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Reading Comprehension Tips, Resources, Materials, Books, and Strategies
RC is one of the hardest areas to improve and probably the most challenging of all sections. I hope this thread will be a starting point for RC improvement and also a place to swap strategies/tips, and ask RC-specific questions.
RC Resources Available:
- Rhyme's "How to Destroy Reading Comprehension" Strategy - Recommended!
- Gin's RC Strategy (downloadable Doc File)
- Official Guide 2024 - 2025 Edition
- Manhattan GMAT RC - part of the MGMAT Verbal book along with the CR
- PowerScore RC Bible - contains a section on RC - not much RC practice though - just a few passages
- LSAT RC - this is really HARD and is used very rarely, but I thought I'd give you a full picture
- GMAT Fiction - a collection of fiction books to help (esp. non-native speakers) master the RC section.
- review of Aristotle's RC99 - by rishiraj
Reading Comprehension Strategy Overview:
Option 1. Read the entire passage very carefully first.
I prefer this strategy (it helped me to get from inconsistent 50% correct RC to about 80-90% and eventually in 96th percentile in verbal). It is outlined in various amount of details in Kaplan, PowerScore, and MGMAT books.
The idea is fairly straightforward - while critically reading the passage, you build a mental map, stopping to paraphrase after each paragraph and at the end to quickly summarize the passage.
The strategy also involves critically reading - meaning constantly asking why a certain sentence/phrase is there, how they add to the development, and change the tone. It is important to master each of these elements before actually trying to put the entire strategy together.
- At first it feels awkward - almost like wearing an armor suite that is clunky and seems useless - useless until GMAT shoots an arrow at you that is.
- Some of my challenges were questions such as - why do I need to stop (waste valuable time) and paraphrase the passage? (that answer comes in gradually).
- Also, how to actually stay interested and keep my thoughts from wandering around as I read?
- Finally - how to read critically? It took a while to learn to pick every word and notice subtle differences in tone (words such as however, but, still, and examples help reveal author's true intention).
It is also good if you can start reading regularly to train your ear. (See this post for my recommendations on reading material I call GMAT Fiction). If you are not a native speaker, you should keep a notebook and a dictionary handy to keep track of all the new words you encounter. Some of them you will meet over and over in the book, so it will be much faster to look up. For international students, my recommendation is 1-2K pages within a month to get your mind tuned and prepped to absorb large quantity of English passages. Also, many recommend WSJ, Economist, NY Times, and other magazines, but I found those too short and inconsistent. Though the passages were hard, i could force myself to read only a few articles before my mind would start wondering somewhere else. with books this did not happen, so I preferred that option.
Option 2. Skim the passage - Not Recommended
This is another RC strategy. As Princeton Review puts it - "spend no more than a minute or two reading the entire passage." (Cracking the GMAT Cat)
The goal is to create a mental roadmap of the passage and get a very general idea about the tone and layout and then go back to the passage to answer each of the questions. This strategy works for a number of people but did not work for me. I could only use it if I were really short on time and had to pick my battles. In my experience GMAT passages are always tricky and it is not easy to figure out if the author is arguing for or against a certain point by simply skimming the text.
Option 3. Nightblade's Reading Strategy
General RC Tips
- Always read the First and Last sentence more carefully no matter what. GMAT passages are very structured and the first stence will always contain the main idea and set the tone.
- Watch for trigger words such as "but, however, still, regardless, nevertheless, although" and others
- Always ask yourself why the author put this example here
- Pretend that you are very interested in the reading material or another option is to play a game with the author and try to prove the author wrong - pick at every word
- Always know what the main idea of the passage is, even if the questions are not asking for it
- It helps to know the vocabulary but you can make it - as long as you know all of the tone and general words, you will be able to tell author's direction. Specifics may not matter, though again, I have found that good vocabulary helps on RC
- Do whatever it takes to help you read/remember the passage better - write summary notes (even if you never go back to them), paraphrase each paragraph or even sentence, etc.
