ETS于2009年12月4日在美國研究生院委員會第49屆年會上再次正式宣布GRE考試將于2011年8月進行歷史上最大的一次改革，并且紐約時報教育版和美國著名教育網(wǎng)站都對此進行了相對權威的報導，可見ETS對于GRE考試改革的決心，并且這次改革大有“勢在必行，絕不忽悠”的態(tài)勢。由此可見，GRE改革是遲早之事，同時改革內容之重大無容置疑。那么現(xiàn)在我們從考試內容方面來講解一下改革后的新GRE的特點及相關備考策略。
此次GRE考試內容方面的改革，指導思想是使考試結果能更好地反映并評估那些學生在美國大學研究生院學習并取得成功所必備的技能。ETS相信這些改進有助于更好地測試各個考生未來取得成功的潛力。新GRE考試的內容如下：
新GRE考試的內容
新的GRE考試總耗時約為3小時45分鐘，外加考生中場休息時間，共有6個部分。最先考的是寫作，其中包含兩項計時寫作任務（Issue和Argument）；接下來就是兩個語文部分和兩個數(shù)學部分（其中一個部分不算分數(shù)）；最后是研究考試部分。研究考試部分之前會有一個10分鐘的休息，其余各個部分之間只有1分鐘的間隔。現(xiàn)在我們逐一介紹：
A、寫作：
寫作部分將重點考察考生有針對性地對具體考題做出反應的能力，而非要求考生堆砌泛泛的文字。具體說來，這些重點關注的能力包括：
• 清楚有效地闡明復雜觀點www.233.com考試就上考試大
• 用貼切的事理和事例支撐觀點
• 考察/驗證他人論點及其相關論證
• 支撐一個有針對性的連貫的討論
• 控制標準書面英語的各個要素
對策：
整體來看的話新GRE考試的寫作部分改動不大，但仍要注意如下問題：
1、新GRE考試大規(guī)模更新了題庫，降低了考生依賴事前準備（如背誦）的可能性。
2、新GRE考試的issue答題時間由以前的45分鐘變?yōu)榱?0分鐘，要求考生的瞬間反應速度要更快，思維要更活躍，作文要更流暢迅速。
3、新GRE考試的作文原文會直接寄給學校，這樣一方面增加了評卷的準確和客觀性，一方面也給所有考生提供了一個機會，當然更是一個挑戰(zhàn)。
B、語文
傳統(tǒng)筆考的GRE我們比較熟悉，分為填空、類比、閱讀和反義四個部分。而新GRE考試分為閱讀、填空和同意填句（sentence equivalence）。
1、閱讀（共10個題目左右）
（1）、篇幅縮短，數(shù)量增加。
（2）、文章體裁更加多樣性，不只有陽春白雪，還會有市井俗文（academic or nonacademic）；
（3）、題型多樣化。在新GRE考試中閱讀有三種題型：單選（5選1）、多選（3選多）、點句。
Sample questions：
Policymakers must confront the dilemma that fossil fuels continue to be an indispensable source of energy even though burning them produces atmospheric accumulations of carbon dioxide that increase the likelihood of potentially disastrous global climate change. Currently， technology that would capture carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and sequester it harmlessly underground or undersea instead of releasing it into the atmosphere might double the cost of generating electricity. But because sequestration does not affect the cost of electricity transmission and distribution， delivered prices will rise less， by no more than 50 percent. Research into better technologies for capturing carbon dioxide will undoubtedly lead to lowered costs。
Sample Multiple-choice Questions — Select One Answer Choice
1. The passage implies which of the following about the current cost of generating electricity？
A. It is higher than it would be if better technologies for capturing carbon dioxide were available。
B. It is somewhat less than the cost of electricity transmission and distribution。
C. It constitutes at most half of the delivered price of electricity。
D. It is dwelt on by policymakers to the exclusion of other costs associated with electricity delivery。
E. It is not fully recovered by the prices charged directly to electricity consumers。
Answer： C
2. The passage suggests that extensive use of sequestration would， over time， have which of the following consequences？
A. The burning of fossil fuels would eventually cease to produce atmospheric accumulations of carbon dioxide。
B. The proportion of the delivered price of electricity due to generation would rise and then decline。
C. Power plants would consume progressively lower quantities of fossil fuels。
Answer： B
3. Select the sentence that explains why an outcome of sequestration that might have been expected would not occur。
Answer：
“But because sequestration does not affect the cost of electricity transmission and distribution， delivered prices will rise less， by no more than 50 percent.”
2、填空
（1）、每題總長度1-5句話。設有1-3個空格。
（2）、若2或3個空，每空對應三個選項，若一個空，對應5個選項。
（3）、獨立選擇，沒有連帶關系。
Sample questions：
Directions： For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text。
1. It is refreshing to read a book about our planet by an author who does not allow facts to be （1）__________ by politics： well aware of the political disputes about the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity， this author does not permit them to （2）__________ his comprehensive description of what we know about our biosphere. He emphasizes the enormous gaps in our knowledge， the sparseness of our observations， and the （3）__________， calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the condition of our planet。
選項列表1
Answer： overshadowed， obscure， and superficiality of our theories
2. The author‘s （1）__________ style renders a fascinating subject， the role played by luck in everyday life， extraordinarily （2）__________。
選項列表2
Answer： soporific and tedious
3. From the outset， the concept of freedom of the seas from the proprietary claims of nations was challenged by a contrary notion — that of the _______ of the oceans for reasons of national security and profit。
選項列表3
Answer： appropriation
3、同意填句
（1）、每題6個選項。每次必選2個；
（2）、選擇填寫完畢使得兩句話意思接近。
Sample questions：
Directions： Select the two answer choices that， when used to complete the sentence， fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning。
1. Although it does contain some pioneering ideas， one would hardly characterize the work as __________。
A. orthodox
B. eccentric
C. original
D. trifling
E. conventional
F. innovative
Answer： C and F
對策：
1、閱讀部分拓寬閱讀量，適應新題型，提高信息的定位和內容的全面把握能力。
2、填空部分學會整體全盤把握同時每空獨立思考。
3、同意填句注意同義詞或近義詞的積累。