大家都知道，老GRE阅读从篇幅上分有长文章和短文章；而在新GRE阅读中不但保留原来的长文和短文，还增加了只有一到四句话的超短文章，我将其称之为微文。微文不但微小，还有微妙之感。试看下例（新GRE官方指南 P71）：
In the United States between 1850 and 1880， the number of farmers continued to increase， but at a rate lower than that of the general population
Which of the following statements directly contradicts the information presented above？
A.The number of farmers in the general population increased slightly in the 30 years between 1850 and 1880.
B.The rate of growth of the United States labor force and the rate of growth of the general population rose simultaneously in the 30 years between 1850 and 1880.
C.The proportion of farmers in the United States labor force remained constant in the 30 years between 1850 and 1880.
D.The proportion of farmers in the United States labor force decreased from 64 percent in 1850 to 49 percent in 1880.
E.The proportion of farmers in the general population increased from 68 percent in 1850 to 72 percent in 1880.
仔细考量这道微文题，明显感到这不是传统的阅读理解，而是对思维的考察，这就是微文题目的特点。ETS正是要通过微文题来实现其改革的两大目标：强调复杂推理能力和强调量化推理能力。过去的GRE因为在这两方面的欠缺，导致了大多商学院只认可GMAT对能力的测试。
比如说（新GRE官方指南 P313）：
In the past ten years， there have been several improvements in mountain-climbing equipment. These improvements have made the sport both safer and more enjoyable for experienced climbers. Despite these improvements， however， the rate of mountain-climbing injuries has doubled in past ten years.
Which of the following， if true， best reconciles the apparent discrepancy presented in the passage？
A.Many climbers， lulled into a false sense of security， use the new equipment to attempt climbing feats of which they are not capable.
B.Some mountain-climbing injuries are caused by unforeseeable weather conditions.
C.Mountain climbing， although a dangerous sport， does not normally result in injury to the experienced climber.
D.In the past ten years there have been improvements in mountain-climbing techniques as well as in mountain-climbing equipment.
E.Although the rate of mountain-climbing injuries has increased， the rate of mountain-climbing deaths has not changed.
即文中出现了一个奇怪或矛盾的现象，题目要求给予解释或调和。这在GMAT逻辑中是司空见惯的解释题。
