SAT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 1
SAT MANUAL INTRODUCTION: THE SAT AND HOW IMPORTANT IS IT, REALLY? What DOES it all mean, anyway? S ______________________ A ______________________ T ______________________ How important is it? SAT Personal GPA SAT Personal GPA Small Liberal Large State Arts Colleges Universities What’s on the test? Evidence-based Reading and Writing:________________________________ Math:_________________________________________________________ “Optional” Essay: ________________________________________________ |2 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The SAT and YOU! How beatable is the SAT? ________________________________________ When is the SAT administered? ____________________________________ How many times can you take the SAT? _____________________________ When will YOU take the SAT? ____________________________________ Knowing the structure and scoring of the SAT will help you use the techniques and strategies you will learn in this course. STRUCTURE OF THE SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing Passages Questions Time Reading Writing & Language Math Multiple- Grid-In Time Choice No Calculator (Section 3) Calculator (Section 4) Essay Topic: _______________________________ Time: ______________________ |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 3
SAT MANUAL Notes: • Total time: 3 hours 50 minutes (with Essay). • Multiple-choice questions have four answer choices. • There is no penalty for wrong answers, so don’t leave any questions blank. • Questions are Easy, Medium, or Hard and are each worth 1 point. • Questions in Math are in a rough order of difficulty. • Questions in Reading and Writing are NOT in order of difficulty. How is the SAT scored? Total Score: ___________________________________________________ Two Area Scores: _______________________________________________ Three Test Scores: ______________________________________________ Two Cross-Test scores: ___________________________________________ Seven Subscores: _______________________________________________ What’s a good score? A good score gets you admitted to the school of your dreams. A GREAT score gets the admissions people calling you, begging YOU to come to THEIR school! |4 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW SAT STRATEGIES We’re going to teach you how to nail every part of the SAT. Each section will have its own approaches and techniques to master. However, there are some strategies that apply across the SAT. P _________________________ P _________________________ O ________________________ O _________________________ O ________________________ E _________________________ D ________________________ Pacing 11 12 1 10 2 93 84 765 Guessing ? L _____________ Why is it better to O _____________ use LOTD instead of T _____________ randomizing guesses? D _____________ |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 5
SAT MANUAL HOW TO USE THIS COURSE TO NAIL THE SAT Please keep some things in mind as we go through this course: • This isn’t school. We don’t give you a grade, but we do expect you to realize that YOUR score improvement reflects the amount of work YOU put into the course. • The homework assigned is, therefore, for YOUR benefit. • Try to do at least a half an hour of SAT each day. Like playing an instrument or a sport, preparing for the SAT will be easier (and you will improve faster) if you do at least some work each day. Cramming three hours of SAT practice the night before class won’t give you the improvement you can enjoy. Consistent daily practice is the best way to ensure success. • You must try the techniques. Many will seem strange at first. You will get used to them, but only if you practice them. • Use a pencil! And not only on the bubble sheet: write all over the test. Seriously. Think on the page, not just in your head. Setting Goals Of course, everyone wants to increase his or her score. A big difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is whether they set realistic goals and pur- sue them systematically. Also keep in mind that learning doesn’t always happen in a linear fashion or overnight; sometimes it takes a step backwards to take two steps forwards. Don’t be discouraged! Keep working in consult with your instruc- tor, and you will enjoy success in the long run. If you are serious about increasing your scores significantly, then you MUST: 1. Come to ALL the classes. 2. Complete ALL the homework. 3. Come to ALL the diagnostic exams. 4. Use the techniques in class, on the homework, on the diag- nostic exams, and on the real SAT. |6 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Your present score: Reading _________ W & L _________ Math _________ Essay _________ Your target score: Reading _________ W & L _________ Math _________ Essay _________ What are my biggest strengths from the first practice test? _____________________________________________________________ What are my biggest areas of improvement from the first practice test? _____________________________________________________________ By the end of this course, I will have accomplished the following (feel free to add more!): 1. ______________________________ 2. ______________________________ 3. ______________________________ |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 7
READING 9
INTRODUCTION While we read a novel, we are insane— bonkers. We believe in the existence of people who aren’t there, we hear their voices... Sanity returns (in most cases) when the book is closed. —Ursula Le Guin 11
