ACT Reading
Preparation
(for use in English)
University of Illinois-Chicago
Curriculum Framework Project
Spring 2011
Schedule for Lesson #1
• Introduction to Test
• Strategies
• General
• Prose Fiction
Introduction to the Test:
Why Prepare for the ACT?
• SKILLS Tested on the ACT:
• Main Idea
• Supporting Details
• Inference
• These lessons will focus on TEST TAKING
STRATEGIES.
Introduction to the Test:
Order of Passages
The ACT Reading passages almost always
appear in the following order:
• Prose Fiction
• Social Science
• Humanities
• Natural Science
Introduction to the Test:
Order of Passages
•By practicing with these
passages, you can figure out
your strengths and
weaknesses.
• Start with your strengths.
Introduction to the Test:
Content of the Reading Test
Prose Fiction (25%)
•885 words
•Questions based on intact short stories or
excerpts from short stories or novels.
Introduction to the Test:
Content of the Reading Test
Social Science (25%)
• 775 words
• Questions based on passages that
may include: anthropology,
archaeology, economics, history,
political science, and sociology.
Introduction to the Test:
Content of the Reading Test
Humanities (25%)
•600 Words
•Often from first-person narrative
perspective
•Questions based on passages that may
include: art, dance, music, philosophy, and
theater
Introduction to the Test:
Content of the Reading Test
Natural Sciences (25%)
• 545 words
• Questions based on passages about
topics such as: astronomy, biology,
botany, chemistry, physics, and zoology
Pause and Consider
Which of the 4
passages do you
feel is your
biggest strength?
WHY?
Introduction to the Test:
Reading Question Categories
• Main Idea Questions (MI)
• Supporting Detail Questions (SD)
• Inference/Evaluation Questions (I)
Introduction to the Test:
Main Idea Questions
• Understanding theme/thesis
• Understanding author’s purpose
• Determine which of the answer choices best
summarizes the information presented in the
passage either as a whole or in a specific
paragraph.
Introduction to the Test:
Main Idea Question Stems
• Which of the following is the main point…?
• The main argument the author makes about. .
. is
• What is the main theme of [a specific
paragraph or line]?
Introduction to the Test:
Supporting Details Questions
• Shows understanding of individual points
• Demonstrate comprehension and careful
understanding
• Determine which fact(s) best supports main idea.
• Sequence the events in the passage
Introduction to the Test:
Supporting Details Question Stems
•
According to the [a specific paragraph/section/passage]…
•
Who/when/what/where did…
•
According to the passage, all of the following are true about ----- EXCEPT. . .
•
The passage makes it clear that…
Introduction to the Test:
Inference-Evaluation Questions
• Make judgments
• Identify the implications of the supporting details in
the passage.
• Draw conclusions based on reading the passage
• Determine the author’s idea through generalization
of the facts
Introduction to the Test:
Inference-Evaluation Questions
• Analyze cause-and-effect relationships
• Identify multiple meanings of a word and determine
its definition with context clues from the passage
• Determine the implications of the author’s general
tone or attitude
Introduction to the Test:
Inference-Evaluation Question Stems
• The author suggests/implies/infers that…
• With which of the following statements would the author
agree?
• According to the passage, the WORD/TERM
‘…’ means
which of the following?
• The idea….is best exemplified by which of the following
quotations from the passage?
•
The attitude of the author toward x is…
Introduction to the Test:
Roman Numeral Questions
•
•
•
3 or 4 statements each
labeled with a Roman
numeral.
Treat each as true-false
statement.
Save time by figuring out
which statements are false
& eliminating answers that
contain that answer.
Which of the following subjects are covered on the ACT:
I.
English Usage
II.
Math
III.
Gymnastics
A.
I and II only
B.
I and III only
C.
II and III only
D.
I, II, and III
Schedule for Lesson #1
• Introduction to Test
• Testing Strategies
• General
• Prose Fiction
Tests & Strategies: Part 1
General Strategies:
1.
Change Your Reading Habits
2.
Pace Yourself
3.
Leave Nothing Blank
4.
Concentrate on Three Passages Most
5.
Know Nonfiction v. Fiction Passages
6.
Prioritize Your Tasks
General Strategy #1: Change
Your Reading Habits
• Read editorials
•
•
Editorials from good newspapers and some magazines are
approximately the same length as ACT passages.
