<p>Even though I received multiple refractions from administrators for engaging in mindless E-disputes over mere SAT questions during an extremely sensitive period [June, 2009] of my life, this site and those who are part of this wonderful community have been absolutely vital to my success. For those of you who don't know who I am, you could probably care less about what I think- but it'll probably help my credibility along if I told you that I increased my score by nearly 1000 points. No, that's not a typo. My sophomore PSAT was a meager 121, but scored 2160 after intensive self studying and constant perusing of the CC boards. I didn't just pull these techniques of of a hat; they worked for me, and with hard work and tenacity, they will work for you. I dedicate this guide to each and every one of you at CC. Feel free to critique it as you please because it's an imperfect guide, so any suggestions or additional information will be greatly appreciated.</p>
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<p>These seven to eight hundred word chunks of verbiage are every SAT taker's worst nightmare, and pose a formidable threat to even the best of test takers. The passages are often written in esoteric jargon about the most obscure and soporific of topics, followed by questions designed to exploit your wavered focus and deceive you with a number of almost-but-not-quite answer choices. There are a myriad of books in the market that claim to have the optimal method of approaching the reading passages on the SAT- and after perusing through countless SAT guide books, analyzing the popular methodology employed by high scorers, and learning from personal experience over the course of nearly four months, I present you with this newbie-friendly guide to where and how to acquire the skills necessary of conquering long sat reading passages, or any reading passage related question for that matter.</p>
<p>Let's first take on the point of view of Joe, a lay man of standardized testing. He's over confident, and has faith his test taking abilities despite his lack of preparation. The time begins for the critical reading passage, and as Joe makes his way to the passage, he ignores the italicized blurb above the passage because he deems it irrelevant to the literary behemoth that lies ahead. He begins to read the passage about article detailing the authors opinion of am plexus between the marbled salamander and the American bull frog (completely made up) and along the way he loses track of the authors stand point and has absolutely no clue what he has read. The clock is ticking; Joe decides to continue reading anyway, but this time, meticulously. Joe eventually reaches the end of the passage with only a smattering of information about the article- but he's not afraid of anything. Joe attempts the first question, which asks him to select the choice that best describes the authors tone throughout the passage. Joe's flustered- he does not know what half the answer choices mean, neither does he care for how the author intends for the passage to sound like. Joe scores on the 50th percentile, as did thousands of other students across the nation. When it comes to the SAT, they all think like Joe, and in the end, they all look like Joe in the eyes of the pococurante admissions officer. Moral of the story? You don't have to be like Joe. Here's what you can do:</p>
<p>Essential Skills</p>
<p>Comprehension</p>
<p>The only way to become better acquainted with difficult texts is to read them on a daily basis- it's no different from learning how to play a new sport or speak a foreign language. It's the literary equivalent to buying ankle weights to increase your vertical jump; you have to build endurance and stamina, therefore reading light-weight books such as Twilight or Harry Potter- though both provide a very entertaining read- will do more harm than good for your reading comprehension skills. There's no miracle plan that will turn you into a literary extraordinaire in a manner of days, but there is one that can put you on the right path to academic success and adequately gear you for the SAT. It all comes down to individual volition, really. Put in the work, and you will be pleasantly surprised.</p>
<p>Critical Reading</p>
<p>These passages contain a lot of information, and can be quite overwhelming if you read with your eyes and let your mind go on vacation. Read actively by keeping in mind the five W's(Who, what, when, where, and why) as you read, and paying attention to the authors tone and mood: Is he or she indignant or jubilant? Bold or tentative? This will save you a tremendous amount of time and will significantly increase your understanding of the passage because you're actively forcing yourself to seek information and draw connections. With practice, you'll find yourself knowing the answers before you even read the questions.</p>
<p>What to Read</p>
<p>Knowing how to read critically is utterly useless on a timed test like the SAT if you can't understand a word of what you read due to extreme boredom. What can you do? Well, since you have no other choice but to sit at your desk until the exam is over, you might as well enjoy your stay. It doesn't have to be a painful process, in fact, through practice, it can even become fun! It's really no surprise that most students nowadays cringe at the prospect of having to read a Shakespearean play or any of the great many American classics in class; they're called classics for a reason, so the degree of discomfort felt by students of this generation, which I call generation LOL.OMG, is expected. A truly well read-person does not shy away from good literature, and though some of you may argue that "good" is entirely subjective, the SAT thinks otherwise. Thus it is imperative that you try your best to change your reading habits if you wish to do more than just stare blankly at your exam come test day.</p>
