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SAT Reading Study Guide
Preface
The author recounts their initial struggles with SAT reading comprehension despite
having excelled in it during high school. After spending four years studying literature
in college, the author felt flummoxed by the SAT reading section.
Flummoxed: bewildered or perplexed.
The author emphasizes that teaching reading was initially difficult because putting
into words what came naturally was challenging. The author credits Laura Wilson for
teaching them about passage themes, answer choice patterns, and structures. They
realized the skills tested on the SAT were the same skills they honed in college,
particularly through French literary analysis, known as linear textual explication:
Linear textual explication: Close reading of a short excerpt of text, during
which the reader explains how the text functions rhetorically from
beginning to end - that is, just how structure, diction, and syntax work
together to produce meaning and convey a particular idea or point of view.
The author initially clung too rigidly to certain methods and didn't give students
enough room to find their own strategies. They realized many students struggled
with identifying the point of an argument. The author had to explain basic
contextual information that most adult readers took for granted while covering test-
taking strategies. The goal is to supply fundamentals while covering advanced skills.
The author notes that familiarity with a subject improves comprehension and reduces
the time and energy needed to understand a passage. Success in reading relies on
solid comprehension skills, contextual knowledge, and the right approach. The book
aims to provide a variety of approaches and strategies for different questions.
How to Use This Book
The guide provides a step-by-step approach to using the book effectively:
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1. Diagnostic Test: Take a full-length diagnostic test using the College Board's
released digital exams.
2. Identify Focus Areas: Identify error patterns using the question stems list and
focus on corresponding chapters.
3. Work Through Chapters: Work through relevant chapters based on error
concentration or work through all chapters in order if time allows.
4. Build a Bridge to the Test: Create a "bridge" between the book and the test by
practicing without time constraints, reviewing strategies, and writing notes.
5. Review Mistakes: Review every mistake to understand errors and avoid future
ones.
6. Repeat: Repeat the process until consistently scoring in the target range.
Question Stems by Category
The book categorizes questions by type, each with specific question stems to help
identify the focus of the question:
Category Question Stems
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and
Vocabulary precise word or phrase? As used in the text, what does the
word x most nearly mean?
Big Picture/Main Which choice best states the main idea of the text? Which
Idea choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
Literal According to/Based on the text, what is true about ... ?
Comprehension According to/Based on the text, why does x occur?
Which choice best states the primary purpose of the passage?
Function Which choice best states the function of the underlined
sentence in the text as a whole?
Text Completion Which choice most logically completes the text?
Which quotation from the text most effectively illustrates the
claim? Which statement would most directly support the
Support/Undermine
researchers' conclusion? Which statement would most directly
undermine/weaken the researchers' conclusion?
Which choice best describes data from the graph/ table that
Graphic
supports the researchers' claim?
Suggested Reading
The guide suggests a variety of sources for reading material:
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The New York Times (Science section)
Science Daily
Smithsonian Magazine
Scientific American
National Geographic
Newsweek
Time Magazine
The Atlantic Monthly
Wired
Arts & Letters Daily
It also recommends specific authors for fiction, science, and social science.
Overview of SAT Reading
The SAT Reading and Writing portion has two modules, each with 27 questions in 30
minutes. The test adapts based on performance in Module 1. Within each module,
the first 15 questions focus on Reading. The passages are short, ranging from 50 to
150 words, with a single question each, except for paired passages. Passages cover
four main categories:
Fiction
Humanities
Social Science
Natural Science
Science and Social Science passages may include graphs or charts.
What Does SAT Reading Test?
The SAT reading test assesses literal and argument comprehension. It tests the
ability to find factual information and understand how arguments are constructed.
Rhetorical Reading: Reading to understand an author's argument and the
rhetorical role of information in creating that argument.
It tests skills through various question types:
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Vocabulary: Using context clues and recognizing alternate meanings.
Literal Comprehension: Understanding straightforward meaning.
Big-Picture/Main Idea: Identifying the central point or overall structure.
Text Completion: Inferring logical conclusions.
Support/Undermine: Applying ideas to new situations.
Function/Purpose: Identifying the rhetorical role of information.