They also cover a variety of topics which broadens your
knowledge base. Better background knowledge = faster,
more accurate reading.
• Read high quality texts
•
•
Make it a habit to read magazines and newspapers such as
U.S. News, Time, The New Yorker, NY Times, Discovery,
Science, Smithsonian, Christian Science Monitor, National
Geographic, The Nation, The New Republic, Harpers, and
Atlantic
Read reviews and criticism. Read columnists.
Be Aware of Your Reading Habits
• Don’t mouth the words!
• Keep eyes moving!
• Read groups of text rather than word-by-word.
• Determine how fast you can skim and still
comprehend.
Concentrate on Your Reading
•
Force yourself to pay close attention.
•
Know the difference between your interacting voice and your
distracting voice.
•
Interacting voice: the voice that makes connections, asks
questions, identifies confusions, agrees and disagrees
with ideas. This voice deepens the reader’s
understanding of the text.
•
Distracting voice: the voice that pulls the reader away from
the meaning of the text.
•
Practice reading with concentration until you can do so
easily.
Pause and Consider
On which of
these “Reading
Habits” do you
MOST need to
improve?
What is
the first
step you
can take to
improve?
General Strategy #2: Pace Yourself
• You have 35 minutes to answer 40
questions on the reading.
• This mean 8 minutes and 45 seconds
per passage/ten questions.
General Strategy #3: Leave None
Blank
• There is no penalty for guessing, so it is to your
advantage to answer every question during the time
allowed for that test.
• Make sure to leave time for guessing on the
reading test. Many people will have to guess on the
last passage so leave at least 30 seconds to fill in
extra bubbles.
General Strategy #4: Concentrate on
Three Passages (if necessary)
If you:
• find yourself unable to push your reading to complete
all four passages in the time you have, then…
•
aim to read three really well.
• can answer 30 questions correctly, then…
•
•
you will still find your score a 26 on this section.
With some good guessing for the last ten, you might raise that
to a 30.
General Strategy #5: Nonfiction
vs Fiction Passages
• The approach you take to reading the passages
should
be different for these two types of passages.
• Fiction and often Humanities passages are inferential
(abstract, not concrete) and must be read between the
lines.
• The non-fiction passages do not
need such a close
reading for you to be successful.
General Strategy #6: Prioritize Your
Tasks
• LOOK AT 4 PASSAGES & COMPLETE EASIEST FIRST
• PREVIEW FIRST AND LAST SENTENCES (prereading)
• A quick preview allows you to answer: “What is the topic
of the selection?”
• PREVIEW QUESTION STEM
• Identify each question as MI, SD, or I.
General Strategy #6: Prioritize Your
Tasks
• READ THE PASSAGE
•
Read to answer the questions.
• ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
•
Don’t waste time on ones you don’t know- guess or
leave time to go back .
• ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS FOR A PASSAGE BEFORE
MOVING ON!
Schedule for Lesson #1
• Introduction to Test
• Testing Strategies
• General
• Prose Fiction
Prose Fiction Strategies
1.
Watch for Word Choice for Effect
2.
Keep Track of Sequence
3.
Pay Attention to Characters
4.
Identify the Author’s Tone
5.
Watch for Satire and Irony
Strategy #1: Watch for Word Choice
for Effect
 Watch for metaphor, simile, personification,
hyperbole, and allusions.
 Note the author’s use of connotative language
(intended meaning vs. literal meaning)
 Connotative
language brings to mind certain
values and attitudes attached to the words.
Strategy #1: Watch for Word Choice
for Effect
 Don’t always take the author literally.
Consider
these examples…
 The inhabitants don’t even really see the décor
anymore; the house itself becomes a kind of giant
hallway, everyone is hurrying through.
 We marched into battle daily over other issues of
privacy.
 All of these impressions came over me as I stood in
that doorway-a tide of passage and movement and
the cresting needs of small children.
Example from Practice Test (56A)
“Josie watched him charm his life away
through high school, where, with little
effort, he carried off all the prizes. How
she hated it when her mother pointed
out his accomplishments to her.”
Other Examples from Practice Test (56A)
“Their intimacy was born when…” (line
9)
“Miguel Chico leaned to the clinical…”
(line 23)
“He felt the kitchen charged with their
antagonism...” (line 54)
Strategy #2: Keep Track of Sequence
 These passages often move around in time
and place (not in a linear manner).
