Chapter 8: Question and Answer Strategy

3 Forms to Find Clues from Stem

1. Paragraph or sentence reference 2. Direct Quotation 3. Paraphrase

Distortion Keywords

1. Strong Words like all, always, none, never, impossible, or only 2. Prefix like any- or every- 3. Suffix like -est or -less

Healthy Answer Choices

1. Within scope (goal) of passage 2. Author agreement 3. Usually the less extreme view more accurate

Execute

2 Plans: Plan A- use text to predict everything that you can about the correct answer Plan B- set analogous expectations about what would rule out choices, more specific these dual expectations, the easier it will be to isolate the answer

Plan

Determine your task which is your destination Determine where you'll find the information that you need to Answer the question Start rereading 1 sentence before and after the reference If no clues in stem then save question for last

Reasoning Within the Text

Inference Strengthen/Weaken (Within)

Foundations of Comprehension

Main Idea Detail Function Definition-in-Context

4 Viable Sources

Question Stem Passage Outline Memory

Answer

Scan the choices, and if you see an item that closely resembles what you expected, reread every word of that answer choice carefully to make sure it says precisely what you think it does Don't read other choices if certain Use process of elimination for educated guessing or if need more info then what question gave you

Distortion

extreme answers and others that "twist" the ideas in the passage further than the author would prefer Watch Out For: (distortion won't apply) Author's view and might be correct Treat answer choices as true and need to pick greatest impact

Assess

glance, read stem, figure out question type, and figure out whether to work on or skip DON'T LOOK AT ANSWER CHOICES

Faulty Use of Detail (FUD)

include accurate reflections of passage details in wrong answers, simply doesn't answer the question posed

Out of Scope (OS)

inevitably wrong on topic, but will bring in some element that the text doesn't discuss

Wrong Answer Pathologies

most frequent patterns found in incorrect answer choices

Opposite

whenever an answer choice contains information that directly conflicts with the passage Watch out for double and triple negatives Don't assume that just because 2 answer choices contradict each other that one of them has to be correct

4 Types of Wrong Answer Pathologies

Faulty Use of Detail (FUD) Out of Scope (OS) Opposite Distortion

Reasoning Beyond the Text

Apply Strengthen/Weaken (Beyond)

4 Steps to Answering Questions

Assess the question Plan you attack Execute the plan Answer by matching, eliminating, or guessing

3 Types of CARS Question Types

Foundations of Comprehension (30%) Reasoning Within the Text (30%) Reasoning Beyond the Text (40%)