Master ACT Reading Comprehension: Proven Strategies

Summary

This video tutorial offers strategies for quickly reading and comprehending ACT passages, aiming to enhance test performance. It emphasizes focusing on main points for a clear understanding, rather than getting lost in details. The instructor advises reading slowly at the start and end to grasp the passage's essence and author's perspective, while skimming through the middle for key declarative sentences. A free two-week study course is also introduced to boost ACT scores. The method is demonstrated through examples, showing how to efficiently summarize and answer questions, even when not fully grasping the text.

Takeaways

• 😀 The goal of reading ACT passages is to quickly grasp the main points while skimming over details to ensure speed and accuracy.
• 🎯 Reading slowly at the beginning and end of passages helps to understand the context and the author's perspective, which is crucial for answering questions.
• ✍️ It's important to jot down answers to four key questions: the passage's subject, the author's viewpoint, other viewpoints (if any), and the tone of the passage.
• 🚀 Skimming through the middle of the passage, using the 'Fine Art of Blah Blah Blah' technique, allows you to ignore examples, descriptions, and jargon that don't contribute to the main points.
• 🔍 Focus on single declarative sentences, especially those that seem like conclusions, as they often reflect the author's main points or conclusions.
• 📈 The 'Fine Art of Blah Blah Blah' involves quickly moving past parts of the text that don't contribute to understanding the main points, such as examples and jargon.
• 📝 Practice is essential for mastering the skill of quickly and accurately reading and understanding passages, which is crucial for performing well on the ACT.
• 📉 Avoid getting bogged down in details, as it can lead to confusion and hesitancy, making it harder to identify the correct answers.
• 💡 The method demonstrated helps to create a succinct summary of the main points, which is beneficial for quickly and accurately answering questions related to the passage.
• 📖 Understanding the author's main point of view and the tone of the passage is key to answering questions about the author's intent and the passage's overall message.

Q & A

What is the main goal when reading an ACT passage quickly?

The main goal is to exit the passage with a very good understanding of the main points and a much less good understanding of the details, as the right answers align closely with the main points.

Why is it not advisable to try to understand every detail in an ACT passage?

Trying to understand every detail can lead to confusion and hesitancy, making it harder to spot the right answers, as the test makers often design passages to bog down readers in unnecessary specifics.

What four questions should you answer at the beginning and end of an ACT passage?

You should answer: 1) What is the passage about? 2) What is the author's point of view or what does the author think about the subject? 3) Are there other points of view? 4) What is the tone of the passage?

What is the 'Fine Art of blah, blah, blying' mentioned in the script?

It refers to the technique of quickly skimming and skipping over examples, descriptions, and jargon in the middle of a passage to focus on the main points and declarative sentences that align with the author's main points.

How does focusing on single declarative sentences help in understanding an ACT passage?

Single declarative sentences, especially those that seem like conclusions, often provide direct insight into the author's thoughts and the main points of the passage, making it easier to understand the author's perspective and the passage's main idea.

What is the significance of reading the beginning and end of an ACT passage more slowly?

Reading the beginning and end more slowly helps in capturing the context and conclusion of the passage, which often contain the main points and the author's viewpoint, crucial for answering questions about the passage's overall content and tone.

Why is it important to note the tone of an ACT passage?

Noting the tone helps in understanding the author's attitude towards the subject, which can be argumentative, persuasive, or neutral, and this can influence the way questions are framed and answers are expected.

How can the technique of reading selectively help in answering questions about an ACT passage?

By focusing on the main points and ignoring less relevant details, this technique allows for a clearer understanding of the passage's core ideas, making it easier to identify the correct answers to questions quickly and accurately.

What is the role of practice in mastering the skill of quickly and effectively reading ACT passages?

Practice is key to internalizing the skill of identifying main points and ignoring non-essential details. It helps in applying the technique smoothly during the actual test, leading to better performance and time management.

How does the script suggest handling technical or difficult-to-understand sections in an ACT passage?

If a section is too technical or difficult to understand, the script advises to simply note the type of information found in that paragraph, often reading only the first sentence or two, to know where to find information if needed for a question.