General Approach:

1. Read each paragraph actively (see "How to Active Read to Get Main Idea")

2. Highlight 1-2 key points in the paragraph (1 if paragraph is short)

3. After highlighting, in your own words think about what that paragraph means

4. Repeat for each paragraph

5. At the end of the passage, read through the key points and develop a main idea that
connects the key points and shows author's stance

6. For every question but weakens or something about disagreeing

A. Eliminate answers that go AGAINST main idea

7. Read question and think what is question asking and what type of question it is

8. Answer question based on question type (see "Types of Questions and How to Answer")

9. If after the above you still aren't down to one answer choice

A. Eliminate answer if

a. It has a definitive word in it: always, never

b. It goes against any part of main idea

c. It requires you take make an assumption that is NOT in the text or valid based on
any inferences you can make

d. It relies on your personal belief being true and has nothing to do with the author

9. Still can't find an answer?

◦ Guess and move on LOL

Types of Questions and How to Answer:

Comprehension

• Tests

◦ Main ideas, concepts, attitudes, beliefs, key points

◦ Basic Understanding

◦ Do you understand what you just read?

• Types of Questions

◦ General Main Idea Questions

‣ Ex 1) What is the main idea of the passage?

• Approach:

◦ Using active reading strategies you should know this

◦ Eliminate any answer that has pieces of information that go against main
idea of passage or any key points present in individual paragraphs

◦ If your version of main idea isn't an answer

‣ Remind yourself the answer needs to be broad enough to cover the

whole idea of the passage

• Last Resort

◦ If you need to go back towards beginning of passage and look for the main
thesis of paragraph

‣ Ex 2) What is the author's conclusion?

• Approach

◦ Just like main idea question

◦ Does the author take a stance and conclude something in the end?

• Last Resort

 ◦ Look towards end of passage for conclusion if you need to

‣ Words like: "Therefore, In Conclusion, In Summary"

‣ Ex 3) What would you LEAST expect to find based on main idea?

• Approach

◦ Think about what you would expect based on the main idea

‣ Eliminate all these answers

• Last Resort:

◦ Go back in passage and disprove all answers by one by showing they

support the main idea

◦ Inferring Author's Attitude on A Certain Topic

‣ Ex 1) What can be inferred based on the [author's quote or passage]?

• Approach:

◦ Eliminate anything not along lines of main idea

◦ Go back to specific paragraph and ask yourself

‣ What would I need to have known to agree with the author's stance
that she doesn't mention in the passage?

• For instance:

◦ Author directly says "people who don't get enough off days
quit their jobs"

◦ You can infer "people want off days"

◦ Do not assume based on personal opinions

‣ Only use information provided to you in the passage

‣ If you have to assume based on something not in the passage for an

answer to be right, then the answer is WRONG.

◦ Think about the topic and relationship to main idea

‣ Ex 2) What can be inferred based on author's attitude about a topic?

• Approach:

◦ Eliminate anything not along lines of main idea

◦ Go back to passage if you need to

◦ Read sentences and think how does it relate to main idea

◦ Think about the words and adjectives the author uses

‣ Does she use adjectives that express opinions

• Ex) Calling one thing novice vs. expert

◦ Can infer that author believes that something that is expert is

better at doing the job

◦ Absence of adjectives?

‣ Neutral opinion

‣ Ex 3) What is the intended meaning of a specific word or phrase author uses?

• Approach:

◦ Eliminate anything not along lines of main idea

◦ Go to word/phrase in passage

‣ Replace it with the answer choice and reread sentence in context of

paragraph

• Does this make sense? No? ELIMINATE

‣ Look at examples they give after introducing word or concept

• Are they general examples of specifics?

◦ If general more general meaning

◦ If specific more specific meaning

Reasoning Within The Text:

• Tests

◦ Whether you can follow ideas within the passage and come to a conclusion despite mixed
views

◦ Whether you can understand the purpose of specific elements of the text

‣ Passages

‣ Quotes

‣ Words

• Types of Questions
◦ Structural
‣ Ex 1) Which of the following quotes in the passage is presented as evidence for the
author's position either as a whole or specific position?

• Approach:

◦ Eliminate anything not along lines of main idea or the specific idea

◦ Find the quotes/assertions in the text

◦ Ask yourself

‣ How does the author use each quote's information as apart of the
argument?

‣ Ex 2) Which of the following passage assertions is presented for [the idea that]?

• Approach:

◦ Eliminate options that don't accurately summarize statements made in

passage

◦ Determine how the author presents each idea in relation to the claim made
in the question

‣ Ex 3) Which conclusions does the author use this example to support?

• Presents you with a piece of evidence and asks you to choose which claim the
author uses

• Context clues

• Not exactly asking about main idea because they could use an example for a
counterargument

◦ BE CAREFUL

‣ Ex 4) According to the passage the author compares [this] to [that] to do what?

• Approach:

◦ Find in passage

◦ Focus on active reading ideas:

‣ What is the purpose of specific rhetoric? Words? Quotes? Etc.

