Reading Comprehension Strategies 5-8

Strategy 5

There may be questions that link two or more texts from your Readings Booklet. Linking questions might ask you to consider what these texts have in common. You may also be asked to consider how they connect the texts thematically.

Your cue will be at least two text titles in the question stem. All the other strategies still apply here, in terms of highlighting and making notes in the margin.

Strategy 6: Ready to Read!

Once you have written notes in your Questions Booklet and highlighted your Readings Booklet, pay close attention to the highlighted sections as you read the texts.

Also, help is there, if you look for it. Introductory information may be provided at the top of a text to help you understand the text. You may learn about the text’s context and relevant biographical information about the text creator.

You may also see definitions provided for difficult words. These may be words that are specific to the context that you might not know (e.g., “Cathode” refers to electricity and the movement of negatively charged electrons.).

Paying attention to this information can often help you make a final selection between alternatives.

Courtesy of ADLC

Strategy 7: You are usually right the first time

If you’ve applied your strategies, you will have a good understanding of the text. Your interpretation of the characters and the text will likely be consistent throughout the text. Do not change your answer, unless you are sure you have missed a key detail in the question stem (e.g., a reference to a quotation or a key term like “irony”), because your first instinct is usually correct.

Strategy 8: Leave no question blank

A blank answer is going to be wrong 100% of the time. (Think about it.) Do not, under any circumstance, leave a multiple-choice question blank. After applying all of your strategies, you should be able to reduce the possible correct answers to two choices. That’s a 50/50 chance you will get the answer correct. Pick one.