SAT MANUAL READING GOALS REVIEW WRITING AND At the conclusion of this chapter, you will know: LANGUAGE • The structure of the SAT Reading Test • Global strategies to earn a higher score MATH What to Expect You will have 65 minutes to complete ______ questions spread out over five pas- sages. Each passage will have ____________ questions. The passages will cover topics including ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ One of the five passages will be a ________________ set. Two of the five passages will contain _____________________________. |12 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
INTRODUCTION Why SAT Reading is Challenging READING Who caused the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? Friar Lawrence? Lord Capulet and WRITING AND Lord Montague? Mercutio? In an English class, any of those answers could be LANGUAGE right, given the right support and a solid argument. On the SAT, however, none of them are right. On the SAT, Romeo and Juliet caused the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Case closed. Let’s take a look at the following statements to consider the differences and chal- lenges between SAT Reading and your English class. SAT Reading English Class Analysis, interpretation, MATH and critical thinking are rewarded Prior knowledge of a topic helps You can explain your thinking in short answer or essay format Knowledge of the life and times of the author helps on the test Nothing matters except what’s actually written in the passage On the SAT, you only get points for _____________________, not for __________________. So, let’s maximize those points! |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 13
SAT MANUAL READING What Can Help? WRITING AND 1. _________________________: Some questions will tell you exactly LANGUAGE where to go in the passage to find the information you need to answer those questions. Use those lines to maximize your efficiency. MATH 2. _________________________: Questions are generally arranged in chronological order, so use that to your advantage. Working through the questions in order as much as possible means working through the passage in order. 3. __________________________: Even if a question does not have a line reference, it might have words or phrases that help you find what you’re looking for in the passage. 4. ____________________________: Approximately two questions in every passage will come with a second question that gives you exact lines in which to find supporting evidence. Use those to be as focused and efficient as possible. Personal Order of Difficulty Use your POOD to play to your strengths. For example: If your target Reading score is a 30, that means you need a raw score of approximately 38. Do all five passages and get about 75% of the questions right? That’s a raw score of about 38. Drop an entire passage and get nearly all of the questions right on the remaining four passages? That’s a raw score of about 38. SAME SCORE, DIFFERENT APPROACH. Not all passages are created equal, and based on your POOD, you might opt to do them in a different order than that in which they are presented. Consider the following: Type of passage ______________________________________________________ Type of questions ______________________________________________________ |14 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
INTRODUCTION Your goal is to make a quick decision about which of the passages would be the READING best place for you to start. Find that passage and do it first. As you move through the Reading Test, save the most challenging passages for last, regardless of where they come in the test. Scoring and Pacing WRITING AND LANGUAGE Your Reading score makes up half of your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score: W&L Scale Score 10 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 MATH 15 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Reading 20 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 Scale 25 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 Score 30 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 35 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 40 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 For a Reading Test You need about Score of: this many Correct Answers: 10 12 <3 14 5 16 7 18 10 20 14 22 18 24 21 26 26 28 29 30 33 32 37 34 41 36 44 38 47 40 50 52 |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 15
SAT MANUAL READING Food for Thought: Reading Score from first test: _________ WRITING AND Number of additional questions needed for a 2-point improvement: _________ LANGUAGE Each two-point improvement in your Reading Test Score could be worth 20 com- posite points. MATH Process of Elimination Multiple-choice Test = Open-book Test All the right answers are there in front of you, just packed in tight with lots of wrong answers. Rather than trying to find the one ________________________, try to eliminate answers that are clearly ____________________________ based on the text of the passage. A) A) A) A) B) B) B) B) C) C) C) C) D) D) D) D) |16 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
INTRODUCTION Keep Your Pencil Moving! READING When you’re working on a math problem, you write out your steps, avoid doing WRITING AND work in your head, and track your thinking on the page. You must do the same LANGUAGE thing on the Reading test! Mark your windows, underline or bracket relevant lines, and physically mark out wrong answers. If your pencil stops moving, you’re prob- ably stuck. Use your LOTD and move on. How a Rockstar Student’s Passage Should Look MATH |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 17
SAT MANUAL Summary • The topics of the passages will include: ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ • What three things can help you find the location of the relevant text for a question? 1. ______________________________________ 2. ______________________________________ 3. ______________________________________ • Make sure your pencil is ________________________________________ • I have accomplished _________ of the 2 goals stated in the beginning of this chapter. |18 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACH If you have enough book space, I don’t want to talk to you. — Terry Pratchett 19
