CAT Reading Comprehension Tricks for 99 percentile | Solve any RC using these strategies

Summary

This video covers essential strategies to excel in Reading Comprehension (RC) for exams like CAT. It explains three types of RC questions: general, specific, and interpretation-based. The video highlights eight strategies to eliminate wrong options, including avoiding extreme words, maintaining the correct tone, and identifying incorrect cause-effect relationships. The speaker emphasizes the importance of practicing with RC problems using these methods. By comparing and justifying options in difficult questions, students can improve accuracy. Viewers are encouraged to practice consistently to master these techniques for exam success.

Takeaways

• 📝 It's crucial to understand the three types of RC questions: general, specific, and interpretation.
• 🔍 For general questions, good comprehension skills are key; you typically don't need to revisit the passage.
• 📚 Specific questions require returning to the passage to find exact words or phrases.
• 🧐 Interpretation questions ask you to determine how options strengthen or weaken the main idea.
• 🚫 Avoid extreme words like 'all' or 'always' in answer choices, as they often make the options incorrect.
• 🎯 Match the tone of the options to the tone of the passage to select the correct answer.
• 🔗 Be wary of incorrect cause-and-effect relationships or faulty linkages in answer choices.
• ❗ Only infer information from what's provided in the passage, avoiding external knowledge.
• 📏 Avoid overly broad or narrow concepts in answer options; these are often traps.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Use the 'compare and justify' method for particularly tough questions by scrutinizing every word of the options.

Q & A

What are the three main types of questions in reading comprehension?

The three main types of questions in reading comprehension are: general questions, specific questions, and interpretation questions.

What is a general question in reading comprehension?

A general question is one that asks for the main idea, summary, or tone of the passage. These questions typically do not require returning to the passage if the reader's comprehension is strong.

What is the difference between specific questions and general questions?

Specific questions focus on particular words or lines in the passage, often requiring the reader to return to the passage to identify the correct answer. General questions are about the overall content or theme and do not always require referencing the passage again.

What is an interpretation question, and why is it considered difficult?

Interpretation questions ask the reader to assess which options strengthen or weaken the main idea of the passage. These are difficult because they require understanding the central argument and interpreting the options accordingly.

What is the strategy for eliminating options with extreme words?

The strategy is to avoid options containing extreme words like 'all,' 'every,' 'always,' as these words often make an otherwise correct statement inaccurate by overstating or oversimplifying the facts.

Why is it important to match the tone of the options with the tone of the passage?

Matching the tone is important because certain questions ask which sentence best completes a passage or paragraph. The correct answer should reflect the same tone (e.g., accusational, factual) as the rest of the text to maintain coherence.

What is an incorrect cause-effect relationship in reading comprehension?

An incorrect cause-effect relationship occurs when two facts are linked improperly in an option. Even if both facts are true, if the passage does not explicitly connect them, the option is considered incorrect.

What does the 'inference as little as possible' strategy entail?

This strategy involves limiting your assumptions to only what is explicitly mentioned in the passage. External knowledge, no matter how obvious, should not influence your answer unless it is stated in the passage.

How can broad or narrow concepts lead to incorrect answers?

Broad concepts cover more than what the passage discusses (e.g., talking about education in general when the passage is about higher education), while narrow concepts focus on only a specific part of the passage, leaving out other important aspects.

When should you use the 'compare and justify' strategy, and how does it work?

The 'compare and justify' strategy should be used for very difficult questions when you're unsure between two options. It involves comparing both options word by word and justifying them based on the passage, helping to identify subtle differences that reveal the correct answer.