Common RC Traps and Pitfalls:
- More often than not, the most typical second best answer choice on the RC will be out of scope. I found it quite amusing and made a game out of it (I know, I am a bit over the top with RC but it was the hardest section for me to master). After a while, I can very quickly (i.e. immediately) pick out an answer choice that goes outside of the scope of the passage as a general question (purpose/title/etc) or even a more specific one.
- Another catch/trap you will see quite a bit is reliance on "trigger" words. For example, the passage will spend 2-3 sentences on one point and then at the end will flip it with a "but", "however", or another "trigger" word. This is designed to catch those who skim/skip or don't read attentively and is really a big reason to read the passage attentively (in my view) vs. just rushing through it. For example, a passage may talk about how the number of accidents has been growing and that many people have been injured in the last year in car accidents and at the end, say "but death rates have declined" and an example of a trap would be an answer choice that would say "Injuries and fatalities are rising as the result of car accidents."
- Finally a more subtle way to get many of us to pick the wrong answer choice is making the text very heavy fact-based with long complex words and terminology, which distracts from the simple task of analyzing the passage and asking why each sentence is put where it is put. Sometimes, you can get to the answer by just looking at why a certain sentence is in a certain spot. However, most focus on facts, understanding/remembering which minerals or microbes live in which environment, etc. The facts and dry details are there not to test your memory/knowledge of the subject but rather to distract and not let you see the passage structure clearly.
! |
Newbie Mistakes with RC 1. Not following a strategy or changing it on the test - biggest issue 2. Poor English vocabulary/skills - if you don't know what you are reading, how do you expect to answer the questions? 3. Taking too much time to answer each question 4. Having to re-read the passage multiple times |
Option 3: "The Backwards Reading Comprehension Strategy" by Spiridon
Source: https://gmatclub.com/forum/new-gmat-rea ... 72189.html
I just developed a new strategy for RC and here it is available to you as well.
I tried several strategies but nothing has worked for me, I could not answer questions if I just skim through the passage or I would lose time reading the whole thing and ended up losing focus when answering question anyway.
So, here is the deal.
The good thing this technique really works for me and I want to share it with anyone whose brain works in a similar way. The bad news is that this strategy require you to take notes but very simple tho.
Lets start...
I tried several strategies but nothing has worked for me, I could not answer questions if I just skim through the passage or I would lose time reading the whole thing and ended up losing focus when answering question anyway.
So, here is the deal.
The good thing this technique really works for me and I want to share it with anyone whose brain works in a similar way. The bad news is that this strategy require you to take notes but very simple tho.
Lets start...
- First, mark your paragraphs with Roman numbers I, II, III, IV etc... (Hope passage wont be longer then VIII cuz i forgot the Roman numbers lol)
- Second, start reading your passage but (IMPORTANT!) from the last passage (eg IV) towards first (eg I)
- Now, while you are reading take very simple notes as illustrated in this example: (remember to start from the bottom paragraph IV)
I
Recent years have brought minority-owned businesses in the United States unprecedented opportunities—as well as new and significant risks. Civil rights activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups have difficulty establishing themselves in business is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts that are generated by large companies. Now Congress, in apparent agreement, has required by law that businesses awarded federal contracts of more than $500,000 do their best to find minority subcontractors and record their efforts to do so on forms filed with the government. Indeed, some federal and local agencies have gone so far as to set specific percentage goals for apportioning parts of public works contracts to minority enterprises.
II
Corporate response appears to have been substantial. According to figures collected in 1977, the total of corporate contracts with minority businesses rose from $77 million in 1972 to $1.1 billion in 1977. The projected total of corporate contracts with minority businesses for the early 1980’s is estimated to be over 53 billion per year with no letup anticipated in the next decade. Promising as it is for minority businesses, this increased patronage poses dangers for them, too. First, minority firms risk expanding too fast and overextending themselves financially, since most are small concerns and, unlike large businesses, they often need to make substantial investments in new plants, staff, equipment, and the like in order to perform work subcontracted to them. If, thereafter, their subcontracts are for some reason reduced, such firms can face potentially crippling fixed expenses. The world of corporate purchasing can be frustrating for small entrepreneurs who get requests for elaborate formal estimates and bids. Both consume valuable time and resources, and a small company’s efforts must soon result in orders, or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer.