SAT MANUAL READING GOALS REVIEW WRITING AND At the conclusion of this chapter, you will have mastered the following: LANGUAGE • Know the five steps of the SAT Reading Basic Approach • Apply each of the five steps in order to effectively and accurately MATH answer questions • Understand how to use the text to effectively work through answers SAT READING: BASIC APPROACH With only 65 minutes to answer 52 questions spread out over five passages, you have to maximize the use of your time. The questions are where you get points, so the questions are where you should focus. Once you have established the order in which you’re doing the passages, use the following approach for each passage. 1. Read the Blurb 2. Select and Understand a Question 3. Read What You Need 4. Predict the Correct Answer 5. POE |20 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACH Step 1: Read the Blurb READING The bibliographic information before each passage may not contain a lot of details, WRITING AND but it will give you a frame of reference for the content of the passage. LANGUAGE Read the following blurb: This passage is excerpted from Clarence Darrow, Crime: Its Cause and Treatment. © 1922. In the passage, Darrow discusses the difficulties involved in defining the words “crime” and “criminal,” and the ways in which these words can be interpreted. Is this passage from US/World Literature, History/Social Studies, or Science? What is the general topic of the passage? MATH |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 21
SAT MANUAL READING Here is the text of the passage, but we’re not going to read it yet. Move on to Step 2: Select and Understand a Question. WRITING AND There can be no sane discussion of “crime” and satisfied that a thing is intrinsically wrong because it LANGUAGE “criminals” without an investigation of the meaning is forbidden by a legislative body. of the words. A large majority of men, even among MATH Line the educated, speak of a “criminal” as if the word Other more or less popular opinions of the way 5 had a clearly defined meaning and as if men were to determine right or wrong are found to be no divided by a plain and distinct line into the criminal 50 more satisfactory. Many believe that the question of and the virtuous. As a matter of fact, there is no such whether an act is right or wrong is to be settled by a division, and from the nature of things, there never religious doctrine; but the difficulties are still greater can be such a line. in this direction. First of all, this involves a thorough 10 Strictly speaking, a crime is an act forbidden by and judicial inquiry into the merits of many, if not the law of the land, and one which is considered 55 all, forms of religion, an investigation which has sufficiently serious to warrant providing penalties never been made, and from the nature of things for its commission. It does not necessarily follow cannot be made. The fact is, that one’s religious that this act is either good or bad; the punishment opinions are settled long before he begins to 15 follows for the violation of the law and not investigate and quite by other processes than reason. necessarily for any moral transgression. No doubt 60 Then, too, all religious precepts rest on interpretation, most of the things forbidden by the penal code are and even the things that seem the plainest have ever such as are injurious to the organized society of the been subject to manifold and sometimes conflicting time and place, and are usually of such a character construction. Few if any religious commands 20 as for a long period of time, and in most countries, can be, or ever were, implicitly relied on without have been classed as criminal. But even then it does 65 interpretation. The command, “Thou shalt not kill,” not always follow that the violator of the law is not seems plain, but does even this furnish an infallible a person of higher type than the majority who are rule of conduct? directly and indirectly responsible for the law. 25 It is apparent that a thing is not necessarily bad Of course this commandment could not be because it is forbidden by the law. Legislators are meant to forbid killing animals. Yet there are many forever repealing and abolishing criminal statutes, 70 people who believe that it does, or at least should. and organized society is constantly ignoring laws, No Christian state makes it apply to men killing in until they fall into disuse and die. The laws against war. Neither can it be held to apply to accidental 30 witchcraft, the long line of “blue laws,” the laws killings, or killings in self-defense, or in defense of affecting religious beliefs and many social customs, property or family. Laws, too, provide all grades of are well-known examples of legal and innocent 75 punishment for different kinds of killing, from very acts which legislatures and courts have once made light penalties up to death. Manifestly, then, the criminal. Not only are criminal statutes always dying commandment must be interpreted, “Thou shalt 35 by repeal or repeated violation, but every time a not kill when it is wrong to kill,” and therefore it legislature meets, it changes penalties for existing furnishes no guide to conduct. As well say: “Thou crimes and makes criminal certain acts that were not 80 shalt do nothing that is wrong.” forbidden before. Judging from the kind of men sent to the State 40 legislatures and to Congress, the fact that certain things are forbidden does not mean that these things are necessarily evil; but rather, that politicians believe there is a demand for such legislation from the class of society that is most powerful in political 45 action. No one who examines the question can be |22 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACHREADING Step 2: Select and Understand a Question Start with the specific questions first, and save the general questions for later, regardless of which question type is first in the set. The specific questions will be arranged generally in chronological order. 