1. Reading Comprehension
SAT Prep
Reading Comprehension

2. What you’re expected to do:
Find the main idea or the author’s purpose for writing
Identify the TONE of the passage
Comprehend what is being said in the passage
Recognize the organization or structure of the passage
Make inferences or read between the lines to make meaning

3. More Information
Passages are taken from various disciplines, but more of the passages tend to be informational rather than literary.
There are only 2-4 questions per passage.
Questions are NOT arranged by difficulty (like sentence completion ones are). Instead, they follow the development of the passage.

4. Tips- Decide what works for you.
Briefly read over the questions (without looking at the answers) and then read the passage actively to look for the answers in the passage OR
Skim over the passage for a general overview, then read the questions and answer the ones you can, go back to the text for answers.

5. Tips- Always do this:
Read the directions carefully, and read the question carefully.
Questions are sometimes posed in “reverse,” such as “which of the following does NOT appear in the passage?”
Before looking at the answers, answer the question in your own words first, and then see what the most similar choice is. It is easy to be swayed by your answer choices.
Annotate the passage for later use. This save a lot of time.

6. Vocabulary
Sentence completion questions are all vocabulary and word relationships, but the reading comprehension section will also have some vocabulary.
Even if you know what the word means, don’t answer the question without looking at the passage first– words can have different meanings depending on context.
If you don’t know what the word means, use the sentence before and after it to make sense of it.

7. Paired Passages
Sometimes, you’ll be given two passages with a common theme or subject
You may be asked to identify the tone of each, or the relationship of each, or be asked which one is more reliable, etc.
You have to read both passages in order to answer the questions. You can eliminate answer choices that don’t appear in both passages.

8. Tips and reminders:
You should base your answers to the questions solely on what is stated or implied in the passages.
Read the italicized introductory text.
Skip questions you don't know. Return to them after answering other easier questions. First and last sentences of each paragraph are critical.
Find the right spot in a passage by using any line reference numbers that appear in the questions.
Spend more time on answering the questions than on reading the text.

9. Tips (Cont’d.):
Answer questions on familiar topics before unfamiliar topics.
Don't waste time memorizing details- annotate.
Passage content comes from the Humanities, Social Science, Science, and Literal Fiction.
Some passages are presented in pairs. Read the brief introduction first to see how they relate.