<p>English is my 3rd language, so CR on SAT and reading on ACT always kills me. the hardest thing is the time limit.<br>
it's not that i don't understand the passage, it's that i can never read fast.</p>
<p>but writing and math seems easy and basic</p>
<p>anybody else feel the same way?</p>
<p>i was raised bilingual from birth, meaning my parents focused on both english and their native tongue equally all the way back from when i was just born. they never emphasized one language more than the other, and courtesy of that, i'm highly fluent in both. therefore, i can't EXACTLY say i know how you feel, but i can still give some advice.</p>
<p>if you feel that you don't have enough time to read through the passage, i suggest you read all the english novels you can. it doesnt matter what they are, as long as theyre appropriate to your age/grade, perhaps even a little above. if you keep reading, eventually your reading speed will increase and time shouldn't be a problem. i read about 2 long books (500+ pages) a week and i always finished all the cr sections with over 10 minutes to spare (and i do well). bottom line is, practice, practice, practice.</p>
<p>good luck.</p>
<p>English is my 2nd language, but I speak it pretty fluently, so i can't really understand how you feel, I usually never run out of time, but I make mistakes in the CR section a lot too. (and on writing though) </p>
<p>I think reading books is helpful, also reading magazines like Time or the daily newspaper is helpful also.</p>
<p>dude I have the exact same problem. I can do well on Math and Writing but not Reading, just because I can't read that fast. This might be a cliche', but I guess the only solution is to read more and study more vocab :[</p>
<p>GUESS WHAT???!!! I'm not a native speaker either!!</p>
<p>but you know what? I never let the CR section own me because there is really one simple solution to the time-running-out problem.</p>
<p>Don't read the whole passage. don't even try. </p>
<p>Yes, I know it sounds very counterintuitive, but that is the biggest and the most valuable tip I can give you, and it is what raised my score from a 680 to a 780.
Fact: The E.T.S. does not expect you to really finish reading all of the passage and the questions in time. It's designed that way. Those cheap bas*ards. </p>
<p>Tips:</p>
<ol>
<li>I have found that almost all long-passage questions can be answered by just directly going to the line numbers printed on questions. I don't even try to read the whole thing. I just go to the line number, read couple lines above the referenced ones, the referenced line numbers, and couple lines below the referenced ones. </li>
<li>The questions are chronological, so go in order of questions. when it says "compare paragraphs..." or "the overall meaning/tone is..." skip for now. After you've read and answered all the questions, you SHOULD have enough understanding of the passage to grasp its meaning and tone. When it says to compare paragraphs, go back to the paragraphs, skim them QUICKLY and answer the question. Again, you should have read enough to grasp meanings in each paragraph.</li>
<li>You, of course, have to read the short passage ones and the comparison ones. This strategy only applies to the long-passage reading, the ones that take up like the whole page. </li>
</ol>
<p>Seriously, you don't need to read the entire passage. It's a tried-and-true method that you only read what you need to answer questions, and you will be able to finish inside the time limit. On your next practice test, please give it a try. Really, it works. Just give it a try and see how you do.</p>
<p>im not a native speaker either,but i am doing okay in cr, i didnt run out of time, and im getting better wth grammatix approach,said above ^, i still have a lil trouble with science reading xD and comparison passages.
i dont know, i guess read more often? yeah its boring and dull =/</p>
<p>I am a non-native speaker, too. English is my 2rd language by the way. I think i am having a great trouble with my reading sections. I get nearly 2-3 wrongs on each passage(long passage, i mean). I think i may understand your feeling now. i think more reading practice may help..</p>
<p>As a non-native speaker as well, I would strongly suggest that you acquire the habit of reading lengthy books for pleasure. If you can manage to engulf a couple hundred pages a week (or a day, given that it is now summer), then I would imagine that that would prepare you for any critical reading passages that you should happen to find on the SAT. Given that it tests comprehension, reading books quickly and then pausing to momentarily analyze what you've read could also reap some benefits.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you could focus solely on improving your reading speed. A quick google search turns up a number of sites pertaining to this issue.
Like this one: Speed</a> Reading - How to Increase your Reading Speed - Mind Tools Study Skills</p>
<p>i like reading and read a lot. i usually read 500+ pages in 12 hrs.<br>
i finish the CR right on time, but i don't have time to check. Yet for math and writing, i have like 5-7 minutes to check. everyone says CR is suppose to be the easiest section, but i always get 1-2 wrong per passage and it's so hard to improve! </p>
<p>i feel horrible because i KNOW English. i speak it fluently with no accent. the only things i don't know are names of random animals and fruits but you don't need that for tests lol</p>
<p>but thank you for the tips everyone.</p>