Reading Strategies
Q: What should you do FIRST when you see a reading passage on a test?
Read the questions before reading the passage (so you know what to look for) OR skim the passage to get the main idea.
Solve: 2x+5=13
x=4
Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement:
B — When subjects are joined by "and," use a plural verb.
A store has 50 pencils. They sell 12 pencils on Monday and 18 pencils on Tuesday. How many pencils are left?
20 pencils (The trick: students might add 12 + 18 = 30 instead of subtracting!)
What is 7×8?
56
Q: A test question asks: "Which detail from the passage is NOT mentioned?" What should you do?
A: Eliminate the answer choices that ARE mentioned in the passage, which leaves you with the correct answer.
Q: What is the area of a triangle with a base of 6 cm and a height of 8 cm?
A: 24 cm2 (Formula: A=1/2bh=1/2(6)(8)=24
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
B — Don't use a comma before "and" in a simple compound verb (same subject).
Q: Sarah has 3 apples. John gives her 5 more. Then she gives 2 to her friend. How many does Sarah have?
6 apples (The trick: students might forget to subtract the 2 she gave away).
Solve 1/2+1/4
3/4
Q: The passage says "Maria studied hard for the test and felt confident." What can you INFER about Maria?
A: Maria is prepared/confident/likely to do well on the test (answers may vary; accept logical inferences with textual support).
Q: If a ratio of boys to girls is 3:2, and there are 9 boys, how many girls are there?
6 girls
Get up proportion: 3/2=9/x
cross multiply to get x=6
Q: Rewrite this sentence with better word choice: "The movie was really, really good."
Sample answers: "The movie was entertaining/excellent/captivating" (accept any specific, vivid adjective).
Q: A question states: "Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of mammals?"
What's the correct answer and why?
B — The trick is that "NOT" changes the meaning. Most mammals don't lay eggs (monotremes are the exception).
What does "infer" mean?
A: To figure out or guess based on clues/evidence (not directly stated).
Q: A question asks, "What is the MAIN IDEA of this paragraph?" You're torn between two answers. How do you choose?
A: Pick the answer that covers the WHOLE paragraph, not just one small detail. The main idea is the "big picture."
Q: A rectangular prism has length 5 cm, width 4 cm, and height 3 cm. What is its volume?
60cm3
Formula: v=l*w*h = 5*4*4 = 60
Q: Identify the error: "She don't like pizza, and she prefer pasta instead."
A: Two errors — "don't" should be "doesn't" (3rd person singular) and "prefer" should be "prefers."
A word problem says: "A jacket costs $50. It's on sale for 20% off. How much do you pay?" What's the trick here?
A: The trick is that students might calculate 20% ($10) and stop, forgetting to subtract from the original price. The answer is $40 (not $10!).
A circle has a radius of 5 cm. What is its circumference? (Use π≈3.14)
31.4cm formula: C=2pi r
Q: Read this passage: "The old library was closing. Many people felt sad about it. However, the community decided to raise money and reopen it as a community center." What is the author's PURPOSE in writing this?
A: To show that community action can solve problems / To inspire hope / To demonstrate the importance of libraries (accept any answer that identifies the positive/inspirational purpose).
A recipe calls for 2/3 cup of flour. If you want to make 3 times the recipe, how much flour do you need?
2 cups (3/2 * 3 = 6/3 = 2)
Q: Rewrite this sentence using correct comma rules: "Although she studied hard she did not pass the test."
A: "Although she studied hard, she did not pass the test." (A comma is needed after an introductory dependent clause).
A test asks: "Based on the passage, what can you conclude about the character?" The passage says: "Marcus stayed after school to help clean up." Which conclusion is BEST?
A — The trick here is that B and C are assumptions NOT supported by the text. Only A can be concluded from the evidence given.
Simplify: 12/18
2/3 (both are multiples of 6)