Advanced Reading Comprehension: Paired Passages and 700+ Techniques

At the 700+ level, GMAT Reading Comprehension passages are dense academic prose drawn from fields like evolutionary biology, legal theory, economic history, and philosophy of science. The goal of passage mapping is not to understand every detail but to track the author's purpose, the structure of each paragraph, and the logical relationship between paragraphs. Use a three-part map: (1) Main idea of the passage; (2) The function of each paragraph (introduces a claim, provides evidence, presents a counterargument, or draws a conclusion); (3) The author's tone and point of view. Hard RC questions test whether you understand the passage's logic — why the author included a specific detail — not just what the passage says.