HOW TO DESTROY READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES BY RHYME There is a magic bullet for RC passages. What? There's a magic bullet?

Surely you lie rhyme! I do not. Here it is Don't read the passage. Suprised? It !or"s. The primary purpose of the RC passages are not to test your "no!ledge of grammar or theories or anything li"e that # they test your ability to R$T%I& I&'(R)%TI(&. *roblem is+ you',e got a fe! minutes to read a passage on some of the most boring crap e,er+ and you someho! ha,e to remember it? It can't be done. So+ ho! do you beat the RC do!n to it's "nees and "ic" it in the groin? Yo on!" read parts o# $t. -ets try this !ith a long passage attached. %DONT READ IT YET&&' (h good god+ thats atrociously long! So !hat do you do? Step () Read the #$rst paragraph and re*r$te the +e" po$nts. Re*r$te $n "o r o*n *ords. Step ,) Read the #$rst senten-e o# ea-h s .se/ ent paragraph. Re*r$te $n "o r o*n *ords. Step ,a) S0IM the paragraph !oo+$ng #or +e" *ords 1 na2es3 dates3 +e" *ords. Wr$te these do*n nderneath the +e" senten-e "o *rote #or ea-h paragraph. Step 4) Ans*er the / est$ons. &(W TR. THIS (& TH$ %TT%CH$/ *%SS%0$ 1$'(R$ .(2 R$%/ ). &(T$S 1$-(W What did your notes loo" li"e? )y notes might loo" something li"e this

Black Death severe epidemic, ravaged 14th cent Europe. Intrigured scholars since Gasquet 189 stud!. Gasquet contends epidemic intensi"ied political # religious upheaval that ended middle ages. $ater, %oulton agreed &ut oddl! attri&uted a good thing to the BD ' propersit! as a result o" less competition "or "ood, shelter and crap. 19 (s, Evgen! )osminks! claimed epedemic as not a ke! pla!er. *orld *ar, +ar,ist, "edualism -ole o" BD also challenged in other .a!. /.igg, 0her.&urr!, trade ship, havoc, &u&onic, nile, 1911

2lthough /.igg cites conditions needed "or BD, he ignores too much and is "ault! in his logic. 0peculation, "ault, trade ship, rodents, animals, europe ..........................

&o! I',e boiled the entire thing do!n to a fe! sentences. Try re#reading the first sentences no! if you are confused about the point of the passage. Whats the passage saying? /1 !as bad+ lots of people ha,e studied it+ one guy argues it helped end the middle ages+ some other guy said it helped foster prosperity+ someone else argued against that+ some other guys cahllenged it too+ some guy named T!ig is !rong. ("+ so the authors tal"ing about the /1+ and specifically some different theories about it. &o problem. What happens though !hen you get the 3uestion 4Which of the follo!ing statements is most compatible !ith 5osmin"sy's approach to history as it is presented in the passage?4 $asy. 'ind 5osmins"y in your notes. (h+ there he is+ in the second paragraph. ("+ no! go loo" bac" at the second paragraph. 'ind his name. Read (&$ sentence around his name. If you don't see the ans!er+ read TW( sentences. If it's not in either of those sentences+ see if his name comes up some!here else in the passage. The ans!ers to the specific 3uestions become R$%--. R$%--. $%S. if you use this method. Why? The 0)%T -(6$S to test your ability to remember the impossible. What are the ans!er choices for this 3uestion? 7uote 8a9 The middle ages !ere ended primarily by the religious and political uphea,al in fourteen century europe 8b9 The economic conse3uences of the 1/ included increased competition for food+ shelter and !or". 8c9 $uropean history cannot be studied in isolation from that of hte rest of hte !orld 8d9 The number of deaths in the fourtheenth century has been e:aggerated 8e9 The significance of the blac" death is best e:plained !ithin the conte:t of e,ol,ing economic systems.

/o you see the 0)%T's trap? They do this %-- the time !ith specific 3uestions li"e this one. 4(((H ((H I R$)$)1$R R$%/I&0 %1(2T H(W TH$ )I//-$ %0$S W$R$ $&/$/ 1. R$-I0I(2S 2*H$%6%-... I-- *IC5 TH%T.4 (r+ maybe you don't remember that and you pic" 1 becuase IT -((5S '%)I-I%R %&/ .(2 R$)$)1$R IT. Ho! many names came up in this passage? % half do;en? $,gency+ Coulton+ 0as3uet+ T!igg+ Shre!sbury! The gmat is trying to tric" you to do one of t!o things # either 8%9 pic" based on !hat you remember or 819 !orse+ ma"e you go bac" and re#read half the (ops passage.

