Trouble Understanding Sentences in Reading Passages

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Hey everyone, I've been focusing on the Critical Reading section of the Blue Book for the past few days now. I've noticed that I have a lot of trouble comprehending the meaning of certain sentences. Any advice out there for those struggling with reading comprehension? Should I continue doing practice problems from the BB? Should I read additional literature to improve my comprehension? If so, what type? I plan on continuing doing practice problems. If you guys got any advice please feel free to share.</p>

<p>I'm gonna put some sentences below that I've had trouble understanding. </p>

<p>BB 2nd edition:</p>

<p>Test 5 Section 9</p>

<p>"His caramel-colored skin darkened to toffee under fluorescent light but sometimes took on a golden sheen, especially in the vertical shafts of sunlight that poured into his favorite practice room where she'd often peek in on him -an uncanny complexion, as if shades swirled just under the surface."</p>

<p>I understand the beginning but I have no idea what it means by "shades swirled just under the surface"</p>

<p>Shadows that are swirling under what surface? I don't understand.</p>

<p>Test 6 Section 3</p>

<p>"But I believe she dealt with the elements of line and direction with the instincts of a mathematician or physicist, adding to each their emotional relations."</p>

<p>What does it mean by "emotional relations"?</p>

<p>Test 3 Section 7</p>

<p>"But what use is there, the shopkeepers sigh, in nostalgia for past times? The machine age has come, the world will never be clean again, but oh: what compensation!"</p>

<p>No idea what this sentence is talking about</p>

2

<p>I recognize the first sentence from the SAT I took. I believe that it is just describing his skin.</p>

<p>Sometimes these writers attempt to be overly fluffy and poetic. It can be descriptive, or it can be annoying.</p>

<p>It is really hard to offer advice on these particular sentences when they are taken out of context, but my advice would be to read the answer choices beforehand, because sometimes they can give away the meaning of the sentences if you don’t know what is going on.</p>

3

<p>


I understand the beginning but I have no idea what it means by "shades swirled just under the surface

Under the surface [color=blue]of Clayton's skin./color


But I believe she dealt with the elements of line and direction with the instincts of a mathematician or physicist, adding to each their emotional relations.

This sentence is basically saying that Martha Graham approached certain aspects of choreography in a very scientific, objective way, but also added to this approach a sense of feeling and emotion.


But what use is there, the shopkeepers sigh, in nostalgia for past times? The machine age has come, the world will never be clean again, but oh: what compensation&lt;img src="from%20Michael%20Faber,%20The%20Crimson%20Petal%20and%20the%20White" alt="/highlight"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;There is quite a bit of sarcasm in this passage that is hard for many students to catch. This particular sentence is basically saying that the shopkeepers sometimes think about the past, before the machine age, when the world wasn't filthy and polluted, but then they stop thinking about those days because whether they like it or not the machine age has arrived and the world will now always be dirty, and besides, the machine age is also helping them make a ton of money." (Note that compensation in this context means "payment.") Again, the author is being a bit sarcastic toward/mocking of the shopkeeper's who are more concerned with making money than with the filth and inequality that their industry is causing. Nearly the entire second and third paragraphs of this passage reveal a disdainful attitude toward the shopkeepers and "modern man."&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Hope this helps.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;By the way, the best way to help yourself start to understand these passages better is to READ, READ, READ!&lt;/p&gt;
4

<p>You over-analyze. Don’t go so much into details. You don’t have to understand every single word in the sentence. Just get the “feel” of it - general sense. That’s all you need.</p>