Comprehensive Strategies for Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning

Essential Elements to Identify in Reading Comprehension Passages

  • Author's Main Points: The primary arguments or assertions made by the creator of the text.
  • Passage Structure: The organizational framework of the text and the specific types of structures utilized.
  • Viewpoints: Identifying the different perspectives presented and classifying their types.
  • Tone: Discerning the specific attitude conveyed by the author.

Reading Comprehension Question Categories

  • Main Point: Identifying the central idea.
  • Meaning: Understanding definitions or intents.
  • Stated: Finding information explicitly mentioned.
  • Supported: Determining what can be backed by the text.
  • Agree: Identifying viewpoints the author or others would concur with.
  • Tone: Assessing the author's attitude.
  • Purpose: Determining the reason for a specific inclusion.
  • Strengthen/Weaken: Evaluating arguments based on new information.

General Problem Solving Process for Reading Comprehension

  • Evaluate Scope and Task: Determine if a question focuses on the passage as a whole or a specific component. Identify if the task involves testing reasoning structure, opinions, or details.
  • Textual Reference: Use the question stem to identify when it is necessary to refer back to the original text.
  • Elimination Strategy: Always aim to eliminate the four incorrect answers before choosing the correct one.
  • Avoid Attractors: Be wary of answers that match the text well but do not fulfill the specific task requested in the question stem.
  • Confirm with Text: Take time to find specific evidence in the passage to confirm the right choice.
  • Time Management: Avoid getting "stuck" on a single question. If a question causes difficulty, move on and return to it later to restart the process.

Strategies for Structure and Detail Question Types

  • Main Point: Formulate the main point in your own words before looking at choices. Eliminate answers that are too narrow or contain errors/details that go beyond the text.
  • General Organization: Review the purpose of every paragraph. Right answers identify the defining characteristics of each component; wrong answers misreport the purpose of at least one section.
  • Purpose of Paragraph: Focus on how a paragraph relates to the whole passage and the surrounding paragraphs. Eliminate answers that represent the role incorrectly or discuss non-existent content.
  • Purpose of Word or Phrase: Determine the purpose relative to the whole passage. If down to two, choose the one with less embellishment, even if it feels vague or awkward.
  • Contextual Definition: Focus on why the author placed the sentence in that specific location. Knowledge of the author's overall intent is key. If the word is unknown, check if it agrees or disagrees with surrounding points.
  • Author Opinion: Understand the author's view broadly. Right answers are often safe and "politically correct." Avoid answers that make the author's view more extreme.
  • Specific Author Opinion: If the opinion is clear, the answer should be clear; if subtle, the answer should be subtle. Look for modifiers that indicate degree and eliminate answers that misrepresent that degree.
  • Other Opinions: Use a quick reread to confirm the specific other opinion. If the phrase "would most likely agree" is used, do not expect absolute evidence.
  • Strengthen/Weaken: Use reasoning skills. Ensure a clear understanding of the argument or conclusion first. Eliminate answers that play the opposite role or an unclear one.
  • Illustrate: Before reading answers, define the opinion in your own words. The correct answer will not be more specific or stronger than the text.
  • Identify the Detail: For questions with location hints, read the text and adjacent parts. For general questions, eliminate obvious errors and match the remaining choices to the text.
  • Inference from Detail: Correct answers are not directly stated but are highly reasonable based on the text. Ask: "Does this part of the text prove this?"
  • General Inference: Perform a quick scan to eliminate big leaps. Ensure every part of the choice is supported by the passage.
  • Find an Analogy: Compare the relationship in the passage to the provided scenarios. Use the "Price is Right" model: look for the closest match without "overmatching" or going too far.

