byRituparna Nath Content Writer at Study Abroad Exams
Reading Passage Question
After examining the recently released Department of Labor data, I can only caution that a dose of skepticism should accompany any celebration over these admittedly impressive figures. As women move
(5) into any given occupational category in more than token numbers, a ghettoization takes place; in a still male-dominated world, the route to the top is seen to have taken a slight detour. Bank tellers and secretaries, to take but two examples, are
(10) occupations that were once more highly regarded than they are today.
Much has been and will be made of the changing profiles of the professions, especially the four-fold increase of women in engineering and the
(15) 250 percent leap in the legal profession. More encouraging, however, are the figures for bartenders and bus drivers, which on a percentage basis reveal that women are about to become the majority. In these cases basic perceptions are changed, barriers
(20) Fall, pioneering steps are taken. I would like to see, finally, a breakdown of these data by age. The numbers for younger women are likely to be even more dramatic than those for women in general.
“After Examining the Recently Released Department of Labor Data” is a GMAT reading comprehension exercise. Candidates need to be highly proficient in GMAT reading comprehension. There are 3 comprehension questions in this GMAT reading comprehension section. The purpose of the GMAT Reading Comprehension questions is to evaluate candidates' comprehension, analysis, and application skills. Candidates who are actively preparing can benefit from GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.
Solution and Explanation
Question 1:This passage would most likely to be found in a
a) television news item reporting recent Labor Department statistics.
b) feature on the women's page of a daily newspaper.
c) scholarly monograph on demographic changes in the U.S. workforce.
d) speech delivered to an audience of female activists.
e) request for more information made to the Secretary of Labor.
Answer: d
Explanation: The author of the passage wishes for an age breakdown of the statistics. She believes it will show younger women making more progress than older women, but such data is not provided in the passage. Option a) television news item reporting recent Labor Department statistics, looks more neutral in tone. It does not emphasize the thought of the author, and loses the factual description. Option b) feature on the women's page of a daily newspaper, is extremely factual. It does not look conversational at all, whereas, the passage looks like a thought process taking place by the author. Thus, losing the concept of the passage. Option c scholarly monograph on demographic changes in the U.S. workforce. Lastly, e) requests for more information made to the Secretary of Labor are also factual and not conversational. They are not apt for the passage. Thus on the basis of nullifying all the other options, option d, seems to be the correct option.
Question 2: The passage provides support for all of the following statements EXCEPT that
a) the secretarial field was once predominantly male.
b) tellers are less likely to advance rapidly than was once the case.
c) older women are less successful than younger women in entering previously male-dominated professions.
d) proportionally, there are more women bartenders than women lawyers.
e)the advances indicated by the data have been a recent phenomenon.
Answer: c
Explanation: The key message in this article is that although women are statistically underrepresented in the economy. They must be alert to potential changes in occupational category status as their presence increases. The author of the passage wishes for an age breakdown of the statistics. She believes it will show younger women making more progress than older women, but such data is not provided in the passage. The statically increasing status of women in the workforce is the subject at hand. The chapter is targeted to a familiar audience, and the author's tone is approachable.
Question 3: According to the passage, an increase in the number of women in a profession is accompanied by a(n)
a) increase in prejudice against those women.
b) equalization of the male-female ratio.
c) decreased sense of worth among those women.
d) increased threat to male dominance.
e) loss of prestige for that occupation.
Answer: c
Explanation: The statistical advancement of women's status in the workforce is the subject at hand. The piece is addressed to a sympathetic audience and has a well-known authorial tone. This article's major thesis is that, while women are becoming more prevalent in the workforce. So, statistically, there may be changes in the standing of certain occupational categories as a result. The chapter ends with a request for a breakdown of the statistics by age. The author feels that younger women are making greater progress than older women. Thus option c, is the correct option for the question.
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