Long RC passage taking me 6-6.5 minutes. How to cut it to 3.5min?

Question

Hi, I have weakness in RC. I read one paragraph, paraphrase and write short note in my scrap book. This works great for me in simple short passages and I take around 2.5 - 3 min reading the same. However, for long or short complicated passages, It is taking me 6 - 6.5 minutes to complete the passage through the technique. Example: caffeine-the-stimulant-in-coffee-has-been-called-the-most-4510.html It takes equal time for me to understand and map the paragraph. These is so much information that I am unable to digest all information quickly. If I speed read, I miss the whole point for complicated sentences. Please don't suggest me to jump to the questions and find answers. I am really bad at this. Any other suggestions would be really helpful. Thanks.

chaitanya87 · Answer

Practice reading. That's the only way. Practice reading articles in newyork times and economist magazines. Try to get involved in the structure and don't be scared when you see the details or complex terms. Concentrate on what author is trying to tell you. It will take time to gain speed. First concentrate on accuracy and then on speed. Hope it helps.

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mkarthik1 · Answer

Hi Chaitanya,

Thanks for the inputs.
I have practiced a lot of reading and I am pretty comfortable with simple long passages.
However, I fail when a lot of details are gives. For example, the passage states Florence nightingale has done this, that , what not!
I fail to get all this chunk into my brain and I consume a lott of time. If you could help me with this, it would be really great.

chaitanya87 · Answer

You shouldn't get lost in to the details. Just think why the author is giving the details ? Is it to support the previous statement or refute? You should not focus on the what feature. Try with this thinking.

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paidlukkha · Answer

No reread
First & Last sentence of each para
Special attention for things between "___"
Special attention for things with date or %
Lookout for marker words - Contrast, Modifier, etc
Ignore details or additional information (unless asked in question, you know where it is)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mkarthik1,

As a general rule, most paragraphs in an RC prompt are written to serve one purpose. For example, a paragraph might describe details about a scientific theory. A paragraph might also argue for a particular point of view or refute someone else's point of view. Regardless of the length of the paragraph or the 'sophistication' of the words, the bulk of the paragraph is just details. For most RC questions, the little details don't matter (although you will see a few "Detail" questions on Test Day that will ask you to locate a particular fact in the RC prompt). As such, you usually don't need to understand those little details; you just have to recognize that they're there (and that they're meant to serve the larger purpose of the paragraph that they're in).

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

VerbalBot · Answer

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Long RC passage taking me 6-6.5 minutes. How to cut it to 3.5min?

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