.ou !ill do neither of these. &o!+ go bac" and read only t!o sentences around the !ord $,geny 5osmins"y. /o you see the ans!er? There's only one possible ans!er that e,en C()$S C-(S$. -ets say you ha,e no 'RIC5I&0 C-2$ !hat the hell 5osmins"y is trying to say+ e,en if you H%6$ &( (ops C-2$+ there's only one option that has a ,ery similar !ord to those t!o sentences. 4economic4 and 4economically4. Ho! easy did that become? &o! !hat if they as"ed you a general 3uestion? 7uote The passage is primarily concerned !ith %9 /emonstrating the relationship !ith the bubonic plague and the blac" death 19 Interpreting historical and scientific !or"s on the blac" death C9 $mploying the blac" death as a case study of disease transmission in medie,al $urope /9 *resenting aspects of past and current debate on teh historical importance of the blac" death e9 %naly;ing differences bet!een capitalist and mar:ist interpretations of the historical signficance of the blac" death

&o !<8=!8>< problem. Remember ho! you bro"e do!n the passage in to a fe! sentences? What did it say? /id you !rite bubonic plague any!here? &o+ not in any of your "ey sentences. $liminate %. Is there any mention of case studies any!here? &o not really+ so eliminate C. /id you !rite do!n anything about capitalists? &o+ eliminate $. ("+ so you are do!n to 1 and /. -oo" bac" at your sentences # is the author interpreting things for you or ?ust telling you that there are different ,ie!s? In other !ords+ is he interpreting or presenting? He's presenting. %ns!er is /. /id you get both these 3uestions right? Hopefully you did. /id you notice ho! you ne,er actually read the !<8>!8< passage?. Cool eh? I really hope that made some sense. In my mind+ this is the fullproof !ay of /$STR(.I&0 the RC on the 0)%T. .ou can obliterate it if you ta"e the time to do this stuff. (h and don't forget+ its much faster to read t!el,e sentences than to read @A. Someone pointed out a stic"ied ,erbal thread called 42Seful ,erbal documents4 or something li"e that. In there+ it says this about RC 7uote Try to read the !hole te:t of the passage once+ if possible. )any people thin" you should ?ust s"im the passage or read the first lines of e,ery paragraph+ and not to read the passage. We belie,e this is an error if you misunderstand the main idea of the passage+ you !ill certainly get at least some of the 3uestions !rong. 0i,e the passage one good read+ ta"ing no more than B minutes to read all of the te:t. /o not read the passage more than once CDE that !astes too much time. If you ha,e not understood it completely+ try to ans!er the

3uestions any!ay.

% fe! comments. 'irst+ I'm not ad,ocating you s"im the passage. I'm ad,ocating you read the entire first paragraph and the first sentence of each subse3uent one+ and then s"im. What I find shoc"ing in the ad,ice abo,e are t!o things F9 4If you don't the main idea of the passage you !ill certainly get at least some of the 3uestions !rong.4 &ot necessarily. This is only true if you get a bunch of general 3uestions+ but you are $72%--. li"ely to get a bunch of specific 3uestions # !here your understanding of the !hole passage is not important. G9 4/o not read the passage more than once CDE that !astes too much time. If you ha,e not understood it completely+ try to ans!er the 3uestions any!ay.4 0ood -ord. Who came up !ith this strategy? Read the !hole thing once+ if you don't understand it+ try any!ay! .ou !ant to tal" about a sure fire !ay of &(T getting things right? Thin" about it... the !hole *(I&T of RC is to test your ability to retain information+ the !hole *(I&T of the 3uestions is to try and force you to go bac" multiple times and re#read sections again and again. %ccording to the strategy posted in the !ord doc in that thread+ you should ?ust read it once and then 4do your best4? Sorry+ but this has got to be some of the !orst ad,ice I could imagine. Reading the !hole passage once !ill do a fe! things 8F9 It !ill ta"e more time than my method+ %&/ you !on't ha,e any notes at the end! 8G9 .ou !ill 02%R%&T$$ confusion. There is a reason the 0)%T pic"s dry scientific passages and not passages from some Tom Clancy no,el. 8$,en though those suc" too9. It's because they are *%C5$/ !ith information+ often T$RTI%R. information # it's meant to be hard to digest this stuff. (n top of it+ they suggest B minutes to read %&/ understand the te:t? The ad,ice they gi,e sounds familiar. It sounds li"e 5aplan. Read the !hole thing! Then ta"e notes! Then ans!er 3uestions! H%. 02.H+ ITS @I )I&2T$S .(2 5&(W? It's cra;y ad,ice. Theres one more thing I !ant to say about RC. .ou "no! those 3uestions about 4The author infers.....4 or 4It can be inferred....4 ?

