PassageBased Reading

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Passage-Based Reading
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Intro

• When you answer passage-based reading questions,
  how carefully you read and how well you
  understand the information in a passage is more
  important than how much you know about the
  subject. Like much of the reading youll be doing
  in college, the passages will present important
  issues, ideas, or events to think about.

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Types of Passages

• The passages are about 100 to 850 words long.
• Some selections are from a single source and
  others consist of a pair of related passages on a
  shared issue or theme. For each pair, one of the
  passages supports, opposes, or complements the
  others point of view.

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Types of Passages

• The passages cover subjects in the humanities,
  social studies, natural sciences, and literary
  fiction.
• The passages vary in style and tone. They include
  narrative, persuasive, expository, and or
  literary elements.
• As set of questions follows each passage or pair
  of related passages.

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General Approaches

• Mark the passages or make short notes.
• Highlight key information that relates to the
  main idea of the passage
• Dont mark too much
• Write a brief summary of what the paragraph was
  about in the margin (use a few words at most, NOT
  a full paragraph/sentences)

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General Approaches

• Use your knowledge and experience carefully.
• Dont let personal ideas or beliefs interfere
  with what the writer has stated is true.
• You must distinguish between what you think the
  writer should have said or what you would like
  the writer to believe, and what the writers
  words actually say or imply.

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General Approaches

• Read Actively
• You can not afford to zone out.
• You may find that asking yourself questions about
  the passage as you read will help you stay more
  engaged and absorb more info.
• Suggested questions to ask
• Is the passage a factual account of an event?
• What is the purpose of the passage?
• Is the writer trying to inform you, amuse you,
  or influence you?

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General Approaches

• If you are having a hard time with a passage,
  read the questions before you finish the passage.
  
• This will give you a sense of what to look for.
• Caution looking at the questions first, though,
  might be a waste of time if you dont know what
  the passage is about.
• Try both methods, reading the questions first and
  reading them after, when working through the
  practice questions.