Reading Passage Question

“If women and girls are not protected and empowered, they will struggle to improve their lives.” This has been a deep-rooted notion in the society since many centuries, primarily stemming from the superiority in physical strength an average man enjoys over an average woman. This notion has led to a vicious cycle: girls struggle to get access to such basic necessities for personal growth as education, job opportunities etc., leading them to spend the majority of their lives in homes without making any significant contributions to the world. This scenario in turn only exacerbates their societal status, branding females as the weaker sex. Discrimination in labor laws against women exists in 104 countries even in the present day. The discrimination ranges from not allowing women to work as late as their male counterparts, citing safety reasons to prohibiting women from working in mines and other labor-intensive jobs, and citing protection of women from physically harsh environments as a reason.

Typically, women have been treated as the weaker sex on the grounds of physical strength, intellectual capabilities, and real-world contributions. It is a fact that men are genetically designed to be naturally stronger, on average. However, with adequate efforts, females can also attain similar levels of strength, says science. Research also indicates that females are way more ef}cient at multitasking than men are, putting them a couple of notches above men on any intellectual scale. In fact, the highest ever recorded IQ score belongs to a woman – Marilyn vos Savant. Marilyn has an IQ of 228, whereas Einstein – one of the smartest known persons to have lived in the 20 century –never scored more than a 190 on any IQ test. Women such as Angela Merkel – Chancellor of Germany, Sheryl Sandberg – COO of Facebook, Francoise Meyers – owner of L’Oreal brand etc. have long proven that women can compete on equal grounds with men in their contributions to the world. Moreover, science says that women – on an average – live longer, are less prone to diseases, and are more likely to survive famines – thus helping the human race survive – than men. A bird’s eye view of the actual situation begs the question, “Can we still consider women as the weaker sex?”

“If women and girls are not protected and empowered, they will”- is a reading comprehension passage with answers for the GMAT. Candidates must have a strong understanding of English GMAT reading comprehension. This GMAT Reading Comprehension section contains four comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are intended to assess candidates' abilities to comprehend, analyze, and apply information or concepts. GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions can help candidates actively prepare.

Solutions and Explanation

1. What is the main point of the passage?

1. To point out that the gender that has been historically branded as the weaker one cannot be considered so in the present age.
2. To explain the reasons that a particular gender has been historically discriminated against.
3. To explain the reasons that a particular gender had to struggle against hardships to prove itself in society.
4. To illustrate evidence of women’s achievements in the modern world.
5. To mention that there is no need for women to prove themselves any further.

2. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

1. Women enjoy more free time as they do not have to work as late as men.
2. Marilyn vos Savant broke Einstein’s record for the highest-recorded IQ score.
3. The strength level of a man is always higher than that of a woman.
4. Survival of species cannot be a possibility if women do not survive longer than men during famines.
5. There are some mines where only men work as laborers.

3. Which of the following statements about women is not supported by the passage?

1. Women have been historically discriminated by society.
2. Impact of genetics combined with societal dogma has led to discrimination against women
3. There are at least three reasons given to justify the discrimination against women.
4. Women are superior to men because they are chosen by the nature to bring forth life in the world by enduring immense physical pain.
5. Mines are considered physically harsh environments for work.

4. Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage, about the mentioned vicious cycle?

1. In countries other than the 104 mentioned, women can work as late as they want to
2. The real-world contributions by females such as Sheryl Sandberg are comparable to that by males.
3. Women are more likely to survive famines – leading to survival of species, which in turn brands them as the weaker sex.
4. The notion that females are the weaker sex leads to their not getting enough opportunities, in turn strengthening the notion.
5. Ability to effectively multi-task gives a boost to females’ average IQ scores.

Suggested GMAT Reading Comprehension Samples

• Nearly Forty Years Ago, Former President Kennedy signed GMAT Reading Comprehension
• During The Final Decades Of The Nineteenth Century GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In Eighteenth-Century France and England, Reformers Rallied Around GMAT Reading Comprehension
• My Objective Is To Analyze Certain Forms Of Knowledge GMAT Reading Comprehension
• There Is A Dangerous Tendency In Superficial Analyses GMAT Reading Comprehension
• An Interesting Approach to Reducing the United States’ Trade Deficit GMAT Reading Comprehension
• It is Almost a Year Since Abiy Ahmed, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Modern Archaeological Finds can Still Contribute Much to the Study of Ancient Literature GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Gender-Based Trends in Labor are Linked to the Ever-Changing Concept GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In Mid-February 1917 a Women’s Movement Independent of Political Affiliation Erupted GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Use of Heat Pumps has been Held Back Largely by Skepticism About Advertisers GMAT Reading Comprehension
• There are Other Environmental Problems Connected With Offshore Oil Besides Oil Pollution GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Most Educated People of the Eighteenth Century, such as the Founding Fathers GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Juror Anonymity was Unknown to American Common Law and Jurisprudence GMAT Reading Comprehension
• There is Much Talk of a Hydrogen Economy and One Version of that Future GMAT Reading Comprehension
• A Cyclone, Which can Cover an Area of Thousands of Square Miles GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Scientifically Speaking, Human Biology isn’t more or Less Complex GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Three Basic Adaptive Responses—Regulatory, Acclimatory, and Developmental GMAT Reading Comprehension
• A conventional view of nineteenth-century Britain holds that iron GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The First and Most Important Rule of Legitimate or Popular Government GMAT Reading Comprehension