go2chayan Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Dear Friends, I am in a complete despair about the GRE RCs. It looks so intricate that I really struggle to understand the main idea even if I read it without any time constrain - let alone the timed tests. So, how to approach in this situation? Should I try to continue without considering the time? I need a good guidance on preparing on reading comprehention within 2 months. Anybody here to help please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go2chayan Posted October 4, 2008 Author Share Posted October 4, 2008 Still no reply ... anybody there to guide me on RCs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanyo Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Hi, Here are some tips I have found on RC's. Hope you find it helpful: (Reference: GRE Vocabulary Home) In the Reading Comprehension Questions section of the exam, remember that the examiner is actually GIVING YOU the information you need to answer the question well. That's right, the answer is there for you in the passage. So - how quickly can you find it? Most people read the passage all the way through, then read the questions, then try to find the answer. This is the wrong way. You should work smarter. Follow this pattern: a) First, SKIM the passage - so you know roughly what it is about. Don't take much time to do this. If you're not experienced in skim-reading, get some practice! b) READ THE QUESTIONS!!! c) Now go back to the passage and re-read it closely. The goal-seeking part of your brain, equipped with the questions that need answering, will work much more efficiently now. Some other tips include: Remember that your answers must be based on the material in the passage. As you read, try to separate out which are the author's ideas versus facts. Ask yourself what the key points are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentself Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Nice reply, sanyo.. :) Just wanted to add to Chayan that probably you are having some problems in skimming through the substance of the RC. Look, the way most of the books recommend is to go through the first and last sentences of every paragraphs "at normal pace" to have a brief idea. My experience showed that this might not be a hard and fast rule (probably you have a feeling that the second sentence of the para might be revealing the entire message). But this rule definitely helps. For line reference questions, it is recommended to read 5 lines above and 5 lines below the referenced line. Again this might not work, but this definitely helps. The key is to not get lost into the details, and to get the overall idea. GRE is not TOEFL, where you can read and reread the lines. You have mostly got one shot at it. And try to relax when you're reading. Think that you are reading a book. You will see that you've grasped much more!! :) Good luck..!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWiggles01 Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 The RC's are my main weakness, but they have drastically improved through doing a lot of them. For the past month and half, I have done atleast two RC's per day and my accuracy has greatly improved. Initially when I set out to practice RCs, I would sit at my desk and squirm around like I had severe ADHD because I could not stand to read these extremely dry and prosaic passages. After about two weeks I noticed that I began to employ active reading skills where you read and process the the information at the same time. Again, this is a test of skill, not intelligence, and for most of us that read complicated material have not developed active reading skills because most difficult books (i.e. physics) can not be read in an active fashion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go2chayan Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Dear Friends, Thank you all of you for these superb advices. I have improved my reading a lot and is hoping this will not be a major problem in my GRE test. Thank you all again for the kind support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pankeshlinux Posted November 29, 2008 Share Posted November 29, 2008 Thanks For your suggestion..... From Pankesh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
destination007 Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 MrWiggles01, good suggestion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abhishek009 Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Dear Friends, I am in a complete despair about the GRE RCs. It looks so intricate that I really struggle to understand the main idea even if I read it without any time constrain - let alone the timed tests. So, how to approach in this situation? Should I try to continue without considering the time? I need a good guidance on preparing on reading comprehention within 2 months. Anybody here to help please? Another strategy which I adopt and have given me good results is : Read the first paragraph Go and check the questions from that paragraph Try to solve it Proceed to the next paragraph ( Again apply the same) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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