III
A second risk is that White-owned companies may seek to cash in on the increasing apportionments through formation of joint ventures with minority-owned concerns. Of course, in many instances there are legitimate reasons for joint ventures; clearly, White and minority enterprises can team up to acquire business that neither could acquire alone. But civil rights groups and minority business owners have complained to Congress about minorities being set up as “fronts” with White backing, rather than being accepted as full partners in legitimate joint ventures.
IV
Third, a minority enterprise that secures the business of one large corporate customer often runs the danger of becoming—and remaining—dependent. Even in the best of circumstances, fierce competition from larger, more established companies makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases: when such firms have nearly guaranteed orders from a single corporate benefactor, they may truly have to struggle against complacency arising from their current success.
Notes:
- I intro-civil rights activists-access-congress-money-fed n local agencies-percentages
- II big corp response-increase 72-77- risks for minors-expanding-fixed costs-morale-financial
- III second risk-joint ventures-sometimes legit-sometimes not
- IV minority-danger-dependent-example-single benefactor
You can take more or less detailed notes its up to you. Notes act as a compass to retrieve and organize information fast.
Now try questions (IMPORTANT) but read them upside-down as well starting from E D C B A marking off the obvious wrong choices, when you narrow down choices to 2 pick one and proceed
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
- (A) present a commonplace idea and its inaccuracies(B) describe a situation and its potential drawbacks(C) propose a temporary solution to a problem(D) analyze a frequent source of disagreement(E) explore the implications of a finding
- (A) What federal agencies have set percentage goals for the use of minority-owned businesses in public works contracts?(B) To which government agencies must businesses awarded federal contracts report their efforts to find minority subcontractors?(C) How widespread is the use of minority-owned concerns as “fronts” by White backers seeking to obtain subcontracts?(D) How many more minority-owned businesses were there in 1977 than in 1972?(E) What is one set of conditions under which a small business might find itself financially overextended?
- (A) been especially vulnerable to governmental mismanagement of the economy(B) been denied bank loans at rates comparable to those afforded larger competitors(C) not had sufficient opportunity to secure business created by large corporations(D) not been able to advertise in those media that reach large numbers of potential customers(E) not had adequate representation in the centers of government power
- (A) experience frustration but not serious financial harm(B) face potentially crippling fixed expenses(C) have to record its efforts on forms filed with the government(D) increase its spending with minority subcontractors(E) revise its procedure for making bids for federal contracts and subcontracts
- (A) avoid competition with larger, more established concerns by not expanding(B) concentrate on securing even more business from that corporation(C) try to expand its customer base to avoid becoming dependent on the corporation(D) pass on some of the work to be done for the corporation to other minority-owned concerns(E) use its influence with the corporation to promote subcontracting with other minority concerns
- (A) more popular with large corporations(B) more specific(C) less controversial(D) less expensive to enforce(E) easier to comply with
- (A) Corporate contracts with minority-owned businesses totaled $2 billion in 1979.(B) Between 1970 and 1972, corporate contracts with minority-owned businesses declined by 25 percent.(C) The figures collected in 1977 underrepresented the extent of corporate contracts with minority-owned businesses.(D) The estimate of corporate spending with minority-owned businesses in 1980 is approximately $10 million too high.(E) The $1.1 billion represented the same percentage of total corporate spending in 1977 as did $77 million in 1972.
