<p>How to tackle double passages questions? I get confused while answering to questions like "which best describes the relationship between the two passages?" and "what author of para 1 would likely claim the information presented in...of passage1?".
P.S. I am able to answer questions that involve single passage.</p>
<p>If it is the short ones then read both passages, making sure you understand the main idea and the author’s stance on the issue, and then tackle the questions. Sorry can’t really explain it better than that, but im sure someoen else will be able to elaborate more</p>
<p>Please…can someone give a serious advice on CR. If I dont do anything soon, I’ll screw up double passages on November SAT</p>
<p>The most important things to note are tones (objective, lighthearted, angry, etc.) and whether each passage has a negative or positive opinion of the topic (if applicable). From that, you can usually determine the answers to those questions.</p>
<p>You can simply write the main idea of each passage just after reading it, then while solving the questions look back to your main ideas not the whole passage.</p>
<p>Read the first passage, then answer the questions pertaining to the first passage, read the second passage, answer the questions pertaining to the second passage, then answer questions pertaining to both passages. Trust me, dual passages used to be my worst adversary.</p>
<p>And make sure before you read the double passage to label each question as 1 (pertaining to the first passage), 2 (pertaining to the second passage), or B (pertaining to both passages).</p>
<p>What I would do is:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Read P1, do P1-relavant problems.</p>
<p>*As you do, skip ALL the questions asking about the BOTH Passages. (Usually #1,2 and the last one) I simply put a circle around it to come back later.</p></li>
<li><p>Read P2, do P2-relavant problems.</p></li>
<li><p>Go back to Passages & brush up your understanding of both of them, for about 5-10 seconds. </p></li>
<li><p>Do the problems that you left blank. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>**What I would say is critical in doing the double passage problems is that whatever passages you’re dealing with, they will expect you to compare&contrast the main ideas of the authors AS you read them.</p>
<p>And so it is definitely helpful, if not determinant, to make sure that you identify, understand, and even mark all the ideas and arguments that come from both passages.
When done properly, after reading you’ll have a clear idea of what they are all about and how they differ.</p>
<p>You can’t expect them to ask you questions and simply answer them. You have to ask yourself about what you’re reading, CONSTANTLY AND PAINFULLY, even before you’re actually being asked. </p>
<p>I think that’s the whole point of the test; if you devour the passages and dissect them all before the questions, the questions will feel like a summary that makes your newly established understanding of the passages even more lucid and entrenched, allowing you to pick the right answers.</p>
<p>*** Use other skills, too. Don’t rely on your memory. Find evidence, always, always go back to passages.</p>