Summary of ​Erica Reading Second Edition ​by Dr.

Zainab Abdelhai 01115375887

Voc. Words page 48-50

-​ ​Transition words p. 203

-​ ​Glossary of Function words 232

-​ ​List of Positive, Negative, and Neutral function words, and those that are likely to be

incorrect p.217

·​ ​Read all of the literature passage, but the other passages read only as learned.

·​ ​Literature passages: look for characters, characteristics, dialogue, events

·​ ​Science: look for scientists, experiments, studies, survey, study

·​ ​History: look for names, dates, and main ideas

·​ ​Don’t answer the passages in order, choose the easy ones first, but make sure to
answer in the corresponding bubbles on the answer sheet

·​ ​The science and social science have graphs

·​ ​There are 12 types of questions. Make sure to know their rules.

·​ ​Look for synonyms, if the words are the same in the question and passage,
approach it with caution

·​ ​Wrong answers fall under the following categories:

·​ ​Off-topic

·​ ​Too broad (e.g. the passage discusses one scientist while the
answer refers to scientists)

·​ ​Too extreme (e.g. the passage is neutral or slightly negative/positive

but the answer is extremely negative/positive)

·​ ​Half-right, half-wrong (e.g. right information, wrong point of view)

·​ ​Could be true but not enough information

 ·​ ​True for the passage as a whole, but not for the specific lines in
question

·​ ​Factually true but not stated in the passage

·​ ​You should circle any words or phrases that indicate the author is making a
point, e.g. ​the point is, goal/, or intention, along with the word important and
any of its synonyms (significant, central/, essential, key) and any italicized
words​. If you see one of these terms in the middle of a paragraph as you're racing
through, you need to slow down, circle it, and read that part carefully. If the author
says it's important, it's important.

·​ ​You need to learn to recognize when an argument changes or when ​new and
important​ information is being introduced: ​transitions such as however,
therefore, in fact; "unusual" punctuation such as dashes, italics, and colons;
strong language such as only, never, and most, and "explanation" words such
as answer, explain, and reason are all "clues" ​that tell you to pay attention. If one
of these elements appears either in or around the lines you're given to read, the
answer will typically be located right around that spot.

·​ ​Pay attention to

1- Transition words

2- Punctuation

3- Strong language

4- Explanation words
·​ ​When the question does not have a line reference, look for key words in the
question and skim the passage to look for its synonyms.

·​ ​Pay attention to the first and last sentence of each paragraph because they are
most likely to include important words.

·​ ​If the line reference begins or ends halfway through a sentence, however, make
sure you back up or keep reading so that you cover the entire sentence in which it
appears. If a line reference begins close to the beginning of a paragraph, you should
automatically read from the first sentence of the paragraph because it will usually
give you the point of the paragraph.

·​ ​If you read the lines referenced and have an inordinate amount of difficulty
identifying the correct answer, or get down to two answers and are we able to
identify which is correct, that's often a sign that the answer is actually located
somewhere else. Go back to the passage, and read the surrounding sentences.

·​ ​For long line references: a long line reference is, paradoxically, a signal that you
don't need to read all of the lines. Usually the information you need to answer the
question will be in the first sentence or two, the last sentence or two, or in a section
with key punctuation (dashes, italics, colon). Start by focusing on those places and
forgetting the rest; they'll almost certainly give you enough to go on.

·​ ​When you're stuck between two answers, there are several ways to decide
between them.

1- First, go back to the passage and see if there are any ​major transitions
or strong language​ you missed the first time around; you may have been
focusing on the wrong part of the line reference, or you may not have read far
enough before/ after the line reference. If that is the case, the correct answer
may become clear once you focus on the necessity information.

2- The correct answer will usually contain ​a synonym​ for a key word in the
passage, so if a remaining choice includes this feature, you should pay very
close attention to it.

3- You can also pick one specific word or phrase in an answer to check out
when you go back to the passage. For example, if the lines in question focus on
a single scientist and the answer choice mentions scientists, and then the answer
is probably beyond the scope of what can be inferred from the passage.
Likewise, if an answer focuses on a specific person, thing, or idea not mentioned
in the lines referenced, there's also a reasonable chance that it's off topic.
 4- Remember: ​that the more information an answer choice contains​, the
greater the chance that some of that information will be ​wrong.

5- Finally, you can reiterate ​the main point of​ the passage or paragraph,
and think about which answer is most consistent with it. That answer will most
likely be correct.

·​ ​If an answer choice has extreme language (no one, always, every) , it is probably
wrong.

·​ ​If an answer choice uses one of the common words (compromised, conviction…
see full list on page 48-50) in its secondary meaning , then it is probably correct.

·​ ​Put your finger on the page, and bracket or underline as you read; the physical
connection between your eye and your hand will force you to focus in a way you
wouldn't if you were just looking at the page. You're also far less likely to miss key
information.

