PSAT/NMSQT Prep 2019 - Princeton Review 2019

The Kaplan Method for reading comprehension and reading test passage types
Reading
Reading

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Identify the three types of passages on the PSAT Reading Test

2. Passage Map passages using the Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension, identifying key words and central ideas across passage types

3. Predict an answer and find its match among the answer choices using a Passage Map

SMARTPOINTS

Prepare

OVERVIEW OF THE PSAT READING TEST PASSAGE TYPES

It is imperative that you use the Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension for every passage on the PSAT Reading Test. Doing so ensures that you spend your time efficiently and maximize your opportunity to earn points.

THE KAPLAN METHOD FOR READING COMPREHENSION

The Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension consists of three steps:

· Step 1: Read actively

· Step 2: Examine the question stem

· Step 3: Predict and answer

Let’s take a closer look at each step.

Step 1: Read actively

Active reading means:

· Ask questions and take notes as you read the passage. Asking questions about the passage and taking notes are integral parts of your approach to acing the PSAT Reading Test.

You should ask questions such as:

· Why did the author write this word/detail/sentence/paragraph?

· Is the author taking a side? If so, what side is he or she taking?

· What are the tone and purpose of the passage?

Make sure you remember to:

· Identify the passage type

· Take notes, circle key words, and underline key phrases

Expert Tip

Questions will range from general to specific. By using clues in the question stem to identify what the question is looking for, you will be better able to complete Step 3 of the Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension.

Step 2: Examine the question stem

This means you should:

· Identify key words and line references in the question stem

· Apply question type strategies as necessary

Step 3: Predict and answer

This means you should:

· Predict an answer before looking at the answer choices, also known as “predict before you peek”

· Select the best match

Predicting before you peek helps you:

· Eliminate the possibility of falling into wrong-answer traps.

PASSAGE MAPPING

Step 1 of the Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension dictates that you must take notes as you read the passage. We call these notes a Passage Map because they guide you through the passage and will lead you to the correct answers.

On Test Day

A Passage Map should not replace the occasional underline or circle—it is important that you underline, circle, and take notes to create the most effective Passage Map.

Make sure you pay attention and take note of the following when you map the passage:

· The “why” or the central idea of the passage—in other words, the thesis statement

· The transitions or changes in direction in a passage’s logic

· The author’s opinions and other opinions the author cites

· The author’s tone and purpose

While Passage Mapping may seem time-consuming at first, with practice it will become second nature by Test Day, and your overall PSAT Reading Test timing will greatly improve because you’ll spend less time searching the passage for answers to the questions.

Remember

The PSAT Reading Test is an open-book test! The answer is always in the passage.

Just as the passages span different genres, your approach to them will also vary from subject to subject. The approach for each type of PSAT Reading Test passage will be addressed in this chapter.

Now, let’s look at the specific passage types individually.

U.S. AND WORLD LITERATURE PASSAGES

There will be a single U.S. and World Literature passage on the PSAT. It is different from the other passages because:

· There will be multiple characters and, therefore, multiple opinions

· The tone will be nuanced and emotion-based, rather than informative or explanatory

As you read a U.S. and World Literature passage, you should:

1. Identify the characters and evaluate how the author describes them

o What do the characters want?

o What are the characters doing?

o What adjectives describe each character?

2. Assess the characters’ opinions of each other and themselves

o Do they like each other? Dislike each other?

o Why does each character make a particular decision or take a particular course of action?

o What do these decisions or actions tell you about a character?

3. Identify the themes of the story

o What are the “turning points” in the passage?

o Is there a moral to the story?

Remember

Because U.S. and World Literature passages have multiple characters with multiple opinions, remember to keep straight who said what.

Let’s look at the following example of an abbreviated U.S. and World Literature passage and question set. After the mapped passage, the left column contains questions similar to those you’ll see on the PSAT Reading Test on Test Day. The column on the right features the strategic thinking a test expert employs when approaching the passage and questions presented. Note how a test expert can quickly condense the entire passage into a few words and use his or her Passage Map to ask questions that build a prediction for the correct answer.

Expert Tip

Some paragraphs are longer than others. If you are mapping a very long paragraph, you can write two or three short notes rather than try to fit everything into just one long note.