1. The position that Darrow takes is primarily that of 6. The author’s attitude toward the views of the “many” WRITING AND mentioned in line 50 can be described as LANGUAGE MATH 2. In the passage, Darrow draws a distinction between 7. As used in line 60, “rest” most nearly means 3. Which choice provides the best evidence for the 8. Darrow mentions the command “Thou shalt not answer to the previous question? kill” (line 65) primarily in order to 4. In lines 29–34, Darrow mentions the “laws against 9. Which choice provides the best evidence for the witchcraft” and the “blue laws” primarily in order answer to the previous question? to 5. Lines 39–45 suggest that laws are often created 10. As used in line 66, “furnish” most nearly means Though Question 1 is the first question in the set, when will you do it? Why? |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 23
SAT MANUAL READING Once you’ve chosen a question, take the time to understand what it is asking. Make sure you understand the question by turning it back into a question—that WRITING AND is, back into a sentence that actually ends with a question mark. LANGUAGE 4. In lines 29–34, Darrow mentions the “laws against witchcraft” and the “blue laws” primarily in order to How can you rephrase the open-ended statement in Q4 into a “what” or “why” question? MATH Step 3: Read Only What You Need • Use line references, lead words, or chronology to find the location of the question in the text. • Read a window of about 10–12 lines in order to get context and find an answer to the question. • Read with the question in mind! Remember, this test doesn’t require you to interpret the text. It requires you to apply what’s actually in the text to the questions and answer choices. Try to find a particular phrase, sentence, or set of lines that answers the question. • Save the general questions until after you’ve worked the specific ques- tions. You’ll have a much better idea of what is and isn’t in the text. Read a window of about 5 lines above and 5 lines below your line reference to get the context for the question. |24 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACH 4. In lines 29–34, Darrow mentions the “laws against witchcraft” and the READING “blue laws” primarily in order to Where in the text will you find the answer to this question? WRITING AND LANGUAGE MATH Step 4: Predict the Correct Answer Know what you’re looking for before you look at the answer choices, and you’ll be less likely to fall for a trap answer. Before you even glance at the answer choices, take the time to underline the specific, stated information in your window that supplies the answer to the question. 4. In lines 29–34, Darrow mentions the “laws against witchcraft” and the “blue laws” primarily in order to Using information from the text, explain why the author mentions the “laws against witchcraft” and the “blue laws.” |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 25
SAT MANUAL READING Each question has Step 5: Use Process of Elimination three incorrect WRITING AND Once you’ve found something in the text that answers the question, eliminate any LANGUAGE answers and only of the answer choices that don’t match your prediction. one correct answer, Eliminate answers that don’t match so it’s easier to your prediction. find an incorrect answer than it is to find a correct answer. MATH Avoid the temptation to reconsider your prediction based on an answer choice. Answer choices that don’t match the text are likely wrong no matter how good they sound. 4. In lines 29–34, Darrow mentions the “laws against witchcraft” and the “blue laws” primarily in order to A) assert that penalties for certain actions Yes/No/Maybe should not be altered. Yes/No/Maybe Yes/No/Maybe B) provide illustrations of an earlier Yes/No/Maybe statement. C) hint at the value of laws long since repealed. D) qualify a position by conceding exceptions to a rule. Once you have eliminated any answer choices that don’t match your prediction, you may still be left with more than one choice. Before you select an answer, ask yourself if you might be falling for one of the most common—and avoidable!— traps: • Mostly Right/Slightly Wrong • Could Be True (But Isn’t Supported by the Text) • Deceptive Language |26 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEXT READING Remember, this is not a test in your English class at school. As you go through the WRITING AND answer choices, you should be more focused on whether or not each answer choice LANGUAGE is consistent with your prediction rather than whether or not you could explain that answer to your English teacher in 500 words or less. MATH Make sure that when you predict the answer, you are using the actual words in the text instead of your own interpretation. 5. Lines 39–45 suggest that laws are often created What is this question asking? Where in the text will you find the answer? What exactly does the text say about the creation of laws? Which answer choices can you eliminate? A) to prevent wicked actions. B) to satisfy the demands of crime victims. C) by men who are morally weak. D) to appease prevailing political powers. |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 27