Paired Passage: Comparing texts with different viewpoints.
Graphic-Based: Interpreting information in graphs or tables.
Managing the Reading Test as a Whole
Efficient time management is crucial to avoid fatigue. The goal is to answer as many
questions correctly as possible within the time limit. You can answer the questions in
any order. Answer the questions you can answer quickly first to save energy for the
difficult questions.
The Answer Isn't Always in the Passage
The information needed to answer questions is always in the passage, but not
necessarily the answer itself. The SAT tests the ability to draw relationships between
specific wordings and general ideas. Correct answers usually rephrase ideas
discussed in the passage using synonyms.
Understanding Answer Choices
Incorrect answers often describe a situation that could be true but isn't explicitly
stated in the passage. Incorrect answers typically fall into the following categories:
Off-topic
Too broad
Too extreme
Half-right, half-wrong
Could be true but not enough information
True for the passage as a whole, but not for the specific lines in question
Factually true but not stated in the passage
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Strategies for Reading Passages
Always start by reading the question to focus on the relevant aspect of the passage.
Focus on getting the gist of the information needed to answer the question. Avoid
spending time puzzling over details and repeatedly rereading sections you don't
immediately grasp.
How to Work Through Reading Questions
The general strategy for working through reading questions:
1. Read the question slowly: Understand exactly what the question is asking.
2. Find the relevant section: Go back to the passage and read the relevant
section.
3. Answer in your own words: Jot down the answer in your own words.
4. Read the answers carefully: Read answers (A) through (D) in order.
5. Eliminate wrong options: Start by eliminating clearly wrong options.
6. If still stuck: See if there's a choice that looks like a right answer.
7. Skip or guess: If still stuck, skip it or guess.
Notes About Computer-Based Testing
Avoid working too quickly or feeling overly confident on the computer-based SAT. Be
extra careful to avoid careless errors during the first Reading/Writing module.
Practice reading more slowly and deliberately to counteract the tendency to skim.
General Tips for Reading Prep
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Start reading materials written for educated adults, such as Smithsonian
Magazine and Science Daily.
Actively practice skills: circle/underline the point, major transitions, and tone
words.
Outside knowledge matters: the more you know about the world, the easier it
will be to understand what you're reading.
Read exactly what's on the screen, in order, from left to right.
Pay attention to what the author is telling you to pay attention to: italics,
words/phrases like "important" or "the point is."
Be as literal as possible.
Vocabulary in Context
Vocabulary-in-context questions require you to use clues in the passage to determine
word meanings. There are two main types of vocabulary questions on the digital
SAT:
1. Sentence Completions: Fill in the blank in a short passage with the most fitting
option.
2. Meaning in Context: Recognize when common words are used in alternate
definitions.
Do You Really Need to Study Vocabulary?
Familiarity with terms in advanced high school-level academic texts is expected. If
you are not familiar with the terms, make a running list of vocabulary words that you
do not know and study them. A strong vocabulary will help you on the Reading and
Writing test as a whole.
How to Work Through Sentence Completions
Work carefully and systematically through sentence completions:
1. Read the entire passage: Identify key words or phrases.
2. Plug in your own words: Fill in the blank with your own words and check if one
of the answer choices is similar.
3. Play positive/negative: Determine if the word in question is positive or
negative.
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Using Context Clues to Predict Meanings
Look for the presence of transition words, which indicate logical relationships
between parts of the sentence. Transitions fall into three basic categories:
1. Continuers: Indicate an idea is continuing in the direction it began.
2. Cause-and-Effect Words: Indicate that something is causing a particular result
or explain why something is occurring.
3. Contradictors: Indicate that a sentence is shifting directions, or that contrasting
information is being introduced.
Parallel Structure
Parallel structure refers to the fact that the constructions on either side of a transition
(e.g., and, but) or word pair (e.g., not only ... but also) must match.
Two Negatives Equal a Positive
Distinguish between the "charge" of the individual words and the opposite meaning
they create when put together. For example, "less detrimental" means "more
beneficial."
Roots Can Help You (to a Point)
Familiarity with roots will allow you to make educated guesses about the meanings
of words and to quickly identify answers likely to be correct and/ or incorrect.