<p>Newspapers</p>
<p>Read a news paper on a daily basis, such as the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. They're both highly respectable papers containing well-written articles about all the relevant news and none of the supernumeraries you often find on the Post.</p>
<p>Online Magazines</p>
<p>When I think of a free, quality, online magazine, I think The Economist. It's a British run news magazine with great online content that reports on everything from the arts to world politics; the writing styles and article lengths are semblance of those you would expect find on the SAT, so it will undoubtedly serve as an invaluable practice tool.</p>
<p>Books (Preferably Classics)</p>
<p>You want to read books inundated with so called "SAT words" to build your endurance and comprehension. Hold a dictionary in one hand while you read, and read at your own pace with the intention of gaining a clear understanding of what each paragraph is about. Your reading speed and comprehension will improve with time, how much you'll improve is entirely up to you. I recommend books by Franz Kafka, Joseph Heller, John Stuart Mill, Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, and Plato. Though this list is a hopelessly flawed representation of the scores of all-time great writers and thinkers, they're my personal favorites and have even been featured on the SAT in the past.</p>
<p>Other books:</p>
<p>The Official SAT Guide by the CollegeBoard, also commonly known as The Blue Book</p>
<p>This is the quintessential SAT preparation guide book made by the test makers themselves. It features eight official, full-length tests that will give you the practice that you need. Many students make the mistake of hopping around practice sections, which significantly tapers their margins of improvement because they will never have a full sense of where they stand on the scoring scale. So it's crucial that you take each test under timed conditions to more accurately monitor your strengths and weaknesses.</p>
<p>Barron's SAT 2400: Aiming for the Perfect Score</p>
<p>by Linda Carnevale and Roselyn Teukolsky</p>
<p>What the book lacks in the math and writing explanations is made up by its critical reading section. The passages are quite dense, and highlight some of the most difficult questions and reading passages you will find on the SAT, so I would suggest saving this book for last for the greatest benefit. The introduction also contains a comprehensive list of adverbs and adjectives commonly used in questions regarding the author's mood and tone; these words are vital to excelling on the SAT reading, but are often absent in typical high frequency SAT word lists.</p>
<p>The Long Reading Passage</p>
<p>Read the Blurb</p>
<p>First and foremost, always read the italicized blurb above each passage. It provides crucial information about the passage, and gives you a sense of what to expect. Never, ever skip it. As you read, make sure you understand what you read- if that means reading at a slower pace, then by all means do so because you simply cannot afford to go back to reread an entire passage. Don't let yourself think that simply ignoring a couple of paragraphs, or even lines, won't hurt you.</p>
<p>Read the entire passage before answering the questions. What, did you thing there was any other way? Read the passage carefully because believe me, rereading is considerably more time consuming. Once you finish, do a quick mental summary of the passage to make sure you understand the gist of what's going on.</p>
<p>The Double Passage</p>
<p>Read passage one-and its blurb- and answer the questions pertaining to it. And after reading passage two-briefly compare and contrast them in your mind to make sure you understand both passages before moving on to the final set of questions. This way, you have a mental guideline that you can refer to as your move from one question to the next. You're the one in control.</p>
<p>And finally, the most essential but commonly overlooked technique of all:</p>
<p>The Robot</p>
<p>I call it the robot because it is a process of desensitization by which you expurgate yourself of all human emotions and prejudices. To rebel against the opinions of the author is to reject the legitimacy of the questions and their choices, which will more often than not lead you to the wrong answer. The reading passage does not care for your opinion, it is only asking you to fish out information from the passages and nothing more. And though this may sound obvious, countless test takers still fall into this trap, often unwittingly as they "go with the hunch", only to let their own personal predilections override logic. So as you read, you must pay attention to the author, and only to the author; as you read the questions, take them for what they are and not what they seem to imply; and when you choose an answer choice, do so because it is supported by the passage, not because it is justified by your own opinion.</p>
<p>Do the Robot.</p>
<p>Thank you, CC.</p>