1. Questions 1-2 are based on the following passage.

2. In this excerpt from a short story, the narrator describes an afternoon visit to the farm of Mrs. Hight and her daughter, Esther.

3.

HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES PASSAGES

The History/Social Studies portion of the PSAT Reading Test will consist of either two single History/Social Studies passages or one single History/Social Studies passage and one History/Social Studies paired-passage set. History/Social Studies passages are different from other passage types because:

· The passage will have a clearly stated topic, a well-defined scope, and a specific purpose.

· There will be at least one primary source passage that uses antiquated language.

Because History/Social Studies passages can be densely written, you should:

1. Identify the topic and scope of the passage

o You can usually find the topic and scope in the first paragraph.

2. Identify the topic sentence of each succeeding paragraph

o What does this paragraph accomplish? Does it provide evidence to support a previous statement? Or does it introduce questions about an earlier claim?

3. Summarize the purpose of the passage

o Some common purposes include: to inform, to refute, to promote, to explore.

Note

Resist the temptation to reread large portions of the passage. Your Passage Map can help you predict and answer questions correctly without having to dive completely back into the text. Doing so will save you time on Test Day!

Let’s look at the following example of an abbreviated History/Social Studies passage and question set. After the mapped passage, the left column contains questions similar to those you’ll see on the PSAT Reading Test on Test Day. The column on the right features the strategic thinking a test expert employs when approaching the passage and questions presented. Note how a test expert can quickly condense the entire passage into a few words and use his or her Passage Map to ask questions that build a prediction for the correct answer.

1. Questions 3-4 are based on the following passage.

2. The following passage is an adaptation of an excerpt from Up From Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington.

3. Note

4. PSAT passages often use primary source material, which means the language can be antiquated to modern readers. In some instances, we have modified this language. Don’t let that distract you from making a Passage Map that focuses on the central ideas.

5.

SCIENCE PASSAGES

The PSAT Reading Test will contain either two single Science passages or one single Science passage and one set of paired Science passages. Science passages differ from other passage types because:

· They often contain a lot of jargon and technical terms.

· They can utilize unfamiliar terms and concepts.

While Science passages can be tricky due to unfamiliar language, you will never need to employ knowledge outside of the passage when answering questions. Use the following strategy when approaching Science passages on the PSAT:

1. Locate the central idea in the first paragraph.

2. Note how each paragraph relates to the central idea. Does the paragraph …

o Explain?

o Support?

o Refute?

o Summarize?

3. Don’t be distracted by jargon or technical terms.

o Unfamiliar terms will generally be defined within the passage or in a footnote.

Let’s look at the following example of an abbreviated Science passage and question set. After the mapped passage, the left column contains questions similar to those you’ll see on the PSAT Reading Test on Test Day. The column on the right features the strategic thinking a test expert employs when approaching the passage and questions presented. Note how a test expert can quickly condense the entire passage into a few words and use his or her Passage Map to ask questions that build a prediction for the correct answer.

Remember

When you encounter more than one theory or idea, paraphrase each in as few words as possible in your Passage Map.

1. Questions 5-6 are based on the following passage.

2. This passage is adapted from an essay about the characteristics of lunar eclipses.

3.

Practice

You have seen the ways in which the PSAT presents Reading passages and the way a PSAT expert approaches these types of questions.

You will use the Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension to complete this section. Part of the test-like passage has been mapped already. Your first step is to complete the Passage Map. Then, you will continue to use the Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension and the strategies discussed in this chapter to answer the questions. Strategic thinking questions have been included to guide you—some of the answers have been filled in, but you will have to fill in the answers to others.

Use your answers to the strategic thinking questions to select the correct answer, just as you will on Test Day.

1. Questions 7-8 are based on the following passage.

2. The following passage discusses the scientific classification of the giant panda.

3.

Perform

Now, try a test-like PSAT Reading passage and question set on your own. Give yourself 6 minutes to read the passage and answer the questions.

1. Questions 9-11 are based on the following passage.

2. The following passage, adapted from an article in an encyclopedia of American culture, addresses some of the influences of the automobile on American life.

