olympia wrote:ThaBlackLord wrote:olympia wrote:ThaBlackLord wrote:
That’s what I’ve heard about RC, too, which is why I’m trying to perfect LG and LR. If I have to miss points, it better be in just RC (because it will be).
Glad I'm not the only one! I think most of my RC-bombing came from time management freaking me out. Here are some tips I've gather for RC strategies:
Reading Comp Strategies -
•Don’t read sentence if don’t yet fully understand previous sentence, esp in beginning of passage
•Make a prediction about what author’s main point is as you read, to help pay attention
•Once have figured out main point, only then can you skim, but not in the beginning of passage
•Don't get bogged down in trying to understand what the author is saying. Know where the author makes specific claims/arguments, but don't worry too much about understanding them up front. Track the viewpoints and where people agree/disagree. 7Sage approach (Memory Method) of pausing after each paragraph to note the conclusion of that paragraph, then after the passage, skim it and note the overall conclusion.
•Trap wrong answers are typically too strong. Once narrowed it down, going with the weaker answer (especially in inference questions) almost always pays off.
•When you're reading the passage, try to get to a point where you read the whole thing in 1:15-1:30 with 50-60% comprehension.
•If the first question about the passage is a "Main point" question, leave it for last. At that point you will have digested many different aspects of the entire passage via the other Qs
•When the questions direct you to a specific line (as most do), read the three lines above and below that selection to answer it.
•Try taking more time on the passage. Make sure you really understand the tone, logical structure and main point of the paragraph before moving on to the next one. If you want, scribble a 5-7 words next to the para to help you explain to you what the function of the paragraph is. Then, once you hit the questions, try to back-read as little as possible. Obviously don't do it if you have to re-read something, but try to force yourself to eliminate the first 2-3 answers based off your memory and then if you have to, go back and double check/skim to select the correct answer.
•Whenever there's a viewpoint changed, put a big > mark on the left side of the passage.
•slow down and read critically. You should be inquisitive about the passage as you read--for each sentence, you should be asking yourself "why does this matter?"