SAT MANUAL READING The text always matters, even on questions that might seem to be asking for your opinion. Consider the following question. WRITING AND 6. The author’s attitude toward the views of the “many” mentioned in line 50 can LANGUAGE best be described as MATH In an English class, a question about an author’s “attitude” or “tone” might be a great place for you to use some solid critical thinking skills. On the SAT, however, it’s still a straight reading comprehension question. Who are the “many” described in the lines? What do they think? Does Darrow agree or disagree? How do you know? What answer choices can you eliminate? A) apathetic. B) curious. C) puzzled. D) skeptical. |28 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACH Another way your comprehension of context will be tested is with Vocabulary in READING Context questions. Although the SAT no longer tests your knowledge of obscure four-syllable words, College Board still cares that you can figure out what words WRITING AND mean, based on the contexts in which they are used. LANGUAGE 7. As it is used in line 60, “rest” most nearly means Where is the word “rest”? What do you think of MATH when you hear the word “rest”? Pillows? Your couch? Peace and quiet? Mark out the word. Based on the context, what other word or short phrase could you put into the sentence? Which answer choices can you eliminate, based on your prediction of the correct answer? A) recline. B) depend. C) pause. D) conceal. Try this one. 10. As it is used in line 66, “furnish” most nearly means A) clothe. B) decorate. C) provide. D) complicate. |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 29
SAT MANUAL READING Paired Questions WRITING AND Most reading passages have two sets of paired questions. The second question asks LANGUAGE you to match lines from the text to the answer to the first question, which could be general or specific. There are a few different ways to approach these sets. Specific 8. Darrow mentions the command “Thou shalt not kill” (line 65) primarily in order to MATH What is this question asking? Where in the text will you find the answer? What exactly does the text say about why Darrow mentions the command? What answer choices can you eliminate? A) argue that even accidental killing or killing in self-defense should be made punishable by law. B) demonstrate that even some seemingly straightforward laws may be understood in multiple ways. C) provide evidence to show that laws do not punish all types of killings with equal severity. D) indicate the importance of investigating the religious opinions of those conducting judicial inquiries. The Basic Approach makes Once you have determined your answer, the next question asks for the textual some paired sets a Buy-One- evidence you used to reach that answer. Consider what it was in the text that an- swered your “Why?” question. Get-One-Free for points! 9. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? A) Lines 34–38 (“Not only . . . before”) B) Lines 53–59 (“First of . . . reason”) C) Lines 60–65 (“Then, too . . . interpretation”) D) Lines 74–76 (“Laws, too . . . death”) |30 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACH Parallel POE If you were looking for READING treasure on an island, Sometimes the question will be a general question, or the location of the question would it be easier with might be tough to find. In those cases, it’s helpful to consider the question and the or without landmarks textual evidence at the same time. Remember, the citation must support the cor- and a map? rect answer, so if there are no clear connections between the answer for the ques- tion and the line given in the next question, both answers can be eliminated. WRITING AND LANGUAGE 2. In the passage, Darrow draws a distinction between A) actions that are illegal and actions that are morally wrong. MATH B) the opinions of legislators and the rituals of organized society. C) criminals and individuals who are inherently virtuous. D) personal responsibility and responsibility imposed by religious doctrine. 3. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? A) Lines 3–7 (“A large . . . virtuous”) B) Lines 26–29 (“Legislators are . . . die”) C) Lines 39–42 (“Judging from . . . evil”) D) Lines 60–63 (“Then, too . . . construction”) |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 31
SAT MANUAL READING General Questions WRITING AND The general and main idea questions that may seem a bit overwhelming at the LANGUAGE beginning of a passage become much more approachable once you’ve completed the specific questions. Even if you haven’t read every word of the passage, you’ve spent time with the parts the test writers think are important. 1. The position that Darrow takes is primarily that of A) an authority arguing a particular point of view. B) a critic discounting the opinion of an uninformed adversary. C) a jurist advocating the right of citizens to defend themselves. D) an intellectual presenting an historical overview. MATH |32 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
BASIC APPROACH BASIC APPROACH DRILL READING (13 minutes) 40 She said she was going to give me some books WRITING AND and that I not only must read them, I must read LANGUAGE The following passage is excerpted from I Know Why the them aloud. Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. © 1969 and renewed “I’ll accept no excuse if you return a book to MATH 1997 by Maya Angelou. Used by permission of Random me that has been badly handled.” My imagination House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. This passage from the 45 boggled at the punishment I would deserve if in fact autobiographical novel describes an incident from the I did abuse a book of Mrs. Flowers’s. Death would be author’s youth. too kind and brief. The odors in the house surprised me. Somehow One summer afternoon, sweet-milk fresh in my I had never connected Mrs. Flowers with food or memory, Mrs. Flowers stopped at the Store to buy provisions. Another Negro woman of her health and 50 eating or any other common experience of common Line age would have been expected to carry the paper people. There must have been an outhouse, too, but 5 sacks home in one hand, but Momma said, “Sister my mind never recorded it. Flowers, I’ll send Bailey up to your house with these The sweet scent of vanilla had met us as she things.” opened the door. She smiled that slow dragging smile. “Thank 55 “I made tea cookies this morning. You see, I had you, Mrs. Henderson. I’d prefer Marguerite, though.” planned to invite you for cookies and lemonade so 10 They gave each other age-group looks. we could have this little chat.” They were flat round wafers, slightly browned on Momma said, “Well, that’s all right then. Sister, go the edges and butter-yellow in the center. With the and change your dress. You going to Sister Flowers’s.” 60 cold lemonade they were sufficient for childhood’s There was a little path beside the rocky road, and lifelong diet. Remembering my manners, I took nice Mrs. Flowers walked in front swinging her arms and little lady-like bites off the edges. She said she had 15 picking her way over the stones. made them expressly for me. So I jammed one whole cake in my mouth and the rough crumbs scratched She said, without turning her head, to me, “I hear you’re doing very good school work, Marguerite, 65 the insides of my jaws, and if I hadn’t had to swallow, but that it’s all written. The teachers report that they it would have been a dream come true. have trouble getting you to talk in class.” We passed As I ate she began the first of what we later called 20 the triangular farm on our left and the path widened “my lessons in living.” She said that I must always to allow us to walk together. I hung back in the be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of separate unasked and unanswerable questions. 70 illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, “Come and walk along with me, Marguerite.” I were more educated and even more intelligent than couldn’t have refused even if I wanted to. She college professors. She encouraged me to listen 25 pronounced my name so nicely. Or more correctly, carefully to what country people called mother wit. she spoke each word with such clarity that I was When I finished the cookies she brushed off certain a foreigner who didn’t understand English could have understood her. 75 the table and brought a thick, small book from the bookcase. I had read A Tale of Two Cities and “Now no one is going to make you talk—possibly found it up to my standards as a romantic novel. She 30 no one can. But bear in mind, language is man’s opened the first page and I heard poetry for the first time in my life. way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower 80 “It was the best of times and the worst of times . . .” animals.” That was a totally new idea to me, and I Her voice slid in and curved down through and would need time to think about it. 35 “Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every over the words. She was nearly singing. I wanted to chance you get. That’s good, but not good enough. look at the pages. Were they the same that I had read? Words mean more than what is set down on paper. Or were there notes, music, lined on the pages, as in a It takes the human voice to infuse them with the 85 hymn book? shades of deeper meaning.” |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 33
SAT MANUAL READING “How do you like that?” 4 It occurred to me that she expected a response. In the context of the passage, Marguerite’s WRITING AND The sweet vanilla flavor was still on my tongue statement “My imagination boggled at the LANGUAGE and her reading was a wonder in my ears. I had to punishment I would deserve if in fact I did abuse a 90 speak. book of Mrs. Flowers’s” (lines 44–46) is primarily MATH I said, “Yes ma’am.” It was the least I could do, but meant to convey the idea that it was the most also. A) Mrs. Flowers is known for her strict and On that first day, I ran down the hill and into the unforgiving nature. road (few cars ever came along it). I was liked, and B) Mrs. Flowers is overly concerned with the 95 what a difference it made. I was respected not as Mrs. importance of books. Henderson’s grandchild or Bailey’s sister but for just C) Marguerite would fear for her life if she harmed being Marguerite Johnson. one of Mrs. Flowers’s books. D) Marguerite is unlikely to mistreat one of Mrs. 1 Flowers’s books. The narrative point of view of the passage is that of A) a woman explaining the importance of reading. 5 B) a child presenting her opinions on a particular According to Mrs. Flowers, which of the following novel. is a “lesson in living”? C) an adult recounting a memorable childhood A) Intelligence is not dependent on formal experience. education. D) a writer describing why she chose to write. B) Intellectuals are not as clever as many people suppose. 2 C) Well-educated people lack common sense. In the context of the passage, lines 23–28 D) Impoverished people are deserving of (“I couldn’t . . . her) are primarily meant to compassion. A) recount an anecdote. B) describe a theory. 6 C) present an example. Which choice provides the best evidence for the D) note an impression. answer to the previous question? A) Lines 40–42 (“She said . . . aloud”) 3 B) Lines 61–62 (“Remembering my . . . edges”) As used in line 39, “shades” most nearly means C) Lines 68–70 (“She said . . . illiteracy”) A) shadows. D) Lines 70–72 (“That some . . . professors”) B) reflections. C) levels. 7 D) insights. Marguerite’s statement in lines 76–77 (“I had . . . novel”) suggests that she initially viewed A Tale of |34 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC Two Cities as A) original. B) sentimental. C) satisfactory. D) stunning.
