Up Your Score (9 page)

The only one of these choices that expresses a clearly positive attitude toward the Chinese is (B). Of course, (B) is the right answer.

The Double Passage

The double passage consists of two separate passages that, according to the ETS, “oppose, support, or in some way complement” each other.

The section is set up like this: an introduction, the first passage, the second passage, questions on the first passage, questions on the second passage, questions on both passages.
Don’t do it in this order.
Here is our suggestion for the best order:

1. Read introduction.

2. Read
first
passage.

3. Do
first
passage questions.

4. Read
second
passage.

5. Do
second
passage questions.

6. Do
both
passage questions.

Our reasoning is that the questions on the first passage will have nothing to do with the second passage. Therefore, it makes more sense to do the first passage questions immediately after reading the first passage. Same for the second passage. Then, after you have read and answered questions on both passages, you will have such a thorough knowledge that you will ace the questions on both passages.

You should be able to tell easily whether the two passages agree or disagree. Often, the introduction will help by saying
that the two passages have “much in common” (in which case they’ll probably agree) or “present two views” (in which case they’ll probably disagree).

If you’re having trouble figuring out the relationship, follow this general rule: If the context and subject matter of the two passages seem different, then their main points will almost certainly be similar, and vice versa. For instance, in some of the double passages we’ve looked at, a speech from ancient Greece and a speech from the Civil War (two different historical eras and locales) had the same view on war, and an essay on silent film and one on mime (two different art forms) showed the similarities between the two forms. However, another selection had two passages on architecture, both from the twentieth century, and they disagreed. So if the two passages were written in different times or places or if they concern different subjects, they probably agree. If they talk about the same subject and were written in the same time or place, they probably disagree.

The Gigantic Passage

Late one night in an underground ETS laboratory, a critical reading passage was undergoing routine experimentation when it was accidentally exposed to a higher-than-usual dose of uranium 235. The laboratory assistants watched dumb-founded as the passage began to grow larger and larger and more and more grotesque, until it became the

At first the Gigantic Passage looks like an ordinary passage, but then it just keeps droning on and on and on and on—until its victims beg for mercy or fall asleep. Unlike a regular passage, where you can read it, answer the questions, and possibly have a minute or two left at the end to fix your hair, the Gigantic Passage is meant to bore and overwhelm you. While a regular passage is usually between 50 and 80 lines long, the Gigantic Passage can be as long as 110 lines, and there are no commercials to break it up.

Here’s how to beat it: When you come to the Gigantic Passage, stand up, stretch, and get your blood pumping. People usually stay seated during the test, but the test directions don’t forbid you to stand up and stretch (although you might want to be careful about not looking over anyone’s shoulder while you’re stretching). Next, take a Gigantic bite of your Sweet and Tasty 800 Bar (see
page 319
). Then realize that the questions following the Gigantic Passage tend to be in the order that the answers appear in the passage. That is, the answers to the first questions tend to be at the beginning of the passage, the answers to the middle questions tend to be in the middle of the passage, and the answers to the last questions tend to be at the end of the passage. This is usually true of reading questions, but it is almost always true of the Gigantic Passage. So if the answer to question 1 is about line 12 and the answer to question 3 is about line 20, then the answer to question 2 can be found between line 12 and line 20. This usually works even if a question is not asking about a particular line. For example, imagine three consecutive questions:

1. The reference to the “dusty” screen (line 65) most directly emphasizes . . .

2. The author of the passage believes that . . .

3. In line 73, “spirit” most nearly means . . .

Clearly the answer to question 1 is in line 65, and the answer to question 3 is in line 73. While you might think that the answer to question 2 could come from anywhere in the Gigantic Passage, the ETS knows that you don’t have enough time to skim through several paragraphs in search of the answer. So there should be something between line 65 and line 73 that clearly supports one of the multiple-choice answers. This method usually works, but just in case, you should do your best to keep the entire passage in mind.

JaJa says: Put yourself in the shoes of the test makers. This especially helps at the end of the critical reading section. Just think, “If I were a test writer, which one of these answer choices would most likely trick students?” Toward the ends of sections a lot of wrong answer choices will seem right just because the ETS wants to trip you up.

The ETS is not particularly creative in making up the questions for the reading sections. It uses the same basic questions over and over. They fall into six main categories.

Type 1: General (Main Idea)

1. The author is primarily concerned with . . .

2. Which of the following titles best summarizes the passage?

3. The primary purpose of the passage is to . . .

Look at the topic paragraph and concluding paragraph, as well as the first sentence of each of the other paragraphs. It also helps to think of an idea before reading the answers.

Type 2: Explicit (Facts)

1. According to the fourth paragraph, some economists feel that . . .

2. According to the passage, an atom of which of the following substances will split, releasing energy and more neutrons?

3. According to the passage, Margaret asked Mrs. Horn’s opinion because she . . .

These are pretty easy if you were paying attention. Plus, you can look back quickly to double-check.

JaJa says: The answer is always in the passage. Really, no joke.