 As you read, mark your passage every time
a shift occurs in time.
 Keep clear what is in the present and what is
in the past.
Strategy #3: Pay Attention to
Characters
 These
passages generally are detailed descriptions of
characters. Usually, there is a central character who interacts
with other characters.
 Much of what happens is from the viewpoint of the main
character. Understand the main character’s feelings and you
understand the passage.
 Passages
usually have characters who are personally
conflicted.
 Passages
like to walk a line between the imagined and the
real. What goes on in a person’s head says as much as what
really happens. (ABSTRACT)
 Generally,
there is a moment in the passage when the
character has a shift or flip (turning point) in his or her
character. Watch for that point.
Many questions deal with the
characters
 Ask Yourself:
 Who are these people? What are they like? How
are they related to each other?
 What is their state of mind?
Are they angry? Sad?
Reflective? Excited?
 What’s happening on the surface? What’s
happening beneath the surface?
Example from Practice Test (56A)
Question: What does this tell you about
the relationship between Josie and
Miguel?
“Their intimacy was born when they
discovered that each found the wicked
stepmother far more interesting than the
boring Snow White, who deserved her
even more boring and bland prince.”
(lines 9-12)
Strategy #4: Identify Author’s
Mood and Tone
 Atmosphere or feeling created by a literary work, partly
by a description of the objects or by the style of the
descriptions. A work may contain a mood of horror,
mystery, holiness, childlike simplicity, etc.
 word choice
 level of formality
 point of view
 emotional response on the part of the author towards
the subject.
What MOOD/TONE is conveyed
by the following phrase?
“He felt the kitchen charged with
antagonism toward each other, very like
when he was in his father’s presence.
Here, he was an observer, but he lost
his appetite in an instant.” (lines 54-56)
TENSION, ANXIETY
What MOOD/TONE is conveyed
by the following phrases?
 “Josie watched him charm his life away
through high school, where, with little effort,
he carried off all the prizes.” (lines 29-31)
 “How she hated it when her mother pointed
out his accomplishments to her.” (lines 31-32)
 ANGER, FRUSTRATION
Strategy #5: Watch for Satire and
Irony

Satire
 holding up human vices and follies to ridicule and scorn. Satire
is often achieved through understatement. Know when
someone is making a statement they don’t quite mean
seriously.

Irony
 expressing something other than, and especially the opposite
of, the literal meaning. Something which is ironical often is
not what was expected in a particular situation or is an
outcome which may not have been looked for.
Satire: Example from Practice Test
(56A)
“Even through he was one of Mama Chona’s pets (NOTE:
play on words… “mama’s boy”), Josie adored him.
Together, they loved and argued about books and movies
and from the start, felt they could talk honestly to each other
about most family matters. Their intimacy was born when
they discovered that each found the wicked stepmother far
more interesting (NOTE: making fun of their Josie and
Miguel’s relationship) than the boring Snow White, who
deserved her even more boring and bland prince.” (lines 512)
Review of Prose Fiction Strategies
1.
Watch for Word Choice for Effect
2.
Keep Track of Sequence
3.
Pay Attention to Characters
4.
Identify the Author’s Tone
5.
Watch for Satire and Irony
Schedule for Lesson #1
• Introduction to Test
• Testing Strategies
• General
• Prose Fiction
Schedule for Lesson #2: Active
Reading
• Structural Clues (explain + model)
• Annotating (explain + model)
• Hinge Words (explain + model)
Active Reading: Structural Clues
 Think of the passage as a map
 Questions are like hints as to where to go
next
 The passage gives you the rest: Anticipate
author’s direction by noticing structural clues
(how passage is organized, where
paragraphs break, what words are bold or
italicized)
Active Reading: Structural Clues
 Each passage was written by a PERSON,
and people write for a PURPOSE.
 A passage that traces historical causes or
consequences will probably be organized
chronologically.
 A passage that critiques a theory will first
describe the theory and then explain its
problems one at a time.
 A passage that draws a comparison between two
things may first list similarities, then differences.
Active Reading: Structural Clues
Why is it
important to
figure out
WHY
an author wrote
a passage?
Many questions ask
you what the
AUTHOR means,
NOT what YOU
think!
