1. Princeton Review SAT Book
PowerPoint #2 (Grade 9):
Part II: Critical Reading
Section 3: Short Reading
Introduction (pages 64-80)
PowerPoint created in 2009 by Adam Watson, South Oldham High School, Crestwood, KY. Based on the book The Princeton Review: Reading and Writing Workout for the SAT by Geoff Martz (updated by Doug Pierce), published by Random House, New York, Activity time: 45 minutes.

2. Short Reading (page 64-65)
Short Reading is part of the two 25 minute Critical Reading sections of the SAT.
Each short reading passage will consist of a brief paragraph, usually no more than 150 words.
The short reading passage will be followed by three or four questions.

3. The Princeton Review Method
Read the questions first.
Read only what you need to answer the question. Once you get your answers, stop reading!
TIP: Use your strategies for the process of elimination; try to get rid of at least one or two answers.
TIP: Watch extreme language such as “all,” “always,” “never,” “impossible” and “only.” (Good tip in your writing as well!)

4. Question Types Information Retrieval Inference Main Idea Structure
Vocabulary in Context
Argument

5. Information Retrieval (pages 65-66)
Many questions on short reading passages require you to find specific information contained in the paragraph.
Use the line reference, lead words, or term to jump right to the appropriate part of the passage to find the answer.

6. Information Retrieval Example #1
According to the passage, primaries and caucuses are “strikingly dissimilar” (line 9) because:
What’s the line reference?

7. Information Retrieval Example #1
According to the passage, primaries and caucuses are “strikingly dissimilar” (line 9) because:
Look for quote marks. In this case, it even gives you the exact line to find! (ETS will not always be so kind.)

8. Information Retrieval Example #2
According to the passage, the methods employed in primaries and caucuses differ primarily in that:
What’s the lead word or main term?

9. Information Retrieval Example #2
According to the passage, the methods employed in primaries and caucuses differ primarily in that:
If your whole passage is about primaries and caucuses, “methods” is probably the term to scan and find in the passage to find your answer.

10. Inference (page 66)
An inference is a statement that must be true based on the information provided in the passage. Stick to the facts!
Look for key terms in the answer to find a likely inference based on the passage.

11. What are some key terms in this inference question?
It can be most reasonably inferred from the passage that:
delegates at national party conventions are selected only through the primary and caucus systems
the use of both primaries and caucuses is necessary to the diversity of the American federal system
presidential candidates prefer the caucus system because it gives them a chance to win all of a state’s delegates
corruption in a caucus system is most likely due to the multi-level selection of candidates
each state decides whether to use primaries or caucuses in the selection of presidential candidates
What are some key terms to help you decide the correct answer?

12. What are some key terms in this inference question?
It can be most reasonably inferred from the passage that:
delegates at national party conventions are selected only through the primary and caucus systems
the use of both primaries and caucuses is necessary to the diversity of the American federal system
presidential candidates prefer the caucus system because it gives them a chance to win all of a state’s delegates
corruption in a caucus system is most likely due to the multi-level selection of candidates
each state decides whether to use primaries or caucuses in the selection of presidential candidates
Don’t forget those “extreme words” (such as “only” and “all”).

13. Main Idea Questions (page 67)
These questions want you to find the point of the entire paragraph.
Eliminate answers that are too broad or too specific.
TIP: Read the first and last lines of the paragraph. With just these two sentences, you can already start eliminating answers!

14. Main Idea Passage: First and Last
We’re going to go against the Method to show how this strategy works. Don’t read the question – read the short paragraph first on page 67. Don’t go to the question when you’re finished – close your book.
Now open your book back up and look at the first and last sentences:
First: “Perhaps the scientists most excited about reigniting the lunar program are not lunar specialists, but astronomers studying a wide range of subjects.”
Last: “Proponents claim that under these conditions a lunar-based telescope could accomplish as much in seventeen days as the replacement for the Hubble telescope will in ten years of operation.”

15. Main Idea Example
The main idea of the above passage is most accurately described by which of the following statements?
Most astronomers are in favor of reigniting the lunar program.
New lunar missions could discover important new features of the moon.
The new lunar telescope will replace the defunct Hubble telescope.
Recent discoveries have been made about weather on the dark side of the moon.
Some scientists believe the moon is an ideal location for an interplanetary telescope.
Using the first and last sentences of the paragraph, let’s see if we can whittle down the answers. We know some scientists are excited about reigniting the lunar program, and a lunar telescope would be very effective.