Standard Sequential Question Structure in Reading Comprehension

  • Question 1 (Main Point): Asks to express the main idea, most accurate main point, or a summary of the main idea.
  • Question 2 (Agree/Inference): Asks what can be inferred about the author's or critics' views/opinions.
  • Question 3 (Strengthen/Supported): Asks for information that would undermine or support positions, or principles governing the author's evaluation.
  • Question 4 (Purpose): Asks why the author used a specific example or description.
  • Question 5 (Stated): Asks what proponents claim to be true according to the passage.
  • Question 6 (Agree): Asks which statement the author or another party would most likely agree with.
  • Question 7 (Stated): Asks what the passage specifically states about a topic.
  • Question 8 (Supported/Tone): Asks what the info suggests or indicates about the author's attitude/attitude toward critics.
  • Question 9 (Meaning): Identifies what a specific phrase refers to.
  • Question 10 (Except): Asks to identify which option is NOT answered or supported by the text.

Logical Reasoning: General Categorization

  • Three Main Buckets:
    1. Inference
    2. Assumption
    3. Structure

The Nine "Closed" Logical Reasoning Questions

  • Conclusion: Identify the main argument of the passage (can be a partial or full sentence).
  • Disagree: Find a point where two authors would explicitly disagree.
  • Flaw: Describe the specific breakdown in logic between the premises and the conclusion.
  • Must Be True: Identify the answer choice that is 100% proven by the details provided.
  • Necessary Assumption: Identify a requirement for the conclusion to be valid, even if it doesn't prove the whole argument.
  • Parallel: Match the reasoning or flawed logic from the stimulus to a new argument.
  • Reasoning: Describe the logical technique used by the author to reach their conclusion.
  • Role: Define the function of a specific claim (e.g., premise, conclusion, counter-argument).
  • Supported: Select the answer most likely to be true based on given facts.
  • Important Definitions: "Anomaly" (oddity), "Subjective/Objective," "Adversely." Note that "some" means "one or more" and is generally a weak logical indicator.

The Five "Open" Logical Reasoning Questions

  • Evaluate: Identify the information needed to determine if the conclusion is true.
  • Paradox: Resolve a conflict between two seemingly incompatible facts.
  • Strengthen: Identify evidence that brings the argument closer to being proven.
  • Sufficient Assumption: Identify a fact that, if added, would be strong enough to guarantee the conclusion is true.
  • Weaken: Find evidence that calls the conclusion into question.

Detailed Logical Reasoning Question Strategies

  • Parallel: Identify arguments most similar in reasoning.
  • Must Be True: Look for conservative, boring, and obvious answers. They must be proven by the page. Avoid choices that go beyond the facts.
  • Weaken: Attack the link between the support and the conclusion. Phrase your goal: "I want a weakener to attack the idea that…"
  • Strengthen: Look for principles or facts that justify the reasoning. This may involve logically completing an argument.
  • Necessary Assumption: Look for something required by the argument.
  • Conclusion: Predict the answer first. If the author asserts a claim is wrong, that assertion is usually the conclusion.
  • Disagree: Treat the first person's statements as separate points. Find the exact point where one says "yes" and the other says "no."
  • Discrepancy or Paradox: A discrepancy is a lack of compatibility between facts. When reading, ask yourself "How come?" The right answer explains the mystery; an "except" answer fails to explain it or makes it harder.
  • Reasoning: Pick an answer that correctly describes what the argument did without adding anything new.
  • Flaw: The flaw is the error in using specific support to reach a specific conclusion. Common flaws include:
    • Piece does not equal puzzle: Assuming a part represents the whole.
    • Apples does not equal orange: Comparing two things that are not truly comparable.
    • One plus one does not equal three: Mathematical/logical summation errors.
  • Basic Logic Phrases:
    • "Assumes as a premise the contention the argument purports to establish" = Circular Argument.
    • "Justify drawing the conclusion" = Strengthen/Sufficient Assumption task.

Study Focus Areas

  • Improve performance on Stated and Analogy questions.
  • Better understand Organization (structure and support identification).
  • Practice Supported and Except question formats.
  • Distinguish clearly between Basic, Sufficient, and Necessary Assumptions.