To read a writer is for me not merely to get an

idea of what he says, but to go off with him,and travel in his company.

Andre grideAndre gride

Reading Strategies

Contents

• Reading introduction

• Ways of doing a RC

• The screen

• Before answering

• Time management

• Articles prepositions

• Except questions

• Variations

• Inference questions• Time management

• 10 types of questions

• Vocabulary questions

• Fact, detail questions

• Identify

• Check

• Rhetorical structure

• paraphrasing

• Tip

• Sentence insertion

• Sequence

• Prose summary

• Sum up

• A thought

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Reading Introduction

�TOEFL iBT starts with reading

comprehension

�There will be about 3 to 5 passages

�Time given will be about 60mins to 100mins

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Ways Of Doing RC-1

�Takes about 20mins

�Read the full RC

�Make notes by skimming

�Read the question�Read the question

�Ref. To notes, scan the passage & ans.

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Ways Of Doing RC-2

�Could take more than 20min

�Read only the 1st line & the last line of

every para

�Read the Qs.�Read the Qs.

�Scan to locate the line

�Skim or read in detail to get the ans.,

�Develop your own strategy but we believe the

1st to be more effective

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The Screen

�The screen is divided into 2 parts

�On one half the passage will appear

�On the other half the questions will appear

�You can scroll down to read the passage�You can scroll down to read the passage

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Before Answering

�Make notes as you read

�Note Down the central idea of the passage

�Note down the central idea in every

paragraphparagraph

�Even if you don’t understand something,

don’t stop, continue reading.

�An idea is enough at this stage.

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Time Management

�As you start attempting the questions the

understanding will improve

�Refer to the notes, scan the passage and

answer the questionsanswer the questions

�Do read the full passage, it takes about 6-

8mins to read a 700 or so worded passage

� In the rest of the 12-14mins you must attempt

the questions related to the passage

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The 10 Types Of Reading Questions

�TYPE/SKILL �NUMBER OF

QUESTIONS

�Understanding facts and details �8 – 10

�Identifying negative facts/not given �2 – 3

�Locating referents/pronoun �2 – 3

�Understanding vocabulary in contest �2 – 10

�Making inferences �3�Making inferences �3

�Determining rhetoric purpose �3

�Recognizing paraphrases �3

�Recognizing coherence/sentence insertion �3

�Prose Summarizing important ideas �2 – 3

�Drag n drop/organizing information �1

�Total number of questions--36-429

Skill -1 Vocabulary Questions

�There are many shades to a word

� Look only for the contextual meaning� Look only for the contextual meaning

�Transitions ,appositions, surrounding

sentences help

� Look for contrast & comparison words

�Knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, roots help in

guessing & in eliminating

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Look for the usage

Look For The Usage

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Example-1

• When you are in an interview, try not to show

any overt signs that you are nervous. Don’t

shift in your chair, shake or stutter.

• Overt means• Overt means

– a. subtle.

– b. obnoxious.

– c. obvious.

– d. confident.

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Example-2

• Although teaching is not a particularly

lucrative career, I wouldn’t do anything else.

Knowing I’m helping others to learn is far

more important to me than money.more important to me than money.

• Lucrative means

– a. highly profitable.

– b. highly rewarding.

– c. highly exciting.

– d. highly repetitive.

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Q 1& Q 4

Q1. Fodder –writers need fodder to write ,in other words they need material not stories(to write a story),support or problems

Q4. Clue is in the sentence which follows it and explains by carrying the same idea forward.

• Runaway- with no internal force to stop it, the star will continue to collapse…

Skill-2. Fact And Detail Questions

�Tests the basic comprehension of key facts in

the passage

�Read the questions carefully

� Identify the idea not the specific word or idiom

� Look for a synonym or different part of

speech since the question can be restated

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Skill-2. Fact And Detail Questions

�Scan quickly to eliminate the impossible

choices

�Follow the directions if they are given

�Otherwise follow the outline(notes)

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The Answer Might Not Depend

On The Tough Words

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Identify

�Cause & effect

�Reason�Reason

� Intension

�Sequence

�Time

�Place

�Negative words

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Check

�Make your choice based on stated facts not

assumptions

�ALWAYS CHECK YOUR ANSWER WITH

THE PASSAGE

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Q 2&Q 3

Q2. 2nd Para , 5th line.

• However, is the contrast word which leads to the answer.

Q3. 3 rd Para, Q3. 3 rd Para,

• …exclusive principle---the resistance between the molecular…

• This is a appositive formation. The hyphen equates the term with the explanation.

