Overall Reading Strategies

[go2chayan]

During my test preparation time, I've found some reading strategies useful. Check whether these are useful for you or not:

1. Before going to the 1st question, just check out the beginning of every paragraph. This will make an overall idea about the organization. Don't use more than 30sec for this

2. Answer the reference questions first (Vocabulary/Word reference, Pronoun reference, Highlighted sentence, Sentence Insertion etc.) - To answer these questions, most of the time, you will not have to read any other sentence than the indicated one. Therefore, these are time savers. A little information about the sentence insertion question is that, read the given sentence very carefully. If it starts with a pronoun, then identify to what it may refer to. Go to the passage and check the sentences preceding the insertion boxes. Think whether the pronoun of the given sentence can refer to the subject (or idea) presented in this sentence. Even if the given sentence does not start with a pronoun, usually you will be able to identify where to insert the sentence by reading only 9 sentences (Given sentence + the sentence before each box + the sentence after each box). However, generally, you'll need much lesser reading than this.

3. Now go for the inference type questions (and any other types of questions not indicated in this post). Try to stick into the paragraph if it is mentioned. If not, the knowledge on overall organization of the essay (got in step 1) will help here. If that also fails, check out where the previous and next question came from. It is most likely that the answer of this question falls in between the answers of the previous and next question. I named this method as "TOEFL Sandwich". Read the middle part of the sandwich carefully and answer the question.

4. Now go for the "Except" type questions. These questions generally take more time because it needs searching for 4 different information. Going through step 3 will already reduce a lot of works, i.e. you have read a lot of things already. Now, first, read each answer choice and then find related information from the passage and decide whether you need to consider this choice or need to refute it. Using this approach, I've found these questions answerable in very short time.

5. Now, go for the summary/Classify type questions. If you forget about the organization of the passage by this time and if there is about 3~4 mins left (not less than it),repeat step 1. When answering the summary questions, do not take an answer only because you have read that in the passage. Take only those answers which represent a broader idea than others. Ofcourse, the ideas have to be true i.e. should match the ideas presented in the passage. I've found that small sentences are generally not a correct answer, however, I shall not suggest to make a decision based on this. In classification type questions, you may have to go to and fro the passage and the question but before doing that, remember to read ALL the answer choices carefully and to classify the choices that you already know.

Wishing you a good luck

[Bahtiyor]

Originally Posted by go2chayan

During my test preparation time, I've found some reading strategies useful. Check whether these are useful for you or not:

1. Before going to the 1st question, just check out the beginning of every paragraph. This will make an overall idea about the organization. Don't use more than 30sec for this

2. Answer the reference questions first (Vocabulary/Word reference, Pronoun reference, Highlighted sentence, Sentence Insertion etc.) - To answer these questions, most of the time, you will not have to read any other sentence than the indicated one. Therefore, these are time savers. A little information about the sentence insertion question is that, read the given sentence very carefully. If it starts with a pronoun, then identify to what it may refer to. Go to the passage and check the sentences preceding the insertion boxes. Think whether the pronoun of the given sentence can refer to the subject (or idea) presented in this sentence. Even if the given sentence does not start with a pronoun, usually you will be able to identify where to insert the sentence by reading only 9 sentences (Given sentence + the sentence before each box + the sentence after each box). However, generally, you'll need much lesser reading than this.

3. Now go for the inference type questions (and any other types of questions not indicated in this post). Try to stick into the paragraph if it is mentioned. If not, the knowledge on overall organization of the essay (got in step 1) will help here. If that also fails, check out where the previous and next question came from. It is most likely that the answer of this question falls in between the answers of the previous and next question. I named this method as "TOEFL Sandwich". Read the middle part of the sandwich carefully and answer the question.

4. Now go for the "Except" type questions. These questions generally take more time because it needs searching for 4 different information. Going through step 3 will already reduce a lot of works, i.e. you have read a lot of things already. Now, first, read each answer choice and then find related information from the passage and decide whether you need to consider this choice or need to refute it. Using this approach, I've found these questions answerable in very short time.

5. Now, go for the summary/Classify type questions. If you forget about the organization of the passage by this time and if there is about 3~4 mins left (not less than it),repeat step 1. When answering the summary questions, do not take an answer only because you have read that in the passage. Take only those answers which represent a broader idea than others. Ofcourse, the ideas have to be true i.e. should match the ideas presented in the passage. I've found that small sentences are generally not a correct answer, however, I shall not suggest to make a decision based on this. In classification type questions, you may have to go to and fro the passage and the question but before doing that, remember to read ALL the answer choices carefully and to classify the choices that you already know.

Wishing you a good luck

Thank you very much for your advice

[Pado2010]

Thank you! It is really useful for me

[fefe]

Thank you very much

really my reading skill is very weak, so I try with your method..

[mikel scofield]

thanx a lot

am ganna to try them after two day

prey for me

[pirimidin]

Hi guy, thanks for your tips
I guess you got 30 in Reading section, right?

[BestBuy]

Good job. Thanks

[Kieu An]

Thanks so much for your support!
I think you have a lot of experiences in the reading part . Did you spend much time to have it? You are so great!

[elshobaki]

that is a good strategy
I use it and it is very very good
thanks for your help

[go2chayan]

Thank you everyone for your reply.

@pirimidin, ... you are absolutely right.