BASIC APPROACH 8 10 READING In the context of the passage, Marguerite’s question Mrs. Flowers’s main objective in inviting in lines 83–85 (“Were they . . . book”) primarily Marguerite to her house was to WRITING AND serves to A) help Marguerite to appreciate the importance of LANGUAGE A) imply that Marguerite was bewildered by Mrs. the spoken word. Flowers’s unusual speech patterns. B) urge Marguerite to spend less time reading and MATH B) show the religious fervor that Mrs. Flowers more time living. brought to her reading. C) expose Marguerite to a wide variety of literary C) indicate that Mrs. Flowers had set the words of influences. the book to music. D) convince Marguerite to put more effort into her D) convey Marguerite’s admiration for the schoolwork. eloquence of Mrs. Flowers’s reading. 11 9 Which choice provides the best evidence for the Marguerite’s attitude toward Mrs. Flowers in lines answer to the previous question? 87–92 (“It occurred . . . also”) is best described as A) Lines 16–19 (“I hear . . . class”) one of B) Lines 35–39 (“Your grandmother . . . meaning”) A) respectful awe. C) Lines 62–66 (“She said . . . true”) B) grudging acceptance. D) Lines 93–95 (“On that . . . made”) C) relaxed affection. D) guarded fear. |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 35
SAT MANUAL Summary |36 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC • The five steps of the Reading Basic Approach are: 1. _______________________________________ 2. _______________________________________ 3. _______________________________________ 4. _______________________________________ 5. _______________________________________ • How much of the passage do you need to read to find the answer to a specific question? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ • What’s generally true about the order of the questions? ________________________________________ • How can correct answers on the SAT Reading Test differ from correct answers in an English class? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ • What is the most important thing to remember in the Reading Test? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ • I have accomplished _________ of the 3 goals stated in the beginning of this chapter.
GLOBAL TECHNIQUES 361
SAT MANUAL READING GOALS REVIEW WRITING AND At the conclusion of this chapter, you will be able to accomplish the following: LANGUAGE • Name how many questions to do in the Math sections to reach your goal score • Use Pacing, POOD, and LOTD to achieve your goal score • Methodically work through word problems using the Word Problems Basic Approach • Use your calculator wisely and approach questions without it MATH |362 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
GLOBAL TECHNIQUES SCORING READING Small changes to the number and type of questions you attempt can have a huge impact on your score. The best place to start is with a score improvement goal. Answer this many questions WRITING AND LANGUAGE Section 3: Section 4: No Calculator Yes Calculator To get: You need 15 30 8 Total # (scaled to earn: questions 5 questions questions questions of questions score) (raw points) MC Grid-Ins to attempt MC Grid-Ins 350 12 5 1 91 16 400 11 2 22 450 16 7 2 13 3 27 MATH 500 18 3 33 550 20 9 2 21 5 39 600 24 6 45 650 26 10 2 26 7 50 700 29 8 56 750 32 11 2 30 8 58 800 30 8 58 39 12 3 44 13 4 50 14 5 54 15 5 58 15 5 POOD So how do you know which questions to do and which ones to skip? Make sure to follow your POOD and focus on these two ideas. Do questions that can be answered quickly and accurately. Do questions that can be made easier using TPR strategies. |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 363
SAT MANUAL READING GUESSING AND PACING Remember to guess on any questions that you don’t have time to legitimately complete. Just make sure to always guess the same letter, your Letter of the Day (LOTD). WRITING AND RTFQ LANGUAGE There will often be a lot of extraneous words in the set-up to Math questions. Read MATH the final question carefully before doing any calculations. What would you do if your math teacher asked you to solve these questions? If 5a – 4 = 2a + 11, _____________________? If a = 35 and 3 a = b , _____________________? 7 |364 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
GLOBAL TECHNIQUES Now look at these SAT questions. READING 16. If 5a – 4 = 2a + 11, what is the value of a – 5 ? WRITING AND A) −2 LANGUAGE B) 0 C) 3 D) 5 5. If a = 35 and 3 a = b , what is the value of b +1 ? A) 15 7 4 B) 9 MATH C) 5 D) 4 Always make sure to R_____________________ T_____________________ F_____________________ Q____________________ |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 365
SAT MANUAL READING POE WRITING AND On the SAT, there are more wrong answers than right ones. When you find a LANGUAGE wrong answer, cross it off! MATH WORD PROBLEMS For the many word problems on the SAT, make sure to use a consistent approach. Start with RTFQ to avoid getting lost in the text. WORD PROBLEM BASIC APPROACH 1. Read the Final Question—Read and underline the actual question that is being asked. 2. Let the Answers Help—Look for clues on how to approach the question and opportunities to use POE. 3. Work in Bite-Sized Pieces—Start with the most straight- forward piece of information. |366 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
