生至少把握住文章脉络，可以解除大部分的考题。而现在新GRE阅读重心可能偏移一些繁难的细节定位，而真正偏向宏观的主题把握和逻辑关系的分辨能力。
(4)题材选择范围
结合这次公布的官方样题以及之前一次对新GRE的测试性V3考试，可以看到GRE选文的题材上进一步放宽。题材范围基本仍属于传统上的文学评论，自然原理，社会现象，生命科学，但是对选文学术规范性上的要求有适当的放松。在V3考试中甚至出现一篇直接从某本评论性书籍中摘录的段落，段落几乎均以第一人称I展开(而这一点以往是被排斥在学术化文章之外的)。题材上放宽之后，ETS就更少的依赖一些繁难自然科学术语来为难考生，新GRE阅读的文章将更贴近实际生活接触的文字材料。
(5)考点和题目设置变化
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新GRE阅读题型和考察要求
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题号
|
题型种类
|
考察要点
|
| 6 7 8 |
EXCEPT题型 | 精确细节性理解 |
| 多项选择题 | 分开文中三种类别任务关系 | |
| 推断题 | 抓住首段转折，取非推理 | |
| 9 10 |
多项选择题 | 现代和早期报纸区别 |
| 词汇题 | ||
| 16 17 18 |
主题题型 | 全文写作手法和套路 |
| 阅读类比题 | 逻辑推理思路上的共同特点 | |
| 选择句子题 | 找到一句作为例证支持作用的句子 | |
| 19 | 逻辑单题 | 两行黑体句子逻辑上作用 |
| 24 | 逻辑单题 | 某结论的前提假设 |
| 25 26 27 |
主题题型 | 全文写作手法和套路 |
| 多项选择题 | 成功解释的细致理解 | |
| EXCEPT题 | 文章提供哪些具体信息，具体到何种程度 | |
| 28 | 逻辑单题 | 对数字推理得出结论 |
简而言之，新GRE阅读背后透露的两个声音：逻辑推理的重要性和细节理解的精确性。
本质的传承
新GRE阅读部分，虽然借助新的考试形式有了一些变化，但是本质上和现行考试是一脉相承的，考生大可放心。无论是V3测试还是这次官方样题，都有以前考过文章照搬而成的段落，甚至很多题都是基于原来的考题。
首先从句子结构上，长度超过其他阅读考试，结构极端复杂的难句子，仍然是新GRE的标志。在整个考试对细节考察降低，对文章长度缩短，出题密度降低的前提下，考察的将是考生真正的基本阅读功底。突破学术化风格的语言难关是征服新GRE阅读不可或缺的一部分。
其次，从文章风格分析，不论其题材具体内容是什么，都是由很多让步，转折，异同比较构成的。而这些风格，都是现行GRE阅读中为广大考生所熟悉的模式。
从根本分析，GRE阅读的难点是因为文章由ETS故意设计的大量矛盾冲突来营造tension的感觉。这一点是新旧GRE传承上永恒不变的重要一点。无论是这次样题中Jazz音乐家的创新与否，现在和早期的报纸政治立场，LH的讽刺是故意为之还是技术拙劣，树木运送水分的pull和push两种解释……这些都可以被看作文章发展的conflicts。抛开局部细节和逻辑作用，整个文章的模式和发展预测的方法论对于新GRE仍然是特别使用的。
结论
读完全文，考生应该对新GRE阅读有了自己的看法和理解。总的来看，新GRE阅读还是很好的在保持其以往特点基础上，丰富了考试首段和方法，部分转移了考察的重点。面对这次变革，对考生来说也是机会与挑战并存。在单纯词汇量考察下降的背景下，怎么样切实训练和提高阅读的实力以应对新GRE阅读越来越高的能力要求(复杂深入的逻辑性推理和全面细致的局部信息理解)，是放在考生面前巨大的课题。