Short Passage Reading Comprehension Strategies

　　In the Short Passages portion of Critical Reading, you will read brief paragraphs, each of which is followed by two to four questions. The questions are similar to those you'll see in the Long Passages portion. They ask you only about information that is stated or implied in the paragraph. You'll never have to use outside information to answer a question. Short Passages are just one paragraph, so you can easily skim a Short Passage before reading its questions.

　　Peterson's Technique for Short Passage Reading Comprehension

　　Pay careful attention to the first sentence , which usually explains the main idea.

　　Don't try to memorize the details in the middle of the paragraph you can look them up later if you need them.

　　Pay careful attention to the last sentence , which often sums up the main idea or draws a conclusion.

　　Once you've read the paragraph, take a look at the questions. If a question is too tough, try to eliminate at least one choice and then guess. If you have no idea, don't get bogged down move on to an easier question.