16. Where’s the telescope or scientists?
The main idea of the above passage is most accurately described by which of the following statements?
Most astronomers are in favor of reigniting the lunar program.
XXXXX
The new lunar telescope will replace the defunct Hubble telescope.
Some scientists believe the moon is an ideal location for an interplanetary telescope.
B and D don’t mention a telescope or scientists.

17. Is it “most” scientists?
The main idea of the above passage is most accurately described by which of the following statements?
XXXXX
The new lunar telescope will replace the defunct Hubble telescope.
Some scientists believe the moon is an ideal location for an interplanetary telescope.
A says “most,” when we know that “some” scientists are excited about the program.

18. Is the telescope built already?
The main idea of the above passage is most accurately described by which of the following statements?
XXXXX
Some scientists believe the moon is an ideal location for an interplanetary telescope.
C makes it sound as if the telescope is already built. We know from the last sentence that the telescope “could accomplish” something; in other words, it’s a plan for the future, and may eventually replace the Hubble.
So that leaves:

19. Main Idea Example: Correct Answer
The main idea of the above passage is most accurately described by which of the following statements?
Most astronomers are in favor of reigniting the lunar program.
New lunar missions could discover important new features of the moon.
The new lunar telescope will replace the defunct Hubble telescope.
Recent discoveries have been made about weather on the dark side of the moon.
Some scientists believe the moon is an ideal location for an interplanetary telescope.
You could (and should!) have gotten this answer by carefully reading the entire passage. However, as we can see, the strategy of reading the first and last sentence can speed up the process of finding the correct answer.

20. Quick Quiz #1 (page 68)
Get out a piece of paper and write your name on it.
Write down numbers #1 and #2.
Turn to page 68. Cover up page 69 (the answers) with a folder or something else besides your paper (which you might see through!).
Answer the questions, only writing down the correct letter answer for each. When you are finished, close the workbook with your answer sheet and/or folder as a bookmark.
You have three minutes.

21. Answers to Quick Quiz #1 (page 69)
The answers are: D A
Explanations for your answers are on page 69.
How did you do?
Any questions?

22. Structure (page 69)
Structure questions ask how a particular sentence functions in the paragraph. For example, “In the fourth sentence, . . .”
In the passage, find the sentence in question, and a sentence or two before and after it.
Ask yourself, “How does the sentence function in the paragraph?”

23. Vocabulary in Context (page 70)
These questions test your comprehension of vocabulary as they are used in the passage.
Find the indicated word in the passage and note the context in order to determine the correct answer.
Do NOT answer without seeing the vocabulary word in context! There may be more than one “correct” answer if reading the question by itself, but only one answer is right in the passage’s context.

24. What’s the correct answer?
In the third sentence, the word “stimulated” most nearly means:
created
touched
aroused
encouraged
quickened

25. What’s the correct answer?
In the third sentence, the word “stimulated” most nearly means:
created
touched
aroused (it’s a trap!)
encouraged
quickened
“Stimulated” might mean “aroused” in another context, but the correct answer (if you read the passage and put it in context) is “encouraged.”

26. Argument (pages 70-71)
An argument question requires you to strengthen or weaken one of the author’s points.
Therefore, make sure to read the relevant part of the passage carefully to understand the author’s point first!
These can be tough! Answer these kind of questions last. If you’re crunched on time, skip ‘em.

27. Quick Quiz #2 (page 72) Write down numbers #1 and #2.
Turn to page 72. Turn to page 22. Cover up page 23 (the answers) with a folder or something else besides your paper (which you might see through!).
Answer the questions, only writing down the correct letter answer for each. When you are finished, close the workbook with your answer sheet and/or folder as a bookmark.
You have three minutes.

28. Answers to Quick Quiz #2 (page 73)
The answers are: E D
Explanations for your answers are on page 73.
How did you do?
Any questions?

29. Problem Sets #1, 2 and 3 Write down #1 through 4 on your paper.
Turn to Problem Set #1, page 74. Complete Problem Set #1, writing your answers on your paper. Cover up page 75 with your folder.
Write down #1 through 4 and complete Problem Set #2 (page 76), writing your answers on your paper; cover up the answers on page 77 with your folder.
Write down #1 through 4 and complete Problem Set #3 (page 78-79), writing your answers on your paper.
You have 15 minutes.

30. Review Answers to Problem Sets
Check your answers.
Read over the explanations for any that you missed.
How did you do?
Any questions?
This concludes today’s SAT Review!