How to effectively tackle Detail type questions in RC? Forum

[DGLitcH]

So I have gotten to a point in my RC prep that I am able to answer almost all Global questions (Main Point, Author's Attitude, Purpose etc) with ease. Unfortunately, in focusing on reading the passage as a whole and reading for the structure, I end up with a lot of problems with Detail questions (such as "According to the passage..." or "Which of the following is mentioned EXCEPT") that ask for specific things mentioned in the passage. This problem is even more profound in science passages where there are usually more Detail questions being asked in the passage.

Any idea what I can do to get better at this? People often say that you need be able to anticipate questions, but I am having trouble with anticipation for Detail questions. What kind of things should I look for?

[Knock]

So I have gotten to a point in my RC prep that I am able to answer almost all Global questions (Main Point, Author's Attitude, Purpose etc) with ease. Unfortunately, in focusing on reading the passage as a whole and reading for the structure, I end up with a lot of problems with Detail questions (such as "According to the passage..." or "Which of the following is mentioned EXCEPT") that ask for specific things mentioned in the passage. This problem is even more profound in science passages where there are usually more Detail questions being asked in the passage.

Any idea what I can do to get better at this? People often say that you need be able to anticipate questions, but I am having trouble with anticipation for Detail questions. What kind of things should I look for?

just try and remember where exactly in the passage they were discussing the detail, hopefully you can narrow it down to a paragraph or at least break the passage into 3rds and know which 3rd the detail is in; then re-read/skim until you get the information you need.

[DGLitcH]

hmm I guess I am focusing too hard on reading for structure. I often see on TLS that people say for RC read for structure and not for detail. I guess I have gotten too much to the other side that I am just skimming through the details and not paying much attention to them anymore.

When you guys read passages with a lot of details (and this happens a lot in science passages), do you read quickly skimming through the details without really understanding it or actually slow down and try and understand it?

[3|ink]

Unfortunately, details aren't always clumped together. This can prove troublesome. When they are clumped together, I use a circle to notate that (but that's my personal style)> I don't even bother to commit them to memory. When I hit such a question, I remember that I notated details in the passage and I refer to my circle to eliminate wrong answer choices. When you get a question like this, and details aren't clumped together in the passage, it usually means one of two things: 1) the details are the subject of one of the paragraphs or 2) the details is mentioned as an obscure example. This is why I always 1) write a one word summary of each paragraph next to it, and 2) notate those obscure details. I haven't quite invented a unique way to notate these details. However, I find that I'm more likely to remember those details when I get to the questions if I am actively looking for them while I'm reading.

[kazu]

I usually went back and looked for them, instead of relying on memory, because sometimes the wrong answer is wrong by a very tiny detail. I never skimmed through them though when reading the passage - just gave it the same attention I did everything else, so that when I went back to "confirm" I already knew where they would be.

[arewhyaen]

I too would just go back and look at them. Go back two sentences, read, and read a sentence or two after that. You'll eventually do this fast. But additionally, alot of detail-based questions involve arguments, distinctions, and anything in quotation marks located in the passage. So I'm always sure to look out for these and pay a little more attention to these things.

[nillumin]

I've noticed a lot more success in getting these kind of questions right since I started applying some of voyager's method.

Work on underlining/using notation to emphasize opinions/points you think may be critical later on.