Skill 3 Rhetorical structure

�Rhetoric is the art of speaking and writing

effectively

�Rhetorical purpose questions are based on

examples, descriptions and explanations

�These type of questions answer to ‘why’ and

‘how’

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Everything Has A Purpose

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Types Of Rhetorical Questions

�Type 1- the purpose behind a particular idea

(why)

�Type 2- justifying the use of a structure (how)

�The correct choice refers to a fact from the

passage which is related to the question

�Watch out for distorted/altered information

from the passage

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Function

�Determines the purpose of a phrase or word

�Understand the rhetorical function of �Understand the rhetorical function of

�a word

�a phrase

�a sentence in relation to the passage

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Q 5

‘like’ is a analogy word

Cartoon …. This phrase is to create a picture image and to illustrate better

Skill 4 Paraphrasing Questions

�Paraphrasing is the restatement of the given

idea in new words/new sentence but, the

meaning remains true to the original sentence

�Synonyms , idioms , phrases can help

�The right choice will have all the ideas

present in the highlighted sentence

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Articles & Prepositions

�Know your articles, prepositions, adjectives

etc or they can trap you

�Don’t get foxed by repeated words. Look for

the context, it may vary

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Prepositions Can Redefine Our

Actions

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Q 6

Again a appositive formation to guideguide

…. nothing can escape…

Skill-5 Except Questions

� Inverse to the detail questions

� Look for facts or details not mentioned in the � Look for facts or details not mentioned in the

passage

�Scan the passage for key facts

� facts can be clubbed

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Except Questions

�Read the relevant part closely

�Read the choices closely�Read the choices closely

�Watch out for synonyms, paraphrases

�A clear understanding of grammar helps

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Variations

�Small variations can act as distracters

�The right answer choice is unmentioned�The right answer choice is unmentioned

� in the passage/ inaccurately paraphrased

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Q 7

Only B is the correct answer. Not mentioned anywhere.anywhere.

We can go wrong if we go by assumptions or previous knowledge on the topic

Skill- 6 Inference Questions

� Infer means to understand unwritten or

unstated ideas based on logic and detail

�But it is derived from written detail

� Look for information that supports the stated

fact

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Implication And Inference

�Read the relevant sentence carefully by

scanning

�Focus on the cohesive devices and

transitions

�To imply is to suggest or communicate

unstated or unwritten information based on

logic and stated detail

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Two Types Of Inference

Questions

� 1. An effect is cited ,its cause has to be

identified

� 2. If a comparison is made, the question asks

for the basis of the comparison

�Think about the explicit meaning of the

author’s words, &the logical implications

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Watch Out For

� Logically impossible ideas

�Restated forms( not related to the question)�Restated forms( not related to the question)

�Distorted facts, sequence, time and place

�Articles, prepositions and tenses they can

alter the meaning

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Words, Become What You What

Them To

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Q 8

Para 6. 3rd line

The Time it takes to reach…..

Mass is based on the size.

Skill-7 Referent Questions

� Identify the pronoun

�A pronoun is used in the place of noun, �A pronoun is used in the place of noun,

phrase or clause to avoid repetition

�The neighboring words and sentences are

the clues

�Get a clear picture of what is happening

before and after the referent

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Tip 1

�Try to phrase a ‘WH’ question with the

referent, to get the right choice. This might

work sometimes

�Replace the referent with the choices & check

the meaning

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Tip 2

�Check your choice by replacing it with the

highlighted word

�Know the key idea (not the specific word)

�The right choice will not change the meaning

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Q.9

Which point would mark the end of time itself? singularityWhich point would mark the end of time itself? singularity

Second clue is the punctuation mark , the comma .

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Skill- 8 Sentence Insertion

�These questions are nothing but the reverse

of the good old

� fill in the gap questions

�A sentence is given

� 3 to 4 points in a paragraph are marked

�Figure out the best place for the sentence

;based on the logic given in the sentence

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Sequence

� An in-depth understanding of paragraph writing is the key

� Look for sequence of ideas to get a logical order

� Usually, a Para has broadly 4 types of sentences—sentences—

1.Introductory

2. Body consisting of explanation

3. Examples or illustrations or contradictions

4.The concluding statement

� Some paras can be in the form of a description and the different stages in a process.

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Q10

To what does ‘a few’ refer to?

Physicists.

Hence, the sequence continues.

Skill-9 Prose Summary

� Measures your ability to understand and recognize:

� The major ideas and important information related to

the passagethe passage

� Record Para topics in your notes/outline while

skimming (from the beginning)

� The right choice may have ideas which are combined

or

� paraphrased so, read with an understanding

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Q 11

Answer choices a,c,f,along with the introductory sentence summarize the sentence summarize the complete passage.

• b- is a minor point

• d-not mentioned

• e-inaccurate 48

Skill-10 Drag N Drop Table

Completion

� Similar to the summary based questions but they have to be categorized under different headingsheadings

�Understand the question thoroughly

� All the choices will be mentioned in the passage

� BUT YOU HAVE TO

� Pick only the ones which come under the given headings/topics

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Sum Up

�Since these are the final questions, you are

expected to have a

� clear picture of the whole passage

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Get The Reading Bug

• A fondness for reading changes the

inevitable dull hours of our life into inevitable dull hours of our life into

exquisite hours of delight.

Charles de Montesquieu

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