Few developments have so greatly affected American life as the automobile. Indeed, it would be hard to overestimate its impact. Since mass production of the automobile became feasible in the early twentieth century, the car has had a signifi- cant effect on nearly every facet of American life, including how we work, where we live, and what we believe. Interestingly, it was the process of building cars rather than the cars themselves that first brought a sea change to the American workplace. In 1914, a Ford plant in Highland Park, Michigan, used the first electric conveyor belt, greatly increasing the efficiency of automobile manufacturing. Assem- bly lines for the production of automobiles were quickly adopted and became highly mechanized, providing a new model for industrial business. In contrast to European manufacturers, which employed a higher percentage of skilled labor- ers to produce fewer and costlier cars, American companies focused on turning out a large quantity of affordable cars utilizing less-skilled laborers. Assembly-line production was a mixed blessing, as it enabled higher productivity and more afford- able cars but resulted in less-satisfied workers with less-interesting jobs. The value of efficiency was emphasized over personal pride and investment in the work. As cars became more popular, their effect on population distribution was likewise profound. Unlike railroads, which helped concentrate the population in cities, the automobile contributed to urban sprawl and, eventually, to the rise of sub- urbs. People no longer needed to live near public transportation lines or within walking distance of their jobs, and so were drawn to outlying areas with less congestion and lower property taxes. Business districts became less centralized for similar reasons. Sadly, this movement toward suburbs exacerbated social stratification. Since cars were initially af- fordable only to wealthier people, the upper and middle classes moved out of cities. Many businesses followed, attracted by the educated, well-trained workforce. As good jobs also moved out of cit- ies, the people who remained were further disad- vantaged and even less able to leave. Though few anticipated it in the heady early days of suburban growth, by the century’s end cars had helped to further entrench social divisions in America by making possible great physical distances between rich and poor. Automobile ownership has also transformed our individual lives and values. Historian James Flink has observed that automobiles particularly altered the work patterns and recreational opportunities of farmers and other rural inhabitants by reducing the isolation that had been characteristic of life in the country. Of course, there were also profound changes in the recreational activities of suburban and urban dwellers. For example, the 1950s saw a huge increase in drive-in movie theaters, fast- food establishments, supermarkets, and shopping centers—most facets of how we ate, shopped, and played changed to accommodate the car. Family life was also affected: Cars changed dating behavior by allowing teenagers more independence from parental supervision and control, and they provided women with more freedom to leave the home. This personal mobility and autonomy afforded by the car has become an integral part of American culture.

3.

9. The author refers to European and American manufacturing practices in lines 18—22 primarily to

1. demonstrate the quality difference between European and American cars.

2. argue for a return to a less mechanized but less efficient factory system.

3. highlight the positive and negative effects of the automobile on the American workplace.

4. suggest that greater efficiency and more skilled laborers can improve the American workplace.

10.In lines 31—34 (“Unlike . . . suburbs”), what distinction does the author draw between the two types of transportation?

1. Railroads are a more efficient mode of transportation than automobiles.

2. Automobiles allow greater flexibility, while railroads operate on a fixed schedule.

3. Railroads promote clustered populations, while automobiles promote dispersed populations.

4. Automobiles replaced railroads as the preferred American mode of transportation.

11.As used in line 30, “profound” most nearly means

1. absolute.

2. unintelligible.

3. far-reaching.

4. thoughtful.

On your own

1.

