GMAT Ninja RC Ep 3: How to Approach Science Passages on the GMAT Focus & EA

How do you manage the technical details and difficult language in a science passage in GMAT Focus or Executive Assessment Reading Comprehension? Can you avoid getting stuck reading and rereading the passage so you don't run out of time?

In this video, Harry -- a GMAT Ninja tutor -- will show you how reading for meaning and purpose can save you from getting stuck in the weeds of a science passage. He'll help you understand what to look for in the passage and how to approach the questions so you can work efficiently through the problems.

This is video #3 in our full-coverage series of GMAT Reading Comprehension lessons. For updates on upcoming videos, please subscribe!

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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction

Passage 1 - Most attempts by physicists...
02:27 Paragraph 1
06:05 Paragraph 2
09:36 Paragraph 3
14:14 Question 1
19:32 Question 2
25:16 Question 3

Passage 2 - When asteroids collide...
30:26 Paragraph 1
34:15 Paragraph 2
37:33 Question 1
42:01 Question 2
48:14 Question 3

Here are links to the passages covered in the video:
Passage 1 -- Most attempts by physicists...
Questions covered in the video: #1, 2 & 3

Passage 2 -- When asteroids collide...
Questions covered in the video: #1, 3 & 4

[yashvashisht]

LoL I gave TTP $999 but end of the day I am here where I started
Thanks Team Ninja

[vivianmburu]

awesome job always look forward to your lessons

[KaranArora]

Hi Gmatninja/Harry,
It would be better if you make the questions that you discuss available for download so that it can referred while watching the video.
Thank you.

[metallaser]

Hi! I don't quite understand how you're drawing the conclusion that all large asteroids are rubble from solely P1 of the second passage. The paragraph is saying that all exceptions are small -- meaning all fast-rotating asteroids are small -- but how does that imply that all large asteroids are rubble? Can you please explain? Thanks.

[visheshgupta]

I found the Question 1 of second passage extremely difficult. Got a feeling that it was more of a CR type question.

[shanedsilva]

Great lesson Harry!
However, I’m a bit confused in the 3rd question of the first paragraph. I was down to options C and D but chose D over C because the passage mentions that the early investigtors performed calculations and made a hypothesis but never did anything experimental. So they didn’t observe the quantum tunnelling effect, right?
Can you clarify why this is incorrect?

[a_k_s_h_a_r_a_]

​ @GMATNinjaTutoring I've a question unrelated to this specific video - each RC passage has about 3 qs that are asked, do these count as a single point (or question) or are they 3 individual questions that are awarded 3 separate points on the focus edition?

[corrayatom]

I've got a question Harry, in the first passage, question 1 18:37 it says about "calculations". But can there be synonyms in GMAT questions like, the question could " The author of the passage mentions computations..." So, instead of "calculations" can the questions get more difficult if it uses such synonyms like "computations"? Or whether such scenarios are seen in GMAT questions?

[strangers]

Sir, in the first Question, in 3rd bit . The word Protons were mentioned.

[basharabuein]

Hello Harry, thank you for the video! I am looking at your answer for Question 3 on the second paragraph. If 'E' is an answer, wouldn't 'A' also be an answer according to your explanation? Can't we say, "because most of pieces are moving slower than their escape velocity, some are faster and will float away, the slower ones (which are most of them) are going to get back together, meaning that the size of the asteroid will get smaller with time"?

[lllukaaas]

What difficulty level is paragraph 2? Truly one of the hardest paragraphs I have come across in my prep so far. Would this be considered 750+ level?

[sajalsalahuddin]

In paragraph 3 p1: author says that according to physicts probablity of Quantum tunneling decreases exponentially as thickness Increases ....so The respective Paragraphs question#2
E should be the right answer?

Is there a counter argument in p2?

[SuyashYadav]

1st Para, Q3 - How come the early scientists were doing an experiment to send the particles greater than speed of light, if they did not anticipate it ?

[shriyajajula]

In passage 1 question 3, The earliest scientists here mean Wigner and Eisenbud in the 2nd para? or does it mean scientist in general like Chiao then option E shall also be considered. Although I considered the former ones and hence got the answer right so I would like to know the reason for elimination of the E option as the reasoning does not seem to match with yours. Could you please help me out? Thanks in advance. 29:25

[rheasoni]

Hi, great video! Really helped tackle those passages that cause pain to my brain :P Can I know how many videos are there in the RC series and the CR series?

[itsak]

finally a video from Verbal section where i've got all the answers right. but i am also struggling with the time taken concerning my 10-15 minutes per passage (excluding resting time where i do something else then come back again with a fresh mind)
i'm noticing that my stamina gives up but when i come back after a while and re-read, i go through. is my approach right for a beginner or do i need to do something else as of now? kindly answer considering i am planning to give GMAT next year but i'm aspiring 740+(bizzare)

[AdiBroccoli]

evidence suggesting that large asteroids are rubble blew my puny brain