Watch Out for Second Meanings
Fill-in-the-blank questions may test alternate usages. If you see an extremely simple,
common, and obviously wrong word among the answer choices, think twice before
eliminating it.
Exercise: Sentence Completions
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1. In Ancient Egyptian art, human figures are presented in a rigid and ____
manner. In contrast, animals are often very well-observed and lifelike.
Key words: "rigid", "in contrast"
Definition: Something that goes along with rigid
(+/-): Negative
Answer: Artificial
2. Female hyenas remain within their clan and inherit their mother's rank. As a
result, sisters must compete with one another to obtain a ____ position in the
hierarchy.
Key words: "compete", "hierarchy"
Definition: a good place to be
(+/-): Positive
Answer: Dominant
3. Because music plays an essential role in facilitating social functions and is more
effective than speech at improving people's moods, researchers are beginning
to question whether it truly is as ____ as they once believed. In fact, they
believe it may have evolved to promote societal cohesion.
Key words: "social functions", "improving people's moods", "In fact",
"evolved to promote societal cohesion"
Definition: Important
(+/-): Negative
Answer: Frivolous
4. The camera obscura- a darkened room with a small hole or lens through which
an image is projected- was perhaps the earliest known imaging device. First
referred to in a fourth-century Chinese text known as Mozi, it was ____ of the
modern-day photographic camera.
Key words: "earliest known imaging device", "modern-day photographic
camera"
Definition: Something that came before
(+/-): Postitive
Answer: a forerunner
5. For centuries, ____ have questioned the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. In
total, no fewer than fifty alternative candidates, including Francis Bacon, Queen
Elizabeth I, and Christopher Marlowe, have been proposed as the true writer.
Key words: "questioned the authorship", "alternative candidates"
Definition: Someone who questions something
(+/-): Negative
Answer: skeptics
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6. All of the factors that allowed the Great Barrier Reef to ____ are changing at
unprecedented rates. Over the next several decades, marine biologists believe,
it is likely to decline below a crucial threshold from which it is impossible to
recover.
Key words: "decline below a crucial threshold from which it is impossible
to recover"
Definition: Something that lets the Great Barrier Reef be health and
vibrant
(+/-): Positive
Answer: flourish
7. Although traditional historians and historical filmmakers differ in their choice of
medium, the most respected ones share a scrupulous regard for facts and the
rules of evidence that ____ their acceptability.
Key words: "respected", "scrupulous regard for facts and the rules of
evidence"
Definition: Something that is scrupulous
(+/-): Positive
Answer: dictate
8. In the past, psychologists dismissed fiction as a way of understanding human
emotions. In more recent times, however, they have developed a new ____ for
the insights that stories can provide into human behavior.
Key words: "dismissed", "In more recent times", "insights", "human
behavior"
Definition: Opposite of dismiss
(+/-): Positive
Answer: appreciation
9. Okakura Kakuzo is credited with the revival of Nihonga, painting done with
traditional Japanese techniques, at a time when Western-style painting was
threatening to ____ it. When, in 1897, it became clear that European methods
were to be given prominence at the Tokyo Academy of Fine Arts, he resigned
his directorship and shortly after helped found the Japanese National Arts
Academy.
Key words: "revival", "threatening"
Definition: To do away with something
(+/-): Negative
Answer: supplant
10. Like many of the surgeons general before her, Joycelyn Elders became an
outspoken advocate for a variety of controversial health issues. As a result, she
quickly established a reputation for being ____.
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Key words: "outspoken advocate", "controversial"
Definition: Advocate
(+/-): Positive
Answer: a polemicist
11. Chicago epitomized the remarkable ____ of urbanization during the nineteenth
century. The city expanded from several hundred residents in 1830 to nearly
two million just eighty years later.
Key words: "nineteenth century", "expanded from several hundred
residents in 1830 to nearly two million just eighty years later"
Definition: How fast the city grew
(+/-): Positive
Answer: velocity
12. Lynn Margulis's revolutionary theory of eukaryotic cell development was
initially met with almost unanimous ____ because it built upon ideas that had
largely been discredited. In fact, her groundbreaking 1967 paper, "On the Origin
of Mitosing Cells," was published only after being rejected by fifteen journals.
