Cracking The SAT Premium

The Strategy

1. Read the Blurb


2. Select and Understand
   a Question


3. Read What You Need

If you read a window of about five lines above and five lines below each Line Reference or Lead Word,
you should find the information you need. It’s important to note that while you do not need to read more
than these 10–12 lines of text, you usually cannot get away with reading less. If you read only the lines
from the Line Reference, you will very likely not find the information you need to answer the question.
Read carefully! You should be able to put your finger on the particular phrase, sentence, or set of lines
that answers your question. If you save the general questions that relate to the passage as a whole for last,
then by the time you begin those questions, you’ll have a greater understanding of the passage even if you
haven’t read it from beginning to end.

Read    a   window  of  about   5   lines   above   and 5   lines   below   your    Line    Reference   to  get the context for

the question.

5   Above,  5   Below

5   is  the magic   number

when    it  comes   to  Line

Reference   questions.  Read

5   lines   above   the Line

Reference   and then    5   lines

below   it  to  get all of  the

information you need    in

order   to  answer  the

question    correctly.

12.The  author  most    likely  mentions    the Canadian    scientist   (line   22) and the Utah    resident    (line

26) in  order   to

What are the Line References in this question?

What lines will you need to read to find the answer?

Once you underline the Line References and find your window, draw a bracket around it so you can find it
easily. The more you can get out of your brain and onto the page, the better off you’ll be. Because the Line
References are line 22 and line 26, you’ll want to read lines 17–31. In this case, that paragraph would be
a good window.

Now it’s time to read. Even though you’re only reading a small chunk of the text, make sure you read it
carefully.