Breakthroughtestprep.com
THE MUST DO STEPS FOR SUCCESS ON THE SAT READING PASSAGES +
BONUS STRATEGIES!
The SAT Reading will be comprised of four passages and one double passage:
65 minutes (PSAT, 60 minutes)
52 total questions (PSAT, 47 total questions)
500-750 words per passage
10-11 questions per passage
a literature, history/social studies, 'great document', and and (2) science
3-4 graphs (typically with the science and or social studies passages)
How to approach the passage:
1. Read the header slowly, underlining info related to who, what when, where, why, and how. (Most of the above will NOT be addressed.)
2. Preview:
Read the first sentence of each paragraph
Ask a question or paraphrase what you read
Relate it back to the previous first sentence
Read the very last sentence - ignore if it's a detail
Circle key ideas as you preview - you may need to string some of them together to create the thesis. Remember, as you go through this process you may come to an intact sentence that clearly states the point. If so, no need to rewrite it! It's OK to spend an extra 2-4 minutes making sure you have absolute clarity on the point you are writing down. You do NOT have time to spend extra minutes each on several questions!
NOTE: There will ALWAYS be at least one especially challenging passage on the reading. Typically it's a science passage. That said, usually science passages revolve around research or an experiment or study. When that's the case, your preview should focus on (1) the purpose of the study or reseach (2) what they did (3) what they learned. It's best to also read all of the opening and closing paragraphs.
The more challenging passages will demand you read over and beyond first sentences as they are often hooks or just plain vague. Bottom line, your preview is dictated by your understanding of the topic sentences. REMINDER: The purpose of the preview is to read whatever is necessary to understand the point of the passage – ignoring the extraneous information. That being said, your preview could
demand that you read close to 80% of the passage word-by-word.
As you are doing the above, don't forget to circle key phrases as you go through the preview process. You will put them together in a complete thought to create the thesis.
This could also happen: After your preview, you know the thesis you wrote down is weak at best, your skim should be VERY slow so you can circle key ideas as you come across them. Remember, the purpose your skim at this point is to read at a speed that enables you to understand the thesis and consequently, write it down.
3. Skim using the Z-motion to CONFIRM what you already know. After previewing, you will have a sense of how well you can relate to the passage. Use that information to help determine your skimming speed. For example, if you have high interest and/or prior knowledge, skim faster - 500-600 wpm. If the topic is alien and/or complex or you had trouble finding the point/creating a title, skim slower - around 300 wpm. You will probably need to embellish your thesis after the slower skim. Whether you are reading at 300 wpm or 600, both are to confirm the point, nothing more.
4. Read each question, flipping it into a 'w' question or if already a 'w' question rephrase as your OWN question, to confirm you understand the question. If you cannot do this, you probaby don't understand the question. Time to guess and move on.
5. Once you find the relevant information in the passage to answer the question, underline it. If using Post-it notes*, copy that relevant information on the note. DON'T INTERPRET OR DRAW A CONCLUSION ABOUT WHAT YOU READ. JUST COPY or PARAPHRASE THE COMPLETE THOUGHT(S) FROM THE PASSAGE. THE ANSWER IS THE OPTION THAT BEST SUPPORTS WHAT YOU WROTE DOWN.
*During your beginning practice, cover the choices ('distractors') with 3 x3 Post-It notes so you are not seduced by the wrong answers. This trains you not to look at the choices until you have found the relevant information in the passage. This has proven to be a great training tool.
6. When ready to answer the questions, make sure you read the question again before reading through the options.
Eliminate the 'stupid'. Any option you begin to think about, even for a nanosecond, should be left in - it's not 'stupid'.
If you have 2 options left, read the stem (question) with each option. This forces you to focus as much on the question as on the options – something students, ironically, forget to do!
On an actual test, if the above doesn't work, write the relevant information from the passage in the margin (as opposed to a Post-It note) ONLY when 'challenged' by the question.
If any of the above strategies still don't work and you've read through the options two more times, guess. (You should spend no more than a minute per question.)
If there's a key word in the question you do not understand, guess and move on!
Particular strategies:
For the evidence based question, translate the question to, "What lines told me the answer to the previous question". If you're not sure, read the lines and see if they support that answer to the question referred to – the previous question. (Often that question will mention lines to refer to but the evidence to support it may come from other lines.)
For the 'most nearly means' question, realize that this question is based on the dictionary definition as well the usage context. Go to the passage, underline the word, and fill in with your own synonym using the context of the sentence(s) to help you. Match your synonym to the options. Plug in to double-check when you're down to the remaining 1 or 2 choices.
When to modify the preview process:
Sometimes when you preview you would want to include the second sentence if: it's very short or vague, you don't understand it or it sounds like a 'hook'.
When previewing, if I notice a dramatic shift in focus or writing style or a pronoun reference – he, she you, they, this, that, etc. - the thesis is probably the last sentence of the preceding paragraph.
When previewing, ALWAYS notice the first word of sentence 2. If the word is a contrasting transition word like yet, despite, however, although, but, nevertheless, etc., that sentence will be more important than the first, often the thesis.
If you come across a challenging passage on the reading – which for many are the excerpts from 18th or 19th century writings or science passages, don't be afraid to 'over preview' – reading beyond first sentences. After your preview, if you feel the thesis you wrote down is weak, your skim should be VERY slow so you can circle key ideas as you come across them. Remember, the purpose your skim is to read at a speed that enables you to understand the thesis and consequently, create it incorporating the key ideas your circled. Bottom line, DON'T ANSWER THE QUESTIONS UNTIL YOU ARE COMPORTABLE WITH THE POINT OF THE PASSAGE. Knowing the thesis enables students to go through the questions quicker as well as with more accuracy and confidence.
Three reasons you preview: (1) To find or create the thesis; (2) to know how fast to do the 'z motion'; (3) to have a sense of where to find answers to questions.
If there's a line reference question, underline in the passage, start reading at the beginning of the paragraph so you understand the context and keep reading until no longer relevant. If the line reference is a topic sentence, read the paragraph.
On the reading and writing sections, there will be 4 or 5 graphics questions. HINT: Write a sentence defining what the graph is representing. Focus on the fact that a chart is a VISUAL way of expressing an idea.
If you are having trouble focusing as you are previewing, jot down a brief summary of each first sentence. It will make it easier to 'relate back'.
For the double passage, realize that both passages share the same topic; however, they typically have divergent points of view. Preview passage one, find or create the thesis, skim. Do the same with passage two. Answer the questions. The comparison questions are typically based on the thesis of each, so it's that much more important you have clarity about the points.
On the fiction excerpt – usually the first passage on the test - the preview may take longer if there is a lot of dialogue as you should ALL of it, word-by-word. Read the opening and final paragraphs as part of the preview. As you are previewing, circle key ideas that you will want to include in your 'story line', (No such thing as 'thesis' in fiction.) Always include the names of the characters in your story line.
If the passage is a speech excerpt, the thesis is often at the beginning or at the end.
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