Key words: "initially met", "almost unanimous", "discredited", "rejected"
Definition: Opposite of good. The way scientists acted towards her
(+/-): Negative
Answer: scorn
13. Proponents of the Arts and Crafts movement claimed that its simple but refined
aesthetics would ____ the new experience of industrial consumerism.
Individuals would become more rational and society more harmonious.
Key words: "Arts and Crafts movement", "simple but refined", "industrial
consumerism"
Definition: To do away with something
(+/-): Positive
Answer: elevate
14. The whale is a remarkably ____ navigator, migrating thousands of miles each
year without a compass and always arriving in precisely the same spot.
Key words: "migrating thousands of miles", "without a compass", "arriving
in precisely the same spot"
Definition: good at navigating
(+/-): Positive
Answer: adept
15. At its peak, roughly corresponding to the Middle Ages, Constantinople was one
of the largest and most influential cities in the world. It ____ a powerful cultural
pull and dominated economic life throughout the Mediterranean basin.
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Key words: "largest", "most influential", "dominated economic life"
Definition:
(+/-): Positive
Answer: exerted
How to Work Through Meaning-in-Context Questions
Context determines meaning. Words can be used to mean whatever an author wants
them to mean. A familiarity with common second meanings may be helpful. The
strategies for working through meaning-in-context questions:
1. Read the entire passage: Identify key words.
2. Focus on what is truly important.
Alright, here are the study guide notes based on the provided lecture transcript:
Vocabulary-in-Context Strategies
Here are some effective strategies for tackling vocabulary-in-context questions:
1. Provide Your Own Word:
How: Ignore the answer choices and come up with your own synonym for
the word in question. Find the answer choice that matches your synonym.
Benefit: Simple and fast way to answer questions.
Potential Issue: The correct answer might be a word you find odd or don't
immediately recognize as a synonym.
2. Plug Each Answer Choice In:
How: Try each answer choice in the sentence and see which one sounds
correct and fits the meaning in context.
Benefit: You can often "hear" if a choice doesn't sound right.
Potential Issue: The correct word might not be one you would typically
use.
3. Play Positive/Negative, Then Plug In:
How: Determine whether the word in question should have a positive or
negative connotation based on the context of the sentence. Eliminate
answer choices that don't fit that connotation, then plug in the remaining
options.
Benefit: Can eliminate at least one answer choice.
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Additional Points to Remember
Flexibility: Some questions lend themselves better to certain approaches. Use
the most effective strategy for each question.
Context Clues: Pay attention to clues that indicate similar or opposite
meanings:
"and": Indicates similar meaning (e.g., "quiet and reserved").
"but": Indicates opposite meaning (e.g., "delicate but sound").
Larger Context: If you can't determine the meaning from the immediate
sentence, read the sentence above and below for more context.
Focus on What You Know: Don't get distracted by unfamiliar words in the
answer choices. Identify the right answer based on the words you do know. The
College Board often uses difficult words as distractors.
Sophistication Trap: Don't choose an answer just because it sounds
sophisticated. Simple answers are often correct.
Examples of "Meaning in Context"
Example #1
Passage Snippet: "Every time a car drives through a major intersection, it
becomes a data point. Magnetic coils of wire lie just beneath the pavement,
registering each passing car."
Question: What does "registering" mean?
Correct Answer: recording
Example #2
Passage Snippet: "Until the past few years, physicists agreed that... we were
closing in on a vision of our universe in which everything could be calculated,
predicted, and understood."
Question: What does "closing in on" mean?
Correct Answer: approaching
Example #3
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Passage Snippet: "And there was something in the simplicity of the sport... that
stirred the community to yells and often tears."
Question: What does "stirred" mean?
Correct Answer: inspired
Practice Problems
Here are some practice problems from the lecture:
1. Passage Snippet: Neuroscientists and humanists are tackling similar questions
—by joining forces, they might vastly ______ our understanding of the role that
narrative plays in human cognition.
Question: What does "refine" mean?