·​ ​Be as literal as you possibly can.

·​ ​Don't ever read just half a sentence.

·​ ​For ​Vocabulary ​questions:

1- A common word will not be used to mean what it most commonly means
(e.g. . . . spill will not mean "knock over").

2- Context is everything. On the SAT, words can be used to mean whatever

an author happens to want them to mean, regardless of their dictionary
definition(s). As a matter of fact, it doesn't even matter if you know the definition
of the word being tested, as long as you 1) can use context clues to understand
the word in question, and 2) can figure out the definitions of the words in the
answer choices.

3- For Hard words use the following strategies: process of elimination,

positive and negative, idiomatic structure, making sense

·​ ​Former means mentioned first, latter means mentioned second

·​ ​Be aware of what abstract and compression nouns (notion, assertion,

phenomenon) refer to, the antecedent is usually mentioned before the pronoun. This
is especially important on history passages.
 ·​ ​For ​Big Picture Questions​ which ask you about the author’s point, central
claim, or to choose the answer that best summarizes, or what is the author’s purpose
of the passage, or the order of the events, etc.

-​ ​Don’t reread the sentences; you don’t need to understand all the details.

-​ ​The main ideas will be around the following:

1- Transitions

2- Unusual punctuation

3- Strong language

4- At important places: 1​st​ sentence, 1​st​ paragraph, 1​st​ sentence of 2​nd​ paragraph,
conclusion

5- Rhetorical questions

-​ ​The topic is the most repeated word, and its synonyms, the main idea is the topic + so what

-​ ​Pay attention to the They Say and I Say sign posts

They Say

• Some people (scientists, readers, critics, etc.) believe ...

• Many people think that .. .

• Most people think that ..

• is commonly thought that ...

• Accepted/ conventional wisdom holds that ...

• In the past ...

• For a long time/ decades/hundreds of years ...

• Traditionally, people have believed that ...

Rhetorical questions, quotation marks around words indicate skepticism

 I Say

• However, But in fact, In reality .. .

• But is it really true/ the case that ... ?

• It seems to me that ...

• It now seems (clear) that ...

• Recently, it has been found that ...

• People now think ...

• New research/evidence shows/suggests that

• Another possibility is that ..

·​ ​Transition words that show contradiction

-​ ​You should pay careful attention to ​major transitions, unusual punctuation, and strong

language​ because they will virtually always appear at key places in the passage. You should
also pay particular attention to the places where important information is likely to appear: ​the
introduction will present the character(s) and the general scenario, and the conclusion
will reiterate the essential information​ that the author wants to convey about them

For ​command of evidence questions​, the first question is either inference or literal
comprehension

-​ ​Make sure to look at the next page of questions for the second half of this question pair.

-​ ​Make sure to read before and after the line reference for context.

-​ ​You don’t need to read the answers in order. If you remember the place in the passage, go

back to that place and corresponding lines.

-​ ​The answer to all questions is always in the passage. It is a paraphrase to one of the

answer choices.

-​ ​When you answer inference questions, you must find the wording that supports your

answer in the passage. Don’t make big assumptions.

-​ ​For assumption questions (e.g. “An unstated assumption made by the author about

vegetables is that their…) Find the key word in the passage; start with the last sentence in the
passage. This is very important.

-​ ​To answer Supporting and Undermining Claims Question

1- Identify the claim

2- Determine what sort of information would support or contradict the claim

3- Check the answers.

-​ ​Function Questions don’t ask what the lines say, but why and how they are said.

Refer to page 203 for functions of key words and punctuation

- ​always keep in mind the topic of the passage because the correct answer may
refer to​ ​it

-​ if the lines given in the question are relatively close to the beginning of a
paragraph, you should begin reading from there -topic sentences will nearly
always give you the point of a paragraph, making it much easier for you to
understand the role of a particular word or sentence within it. If the lines are in
the middle of a paragraph, especially a long paragraph, you probably do not need
to go all the way back to the beginning of it but can instead back up a sentence
or couple of sentences as necessary.

- Since one of the main focuses of the SAT is the relationships between ideas, it
follows that the majority of the questions tend to be based on the places in a
passage where ideas come into contact into with one another -that is, where new
information is introduced, or where there is a change in focus, point of view, or
tone.

The answers to Function questions will usually have two parts, a verb and a
description of the content. Both have to be correct for the answer choice to be
correct.

A) justify an approach

B) qualify a statement

C) promote a theory

D) refute a claim
 - Important: Remember that a long line reference does not necessarily mean that
all of the lines are important. Generally speaking, the longer the line reference, the
smaller the amount of it that is directly relevant to the question.

-​ ​Science passages are usually neutral or positive (new discoveries)

-​ ​Extreme language in answer choices is usually not correct.

-​ ​Rarely do science passages prove or disprove a point.

Tone and Attitude Questions

Phrased as

• What main effect does the quotation by Kim (lines x-y) have on the tone of the passage?