Knowing what the
AUTHOR would say
can help you answer
confusing questions!
Active Reading: Structural Clues
 Look up the answers
 Don’t remember them—find them!
 Think of the passage as a reference book
and refer back.
 Don’t trust your memory!
Active Reading: Annotate
 Write on your test as you
read.
 Use different marks to
mean different things.
 Circle names of people
 Underline critical phrases,

terms, main ideas
Number ideas in a sequence
No matter what,
underline
“key words” in
the question
stem.
Look for those
“key words” in
the passage.
Active Reading: Example from Prose
Fiction (56A)
Question
4. According to the passage, one
interest that Miguel Chico and Josie
shared was:
F. musical concerts.
G. eating good food.
H. seeing movies.
J. going on family outings.
Text from Passage
“Even through he was one of Mama
Chona’s pets, Josie adored him.
Together, they loved and argued
about books and movies and from
the start, felt they could talk honestly
to each other about most family
matters. Their intimacy was born
when they discovered that each
found the wicked stepmother far more
interesting than the boring Snow
White, who deserved her even more
boring and bland prince.” (lines 5-12)
Active Reading: Example from Prose
Fiction (56A)
Question
8. It can reasonably be inferred from
the passage that Miguel Chico’s
father makes Miguel Chico feel:
F. nervous.
G. proud.
H. satisfied.
J. gratified.
Text from Passage
“Her nephew mumbled something
noncommittal and was glad when his
aunt and cousin did not ask him to
repeat it. He felt the kitchen
charged with antagonism toward
each other, very like when he was
in his father’s presence. Here, he
was an observer, but he lost his
appetite in an instant. Josie fixed
three more crackers and offered him
one. He took it and set it next to the
other on the blue napkin in his lap.”
(lines 52-59)
Active Reading: Example from Natural
Science (56A)
Question
32. The passage suggests that polio
and smallpox viruses differ from
influenza viruses in that they:
F. cannot reproduce.
G. are more deadly.
H. lack surface proteins.
J. do not mutate as frequently.
Text from Passage
“More stable viruses, like smallpox
and polio, are relatively easy to
control with an effective one-time
vaccine. Not influenza. Because
the virus mutates so frequently, the
flue vaccine must be concocted each
year, based on scientists’ best guess
of what surface proteins will
determine the nature of the next
season’s outbreak.” (lines 7-13)
Active Reading: Example from Natural
Science (56A)
Question
33. According to the passage, in order
to reach the public in time for flu
season, flu vaccines must be
formulated approximately how far
ahead of time?
A. Two years
B. Ten months
C. Six months
D. Twelve to fifteen weeks
Text from Passage
“Once they forecast the probable
composition of the virus, scientists
choose the appropriate antigens
(substances that stimulate an
immune response) to make their
vaccine. They must know by midFebruary of any year which antigens
to include in the following winter’s
formulations, if they hope to insure
production of adequate amounts of
vaccine for delivery by the start of
flu season in December.” (lines 5259)
Active Reading: Annotate
 Underline or circle
hinge words
 Words or phrases that are
used to alert you to shifts in
thought
 Words or phrases that are
used to drive a point home
 Answers are often located
near hinge words!
 Common Hinge
Words
 but, although,
however,
nevertheless, on
the other hand,
despite, while, in
spite of,
consequently,
alternatively
Active Reading: Example from Natural
Science (56A)
Question
34. The passage suggests that, as
compared to the Asian and Hong Kong
pandemics, the Spanish flu pandemic
was more:
F. mild.
G.unexpected.
H. deadly.
J. common.
Text from Passage
“Compared with the Spanish flu
pandemic, the more recent outbreaks
were extraordinarily mild. When the
Asian flu first emerged, the attack
rate was the expected 25 percent, but
the mortality rate was relatively low;
about 70,000 Americans died. With
the Hong Kong flu, there were just
28,000 deaths. This lower mortality
rate could be traced to the fact that of
the two major antigens on the virus’s
surface, the Asian flue and Hong
Kong flu differed in only one” (lines
36-44)
Schedule for Lesson #2: Active
Reading
• Structural Clues (explain + model)
• Annotating (explain + model)
• Hinge Words (explain + model)
Schedule for Lesson #3
• Examine Specific Questions from Practice Test
• Identify Strategies to Help Answer Difficult
Questions
• Practice the Strategies
Question 2: Inference – Generalizations
and Conclusions
Question
2. It can reasonably be inferred that
Josie feels her mother will never allow
her, Josie, to:
F. eat the sweet desserts she truly
enjoys.
