<p>I fail at them considering my other scores are in the high 600s to low 700s.</p>
<p>So I took one of those test for Barron workbook and I got a BAD score.</p>
<p>So anyone with advice? Because for me I never get the "tone of the passage" or inference questions correctly..</p>
<p>read more. it comes naturally, almost like an instinct eventually. once you read enough you’ll be able to read through the answer choices, especially for the tone/inference afterwards, eliminating the “stupid” answers that you know for sure is wrong. </p>
<p>pick up the wsj or new yorker or read something online, and ask yourself whether you understand what is being written or argued in the article.</p>
<p>Yes. I have been reading, but it just seems that I can’t grasp it… o.O</p>
<p>I’ve think I’ve posted this before, but here it is again:</p>
<p>You need to practice “active reading” as you read. This entails asking yourself questions, paraphrasing, and relating the passage to your real life. In the first paragraph, you should be asking “What is the main idea?” and “How does the author feel about it?” Read quickly over supporting information and slow down for the big ideas. I typically read the first paragraph slow. When I come to the main idea or an important point, I paraphrase it if the wording is difficult. For example, the thesis of one of the passages on the College Board’s free test is as follows: “The two theories underlying the tremendous progress of physics during the last one hundred years—progress that has explained the expansion of the heavens and the fundamental structure of matter—are mutually incompatible.” In my head, I would paraphrase this sentence as “These two important theories cannot both be right.” Since this is the thesis and the main idea of the paragraph, I would also make a summary note in the margin. Summaries for each paragraph should be brief: 2-4 words long maximum. This summary would be “Only 1 theory works.” These summaries may take an extra few seconds to write, but they will save you invaluable time once you start answering questions. Be sure to write one for each paragraph with its own idea.</p>
<p>I also slowly read the first one or two sentences of supporting paragraphs but quickly read the rest. I may also slow down for the last sentence of the paragraph, depending on its structure. To read quickly is not to skip text, but to read without pausing to ask questions. Some parts of the text may draw parallels to something in my life or something that I know, and it helps my understanding of the passage to think about these. For example, if the passage is explaining how bear cubs learn the limits of their abilities through play, I might think of my dog as a puppy when he learned the limit of his strength in a tug-of-war game with me.</p>
<p>You should aim to read the longer passages in 2 to 3 minutes. You do not have to understand every word or even every sentence of the passage in order to do well on the questions (but you should try to understand most). If you need specific knowledge of a line, the SAT will send you back to reread that portion of the text. </p>
<p>Because there is almost always one ridiculously wrong answer choice, you should almost always guess on these questions. I never leave a Reading (or Writing) question blank. </p>
<p>Finally, you need to take on a new attitude as you read. If I were to give you two passages, one about a new reality show on MTV and one about quantum mechanics in physics, it’s likely that you would remember all of the details of the MTV article and few, if any, of the physics article. We remember that which we find interesting. So you have to trick yourself into believing that the SAT passages are super cool and super fascinating, and attack them as if it’s a novel you’ve been waiting to read for months. Try to maintain these positive vibes as you read, no matter how boring, dry, or difficult the material may be. This may seem like a silly suggestion but it really will change how much you retain as you read.</p>
<p>As for the questions and answer choices, remember that there is only one right answer. Something makes the other four answer choices wrong, whether it be a simple word or a complex idea. Try to prephrase an answer to the question before you ever look at the answer choices. Then, avoid answers that are the opposite of your prephrase; these answers often use the same words that were used in the passage, while the right answer relies on synonyms. For example if the text uses the phrase “ferocious antagonism,” the wrong, opposite answer will likely use either “ferocious,”“antagonism,” or “ferocious antagonism.” The right answer will use synonyms like “savage opposition,” or “merciless dissension.” Also avoid those answers that use extreme words like “never,” “only,” and “always.” It’s much easier to defend an answer choice that uses “some” than an answer that uses “most.” Other extreme words include adjectives like “hostile,” “dismayed,” and “absurd.” </p>
<p>Hope this helps! Google “active reading” for more info…</p>
<p>lol I just want to say I dislike MTV and probably will prefer physics. </p>
<p>And yes I googled active reading and it helped me. I’ll try the new strategies right now. Thanks (:</p>