The sat critical reading section 8 doc

You can expect the passages for paragraph-length critical reading questions to be just that—one paragraph.. Most passages will be 100–350 words long followed by two to five questions—a s

 P a r t 3 : P a r a g r a p h - L e n g t h

C r i t i c a l R e a d i n g

Out with the old and in with the new: New paragraph-length critical reading questions have replaced the old analogies on the SAT And that’s good news for you, because these paragraph-length critical reading pas-sages are essentially the same as those in the reading comprehension section, only much shorter and easier

to manage

The SAT has about eight paragraph-length criti-cal reading questions The questions should be divided more or less equally among the three Critical Reading sections You can expect the passages for paragraph-length critical reading questions to be just that—one paragraph Most passages will be 100–350 words long followed by two to five questions—a sharp contrast to the half-dozen or more questions that follow the 400–850-word reading comprehension passages

While the paragraph-length critical reading passages and questions are very similar to their long passage counterparts, there are a few important dif-ferences to keep in mind and some specific strate-gies you can use to answer these questions more effectively

Structure and Strategy

For paragraph-length critical reading passages, you can expect fewer questions about specific facts and details (which are easy to find in such short passages)

and more questions about the structure of the pas-sage and the strategies the author uses to convey his

or her idea These questions may ask you about the order of ideas or the purpose of specific lines in the passage They may ask you to consider why the writer uses certain words or includes a particular piece of information Here is a good example of this type of question:

1 In lines 1–2, the author refers to a list of pros and

cons to

a show that there are both positive and negative

aspects of utilitarianism

b suggest that making a list of pros and cons is

not an effective way to make a decision

c emphasize that utilitarians consider both the

good and the bad before making a decision

d indicate that readers will learn how to make

decisions using pro/con lists

e show readers that they are probably already

familiar with the principles of utilitarian reasoning

So while you should continue to hone your gen-eral reading comprehension skills and expect ques-tions about vocabulary, the main idea, inferences, and specific details, you should also be prepared for more question stems like the following:

■ The passage is developed primarily through

■ The author’s use of X (e.g., a specific word, list,

quotation, etc.) suggests that

■ By comparing X to Y, the author implies that

■ The author describes/presents/refers to X to

■ Which of the following techniques is used in the last sentence?

■ The passage uses X (e.g., first-person point of

view) to

In other words, structure and strategy questions

ask you to consider how the writer expresses his or her ideas and what effect those writing strategies have on

the reader What kind of examples does the writer use

to support the main idea? What is the impact of

com-paring X to Y?

It might help to think of writing as a series of deci-sions Writers choose their words carefully They think

about how to punctuate and paragraph their sentences

7 7

– T H E S AT C R I T I C A L R E A D I N G S E C T I O N –

7 8

Don’t Forget: General Critical Reading Strategies

Keep in mind these general critical reading strategies as you prepare for the new paragraph-length criti-cal reading questions on the SAT

1. Be sure to read each question carefully and understand exactly what it is asking

2. Try to formulate an answer in your own words before looking at the answer choices This will help you avoid choosing tricky distracters

3. Remember that many answer choices are distracters that (1) are true, but do not answer the ques-tion; (2) are close to the correct answer, but wrong in some detail; or (3) use language from the pas-sage, but do not correctly answer the question

4. Remember that any conclusion you draw from the passage must have evidence in the passage An

answer may be true, or you may believe it to be true, but if there is no evidence for it in the text, it cannot be a correct answer

5. Remember to use the process of elimination Rule out any obviously incorrect answers to narrow down the possible choices

for clarity and impact They decide which example or

comparison or image will best convey their ideas,

sup-port their argument, or arouse the desired emotion in

their readers These critical reading questions simply

ask you to look at the decisions the writers made and

consider the impact of their choices

On test day, you may come across a question or two asking you to identify the specific strategy a writer

uses in a particular line or phrase You might be asked

about the effect of a strategy, or you may need to draw

an inference based upon the writer’s use of a specific

technique

Active Reading for

Short Passages

Because the paragraph-length critical reading passages

are so short, your active reading strategies should be

slightly different from those for the longer critical

read-ing passages

1 Each passage is usually only one paragraph (two

at the most), so you don’t need to skim ahead

before you actually read the text Just read quickly, carefully, and actively the first time

2 To save time, keep your notes to a minimum, if

you take any at all

3 Do underline and circle key words and ideas as

you read

4 Pay attention to strategic issues such as word

choice and structure as you read For example, how are the ideas in the passage organized? What support does the author offer for his or her ideas? Does the writer use certain words to suggest ideas or elicit emotions from the reader?

