This gives you an idea of what to look for while you read. Follow the five
guidelines below if you use this method.
• Read only the questions; do not read the answers, too, because that takes
too much time.
• If the question is about a specific line number in the passage, mark that
line so that when you read the passage you will know to pay close
attention to it. (This is especially helpful for the vocabulary questions.)
• When you see a question that asks for something general, such as “Which
is the best title?” or “The main idea of the passage is . . .” quickly go on to
the next question. Why? Because you should always assume that there will
be at least one main idea question, so you don’t even have to bother
reading it.
• As you read the passage, circle anything that might be an answer to one of
the questions. Don’t immediately go and answer the question because that
will break your concentration and interfere with your comprehension.
• Don’t get so caught up in looking for the answers to the questions that you
fail to understand the overall meaning of the passage.STRATEGY 2: MENTALLY SUMMARIZE.
After you read each paragraph, ask yourself, “What was that paragraph about?”
Spend a couple of seconds summarizing the contents of the paragraph in your
head. If you want, take a moment to jot down notes and paraphrases in the
margins or underline key phrases. This can save time later when you have to
look for the answers. If you are a flake who, like Larry, can read an entire
passage before realizing that you weren’t paying attention and that you have no
idea what it was about, then this strategy might help force you to concentrate,
paragraph by paragraph.