(&$ )(R$ *R%CTIC$ RC WITH RH.)$

We'll do one more together.

I'll time myself and try to !rite do!n details of !hat I read and did not read. It's atta-hed at the .otto2. 'irst paragraph Time ta"en to read and ta"e notes F minute GA seconds )y notes 0olar ponds circulation incomplete 3 high salt concentration that increase .# depth. /his traps heat. $o. .ater traps heat, higher .ater insulate. 4eat thus retained at depth. Second paragraph Time ta"en to read first sentence and paraphrase G@ seconds. )y notes 2rti"icial pond made in dead sea to test its a&ilit! to convert heat to electricit!. Second paragraph S5I))I&0 Time ta"en to S5I) and !rite do!n "ey !ords F@ seconds. )y notes .ater. solar ponds, chemicals, penetration, algae 8&(T$ ho! 3uic"ly that !as done. S5I) S5I) S5I)9 Third paragraph Time ta"en to read first sentence and paraphrase J seconds. )y notes 2lgicide proposed to control algea. Third paragraph S5I))I&0 FK seconds. )y &otes Dead sea, chemcials, lucrative, tourist, contaminated. 'ourth paragraph first sentence FI seconds. )y notes -ecent e,p more promising "or controlling algea 'ourth paragraph s"im GL seconds. )y notes repress, distortion, &ou!anc!, storage la!er, destro!ed , evaporation, diluted, algea. Total time ta"en 4 MIN5TES ,6 SECONDS Thats pretty decent+ maybe e,en a bit slo! # but notice ho! 3uic"ly I ate up the remaining paragraphs. I s"immed paragraphs B and L in under a minute.... Its not about R$%/I&0 the paragraphs. Must s"imming. .ou may ha,e noticed that my s"im notes are out of order # !ords that come later are first... the reason this is the case is because I let my eyes see a !ord+ !rite it do!n+ if it then sees another !ord that I didnt see+ e,en if its before+ i !rite it do!n. I "no! that finding the !ord again !ill ta"e me a fe! seconds # if you can !rite them in order+ all the better. I found that I can be much faster if I

?ust glance and !rite # e,en if its out of order. Ho! did I do it so fast? I ha,e not read a single sentence 8other than the first sentence9 in paragraph G+B or L. I ha,e no idea !hat details are in there # but I do "no! !hat they generally tal" about 1$C%2S$ I WR(T$ /(W& TH$ 'IRST S$&T$&C$+ WHICH %-W%.S I&TR(/2C$S TH$ *%R%0R%*H'S T(*IC. That's all I need to "no! to ans!er a 3uestion li"e 4What is the author primarily concerned !ith?4 Well+ !ithout e,en loo"ing at ans!er choices+ I "no! he's primarily concerned !ith salt !ater ponds and their suitability to generate electricity. I "no! this because he introduces them in the first paragraph+ mentions an e:pirement in >G+ cites a possible solution to some problem in >B+ and then says theres a better solution in paragraph >L. I "no! all this ?ust by reading hte first setnence of each paragraph. I do &(T "no! WH. or WH%T the better solution is # but if I get as"ed+ I "no! !here to loo". 8It'll be some!here in paragraph >L9 75ESTION) The pr$2ar" p rpose o# the passage $s to) %a' d$s- ss *a"s o# so!8$ng a pro.!e2 that threatens to !$2$t the se# !!ness o# an energ" so r-e. %.' e9p!a$n the 2e-han$s2s ." *h$-h so!ar heat 2a" .e -on8erted $nto energ" %-' deta$! the pro-esses ." *h$-h a!gae -o!on$:e h$gh!" sa!$ne .od$es o# *ater %d' report the res !ts o# an e9per$2ent des$gned to -!ean -onta2$nated .od$es o# *ater %e' des-r$.e the n$/ e propert$es o# so!ar ponds $n the dead sea. Can you see !hich one it is? -oo" again at the first sentences and the first paragraph. 8F9 Solar ponds retain heat 8G9 %rtificial pond made in dead sea to test its ability to con,ert heat to electricity. 8B9 %lgicide proposed to control algea. 8L9 Recent e:p more promising for controlling algea What story is this telling? There are some ponds+ there's one in the dead sea+ theres some problem !ith it+ algicide is one solution+ but there is a better one. -oo" again at the ans!er choices. /o you see it? 8b9 e:plain the mechanisms by !hich solar heat may be con,erted into energy ####### Well no+ that doesnt really ?ibe !ith the topic sentences... He mentions it+ but the topic sentences aren't describing a mechanism+ they decribe a problem. 8c9 detail the processes by !hich algae coloni;e highly saline bodies of !ater #### &o+ again+ theres not much discussion of processes in the topic sentences. The guys tal"ing about a