5 After you finish the paragraph, try to sum up the

main idea in your own words Even if there isn’t a question about the main idea or purpose of the passage, at least one question will probably depend upon your understanding of the passage

as a whole If you have trouble determining the main idea, reread the first and last sentences— these are the most common places to find a topic sentence in a paragraph

– L E A R N I N G E X P R E S S A N S W E R S H E E T –

7 9

 4 0 P r a c t i c e P a r a g r a p h - L e n g t h C r i t i c a l R e a d i n g Q u e s t i o n s

The passages below are followed by several questions about their content Read each passage carefully and answer the questions based on what is stated or implied in the text Use the answer sheet below to record your answers

ANSWER SHEET

Questions 1–3 are based on the following passage about public art.

Although all art is inherently public—created in order to convey an idea or emotion to others—“public art,” as opposed to art that is sequestered in museums and galleries, is art specifically designed for a pub-lic arena where the art will be encountered by people in their normal day-to-day activities Pubpub-lic art can

be purely ornamental or highly functional; it can be as subtle as a decorative door knob or as conspicu-ous as the Chicago Picasso The more obviconspicu-ous forms of public art include monuments, sculptures, foun-tains, murals, and gardens But public art also takes the form of ornamental benches or street lights, decorative manhole covers, and mosaics on trash bins Many city dwellers would be surprised to discover just how much public art is really around them and how much impact public art has on their day-to-day lives

– T H E S AT C R I T I C A L R E A D I N G S E C T I O N –

8 1

Line (5)

1 According to the passage, public art is

differenti-ated from private art mainly by

a the kind of ideas or emotions it aims to

con-vey to its audience

b its accessibility

c its perceived value

d its importance to the city

e the recognition that artists receive for their

work

2 The use of the word sequestered in line 2 suggests

that the author feels

a private art is better than public art

b private art is too isolated from the public

c the admission fees for public art arenas

pre-vent many people from experiencing the art

d private art is more difficult to understand than

public art

e private art is often controversial in nature

3 The main purpose of this passage is to

a define public art

b make readers more aware of the public art

around them

c argue that public art is more interesting than

private art

d describe the functions of public art

e provide examples of public art

Questions 4–8 are based on the following passage about asbestos.

Asbestos is generally made up of fiber bundles that can be broken up into long, thin fibers We now know from various studies that when this friable substance is released into the air and inhaled into the lungs over

a period of time, it can lead to a higher risk of lung cancer and a condition known as asbestosis Asbesto-sis, a thickening and scarring of the lung tissue, usually occurs when a person is exposed to high asbestos levels over an extended period of time Unfortunately, the symptoms do not usually appear until about twenty years after initial exposure, making it difficult to reverse or prevent In addition, smoking while exposed to asbestos fibers could further increase the risk of developing lung cancer When it comes to asbestos exposure in the home, school, and workplace, there is no safe level; any exposure is considered harmful and dangerous Prior to the 1970s, asbestos use was ubiquitous—many commercial building and home insulation products contained asbestos In the home in particular, there are many places where asbestos hazards might be present Building materials that may contain asbestos include fireproofing mate-rial (sprayed on beams), insulation matemate-rial (on pipes and oil and coal furnaces), acoustical or sound-proofing material (sprayed onto ceilings and walls), and miscellaneous materials such as asphalt, vinyl, and cement used to make products like roofing felts, shingles, siding, wallboard, and floor tiles

– T H E S AT C R I T I C A L R E A D I N G S E C T I O N –

8 2

Line

(5)

(10)

4 In line 2, the word friable most nearly means

a ability to freeze

b warm or liquid

c easily broken down

d poisonous

e crunchy

5 The main purpose of this passage is to

a teach asbestos awareness in the home and

schools

b explain the properties of asbestos

c encourage preventative measures such as early

lung cancer screening

d provide a list of materials that may include

asbestos

e use scare tactics to make homeowners move to

newer houses

6 The word ubiquitous (line 9) and the list of

building materials containing asbestos (lines 11–14) serve primarily to

a allay fears of becoming ill from asbestos

b encourage reforms in building practice

c describe the effects of asbestos in the home

d urge readers to check their homes for asbestos

e show how common asbestos is in homes built

before 1970

7 The tone of this passage is best described as

a cautionary

b apathetic

c informative

d admonitory

e idiosyncratic

8 For whom is the author writing this passage?

a professional contractors

b students

c school principals

d health officials

e lay persons