<p>I had this problem on test day, which drove me nuts, and I'm having it now too. Every time I practice passage-based questions, I always miss half because I didn't understand the passage. My brain is not really understanding what the passage is inferring, and I can't seem to improve! Is this problem strictly something I'm unfortunately diagnosed with? Any advice on how to improve on passage-based questions is appreciated.</p>
<p>Do you read very much? Like any newspapers or books or magazine articles? Doing that might help. Maybe you're just not very used to reading things like that.</p>
<p>I read every day. I've read many types of things as well, including newspapers, books of all kinds, and more, just like all other HS seniors. But this problem is just with the SAT passages. It's like I can't understand them. My mind shuts down and doesn't want to comprehend what I'm reading.... Maybe I'll just practice three or four hours a day from by barron's CR workbook from now until the next SAT, so that if it doesn't turn out good, then I'm not going to try any more. It's not worth it....</p>
<p>Try to find them interesting. They make some of them to be boring. AP language helps. All the asian stories / other ethnicity-origin stories i find fairly interesting to read.</p>
<p>Read at a slower pace and reread if you have to. Don't be concerned with how long it takes you to finish.</p>
<p>I think the problem is just psychological. You get into the mindset that says "**** I don't know what this means", and it becomes reality. Just relax, be confident, and read the passage as many times as you have to in order to understand it.</p>
<p>I'm hoping AP Language will cure my amazing boredom with the dumb passages (well they're dumb imo). I hate passages involving art, and issues that i just don't care about (translating languages, stereotypes about buildings, another random political concept.)</p>
<p>I try to make myself appreciate the literature rather than think of how ridiculously stupid the author is to write something like that. I definitely recommend reading a newspaper that is well-written, especially newspaper articles on topics you hate. Also, reading an art article gets you used to the kind of writing you'd expect from an SAT passage involving art. the SAT frequently has articles and narrativs from journals and newspapers, and magazines.</p>
<p>its designed so its hard for you to comprehend. just practice</p>
<p>i used to have that problem when i took my oct sat in 07, got a 420 rofl.
i knew exactly why i did so poorly.
1. poor concentration
2. low understanding</p>
<p>then i took ap lang, T_T, i read some books, grapes of wrath, the scarlett letter, fahrenheit 451, i read a lil faster i guess, and most important of all, i can concentrate better.
never really did any prep for may except hardcore vocabs in sc, got a 550 in cr.
i spent my summer doing passages, im getting better. im aiming for 650s+ in october.
im already in the 620s range. =]
i guess u gotta be exposed to the boring reading materials in order to concentrate more</p>
<p>dont forget though there is only so much studying can do.</p>
<p>Equilibrium, I took AP English Language in 11th grade, and based on what you've said so far, I don't think you'll like the AP passages AT ALL. Unless you like reading difficult English texts from the 18th century.</p>