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Reading strategies (Vocabulary strategy (If you know the word:
1) …
Reading strategies
Vocabulary strategy
If you know the word:
1) Choose the answer or answers that match the meaning best.
2) Read the sentence with the highlighted vocabulary to double-check the meaning.
If you don’t know the word:
1) Read the sentence with the word and guess what its meaning could be
2) Choose an answer that fits this meaning. (If more than one works, guess fast.)
Inference strategy
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3) Start reading quickly from the beginning of the paragraph in search of the key words or synonyms of them.
4) When you find the key word, remind yourself of the question and read carefully to find the answer for yourself. Ask yourself, what does this imply that must be true? 60% of the answers will be found in the sentence with your key words. 30% will require you to read 1 sentence more. 10% will require you to read 2 sentences more to find the answer.
5) Once you have identified the answer, check the answer choices and choose the one that matches your anticipated answer best.
6) If you don’t find the answer right away, keep asking yourself: what must be true from this sentence that isn’t stated directly. (Remember the apple example.)
Detail strategy
5) Once you have identified the answer, check the answer choices and choose the one that matches your anticipated answer best.
4) When you find the key word, remind yourself of the question and read carefully to find the answer for yourself. 60% of the answers will be found in the sentence with your key words. 30% will require you to read 1 sentence more. 10% will require you to read 2 sentences more to find the answer.
3) Start reading quickly from the beginning of the paragraph in search of the key words or synonyms of them.
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Negative detail question
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3) Start reading quickly from the beginning of the paragraph in search of the key words or synonyms of them.
4) When you find the key word, read the sentence and check the answer choices to determine which you can eliminate. Continue to do this for each answer choice until you can determine that one is wrong or not mentioned and choose that answer.
Pronoun sterategy
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2) Identify all of the nouns in the sentence before the pronoun that match in number (singular or plural)
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Plug-in strategy
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For example, if you have the key word apples in your sentence. You read the passage searching for apples. You find it between the answer choices A and B and nowhere else. You know your sentence belongs in A or B.
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4) If that’s not enough. Identify words such as however, consequently, therefore, etc. to determine whether your sentence continues the idea or begins the idea.
Continuing our apple example. If you see apples between A and B in the paragraph, and your plug-in sentence begins with consequently. You’re answer choice should be B because it is concluding the idea of apples and not starting it.
5) Finally, read through the paragraph with your answer in place and double check that it makes sense.
Paraphrase strategy
1) Read the main independent clause and nothing else. Understand the subject, verb, and object.
Break the sentence down piece by piece. They usually use complex sentences with many parts--adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and so on. Don’t read the whole highlighted sentence and then try to choose the answer. It’s the best way to become confused.
2) Read through the answer choices and eliminate any answer that does not state this information exactly.
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4) Read through the answer choices and eliminate any answer that does not state this information exactly.
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Purpose strategy
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4) Read the sentence and understand that the purpose of the statement in the question was to explain the content of that sentence.
For example, the question will ask, “Why does the author mention apples?” You look for apples in the reading. Find it and then read the sentence before and say to yourself, “the reason the author mentioned apples was to explain the content in this sentence before.”
5) Look for any adverbs that will help you to identify the relationship between your key words and the content before it.
Continuing our example with apples. If between the two sentences, we have the adverb “however.” The purpose of the author’s words was to contrast the information in the sentence before.
6) Now, choose an answer choice that reflects the information in the sentence before.
Summary strategy
1) First, review the structure of the reading on your own. Explain to yourself how it is organized to remind you of the important information.
2) Read the question carefully and see if the sentence in bold gives you a clue as to what the answer choices might be.
If it states something about 3 theories, it’s easy to know that you must choose 3 answer choices among the 6 that describe 3 theories mentioned in the reading.
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4) Scan through the reading until you find the key words or synonyms of them and read the sentences they are found in.
5) Determine whether that answer choice is a summary, detail, or wrong answer. Use the following method to do so.
(a) If an answer choice is a summary, the answer choice restates information found within the topic sentence of the paragraph, the first sentence. That’s a good choice.
(b) If the answer choice deals with a sentence that is not the first, it is a detail. It is therefore not a good choice. You must choose answers that summarize important points in the passage and not just minor points mentioned in one sentence that is not the topic sentence.
(c) If the answer choice describes content that is not found in the reading or is wrong according to the reading, of course, eliminate it.
6) After your analysis, you should be left with 3 summary answer choices. They will be your answer.
7) If you are left with 4 summary answer choices, read the sentence in bold in the question and eliminate the answer choice that doesn’t directly deal with the topic sentence.
8) If you are left with 2 summary answer choices and 2 detail answer choices, read the sentence in bold in the question and eliminate one of the detail answer choices that deals with the topic sentence least.