ACT: The Reading Test

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ACT The Reading Test
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ACT READING TEST

• 4 categories of reading passages
• Social Studies
• Natural Sciences
• Humanities
• Prose Fiction
• Each passage is about 1,000 words long
• written at about the same difficulty level as
  college textbooks

• Each has a very specific theme
• SKIM ALL READING PASSAGESDO NOT READ CLOSELY
• 10 questions after each passage
• 3 categories of reading questions Specific
  Detail, Inference, Big Picture

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SUGGESTIONS FOR READING THE PASSAGE

• Read actively, with an eye towards where the
  author is going
• Read very quickly but actively, getting a sense
  of the main idea of the passage and seeing how
  everything fits together
• dont worry about details you can go back and
  find them later
• circle key words (such as names, dates, and
  unfamiliar words) so that you can find them
  easily when you are answering the questions

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READING CLUES

• Structural clues
• But, nevertheless, and moreover help you get a
  sense of where the paper is going
• Signal clues
• Clearly, as a result, or no one can deny that
  determine logic of the passage
• Remember you can come back for details later

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SIGNAL WORDS TO WATCH FOR

• Indicating a contrast
• but, however, on the other hand, nevertheless
• Indicating a continuation with a similar or
  complementary thought
• moreover, furthermore, or a semicolon
• Indicating a conclusion
• therefore, thus
• Reasons for a conclusion
• since, because of , due to
• Examples or illustration
• for instance, for example

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KAPLANS 3 STEP METHOD

• You should spend only about 9 minute per passage
• less than 3 minutes should be spent pre-reading
• the rest of the time should be spent considering
  questions and referring back to the passage to
  find the answers
• tale 2 sweeps through the questions for each
  passage
• Get the easier questions the first time around
• Go back for the more difficult ones
• Questions are not in order of easiest to hardest

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KAPLANS 3 STEP METHOD

• 1. Pre-read the passage quickly
• 2. Consider the question stem
• 3. Refer back to the passage for the answers

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KAPLANS 3 STEP METHOD

• STEP 1 PRE-READ (3 min. per passage)
• understand the main idea of the passage
• get an overall idea of how the passage is
  organized
• underline key points (like a highlighter)
• jot down notes in the margin
• circle key clue words
• DO NOT get bogged down with the details

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KAPLANS 3 STEP METHOD

• STEP 2 QUESTION STEM
• dont let the answer choices direct your thinking
• The test makers intentionally design the answers
  to confuse you if they can
• Look at the questions stem ONLY do not look at
  the possible answers first

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KAPLANS 3 STEP METHOD

• STEP 3 REFER BACK TO THE PASSAGE
• You WILL NOT re-read the entire passage
• look only for the area where the answer to the
  question can be found
• sometimes the questions will give you a line to
  help you out
• you answer should match the passage--not in exact
  vocabulary but in meaning (answers are usually a
  paraphrase of the answer in the passage)

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ACT READING PASSAGE

• Prose fiction (1 passage per test)
• Nonfiction (3 passages per test, one each in)
• Social Studies
• Natural Sciences
• Humanities
• Your approach should be the same for all 3
  nonfiction passages

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PROSE FICTION

• The prose fiction passage is usually a story in
  which characters, fully equipped with their own
  motivations and emotions, interact in revealing
  ways
• for this reason, the passage wont break down
  into an orderly outline with several key terms
  and clue words
• Pay attention to the story

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PROSE FICTION

• In the prose fiction passage, almost all the
  questions relate to the characters
• your job is to find answers to the following
  questions
• Who are these people? What are they like? How are
  they related to each other?

• What is their state of mind? Are they angry,
  sad, reflective, excited?
• Whats really going on? Whats happening on the
  surface? Beneath the surface?
• Most of the fiction passages focus on one person
  or are written from the point of view of one of
  the characters

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PROSE FICTION

• Figure out who this main character is and pay
  special attention to what he or she is like
• Read between the lines to determine unspoken
  emotions and attitudes
• Get a good feel for tone and style of the whole
  passage before going on to the questions

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NATURAL SCIENCE PASSAGE

• Know you are more likely to find unfamiliar
  vocabulary in Science passages
• Dont panic! The Science passages on the Reading
  test require no prior knowledge.
• Any unknown terms are usually defined in the
  passage or will have inferable definitions from
  the context
• Dont let yourself become overwhelmed

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READING PASSAGE
The Questions
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SPECIFIC DETAILS

• Specific Details questions ask about things
  stated explicitly in the passage
• Line reference
• Always refer back to the passage
• When given a line reference, always read a few
  sentences BEFORE and AFTER the cited lines
  (context)

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NAILING DOWN DETAILS

• The challenge with this is finding the proper
  place in the passage where the answer can be
  found (sometimes you will be given a line
  reference)
• Then, you have to match up what you see in the
  passage with the correct answer, which will
  probably be worded differently (paraphrased)

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INFERENCE QUESTIONS

• For these types of questions, it is your job to
  combine ideas logically to make an inference
• This is something that is not stated explicitly
  in the passage but that is implied
• This type of question has words like suggest,
  infer, or imply in the question stem
• Common sense is your best tool here
• Some will give you a line
• DO NOT make inferences too extreme (always,
  never, all the time, etc.)

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BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS

• Ask yourself, as you read
• What is the point of this?
• Why is the author saying this?
• If you are stumped, try doing all the other
  questions first and completing this one last.

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FIND AND PARAPHRASE

• Your main job is to
• FIND AND PARAPHRASE,
• Your task is NOT to
• Comprehend and Remember

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SKIPPING

• Answer the EASY questions for each passage first
• Skip the tough ones and come back to them later
• When you return to that question later, try to
  identify the THREE WRONG answers
• Guess if you have to and dont let that get you
  stressed