Type 3: Implicit (Inferences, Reading Between the Lines)

1. It can be inferred that the guilds were organized as they were because . . .

2. It can be inferred that each of the following applies to the
perfecti
except . . .

3. With which of the following statements about marketing would the author most likely agree?

Again, think of your own idea first, and see which of the answers most closely resembles your thought. You will be less likely to go for the first of the impostor answers (see
page 280
) if you already
have something in mind. For these implicit questions, the answer choice that is most obvious and merely restates a fact is probably wrong. You must read between the lines and pick the answer that takes the facts given in the passage to the next level and derives an appropriate conclusion from the provided details.

Type 4: Author’s Logic

1. What tone does the author take toward the chickens?

2. Which of the following best describes the development of the passage?

3. The author cites specific examples of the work of slave artisans primarily to . . .

Pretend you’re the author (but don’t spend the time the real author ought to spend regretting ever having written such a boring, useless passage). As you’re reading, circle adjectives and strong words that indicate the author’s tone. To glean the author’s attitude toward the subject, make note of how the author uses diction, sentence syntax, and imagery.

Type 5: Vocabulary-in-Context

1. The word “obtrusive” is used in line 12 to mean . . .

2. The phrase “underlying themes” (line 7) refers to the . . .

3. Which of the following best captures the meaning of the word “alliance” in line 32?

Don’t give up if you don’t know the word; you are supposed to figure it out from the context. Also, be careful—it probably isn’t the most common definition of the word.

Treat these vocabulary-in-context questions as you would sentence completion. It might help to plug all the answer choices into the sentence from the passage and see which one best replaces the given word or phrase.

Type 6: Comparison (Only on the Double Passage)

1. Which statement from Passage 1 does not have a parallel idea in Passage 2?

2. How would the author of Passage 1 respond to the idea of the “crazy spoons” in Passage 2?

3. Which statement is best supported by the two passages?

Think back to whether the passages are generally agreeing or disagreeing, and think about how their main ideas relate to each other. Chances are, the specifics follow the general trends.

Note about outside knowledge:
Critical reading questions refer to what is “stated or implied
in the passage
.” You aren’t supposed to use any outside information. So if the passage is about the history of celery and you happen to be an expert on that subject, you still have to read the passage. However, the passages almost never contradict accepted outside knowledge. You won’t ever see a passage that claims that the Earth is flat. So never choose an answer that you know is making a false statement. On the other hand, never assume that you know the right answer just because you know that a statement is true. There might be other true statements among the choices that are more applicable to the passage.

Now it’s time to attempt a sample long reading passage. Following the passage are examples of the different types of questions and the answer choices that would accompany them. The passage is an excerpt from a scientific journal about a recent technological breakthrough.

If Spot happens to have died in a crouched pose, he can be placed on your lawn and used as a security device.

Modern science has brought us many wonderful inventions—the television, the water bed, and “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!” Many more marvelous technological breakthroughs loom on the horizon. The latest development in the field of applied science is no exception. Today, scientists have invented a process through which deceased family pets can be freeze-dried and saved for millennia.

Every pet owner knows that pets are integral parts of the household. When they have been around for so long and have had such an influence on family members, it’s hard to let them
go when they pass on. Now, through freeze-drying, Fido or Fluffy can remain a household member forever.

When your pet dies, its lovable body is kept intact. You can keep it on the mantel and take it down to pet it at your leisure—and a dehydrated pet does not require feeding, walking, or litter boxes. It emits much less of an odor than regular dead pets, and it looks much better, too.

The projected uses for freeze-dried pets are numerous. If Spot happens to have died in a crouched pose, he can be placed on your lawn as a security device. Snookums can be used as a decorative centerpiece. Market analysts predict a boom in gerbil paperweights, goldfish refrigerator magnets, and poodle hood ornaments. They could even become collectors’ items: You could trade them like baseball cards.

Detractors claim, however, that the dehydration wears off after several years, as moisture from the air enters the animal corpse and causes decomposition. This, it is feared, would attract bacteria into the home. Another flaw in the freeze-drying process is that the pet becomes brittle and breaks easily. For a young child, finding Fluffy shattered on the living room floor could be extremely traumatic. Finally, it is feared that people who dislike their pets will have them freeze-dried before they actually die.

Although there are problems with the procedure, the concept of freeze-dried pets is a valuable one. If the method is perfected, it will allow a pet to remain an everyday part of the lives of its loved ones and, indeed, it will permit pets to be passed from generation to generation as family heirlooms.

1. This passage is primarily

(A) a scientific description of the freeze-drying process

(B) an essay on the religious and moral questions associated with the freeze-drying process

(C) a general discussion intended to acquaint the reader with the subject of freeze-drying pets

(D) an expression of someone’s opinion

(E) an advertisement pushing the freeze-drying process

(Hint: Type 1, General)

2. The first paragraph is best described as

(A) descriptive

(B) introductory

(C) irrelevant

(D) sophomoric

(E) existential