- (A) Annoyed by the proliferation of “front” organizations, corporations are likely to reduce their efforts to work with minority-owned subcontractors in the near future.(B) Although corporations showed considerable interest in working with minority businesses in the 1970’s, their aversion to government paperwork made them reluctant to pursue many government contracts.(C) The significant response of corporations in the 1970’s is likely to be sustained and conceivably be increased throughout the 1980’s.(D) Although corporations are eager to cooperate with minority-owned businesses, a shortage of capital in the 1970’s made substantial response impossible.(E) The enormous corporate response has all but eliminated the dangers of over-expansion that used to plague small minority-owned businesses
Answers: https://gmatclub.com/forum/minority-own ... 85600.html
Other Resources:
RC KeywordsKeyword glossary with synonyms
General tips
Reading critically in action (You Tube)
List of all RC Tones (maybe overboard)
Massive Collection of YouTube videos about GMAT RC
https://gmatclub.com/forum/guide-to-rea ... 21112.html
07 Sep 2009, 07:57
Kudos
Bookmarks
bb - Thanks for putting this together! +1
You could add GIN's RC technique guide, too. I've attached the same.
You could add GIN's RC technique guide, too. I've attached the same.
Attachments
GIN's RC technique.doc [55.5 KiB]
Downloaded 47784 times
Updated on: 20 Apr 2010, 10:54
Originally posted by takshzilabeta on 20 Apr 2010, 10:47.
Last edited by takshzilabeta on 20 Apr 2010, 10:54, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by takshzilabeta on 20 Apr 2010, 10:54, edited 1 time in total.
Kudos
Bookmarks
Fundamental skills in reading.,
1. Find the main idea first: Even a small passage is trying to get a specific idea through. Skimming through the passage before you read it will give you some context of what the passage is about. Start with subject and then the specific topic of the subject. This read through of the text before you move in for the kill will help you grab the inner ideas well and help you to connect them with each other and place them in a larger context. This is a very simple skill to master. All you need to do is now whatever you read , paragraph by paragraph try and identify the main idea and the topic statement, i.e that one idea that captures the crux of the paragraph. This very simple activity develop your ability to round up an idea.It will help you distinguish between main idea and secondary details in a text, in other words the point being made and the data used to support or clarify that point. It will improve your paraphrasing skills and help you answer main idea questions.
2. Read actively: Active reading is asking questions while reading all the time.One major problem in test reading is maintaining the concentration level while reading difficult , unfamiliar text. This very simple habit of asking questions about whatever you are reading automatically ensures your involvement. Active reading is asking a question about whatever word you are reading. For example the text goes like this " it is one of the major reasons for that" active reading is asking what is "it" and what is "that". We are not talking about big fancy intelligent questions we are talking about " what is this" kind of questions. Asking questions you will often find the answer very easily since after all the answer is there in text but this activity will help you relate sentences and paragraph with each other. For example say the second paragraph of a passage starts with " this did not work too long" your active reading questions should be "what did not work too long" and since whatever we are talking about is in the previous paragraph and you are coming from that very paragraph so the answer will not take too long but it will refresh and consolidate what you have just read. Also you would have looked for the main idea of the previous paragraph so by active reading you just for a microsecond repeat the idea because a question was raised, if you know the answer while you see the word sentence already very good you are on the right track and are paying attention. So remember ask questions while you read.
3. Be aware of keywords: But, however , yet, since , therefore, because, on the other hand, though , although and many other words help connect two sentences or ideas. the word used tells us the relationship between the sentence we have read and the sentence we are about to read. In fact knowing keywords and their various functions gives you the magical reading power of prediction. For example a however or a but shows a change in reasoning or turnaround of logic whereas a therefore or a because indicate conclusion and reason respectively. ok try this " although Ponting is a great athlete......................." what do you come in the blank ? (a. another positive statement, b. a negative statement). Knowledge of keywords and paying attention and using active reading whenever you encounter them will go a long way in improving your comprehension.
4. Be aware of text structures : your keywords will help you establish patterns at both paragraph and passage level helping you fit all the pieces all together. Quickly identifying the pattern/structure helps you assimilate the information better since you already know what kind of information is going to be presented.A common structure that almost everybody is aware of is chronological where the information is presented in order of time. A passage may have an overall structure and a structure operating at paragraph level. Pattern recognition will go a long way in helping you make a cohesive whole of the ideas in the passage.