1. Questions 1-9 are based on the following passage.

2. The following is adapted from a short story first published in 1921. The author was a Native American woman.

It was summer on the western plains, and fields of golden sunflowers, facing eastward, greeted the rising sun. Blue-Star Woman, with windshorn braids of white hair over each ear, sat in the shade of her log hut before an open fire. Lonely but unmolested, she dwelt here like the ground squirrel that took its abode nearby—both through the easy tolerance of the landowner. As the Indian woman held a skillet over the burning embers, a large round cake, with long slashes in its center, baked and crowded the capacity of the frying pan. In deep abstraction, Blue-Star Woman prepared her morning meal. “Who am I?” had become the obsessing riddle of her life. She was no longer a young woman, be- ing in her fifty-third year; yet now it was required of her, in the eyes of the white man’s law, to give proof of her membership in the Sioux tribe in order to get her share of tribal land. The unwritten law of heart prompted her naturally to say, “I am a being. I am Blue-Star Woman. A piece of earth is my birthright.” It was taught for reasons now forgotten that an Indi- an should never pronounce his or her name in answer to any inquiry. It was probably a means of protection in the days of black magic; be that as it may, Blue-Star Woman lived in times when this teaching was disregarded. It gained her nothing, however, to pronounce her name to the government official to whom she applied for her share of tribal land. His persistent question was always, “Who are your parents?” Blue-Star Woman was left an orphan at a tender age, so she did not remember them. They were long-gone to the spirit-land—and she could not understand why they should be recalled to earth on her account. It was another one of the old, old teachings of her race that the names of the dead should not be idly spoken—in fact, it was considered a sac- rilege to mention carelessly the name of any departed one, especially in disputes over worldly possessions. The unfortunate circumstances of her early childhood, together with the lack of written records of a roving people, placed a formidable barrier between her and her heritage. The fact was, events of far greater impor- tance to the tribe than her reincarnation had passed unrecorded in books. The verbal reports of the old-time men and women of the tribe were varied—some were contradictory. Blue-Star Woman was unable to find even a twig of her family tree . . .Blue-Star Woman was her individual name. For untold ages the Indian race had not used family names—a newborn child was given a brand-new name. Blue-Star Woman was proud to write her name for which she would not be required to substitute an- other’s upon her marriage, as is the custom of civilized peoples. “The times are changed now,” she muttered under her breath. “My individual name seems to mean nothing.” Looking out into space, she saw the nodding sunflowers, and they acquiesced with her . . . With fried bread and black coffee she regaled herself, and once again her mind reverted to her riddle. “This also puzzles me,” thought she to herself. “Once a wise leader of our people, addressing a president of this country, said: ’I am a man. You are another. The Great Spirit is our witness!’ This is simple and easy to understand, buut the times are changed—the white man’s laws are strange.”

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. highlight the differences between the laws of two cultures.

2. describe the impact of a changing world on a woman.

3. illustrate the danger of living apart from society.

4. show the futility of preserving ancient myths in modern times.

2. The author most likely mentions the “ground squirrel” in line 6 in order to

1. suggest Blue-Star Woman’s profound relationship with nature.

2. demonstrate Blue-Star Woman’s keen observation of her surroundings.

3. show Blue-Star Woman’s adaptability to squalid living conditions.

4. indicate Blue-Star Woman’s overwhelming loneliness.

3. As used in line 7, “tolerance” most nearly means

1. neglect.

2. fortitude.

3. permission.

4. open-mindedness.

4. As used in line 11, “abstraction” most nearly means

1. reverie.

2. happiness.

3. uncertainty.

4. self-reflection.

5. The phrase in lines 53—54 (“My individual name seems to mean nothing”) most nearly reflects Blue-Star Woman’s

1. devastating loss of privilege and good reputation among her people.

2. sad comprehension that cherished old customs are losing their relevance.

3. great dismay that she has no children to carry on the family name.

4. unsettling realization that no member of the tribe remembers her.

6. Which choice provides the best support for the answer to the previous question?

1. Lines 143—17 (“She . . . land”)

2. Lines 23—25 (“Blue-Star Woman . . . name”)

3. Lines 42—44 (“The . . . contradictory”)

4. Lines 58—62 (“Once . . . strange”)

7. The second paragraph suggests that “the white man’s law” in line 15 differs from the “unwritten law of heart” in line 17 in that the latter

1. suggests that every person deserves land of his or her own.

2. has practical consequences for Blue-Star Woman.

3. considers each human being to be different.

4. places restrictions on who can and cannot own land.

8. Which choice best describes the government official’s treatment of Blue-Star Woman’s situation?

1. The official tries his best to accommodate Blue-Star Woman’s circumstances.

2. The official lacks cultural empathy and is unable to understand Blue-Star Woman’s difficulties.

3. The official solves Blue-Star Woman’s dilemma by the end of the passage.

4. The official is suspicious of Blue-Star Woman’s motives.

9. Which choice provides the best support for the answer to the previous question?

1. Lines 11—13 (“In . . . life”)

2. Lines 24—27 (“It . . . land”)

3. Lines 32—36 (“It . . . possessions”)

4. Lines 40—42 (“The . . . books”)