Correct Answer: improve
2. Passage Snippet: Estimates of an individual's chances of developing a
particular malady are more ______ by environmental factors than is usually
recognized.
Question: What does "confounded" mean?
Correct Answer: influenced
3. Passage Snippet: Contagious yawning activates the same part of the brain that
______ empathy and social know-how.
Question: What does "governs" mean?
Correct Answer: controls
4. Passage Snippet: watched to ______ his impressions in his countenance.
Question: What does "catch" mean?
Correct Answer: observe
5. Passage Snippet: Shall run their fiery courses and then ______ the haven of the
darkness whence they came
Question: What does "claim" mean?
Correct Answer: return to
6. Passage Snippet: As a painter, Georgia O'Keeffe is so closely ______ to the
American Southwest that it is hard to imagine her anywhere but the desert.
Question: What does "tied to" mean?
Correct Answer: associated with
Academic Vocabulary
Here's a table of key academic vocabulary from the lecture, organized by category:
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Category Terms
Astronomy, Botany, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Ecology,
Branches of Science Entomology, Genetics, Geology, Ornithology, Paleontology,
Zoology
Advantageous, Charge, Control group, Empirical, Hierarchy,
Key Science-
Isotope, Indigenous, Inhibit, Innovative, Metabolism, Microbial,
Related Terms
Pigment, Predisposed, Regenerate, Replicate, Saturate
Branches of Social
Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Ethnography, Folklore,
Science and
Sociology
Humanities
Judicial, Adept, Marginal, Adversary, Mitigate, Preliminary,
General Vocabulary Prevail, Authentic, Centrality, Reciprocate, Comprehensive,
Contingent, Displace, Disposition, ideology, Indigenous
Words That Look Critic/Criticism, Discern/Discerning, Ingenious, Ingenuous,
Negative But Aren't Innocuous, Unassuming, Unqualified
Common Second Meanings
Here are some common words with less obvious meanings, as discussed in the
lecture:
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Word Second Meaning
Afford Grant (e.g., an opportunity)
Appreciate To take into account, recognize the merits of, OR to increase in value
Assume To take on responsibility for, acquire (e.g., to assume a new position)
Financial policy to reduce excess spending on luxury or non-essential
Austerity
items
To pester or annoy (e.g., reporters repeatedly badgered the candidate
Badger
after the scandal broke)
Bent Liking for. Synonym for penchant, predilection, proclivity
Capacity Ability to do something easily (e.g., a facility for learning languages)
Chance To attempt
Channel To direct something (e.g., energy, money) toward a specific purpose
To restrain, control, or reduce (e.g., the vaccine checked the spread of
Check
the disease)
Coin To invent (e.g., coin a phrase)
Compromise To endanger or make vulnerable (e.g., to compromise one's beliefs)
Constitution Build (e.g., a football player has a solid constitution)
Conviction Certainty, determination. Noun form of convinced.
Foil v. To put a stop to (e.g., to foil a robbery)
Grave/Gravity Serious(ness)
Provoke Elicit (e.g., a reaction)
Realize To achieve (a goal)
Making the Leap: Pronouns and Compression
Nouns
Understanding Pronouns
Purpose: To avoid repetition and make writing smoother.
Challenge: You must be able to connect pronouns to their referents.
Strategy: Look back in the passage to find the noun the pronoun is replacing.
Abstract Nouns (Compression Nouns)
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Definition: Nouns that refer to ideas rather than physical objects (e.g., "idea,"
"assertion," "concept").
Purpose: To compress a lot of information into a single word.
Challenge: Recognizing the relationship between abstract nouns and the ideas
they represent.
Strategy: Back up in the passage to find the specific occurrence the noun refers
to.
Examples of Pronoun Usage
Example #1: "In a step toward creating robots capable of spontaneous learning,
a new approach... it could cut learning time..." (It refers to a new approach)
Example #2: "The distance between the Earth and the sun varies... At its
closest approach... sunlight on Earth is about 7% more intense..." (Its refers to
Earth, it refers to sunlight)
Example #3: "Many Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems... make use of neural
networks... In neuroscience, they are often used to model..." (They refers to
neural networks)
Examples of Compression Noun Usage
Example #1: "The Internet has made us all less dependent on professional
journalists... But this enhanced convenience comes with a considerable risk..."