• The author would most likely view the events described in lines x-y as ...

• The information in lines x-y suggests that the author would view advocates of Anderson's
theory with ...

* ​As a general rule, "extreme" answers to tone/ attitude questions are incorrect, while
correct answers are moderate.​ Thus, if an author's attitude is positive, the answer is more
likely to be ​approving ​or ​appreciative t​ han ​awed​; if the author's attitude is negative, the
answer is more likely to be ​skeptical o​ r ​dubious​ (doubtful) than ​angry​; and if an author
uses strong language, the answer is likely to be a more neutral word such as emphatic or
decisive

Extreme Tone Neutral Tone (objective/ impartial)

Awed Approving/ Appreciative

Angry Skeptical/ dubious

Conclusively Suggests/ cautious/ tentative

Indifferent/ apathetic/ resigned Only characters in fiction passages can

be indifferent/ apathetic/ resigned
-​ ​When inferring attitude (opinion) play positive/ negative and pay attention to “they say” and

“I say”

-​ ​How to answer Tone Questions that ask you the use of specific words/ phrases contributes

to the tone:

1- Read the lines

2- Focus on only the tone word in the answer choices

3- Play positive and negative to connect lines to answer choices

4- Make sure to eliminate any extreme answers

5- Read the rest of the answer choices

Note: When you have answer choices, check the most specific part to make sure it is correct.

Register Clues Tone

Long sentences/ Multiple

clauses
Formal Elevated/ lofty
Sophisticated, abstract
vocabulary

Metaphorical language

Short sentences

Informal Casual/ colloquial Informal/ conversational

vocabulary

Allusions to popular
culture

Humorous quotations

Rhetorical questions
 Certainty Clues Tone

• It contains short, blunt

declarations (e.g. There
is no compelling proof
that it's true).

It contains strong words Emphatic, decisive,

and phrases such as vehement, resolute
there is no doubt,
certainly, only, and most.

It lacks qualifying words

or phrases such as
sometimes, frequently, or
might that would soften
its meaning.

Uncertainty qualifying phrases (some, Tentative, hesitant,

has the potential to be) cautious
that tell us that the author
wants to avoid making an
overly strong statement

In such cases, the author Speculative

will discusses
hypothetical​ situations
-ones that have not
actually occurred but that
could occur
-and will use words such
as could, might, probably,
and perhaps

Rhetorical questions can puzzled, perplexed,

also indicate a lack of uncertain
certainty searching

Note: Just because the passage discusses both sides does not mean it is ambivalent or
confused. It could be a “they say” “I say” passage.
Refer to the end of the conclusion and the contradiction transition words such as but, however,
rather since “I say” will usually be presented after those transitions.

-​ ​There is no relationship between how much time an author spends discussing an idea and

whether the author agrees with that idea.

Humor, sarcasm, irony Clues Tone

Usually used when the -​ ​Word play: -

author wants to express punning, using apposite -
a negative attitude meaning -​ ​Humorous,

irreverent
Mockery, sarcasm
using punctuation such as
Ironic, wry, sardonic,
italics, quotation marks,
satirical
and exclamation points

rhetorical techniques
such as repetition and
questions,

Tone Clue

Wistful (homesickness) Nostalgia Words (brings a tear to the eye, etc.)

(yearning for the past) Personification

Defensiveness Justification in the passage for author’s

point of view

Didactic (teaching) Second person point of view,

Reflective, pensive (thinking) First person, phrases like ​I think, I

believe, and it seems to me

Rhetorical Strategy and Organization

1-​ P
​ oint of View

A-​ ​First person point of view: Uses “I” and “we” and is mostly in
literature and history passages. “We” shows unity.
 B-​ ​The third person point of view is written from an objective or
impersonal perspective. The majority of SAT passages are written
from a third-person perspective. It is mainly found in science and
social science passages.

C-​ ​ Second person are less common. They denote commands.

Keystone Reading Notes

Approach the reading passages with an active mind:

1-​ ​Stay in a frame of mind that is constantly asking questions such as “What is the
meaning of this sentence?”, “Is this an important point or just a detail?” but more than
anything ask yourself “What is the author’s overall point?” What is the main point of
this particular paragraph?”

2-​ ​Use your pencil to focus your attention on the page. Underline important ideas,
transition words, strong language, strange punctuation.

The big picture​ ​means that you are looking at the forest and not the trees.
You reach this by doing the following:

1-​ ​Always read the blurb

2-​ ​Look at the first paragraph, searching for strongly worded statements. A thesis is
a strong and definite assertion.

3-​ ​Look for examples that support/ illustrate the author’s main point

4-​ ​Look for repetition of ideas.

5-​ ​As you read, attempt to summarize the main ideas.

6-​ ​Look for strong assertions, transitions, restatements of ideas, strange

punctuation, rhetorical questions, etc…