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The reading comprehension is one of the most dreaded parts
of the SAT. Here are some tips on how you can prepare for
it.
ETS's Assumptions About You
- You waste time reading things you don't need to read.
- You read carelessly.
- You don't understand what the questions really ask.
- You don't understand what you read.
How to Prove them Wrong
- Read the italicized blurb before the passage (if there
is one)
- Go straight to the questions so you know what you're
looking for.
- Read and translate the question - what is it asking,
exactly?
- Go to the passage and read what you need to find the
answer.
Types of Reading Comprehension Questions
- Literal Comprehension
- Line reference questions
- Vocabulary in context
- Lead words
- Reasoning
- The author's argument
- General questions (main point)
Sample Reading Comprehension Passage
"I meant what I said and I said what I meant - an elephant's
faithful, one hundred percent." Do you remember this
line from Dr. Seuss' children's book, Horton Hatches the
Egg? Walking through an apparently uncertain world replete
with broken promises and flase faces, I have observed that
this philosophy - meaning what we say and saying what we
mean - is far from common. It is actually a gem in the day-to-day
world; rare and very valuable. For many reasons, I have
come to believe firmly in the power of stating our intentions
carefully and following through.
In personal relationships, a return to childhood values
and priorities can be very instructive and helpful for adults.
Think of the face that greets an adult when a small child
with dashed expectations says, "but...you promised!"
At that stage in life, most people understand promises as
points of certainty. Your word is your bond, and if you
break it, a child feels reality fracture along with his
or her heart. Adults may feel consciously numb to such disappointments,
but make no mistake - there is no more certain key to the
hearts of many grown men and women than following through
and being dependable. Looking back, I realize that the man
who eventually became my life partner first set himself
apart not with candy, flowers, or a clever quotation, but
by saying, "I'll call you around seven tonight,"
and doing it...by telling me he would lend me he would lend
me his favorite CD, and arriving to meet me with the disc
in hand...he never forgot and never let me down. He never
even had to say, "I promise." He spoke in earnest
and acted with diligence, and became my safe place in the
world.
As an entrepreneur, I also know that follow-through is
irreplaceable in business. My business professor and mentor
alternately entreated and admonished her students to keep
careful records not only of accounts, appointments, communications,
and money, but all the ideas slated for implementation,
whether "tomorrow, for sure" or "someday."
Of course, it's important to make good on commitments to
clients and business associates, but it's also crucial to
honor our own ideas and enjoy the fruits of our own resourefulness.
The best move I ever made was to follow through on a seemingly
random and silly impulse to design a humorous poster campaign
introducing my services to local college students. Not only
was the campaign a great success, but it taught me that
even my "silly" ideas can have tremendous potential.
Your negativity may cause you to think none of your ideas
will work, but if you don't follow through and try them,
that thought will become a disappointing reality.
Of course, my beloved isn't always at my side, and my business
isn't the whole of my life. Even wen I am in the solitude,
making commitments to myself carefully and following through
is of very real value. I know from experience that I can
depend on myself. I make my plans, whether for a new marketing
campaign, hanging my new drapes, or an afternoon at the
bowling alley, and I know the marketing, the windows, and
my Saturday afternoon are all covered. Commitments thoughtfully
made and carefully kept aren't just for children or storybook
characters p they're vital for real, live adults like myself.
My word is my bond, not only with others, but as a glue
that aids me in "keeping it together" in my own
life.
Question #1
- In the second paragraph, fourth sentence, the word "bond"
means
A. attachment
B. firm commitment
C. monetary investment
D. junction
E. restraint
What's the real question here?
What does the word "bond" mean, specifically in
this place in the passage?
Look at the text it refer to.
---At that stage in life, most people understand promises
as points of certainty. Your word is your bond...
Come up with your own answer.
Maybe "promise"
Find the most closely matched choice.
- B. firm commitment
Question #2
- The author says that a past business professor and mentor
stressed the importance of
A. creativity
B. record-keeping
C. relationships
D. honesty
E. marketing
What is this question really asking?
What quality did the author's professor and mentor encourage
in students?
Note: this is a good example of a question
containing lead words. The word "business" tells
you that it will be in the paragraph about business, not
about personal relationships. "Mentor" is a fairly
distinct word, too, so you can look for that one as a quick
flag.
Look at that exact thing in the passage.
My business professor and mentor alternately entreated and
admonished her students to keep careful records not only
of accounts, appointments, communications, and money, but
all the ideas slated for implementation, whether "tomorrow,
for sure" or "someday."
Come up with your own answer.
The professor told her students to keep careful records
of everything including the ideas they planned to act on.
Look at the choices offered...
A. creativity (No, that didn't seem to be the person's emphasis.)
B. record-keeping (Yes! Students were encouraged
to keep track of everything.)
C. relationships (No, this wasn't really mentioned directly.)
D. honesty (No, this wasn't mentioned.)
E. marketing (No, this wasn't mentioned either.)
Question #3
- The main point of the passage is that
A. adults subconsciously retain the same hunger for dependability
in others that they possessed as toddlers
B. saying what one means in precise terms is the most
important personal habit to have
C. follow-through is tremendously powerful in personal
relationship, business, and the relationship with the
self
D. people who lie to children are doing significant psychological
damage that will extend into adulthood
E. Dr. Seuss really authored his books for adults.
What's the real question?
What's this passage all about?
Come up with your own answer
It's really important to be dependable so that the people
you care about and work with know they can count on you
and so you know you can count on yourself.
Find a matching answer
A. adults subconsciously retain the same hunger for dependability
in others that they possessed as toddlers (No, the author
thinks this but it isn't the main point.)
B. saying what one means in precise terms is the most important
personal habit to have (No. "Most important" is
extreme language - the author didn't say this.)
C. follow-through is tremendously powerful in personal
relationship, business, and the relationship with the self
(Yes!)
D. people who lie to children are doing significant psychological
damage that will extend into adulthood (Nope.)
E. Dr. Seuss really authored his books for adults. (No
- where the heck did this come from, anyway?!)
Basic Approach to Reading Comprehensions
- Read the italicized blurb before the passage (if there
is one)
- Go straight to the questions so you know what you're
looking for.
- Read and translate the question - what is it asking,
exactly?
- Go to the passage and read what you need to find the
answer.
- Answer the question in your own words.
- Use POE (process of elimination) to eliminate wrong
answers.
Oh No, There are Two of Them Now!
Two passages as a set? Don't panic.
- Do the same thing you would normally do, treating the
two passages separately until and unless you're asked
to compare or contrast the two.
- Deal with them separately first and save any questions
pertaining to both together for last to minimize confusion.
Remember These Tricks
- Look for line references and lead words to help you
locate what the question refers to in the text.
- Be careful of distractor answers.
- Look out for extreme language (best, worst, most important,
biggest, smallest, etc.).
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