(This enhanced convenience refers to the Internet making people's lives much
easier in obtaining information.)
Example #2: "The mitochondrial DNA turned up genetic signatures distinct
enough to signal a separate species, and likewise, differences in the dolphins'
skulls supported this divergence." (This divergence refers to humpback
dolphins being sufficiently different genetically from other dolphins to be
considered a separate species.)
"The Former" and "The Latter"
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Definition:
"The former" refers to the first item in a list of two.
"The latter" refers to the second item in a list of two.
Example: "In the nineteenth century, both Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla
were well-known scientists, but the former quickly came to be regarded as one
of the greatest American inventors, while the latter fell into obscurity." (Former
= Edison, Latter = Tesla)
Practice Problems
Practice identifying the referents of pronouns and compression nouns in the
provided passages.
The Big Picture: Identifying Main Ideas and
Purpose
Identifying the Topic
Definition: The person, thing, or idea that is the primary subject or focus of the
passage.
Location: Generally in the first sentence or shortly after.
Why It's Crucial: Correct answer choices to main idea questions will refer to
the topic.
Determining the Point
Definition: The primary idea that the author wants to convey.
How To Find It:
Look for direct statements of the point (often in the first or last sentences).
Pay attention to words or phrases that indicate the author is making a
point (e.g., "the point is," "important," "significant").
Look for dashes and colons, which signal explanations.
Write down the main point yourself on your scratch paper.
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Distinguishing Between Describing Content and
Summarizing an Argument
Describing Content: Recounting information without distinguishing between
main points and supporting evidence.
Summarizing an Argument: Identifying the essential point the author wants to
convey and eliminating unnecessary detail.
The "Old Idea" vs. "New Idea" Template
Definition: "People used to believe x, but now they believe y."
Location: The "new idea" is almost always the point of the passage.
Key Signal Words and Phrases
Old Idea: "Some/Many/Most people believe...", "It is commonly thought that...",
"In the past..."
New Idea: "However...", "But in fact...", "It now seems clear...", "New research
shows..." Alright, here are some notes from the lecture transcript.
Knotweed: An Intractable Plant
Identifying Knotweed
Knotweed is exceptionally difficult to eradicate permanently. It was among the
earliest plants extracting the land itself, meaning that even if the land it grows on is
removed, it can regenerate.
Knotweed Regeneration
Knotweed can regenerate from minuscule fragments, even after as long as twenty
years.
One study showed knotweed could regrow from a root fragment
weighing just 0.3g, about as much as a pinch of salt.
Compared to other plants, knotweed takes much longer to reach its full size.
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Literary Analysis & Comprehension
Literal Comprehension Questions
Literal comprehension questions require you to identify what a passage states or
indicates. They test your ability to recognize paraphrased versions of ideas, often
containing synonyms for key words in the passage.
Question Types
These questions can be phrased as:
"According to the text, what is true about character X?"
"According to the text, why was the team's discovery significant?"
"Based on the text, how does character X respond?"
Strategy
Understand the ideas well enough to recognize accurate summaries.
Look for synonyms for key words in the passage.
Treat these questions as a sort of matching game.
Reading for Function
Understanding Function Questions
Function questions ask not what the lines say, but why they say it. Understanding
content alone is not enough to understand function.
Types of Function Questions
Questions about individual sentences or portions of a sentence.
Questions about passages as a whole.
Question Examples
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"The primary purpose of the passage is to..."
"Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence?"
"The underlined portion primarily serves to..."
Answering Strategies
1. Specific Wording: Some questions can be answered by looking at the specific
wording in the lines provided, which may contain key phrasing, punctuation, or
transitions.
2. Contextual Information: Some questions depend on contextual information
located before or after the referenced portion.
Tip: If the underlined section is near the beginning of the passage, start reading from
the beginning. If it's in the middle, back up a sentence or two.
Importance of Relationships Between Ideas
Questions are frequently based on places in a passage where ideas come into
contact, such as where new information is introduced or where there is a change in
focus.