G. do things with the school’s popular
students.
Text from Passage
“Not at all, Miguelito. But Josie knows she’s
not supposed to eat between meals.” She
spoke as if her daughter were a stranger
in the room. Miguel Chico put down the
cracker he had just buttered.
“Not you, Miguel. You’re a growing boy. You
can eat as much as you want. It’s only
natural…”
H. be comfortable with decisions
she makes for herself.
“Ofelia and Serena understand why I ask
them to be careful about what and when
they eat,” his aunt said. …”Do you think
I’m being unreasonable?”
J. enjoy the kind of life Miguel Chico
has.
(lines 47-51)
Strategies to Help Answer This
Question
•
Prose Fiction Strategy #1: Watch Use of Word Choice for Effect
•
•
Prose Fiction Strategy #3: Pay Attention to Characters
•
•
Example: “She spoke as if her daughter were a stranger in the room.”
Dialogue (see example)
Active Reading: Annotate: mark characters’ names
Question 2: Inference – Generalizations
and Conclusions
Question
2. It can reasonably be inferred that
Josie feels her mother will never allow
her, Josie, to:
F. eat the sweet desserts she truly
enjoys.
G. do things with the school’s popular
students.
Text from Passage
“Not at all, Miguelito. But Josie knows she’s
not supposed to eat between meals.” She
spoke as if her daughter were a stranger D
in the room. Miguel Chico put down the
i
cracker he had just buttered.
a
l
“Not you, Miguel. You’re a growing boy. You
o
can eat as much as you want. It’s only
g
natural…”
H. be comfortable with decisions
she makes for herself.
“Ofelia and Serena understand why I ask
them to be careful about what and when
they eat,” his aunt said. …”Do you think
I’m being unreasonable?”
J. enjoy the kind of life Miguel Chico
has.
(lines 47-51)
u
e
Practice: Generalizations &
Conclusions
PLEASE REFER
TO YOUR
PRACTICE
PASSAGES
Question 31: Supporting Details
Question
31. According to the passage, it is NOT
true that flu vaccines:
A. must continually be reformulated.
B. are designed based on scientists
predictions.
C. have generally been effective to
some degree.
D. can prevent a flu pandemic from
occurring.
Text from Passage
The existence of the influenza
vaccine may give us a sense of
false security when it comes to
the possibility of a pandemic
outbreak of influenza. (A
pandemic is an international
epidemic, with disease occurring
at a higher-then-expected rate on
several continents at once.)
(lines 1-6)
Strategies to Help Answer This
Question
•
Active Reading: Structural Clues – Marking Keywords in the Question Stem
and Passage
•
Example: “The existence of the influenza vaccine may give us a sense of
false security when it comes to the possibility of a pandemic outbreak of
influenza.”
•
Active Reading: Keywords in the Question Stem
•
Example: “According to the passage, it is NOT true that flu vaccines”
Question 31: Supporting Details
Question
31. According to the passage, it is NOT
true that flu vaccines:
A. must continually be reformulated.
B. are designed based on scientists
predictions.
C. have generally been effective to
some degree.
D. can prevent a flu pandemic from
occurring.
Text from Passage
The existence of the influenza
vaccine may give us a sense of
false security when it comes to
the possibility of a pandemic
outbreak of influenza. (A
pandemic is an international
epidemic, with disease occurring
at a higher-then-expected rate on
several continents at once.)
(lines 1-6)
Practice: Supporting Details
PLEASE REFER
TO YOUR
PRACTICE
PASSAGES
Question 38: Inference – Cause & Effect
Question
38. The passage indicates that random
mutations take place during replication
of the influenza virus because:
F. the arrangement of its genes is
abnormal.
G. its genes are packaged in the
form of RNA.
H. its RNA is passed on to its offspring
intact.
J. this virus type renders antibodies
ineffective.
Text from Passage
The explanation for the influenza
virus’s mutability lies in the
arrangement of its genes.