◦ Use context clues

◦ Evaluative

‣ Criticize and consider flaws in author's argument or evidence

‣ Looking for Inconsistencies

‣ Looking for Unjustified conclusions

• Ex 1) What is a weakness in the argument the author makes to support their

conclusion about [some idea]?

◦ Approach

‣ Look at each answer choice and ask if it logically makes sense with
what the author is presenting it to make sense?

 ‣ Does it actually support it or is it irrelevant?

‣ Does author contradict herself?

• Ex 2) Unstated assumption: What assumption does the author make about

[some idea]?

◦ Approach

‣ Translate the sentence to see if there is an assumption on it

• Raising the price of bullets will lower gun violence"

◦ Assumption: People who commit gun violence aren't willing to

buy bullets at a higher price

‣ Remember this is based on the passage not your opinion

• Think is it reasonable according to the passage

‣ This is something the author didn't explicitly say but needs to be true
for this conclusion to make sense

‣ Very similar to inference questions

• Ex 3) Which of these examples is irrelevant for the claim that [some idea]?

◦ Approach

‣ Look at examples provided

‣ Ask yourself:

• Do they support the claim or do they elaborate on it?

• Differentiate between supporting material and elaboration

◦ Supporting material = concrete examples that would prove
argument correct

◦ Elaboration = explaining what your argument means without

providing evidence as to why it is correct

• Ex 4)Which of the following statements is an opinion and not a fact?

◦ Basically asking you is the evidence possibly to verify? Based on fact?

Subjective?

◦ Approach

‣ Do not put your personal opinion on it

‣ Evaluate argument based on info in the passage

‣ Eliminate opinions -> Can really only verify facts

Reasoning Beyond the Text

• Give you something new to think about

• Tests whether you can make inferences

• Types of Questions

◦ Applying old concepts to brand new situations

‣ Ex 1) Someone who agreed/disagreed/etc with [person mention in text]'s opinion or

quote about [something] would most likely approve/disprove of which of the following
hypothetical situations?

 • Realize

◦ They are talking about this person's opinion NOT main idea

◦ They introduce someone as a "new person"

‣ Need to determine context with how person fits in

‣ Does the question say agree or disagree?

◦ They use hypothetical means its a possibility but may not be true

‣ That's totally fine, but don't assume it's true for later questions

• Approach:

◦ Go beyond what text is said

◦ Break down the question

‣ First:

• Focus on who the question asks about (the person with the
opinion)

◦ Determine their opinion

‣ Second:

• Look at question stem

‣ Finally:

• Which answer best fits the relationship between question stem

and idea of person?

• For instance: if "someone" disagrees with [person in text's idea]

than you are looking for the answer that goes against the opinion
you just determined

‣ Ex 2) Which example not in the passage is most consistent/inconsistent with author's

definition of [word, phrase, idea]?

• Approach:

◦ First: Break down question and determine the author's definition of the
word/phrase or just think about main idea

◦ Second:

‣ Look at question stem

◦ Finally:

‣ Which new situation best fits relationship between question stem and
definition?

‣ Which example would best fit in with the other examples (for
consistent)?

‣ Which example would least fit in with the other examples

(inconsistent)?

◦ Integrate a new piece of information

‣ Uses new information,

• Introduces it with "suppose, imagine, what if"

• Ex 1) If it were known that [this] and [this] happened or just known [this] how
would this affect the conclusions reached by the author?

◦ Approach

‣ Determine if new information goes against or with main idea or is it

irrelevant?

‣ Think if I read this the first time around with this new piece of
information would it change the main idea?

• STRENGTHENS

◦ Is the new piece of information a concrete additional support

that would make you more convinced of the argument?

◦ Does it provide additional factual support for evidence already

 provided?

• WEAKENS

◦ Is the new piece of information illogical? Inconsistent with

text? Contradictory?

◦ Does it disprove factual evidence the author gives to support

the main idea?

• NO CHANGE

◦ Is the new piece of information elaboration of the argument?

◦ Does it just repeat the author's argument in a more convincing

way?

◦ Does the information have nothing to do with the passage?

How to Active Read to get Main Idea?

• Pretend you are super into the passage

◦ Smile and tell yourself you love the subject of this passage

• Pay attention to signal words

‣ Thesis/main idea words + examples

• Importantly

• The Only Thing that matters is

• For example

‣ Minor points

• By the way

• In a few cases

‣ Argumentative:

‣ In addition to

‣ Therefore

‣ Consequently

• Look at Passage structure

◦ Point counterpoint

‣ Discussion between two people

‣ Need to keep in mind who said what

◦ Compare and Contrast

‣ Highlights commonalities and then differences

‣ Need to separate between differences and similarities

◦ Listing of ideas/Chronological Structure

‣ Need to keep track of timing

• Using words like:

◦ First, second, Third,

◦ Next,then

◦ Cause Effect

‣ Need to keep track of what the cause and effect was

• Using words like

◦ Because, do to

• Interpret rhetorical devices and attribute them to main idea

◦ Need to figure out purpose behind author using literary device

‣ Why did they use this device? To convey what message?

• Does the author uses sarcasm?

 • What is the purpose of metaphor, allegory, symbolism

‣ Break down the devices