Functions of Key Words and Punctuation
Category Keywords/Punctuation Function
Additionally, Also, And, As well as, Furthermore, In Continue,
Continuers
addition, Moreover Speculate
(Al)though, But, Despite, However, In contrast, Instead,
Contradictors Nevertheless, On the contrary, Otherwise, Rather, Still, Contrast
Whereas, Yet
Call attention
Underscore, Highlight Emphasize
to
Explain Because Explanation
Compare Just as, Like(wise), Much as, Similarly Compare
Qualify Dashes, Parentheses Qualify
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Main Point vs. Primary Purpose
Main Point: The primary argument the author is making, usually stated directly
in the passage.
Primary Purpose: The rhetorical goal of the passage as a whole (e.g., explain,
emphasize, describe).
Positive and Negative Function Words
One way to approach function questions is to play positive/negative. Positive
passages or portions of passages typically have positive answers, while negative
passages and portions of passages typically have negative ones.
Text Completions: Completing the Thought
Understanding Text Completion Questions
Text completions are short passages that present a theory or argument and ask you
to identify the statement that logically completes the text.
Strategy
1. Carefully read the claim or theory in question.
2. Restate it in your own words.
3. Work out the implications, sticking as close to the passage as possible.
4. Look for the answer that matches.
Supporting & Undermining Claims
Illustrating a Claim
"Support" and "undermine" questions belong to the same inference family as text
completions but require you to go a step further.
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Rather than just ask you to identify a logical conclusion, they ask you to move
beyond a stated hypothesis or conclusion and identify a statement that would either
support or weaken it.
"Illustrate" questions are a straightforward type of "support" question, which asks
you to identify the statement that best illustrates a main idea.
Supporting a Claim
"Support" questions are similar to "illustrate" ones, but they are more likely to
accompany science or social science passages and involve logical arguments rather
than works of literature.
Undermining a Claim
"Undermine" or "weaken" questions are based on the same logic and involve the
same process as "support" questions - they just go in the opposite direction, asking
you to identify the statement most inconsistent with a given theory or conclusion.
Graphs and Charts
Graph- and chart-based questions come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and layouts,
and range from simple and straightforward to seemingly very complex.
While they tend to involve scientific topics, you are likely to encounter some social
science ones as well. They may also overlap with other question types, for example
doubling as text completions or support/ undermine questions.
Here are some tips to keep in mind for answering graph and chart questions:
You are not expected to have any prior knowledge of the topics.
Many answers can be identified based strictly on the wording of the question
and the answer choices - it is unnecessary to look at the graphic at all.
Always begin by carefully reading the passage - usually the last sentence - and
the question because these places tell you what theory, claim, or conclusion to
focus on.
Paired Passages
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While the digital SAT will consist primarily of single short passages accompanied by
one question, it will also contain a set of short paired passages ("Text 1" and "Text
2") that present alternate viewpoints or information about the same topic. These
passages will be accompanied by a question asking about the relationship between
them.
How to Answer Paired-Passage Questions
1. Read Text 1: identify main point.
2. Read Text 2: identify main point.
3. Write the relationship.
4. Answer the question in your own words.
5. Look at the choices, and pick the one closest to your answer.
It is important to determine the relationship between the passages upfront because
the question will always test your understanding of that connection, typically asking
you what the author of one passage would "say about" or "respond to" an idea in the
other.
Paired Passages Tips
Here is a table that summarizes tips to keep in mind for answering paired-passage
questions:
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Created by Turbolearn AI
Category Tip
The most common relationship between the passages is
Relationship
disagreement.
You must be able to distinguish between aspects of the topic on
which the two opinions overlap and those where they differ.
Overlap
Correct answers can involve areas of both agreement and
disagreement.
Answers to paired-passage questions may depend on an easily
Details
overlooked detail in one or both passages.
If you are not aiming for a very high score and struggle
disproportionately with this question type, you should plan to skip
Difficulty
it initially and only return after you have answered everything that
you can answer easily.
[Link]
={
tex: {
inlineMath: [['$', '$'], ['\\(', '\\)']],
displayMath: [['$$', '$$'], ['\\[', '\\]']]
}
};
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