GLOBAL TECHNIQUES BALLPARKING AND ESTIMATING READING Use Ballparking or Estimating to eliminate answers, which is even more important when calculator use is not allowed. Try to eliminate answer choices that can’t possibly be correct WRITING AND before calculating anything. LANGUAGE 13. Aaron wants to make as many gluten-free, low-carb cupcakes as he 3 can for a bake sale. His recipe for 12 such cupcakes requires 8 of a cup MATH of cocoa. Assuming Aaron has enough of the remaining ingredients, which of the following is closest to the number of cupcakes that he could make if he has 2 cups of cocoa? A) 10 B) 30 C) 60 D) 100 Rounding the numbers in the question to estimate your answer can also help save time. Don’t multiply out awkward numbers on paper if you can estimate the answer. x2 + y2 = 125 y = –2x 11. If (x, y) is a solution to the system of equations above, what is the positive value of x ? A) –5 B) 5 C) 10 D) 25 |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 367
SAT MANUAL READING BITE-SIZED PIECES WRITING AND Deal with one small piece of information at a time, eliminating answers as you go. LANGUAGE When there is something to figure out, STOP! Figure it out and try to use POE before you move on. MATH What’s 8n 3 + 21n 3? 6. 2(4n3 – 2n2 + n + 8) – 3(−7n3 + 2n2 − 5n + 9) = How does knowing the A) –13n3 + 10n2 – 17n + 11 answer help with POE? B) –13n3 – 10n2 + 17n – 11 What should you do after C) 29n3 + 10n2 – 17n + 11 testing one of the points? D) 29n3 – 10n2 + 17n – 11 7. Which of the following ordered pairs (x, y) satisfies the inequality 2x + 7y > −1 ? I. (1, −2) II. (−3, 1) III. (4, −1) A) I only B) III only C) I and II only D) II and III only |368 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
GLOBAL TECHNIQUES 10. Natalia is joining an online music service that charges a monthly membership When does the $15 fee READING fee of $5.95. A tax of 9% is applied to the monthly membership fee, and an come into play? How additional one-time initiation fee of $15 is charged at the beginning of the does that help with POE? membership. Which of the following represents Natalia’s total charge, in dollars, for a membership lasting m months? WRITING AND A) 1.09(5.95m + 15) LANGUAGE B) 1.09(5.95m) + 15 C) 1.09m(5.95 + 15) D) 0.09m(5.95) + 15 MATH POE POINT—When attacking the problem in Bite-Sized Pieces, don’t forget to stop between each piece to see which answers can be eliminated. |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 369
SAT MANUAL READING CALCULATOR USE WRITING AND On Section 4, you’re allowed to use your calculator, but that doesn’t mean that it LANGUAGE will be useful on every question in that section. When you do want to use your calculator, remember the following: 1. Read the question. 2. Set up the problem. Only pick up your calculator after you’ve made sure to RTFQ and set the problem up on paper. MATH When using a calculator, 33. If f(x) = 14x + 5[6 – (2x + 3)]2, what is the value of f(–2) ? follow the rules of PEMDAS! P _______________ E _______________ M _______________ D _______________ A _______________ S _______________ Even the questions that allow calculator usage are often written so that using it may actually end up being less effective or efficient. |370 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
GLOBAL TECHNIQUES Summary |© TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC 371 • By slowing down, I can ___________________. • Which questions should you focus on in the Math sections? _____________________________________ _____________________________________ • When should you guess on a Math question? _____________________________________ • What does RTFQ stand for? _____________________________________ • What does that mean? _____________________________________ • What are two reasons to use POE? _____________________________________ _____________________________________ • What is the Basic Approach for Word Problems? _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ • What is Ballparking? _____________________________________ • What does it mean to solve a question in Bite-Sized Pieces? _____________________________________ • When do you use Bite-Sized Pieces? _____________________________________ • What is important to keep in mind about calculator use? _____________________________________ _____________________________________ • I have accomplished ______ of the 4 goals stated at the beginning of this chapter.
PLUGGING IN Algebraic symbols are used when you do not know what you are talking about. –Philippe Schnoebelen 373
READING SAT MANUAL WRITING AND GOALS REVIEW LANGUAGE At the conclusion of this chapter, you will be able to accomplish the following: MATH • Identify when Plugging In is possible • Use Plugging In to solve problems • Understand why Plugging In is such a powerful technique |374 © TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
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