fed up with preparation, still bad RC :(

Andrea, welcome to the site,

I can suggest what I did. I am from Kiev and RC was the worst, I guess a similar story.

Try to stay involved in the passage. I have caught myself a dozen of times thinking about a beach while reading a gmat passage about marine biology or smth of that sort.

I usually would force myself to "guess" how it would go further, what would the passage containt, and how it would end. I guess the same way as we are reading interesting books.

I also sometimes stopped and summarized (5 secs) what I have just read. Sometimes I would spend 10 secs to summarize a paragraph or just would put a label on it. For example, if I read about two theories and the next paragraph is describing why one is good, I would say in my mind: free market economy theory is better than dictatorship becuase: reason 1: more money reason 2: faster growth reason 3: political stability.

Then at the very end, I would try to trace how tha passage went: two theories --> theory 1 --> theory 2 --> comparison --> conslucions: theory 1 is better

Obviously this is simplified.

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Andrea_, did you try to split all the RCs into groups? For example, one RCs may ask about assumptions, other may conceentrate on finding parallel structures, etc.

Good review of RC types can be found in Kaplan (if I'm not mistaken...) Maybe you should try Kaplan Verbal workbook?

Also, I read an article elsewhere that some poeple have reading comprehension problem even in their native language.They are not able to focus properly,they are not patient enough to read long paragraphs, long sentences, easily get confused etc., All this in their native language.So, obviously it is even more tougher when it comes to differrent language like English.The article suggested, they need to fix the root cause first.

See if you have similar problem,if so,you may want to improve on that first, no point in using wrong medicine.

Thank you guys for your suggestions. I'll study more and will write what helped the most.

late in replyin but I guess I was attracted bcos of the title of this topic...yes I too am ......

the best thing with RC .. with all respect to everyone who has provided good advice here...

first... U better know what U are reading...FOUCS all ur head on the topic and do it with all heart( if U got a big one its better !)

2) always read the very frst LINE well enough to remembr it when U have finished with the passage.... reason: it will help U know what ''the author is talking about .... what is the main idea and just know where the passage is gona take U ''

3->try to make two to three lines of each para...
frst para= says a..b and d...
second = e...g and h
third = x y and Z
last = good lock!
thsi way U get an idea in a simple format in about few lines... this takes time and popractice!

4--> the last para is important for it will tell U ''what the author concluded and what can be continued ...''

5) be smart look for what type of qeustion is being asked and depending U watch out for the para and ans ... EX: an inference q ...for sure the ans wud not be any line from the passage ''cos U have to infer and it has to come frm somewhere but not the passage...

hope that helps!

Have fun

How about reading LSAT passages?

Does anybody have good links to download the passages from the Net?

Hey Guys! Similar problems.....Struggling with focussing issue on RC....really got to be patient....However, it does get better with time...I'm kinda runnung out of practice material....tried to do LSAT but those RC passages are looong and drone on and on....even harder to keep focus....Ideas? Ideas? Will be welcome!