5. Improve your Argument analysis/Critical reasoning: Most expository text is trying to make a point , convince you of something so there will be plenty of arguments presented in the text and you will find questions pertaining to understanding , analysis and application of the arguments. Developing your critical reasoning skills is a necessary component of your reading skills.
6. Read as much as possible: Not technically a skill but a habit which is necessary for building great skills since the more you read the more practice you get in the above. You also see the keywords and usage and and hence develop your reading info database. Super Regular reading and from a wide variety of sources can to a certain extent the problem of unfamiliarity and fear. Plus reading is the surest fasted way to increase your intelligence both hardware and software.
1. Find the main idea first: Even a small passage is trying to get a specific idea through. Skimming through the passage before you read it will give you some context of what the passage is about. Start with subject and then the specific topic of the subject. This read through of the text before you move in for the kill will help you grab the inner ideas well and help you to connect them with each other and place them in a larger context. This is a very simple skill to master. All you need to do is now whatever you read , paragraph by paragraph try and identify the main idea and the topic statement, i.e that one idea that captures the crux of the paragraph. This very simple activity develop your ability to round up an idea.It will help you distinguish between main idea and secondary details in a text, in other words the point being made and the data used to support or clarify that point. It will improve your paraphrasing skills and help you answer main idea questions.
2. Read actively: Active reading is asking questions while reading all the time.One major problem in test reading is maintaining the concentration level while reading difficult , unfamiliar text. This very simple habit of asking questions about whatever you are reading automatically ensures your involvement. Active reading is asking a question about whatever word you are reading. For example the text goes like this " it is one of the major reasons for that" active reading is asking what is "it" and what is "that". We are not talking about big fancy intelligent questions we are talking about " what is this" kind of questions. Asking questions you will often find the answer very easily since after all the answer is there in text but this activity will help you relate sentences and paragraph with each other. For example say the second paragraph of a passage starts with " this did not work too long" your active reading questions should be "what did not work too long" and since whatever we are talking about is in the previous paragraph and you are coming from that very paragraph so the answer will not take too long but it will refresh and consolidate what you have just read. Also you would have looked for the main idea of the previous paragraph so by active reading you just for a microsecond repeat the idea because a question was raised, if you know the answer while you see the word sentence already very good you are on the right track and are paying attention. So remember ask questions while you read.
3. Be aware of keywords: But, however , yet, since , therefore, because, on the other hand, though , although and many other words help connect two sentences or ideas. the word used tells us the relationship between the sentence we have read and the sentence we are about to read. In fact knowing keywords and their various functions gives you the magical reading power of prediction. For example a however or a but shows a change in reasoning or turnaround of logic whereas a therefore or a because indicate conclusion and reason respectively. ok try this " although Ponting is a great athlete......................." what do you come in the blank ? (a. another positive statement, b. a negative statement). Knowledge of keywords and paying attention and using active reading whenever you encounter them will go a long way in improving your comprehension.
4. Be aware of text structures : your keywords will help you establish patterns at both paragraph and passage level helping you fit all the pieces all together. Quickly identifying the pattern/structure helps you assimilate the information better since you already know what kind of information is going to be presented.A common structure that almost everybody is aware of is chronological where the information is presented in order of time. A passage may have an overall structure and a structure operating at paragraph level. Pattern recognition will go a long way in helping you make a cohesive whole of the ideas in the passage.
5. Improve your Argument analysis/Critical reasoning: Most expository text is trying to make a point , convince you of something so there will be plenty of arguments presented in the text and you will find questions pertaining to understanding , analysis and application of the arguments. Developing your critical reasoning skills is a necessary component of your reading skills.
6. Read as much as possible: Not technically a skill but a habit which is necessary for building great skills since the more you read the more practice you get in the above. You also see the keywords and usage and and hence develop your reading info database. Super Regular reading and from a wide variety of sources can to a certain extent the problem of unfamiliarity and fear. Plus reading is the surest fasted way to increase your intelligence both hardware and software.