problem. 8d9 report the results of an e:periment designed to clean contaminated bodies of !ater ### *ossibly+ but this is really only part of the passage probably. I dont "no! for sure+ because I ha,en't read it+ but again if you loo" bac" at the notes+ he's not so much reporting as much as suggesting something. 8e9 describe the uni3ue properties of solar ponds in the dead sea. # Well+ definetly not. 'or starters+ i dont remember it saying solar ponds in the dead sea !ere the only ones that e:isted+ plus+ again+ the !ord /ead Sea doesnt come up much in the topic sentences. 8a9 discuss !ays of sol,ing a problem that threatens to limit the usefullness of an energy source. # Hmm o"+ that ma"es sense. There is a pond+ there is an e:periment to chec" it as an energy source+ there are some solutions to that problem+ but one solution is better. .ea+ thats e:actly !hat he's saying. &o! say you got a specific 3uestion ;A--ord$ng to the passage3 the gro*th o# a!gae *as -ons$dered a threat to the s -ess o# the art$#$-$a! pond near the dead sea .ea- se the a!gae...; %a' prod -e e9-ess o9"gen that !o*ers *ater te2perat re %.' restr$-t the -$r- !at$on o# the pond %-' ena.!e heat to es-ape thro gh the pper !e8e! o# the po nd %d' pre8ent !$ght #ro2 penetrat$ng to the !o*est !e8e! o# hte pond %e' pre8ent a-- rate 2eas re2ent o# the heat -o!!e-ted $n the pond. Ho! do you sol,e this gi,en that .(2 H%6$&T $6$& R$%/ TH$ *%SS%0$? Must find !here %lgae and /ead sea come up. /ead sea comes up first in the second paragraph # !e "no! this because I !rote it in my S5I) &(T$S for the second passage. /id the !ord algae come up? -ets go loo" at !hat I !rote as my S5I) notes for paragraph t!o. )y notes .ater. solar ponds, chemicals, penetration, algae .ea+ there it is. If your notes are luc"y+ you might notice that I !rote do!n the !ords algae and penetration... gi,es you a pretty huge hint !hat it might be+ but thats "ind of dumb luc"... so lets pretend I didnt !rite that do!n. Ho! do !e find the ans!er? 'ind the sentence !ith algae in the second paragraph+ because that's !here !e first sa! /ead Sea. ;An $22ed$ate threat to the s -ess o# the 8ent re *as the gro*th o# a!gae;.

("+ that doesnt gi,e us the ans!er+ !hat about the sentence right ne:t to it. ;Water $n so!ar ponds 2 st .e +ept 2a9$2a!!" transparent to a!!o* penetrat$on o# !$ght to the deep storage area.; ("+ loo" bac" at the ans!er choices. The ans!er should ?ump out at you no!. It's /. It's not % because theres &( )$&TI(& of o:ygen. Its not 1 becuase theres &( )$&TI(& of circulation. It's not C becuase theres &( )$&TI(& of heat Its not $ because theres &( )$&TI(& of measurement. The only ans!er that e,en has !ords that match !ords in that sentence is /. &o! ho! much did you read to ans!er that? TW( S$&T$&C$S. Ho! long did it ta"e you to find them? FA+ maybe GA seconds. Tops. GA more seconds to read them. .ou',e ans!ered the 3uestion in under a minute. Ho! long do you thin" it !ould ha,e ta"en to find that ans!er other!ise? I mean+ all the other options S(2&/ reasonable right? Circulation !as mentioned in paragraph F+ heat definetly came up someh!ere+ and there might e,en be a mention of o:ygen some!here I missed. the point is this .(2 /( &(T H%6$ T( R$%/ TH$ *%R%0R%*HS T( 0$T TH$S$ RI0HT. (&-. R$%/ TH$ 'IRST *%R%0R%*H %&/ 'IRST S$&T$&C$. S5I) TH$ R$ST. %&/ 1. S5I)+ I )$%& GA S$C(&/S+ 5$. W(R/S+ /(&T $6$& R$%/ TH$ S$&T$&C$S+ M2ST WRIT$ /(W& SCRI11-$S. With time+ you can get really really fast at it.