Critical Reading Section

1. Critical Reading Section

2. Passage Based Reading • 100-850 words long • Either a single passage (short or long) or a pair • If there is a pair, one passage will always serve to support, oppose, or complement the other passage’s point of view • Topics: humanities, social studies, natural sciences, literary fiction • Vary in style/tone: narrative, persuasive, expository, and/or literary • A set of questions follows the passage(s)

3. Approaches • Mark the passages/make short notes • Use your knowledge and experience carefully • Read actively: ask yourself questions! • If you have trouble focusing on the passage, jump ahead and read the questions so you know what you are looking for

4. Types of questions • Extended reasoning • Vocabulary in context • Literal comprehension

5. Extended Reasoning • Draw conclusions or evaluate information • Answers are not literally in the text • Overall theme/meaning of the passage, purpose/attitude/tone of the writer • Often include words like: probably, apparently, seems, suggests, it can be inferred, the author implies

6. You may be asked to • Determine the main idea/author’s purpose • Interpret a specific part (word, image, phrase, example, quotation) and infer what purpose it serves rather than what it means • Determine how the author of one passage would react to ideas in a related passage • Determine the author’s attitude/tone in one section or in the passage as a whole • Identify parallel/analogous ideas

7. Facts vs. Assumptions vs. Inferences • Facts: statements known to be true, can be shown to be true • EX: A foot has twelve inches • EX: It is illegal to drive over the speed limit

8. Assumptions • Suppositions/propositions made by writers to reach their conclusions • Assumptions made by a writer are not always stated directly in the text • EX: “The principal has promised a big victory dance after the championship game next week.” • Assumptions: the principal hopes that the team will win / the principal wants to reward the whole school for the team’s victory/ etc.

9. Inferences • Conclusions you make based on what has been said in a passage • Reached through reasoning

10. Vocabulary in Context • What is the meaning of a word as used in the passage? • Context (information surrounding the word and the rest of the passage) can help determine its meaning • Look toward the answer choices for clues • Remember that one word can have many meanings!

11. Literal comprehension • Understand information directly presented in the passage: how well do you acquire information when you read? • Approaches: • Find the place in the passage where the detail is discussed • Recognize different ways of stating the same idea • Cross out incorrect choices as you eliminate them • Read questions carefully (except, not, only, etc) • Be sure you can support your answer with words or phrases directly in the text

12. Things to remember • The answers come from the passages • Every word counts • Read the questions and answers carefully • An answer choice can be both true and wrong • Make sure the passage supports your answer • Try eliminating choices • Double-check other choices • Don’t jump from passage to passage