Mastering SAT Reading Comprehension - Essential Tips and Strategies

1. SAT Prep 2-28-08 Prefix/Reading Comprehension/Writing

2. Prefix Time • Anthro/Andr- Man, human • Anthropology- Study of man • Android- an automation in the form of human being • Philanthropy- altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement

3. Prefix Time • Annu/Enni- Year • Annual- yearly • Anniversary- the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event • Perennial- lasting or continuing throughout the entire year

4. Prefix Time • Anti- against • Antidote- something that prevents or counteracts injurious or unwanted effects • Antitrust- opposing or intended to restrain trusts, monopolies, or other large combinations of business and capital

5. Prefix Time • Apo- away • Apogee-????? • Apology- a written or spoken expression of one's regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another • Apostasy- a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, party, cause, etc.

6. Prefix Time • Apt/Ept- Skill, fitness, ability • Adapt- to make suitable to requirements or conditions; adjust or modify fittingly: • Aptitude- capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent • Inept- without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; maladroit

7. Review • Reading Comprehension • The whole point of this portion is to test your ability to comprehend, analyze, and even evaluate small passages of reading. • Always ask yourself if a particular choice is irrelevant (correct, but not answering the question) or extreme (takes a conclusion too far or makes a leap of faith)

8. Review • First Step: Believe that the answer is in the text. • Second Step: READ THE QUESTIONS • There are about 7 different types that you will face on the exam. • WARNING: Since there are different types of questions, that means you must learn to identify the type of question as quickly as possible. This will only come by through practice.

9. Review • Basic Comprehension Questions • Comprehension questions test you on your ability to recall and understand what you read in a passage. • When reading any passage, you should be able to answer the following questions. • Who is speaking? • Who is the speaker addressing? • What is the speaker’s main point? • How does the speaker articulate his point?

10. Analytical Question • The second type of question is the analytical question. • Analysis questions actually test your ability to examine an author’s intent, thoughts, and purposes in a passage. Analysis questions also ask you to extend the information presented in a passage to another setting or even infer from the passage

11. Analytical Questions • First, determine what the question is really asking. • Most of the time, you will need to breakdown the question you are facing. • In other words, simplify the point of the question. What is the question aiming for?

12. Analytical Questions • Second, answer that driving question yourself. • Not that you answer it from your own perspective, but answer from the text (stay in the box).

13. Analytical Questions • Third, use the statement you developed to address the choices.

14. More on Analytical Questions • Analysis questions are key to the SAT in that they frequently occur and are generally more difficult than comprehension-based questions.

15. What is Difference Between Comprehension and Analytical? • Remember that comprehension questions require to "recall" whereas analysis questions require to "examine, think, explain, infer, or extend." • When there are questions that ask “which of the statements” or various others, most likely they are Analytical Questions.

16. More on Analytical Questions • Avoid extreme choices. • Synonyms don't count. • Don't over-extend.

17. Vocabulary in Context Questions • These are probably the easiest questions you’ll find in the RC section. • Basically, vocab-in-context questions ask you to find the meaning of a common word as employed in a particular context.

18. Vocabulary in Context Questions • 1. Read the sentence in which the vocab word is found. • 2. Identify, in your own words, a synonym for the word. • 3. Match your selection with ONE of the answer choices.

19. Advanced Analytical Questions • Basic comprehension questions ask you to simply recall what was presented in the passage. • Example • Why did Sarah hate Janie? • But there are some comprehension questions that goes above and beyond and asks you to reword an idea or statement in the text.

20. Advanced Analytical Questions • First, identify the sentence(s) in question that you will need to obtain the answer; • Second, read the text wholly and slowly (do not "scan") • Finally, create your own generalization of the text.

21. The Text • 1 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so • 2 the cliche holds. It is probably an accurate • 3 one, for beauty is a concept with a fleeting • 4 definition. In fact, beauty varies from • 5 culture to culture - some African cultures • 6 find women with large noses particularly • 7 attractive, while in the West we favor the • 8 quintessential blond. Those who try to • 9 impose beauty typically come up short - • 10 just ask Hitler how his Aryan race is • 11 doing these days. The fact of the matter is • 12 that beauty is something to be appreciated • 13 and not understood.

22. The Question • Which of the following examples corresponds to the "blond" on line 8? • First need to identify the sentence • 4 In fact, beauty varies from • 5 culture to culture - some African cultures • 6 find women with large noses particularly • 7 attractive, while in the West we favor the • 8 quintessential blond.

23. 2nd Step, what does this text mean? • 3rd Step, What does the text say? • In your own words, what is it trying to get at?

24. The Choices • A) a diamond in the rough • introspective beauty • C) conflicting perceptions • D) archetypal perceptions • E) extroverted personality

25. The Text • 7: We today find Ibsen's work mundane, even • 8: uninspired. In the late nineteenth century, • 9: however, Ibsen was not only a maverick • 10: but a downright degenerate. In fact, his • 11: plays were originally not published in • 12: Sweden due to censorship laws. Elsewhere • 13: in Europe, Victorian critics derided his • 14: immoral, tasteless dramas. The public • 15: loved every bit of it. Even with every • 16: zealot opposing his productions, Ibsen • 17: became a celebrity of a playwright and • 18: enjoyed great acclaim in his later years.

26. The Question • Which of the following would be most likely to oppose Ibsen's works?

27. The Choices • A) a "maverick" (line 9) • B) a "degenerate" (line 10) • C) the "public" (line 14) • D) a "zealot" (line 16) • E) a "playwright" (line 17)

28. Look at Examples • Take a look at the packet and try to identify the questions that are comprehension, analytical, vocab-in-context, or advanced analytical.

29. Two Passages • For this portion, each passage will come with information. You MUST read this information carefully. • Why? • Because you can get answers about the author’s intent and purpose. • After reading the information, go to the first question and begin answering.

30. Example • Passage 1: Believes that religion is the source of major conflicts in the world • Passage 2: Discusses the benefits of spirituality and religious life

31. 3 Major Questions • "How would the author of passage 2 likely respond to the author of passage 1 in his claim that "religion was the source of wars in the 17th century?" • If you know that passage 2 is pro-religion, then you will know to look for an answer that has that type of tone or direction.

32. 3 Types of Questions • "Which of the following is a view expressed by both passages?" • You are looking for a generalized idea that both authors would agree with based directly on the text.

33. 3 Types of Questions • "Which of the following is a difference between passage one and two?" • This is a classic contrast question. • You need to point out the key difference