HOW TO DESTROY READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGES BY RHYME

hey Mr. rhyme, I would like to take the time to thank you for elaborating on this foolproof method. I tried it just now on a RC practice set from PowerPrep and it did wonders for me. I only got 3 questions wrong out of the 18, but on those I got wrong I managed to narrow down the correct choice to only two. And in comparison to how I did in other RC practice sets... it's really that much better.

I know that with practice I can master this skill - I'm still taking too many notes while paraphrasing the 1st paragraph. Ironically, you're not supposed to understand that which the passage is explaining, but the "skimming-note-taking" makes it so much easier I end up understanding the passage fully by the latter questions.

A useful tip: check the keywords used in the question stem/answer choices. They act as red flags!

Of course I did these passages with no time constraints but then again, with practice it will be cake.

Thanks again, man.

Hope, you still visit GMATClub. Thanks for your strategy. However, it will be greater if you tell about the rest of RC, the INFERENCE.

Lexis, I'd be happy to but its been like two years since I took the GMAT, so I really don't remember the details.

Attn: rhyme

Nice strategy. I tried it and it really helps in most of the questions. But I want to ask something. Is it necessary to write down the 1st para and 1 line of others para's in our words. Why to waste time on writing? It takes around 2 min. Rather I will go for writing the key words...skimmming and read the 1st para and 1st line of other paras to save my time.

Bcoz this writing will help in general question only and w can answer it by ref. to passage and reading each one thereby wasting time to write.

Please help me out !!!

unconventional but viable approach to crack rc......

Great thread. I thought I'd bump this one too.

Nice tips!! Though I am sure I am not gonna be feeling confident enough to go with it for the whole exam. I will practice it and during the exam, if running low on time, will definitely apply this technique.

Hi,

Very Thanks!

Cheers!

Hi alfa_beta01, even i am bad in RC, infact whole verbal.. , ultimatly everything boils down to how much do you understand or comprehend, whether it is SC, CR or RC.

i dont know the post, but somebody had given strategy on verbal, where his one word 'SLOWDOWN' .. is very important, make sure u understand what u r reading, dont be in hurry to complete the passage, yes offcourse dont take too much of time also.unless you actually comprehend/understand what is there in every para and overll main idea, you will make mistakes. for some question like detail of specific information you have to revisit the passage, but where i will find the information, so for that when u read do make sure each para, what it talks about.

rest you got so many post already to improve. practice hard..

oki i will try this method : i've nothing to lose and i really need to improve my RC skills...
But i think it will take some tme to read like that...

Amazing explanation from rhyme !!! Wow!! I'm impressed.

I have maximum difficulties to have a good score on RC, even if all the other domains (quant / RC / SC) are good.
This approach is just great. I followed his advice on his text and this is just clear.

I'm going to take a few days to work with this method, which definitely saves time. (If I have bad results, at least I will have dedicated less time lol).

I'll give you my feedback in a few days.

Hello!

I'm going to jump into this spirited thread for a second to see if I can help add some nuances to rhyme's point. He's right, in most ways: reading the entire passage, especially reading it as you would read any other important set of paragraphs in your life, is a waste of time on the GMAT. Do not read to memorize, do not read for serious retention, and do not get caught up in details, lists, lengthy justifications, scientific jargon, or any other complexities, on your passage read. Read the passage with a light, open mind, catching the basic idea of the points and noting the organization (e.g., "ok, this first paragraph explains why this guy's theory about market inefficiency has been overlooked, the second one says why it shouldn't be, the third gives an example of a useful place it could be applied.").

While we try to avoid the word "skim," rhyme is right in that one should NEVER sit down to read the passage as if he or she were sitting in their living room with a pipe and a smoking jacket. The passage is there for REFERENCE. The questions will force test-takers to go back and pick at certain details with a fine-toothed comb, or to draw inferences from single sentences or thoughts. Its not high school or college, where you read the textbook and are then tested on it without being able to go back. So the first read is merely meant for orientation and to get a decent grasp on the subject matter, the author's intentions, and the basic structure.

At Knewton, we recommend an exercise that is so simple that most test-takers don't usually even think about it. Try reading ANYTHING like a GMAT passage; read a news magazine, a short story, your favorite blog, an ad on the bus, the back of an oatmeal box, anything, with the same level of alert referential reading as you expect from yourself on the GMAT. Read it through ONCE, asking yourself as you go, "why is this being written? What is it about? How is it organized? What are the major takeaways?" If you're feeling really good, go back and ask yourself inference questions "The primary concern of this passage is to..." or "The 'investors' in line 6 are most likely to agree with which of the following statements?" or even "which of the following situations is most analogous to the situation outlined in the passage?" Note which details seem the most 'testable' to you. Note points of view: who believes what? What do they use to justify those beliefs?

Getting up to speed on RC is increasing your ability to take in information without READING in the traditional sense, which is what rhyme is after. Happy hunting!

p.s. here's a sample:

Thanks all (and especially Alex).
I am going to give this method a try as my verbal results seriously damage my total score (very slow and very bad in RC and CR).
I have nothing to loose so I will give it a try as soon as tomorrow.
+

Thank you for all of this Rhyme!!
I will definitely use this method.

Not sure whether you are around or not, but thanks for sharing ur RC strategy.

Must say a nice strategy, and I appreciate it very much. I have solved the example, and prima facia, it appears to be effective. Surely going to try....lets see..How effectively I can cover it up...

going to try this one .... good post...thanks:)