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Hi all, so I'm having some trouble with RC, especially those that ask you about specific stuff from the text or which one is most supported by the author (or some random guy mentioned in the text). I usually finish reading each passage between 2:30 to 3 min with some marks on the structure, so I'm pretty confident on the main point/structure/attitude questions. But I consistently have trouble quickly locating information needed in solving "most supported" or "which not mentioned" or "most likely to agree" questions. I either panicked and couldn't locate exact information, or it took too much time and I ran out of time.
Does anyone have similar problems? How do you attack those questions effectively? I also need help on timing, it usually takes me 7ish minutes to finish a simple one, and very commonly 10is min for medium/harder ones. I either barely finish all questions on time (and kind of guessed the detail questions) or run out of time. I usually get anywhere from 4 to 10 (when I'm totally lost) wrong on the whole section.
Any advise would be really appreciated!

smilesmilesmile wrote:Hi all, so I'm having some trouble with RC, especially those that ask you about specific stuff from the text or which one is most supported by the author (or some random guy mentioned in the text). I usually finish reading each passage between 2:30 to 3 min with some marks on the structure, so I'm pretty confident on the main point/structure/attitude questions. But I consistently have trouble quickly locating information needed in solving "most supported" or "which not mentioned" or "most likely to agree" questions. I either panicked and couldn't locate exact information, or it took too much time and I ran out of time.
Does anyone have similar problems? How do you attack those questions effectively? I also need help on timing, it usually takes me 7ish minutes to finish a simple one, and very commonly 10is min for medium/harder ones. I either barely finish all questions on time (and kind of guessed the detail questions) or run out of time. I usually get anywhere from 4 to 10 (when I'm totally lost) wrong on the whole section.
Any advise would be really appreciated!

So it might sound counterintuitive considering you're struggling with timing, but don't be afraid to read the passage a little slower. Focus on absorbing the important pieces of information (perspectives, author attitude, structure). It's important to be aware of each major perspective that is presented on the issue (it's always anywhere from 1 to 3). If you can break up the passage by the perspectives, what their major beliefs are, and where to find the evidence for their claims, then you've got a pretty good handle on it.

The passages are often structurally set up in a way that corresponds to the perspectives - e.g. a common structure is: introduction to the issue, perspective A followed by evidence, perspective B followed by evidence, conclusion with closing statements, perhaps indicating the author's attitude. If you can understand the structure well on your first read-through, then detail oriented questions become a lot easier, because you'll know where to look to find your answer. No one's expecting you to memorize those details, after all - that would be impossible for 99.9% of people in the allotted time.

I always like to quickly pause after finishing each paragraph, to recap what I learned from that paragraph - this helps me digest the information and slowly build a picture of the structure in my mind. It also keeps the information from ever becoming overwhelming. Also, if you ever find yourself lost, go back a few sentences and make sure you can follow what's going on. It'll do you no good to try and power through a passage if you're missing key aspects of the argument.

The "most supported" questions relate to the major perspectives that I mentioned earlier. They often require you to go beyond the facts stated in the passage - you need to have a good understanding of what a certain speaker is arguing for in order to determine what they might agree with. So once again, focus on the perspectives. Hope that helps!

Blueprint Mithun wrote:

smilesmilesmile wrote:Hi all, so I'm having some trouble with RC, especially those that ask you about specific stuff from the text or which one is most supported by the author (or some random guy mentioned in the text). I usually finish reading each passage between 2:30 to 3 min with some marks on the structure, so I'm pretty confident on the main point/structure/attitude questions. But I consistently have trouble quickly locating information needed in solving "most supported" or "which not mentioned" or "most likely to agree" questions. I either panicked and couldn't locate exact information, or it took too much time and I ran out of time.
Does anyone have similar problems? How do you attack those questions effectively? I also need help on timing, it usually takes me 7ish minutes to finish a simple one, and very commonly 10is min for medium/harder ones. I either barely finish all questions on time (and kind of guessed the detail questions) or run out of time. I usually get anywhere from 4 to 10 (when I'm totally lost) wrong on the whole section.
Any advise would be really appreciated!

So it might sound counterintuitive considering you're struggling with timing, but don't be afraid to read the passage a little slower. Focus on absorbing the important pieces of information (perspectives, author attitude, structure). It's important to be aware of each major perspective that is presented on the issue (it's always anywhere from 1 to 3). If you can break up the passage by the perspectives, what their major beliefs are, and where to find the evidence for their claims, then you've got a pretty good handle on it.

The passages are often structurally set up in a way that corresponds to the perspectives - e.g. a common structure is: introduction to the issue, perspective A followed by evidence, perspective B followed by evidence, conclusion with closing statements, perhaps indicating the author's attitude. If you can understand the structure well on your first read-through, then detail oriented questions become a lot easier, because you'll know where to look to find your answer. No one's expecting you to memorize those details, after all - that would be impossible for 99.9% of people in the allotted time.

I always like to quickly pause after finishing each paragraph, to recap what I learned from that paragraph - this helps me digest the information and slowly build a picture of the structure in my mind. It also keeps the information from ever becoming overwhelming. Also, if you ever find yourself lost, go back a few sentences and make sure you can follow what's going on. It'll do you no good to try and power through a passage if you're missing key aspects of the argument.

The "most supported" questions relate to the major perspectives that I mentioned earlier. They often require you to go beyond the facts stated in the passage - you need to have a good understanding of what a certain speaker is arguing for in order to determine what they might agree with. So once again, focus on the perspectives. Hope that helps!

Thanks so much for the advice! I think it does make sense, cuz when I first started PT I often rushed through passages within 2min and made a ton of mistakes. After slowing down a little and trying to grasp the big idea when I'm reading helped me a least for the first few questions.
I'll try this method next time and hopefully it helps!