Because its genetic material is
packaged in the form of
ribonucleic acid (RNA), random
mutations during replication are
relatively common and are
passed on intact to the virus’s
offspring. It takes just 12 to 15
weeks to change a flue virus’s
genetic arrangement by a
significant degree.
(lines 47-54)
Strategies to Help Answer This
Question
•
Active Reading: Structural Clues – Marking Keywords in the Question Stem
and Passage
•
Example: “The existence of the influenza vaccine may give us a sense of
false security when it comes to the possibility of a pandemic outbreak of
influenza.”
•
Active Reading: Keywords in the Question Stem
•
Example: “According to the passage, it is NOT true that flu vaccines”
Question 38: Inference – Cause & Effect
Question
38. The passage indicates that
random mutations take place during
replication of the influenza virus
because:
F. the arrangement of its genes is
abnormal.
G. its genes are packaged in the
form of RNA.
H. its RNA is passed on to its offspring
intact.
J. this virus type renders antibodies
ineffective.
Text from Passage
The explanation for the influenza
virus’s mutability lies in the
arrangement of its genes.
Because its genetic material is
packaged in the form of
ribonucleic acid (RNA), random
mutations during replication are
relatively common and are
passed on intact to the virus’s
offspring. It takes just 12 to 15
weeks to change a flue virus’s
genetic arrangement by a
significant degree.
(lines 47-54)
Practice: Supporting Details
PLEASE REFER
TO YOUR
PRACTICE
PASSAGES
Schedule for Lesson #4
• Distracters Defined
• Examples of Distracters
• Practice Overcoming Distracters
Understand Distracters
 Distracters = the “other” answer choices
 Distracters are THINKING CHALLENGES designed to make
wrong answers seem correct


Prey upon your tendency to rush
They are supposed to DISTRACT YOU
 Inference Questions: seek opinions from facts


The answers are not directly stated in the reading
Read your “road map” differently
 ACT constantly tries to make distracters more distracting

Practice with them!
The FOUR (4) Types of
Distracters
The Distortion
The Shift
The Unsupported
Positive
The Extreme
Distracters: The Trick
 There is usually ONE distracter
that is REALLY DIFFICULT to
get around.
 Watch out for this distracter.
 Which one depends on the
question.
Distracter #1: The Distortion
 The answer choice is wrong, either
completely or partially. It cannot be verified
by the passage.
 Add words
 Take out words
 Flip words
 Something as subtle as a not or un- in a
choice
or question can be the key to the correct answer.
Example of Distortion (56A, Prose
Fiction)
Question
2. It can reasonably be inferred that
Josie feels her mother will never allow
her, Josie, to:
F. eat sweet desserts she truly enjoys.
G. do things with the school’s popular
students.
H. be comfortable with decisions she
makes for herself. (CORRECT)
J. enjoy the kind of life Miguel Chico
has.
Text from Passage
He and Josie were in the kitchen
spreading apple butter on saltines…
“Not at all, Miguelito. But Josie knows
she’s not supposed to eat between
meals.” She spoke as if her daughter
were a stranger in the room. Miguel
Chico put down the cracker he had just
buttered.
“Not you, Miguel. You’re a growing boy.
You can eat as much as you want. It’s
only natural…”
“Ofelia and Serena understand why I ask
them to be careful about what and
when they eat,” his aunt said. …”Do
you think I’m being unreasonable?”
(lines 47-51)
Distracter #1: Distortion
Which distracter is a
“DISTORTION”?
Example of Distortion (56A, Prose
Fiction)
Question
2. It can reasonably be inferred that Josie feels her
mother will never allow her, Josie, to:
F. eat sweet desserts she truly enjoys.
(DISTORTION)
G. do things with the school’s popular students.
H. be comfortable with decisions she makes for
herself. (CORRECT)
J. enjoy the kind of life Miguel Chico has.
The details in the passage show that Josie’s
mother gets on her case about what she eats,
and the details show that Josie was just eating
sweets. However, it would be incorrect to say
that Josie’s mother will never Josie to eat
sweet desserts. Their conflict is more about
Josie herself, not about her food choices.
Text from Passage
He and Josie were in the kitchen
spreading apple butter on saltines…
“Not at all, Miguelito. But Josie knows
she’s not supposed to eat between
meals.” She spoke as if her daughter
were a stranger in the room. Miguel
Chico put down the cracker he had just
buttered.
“Not you, Miguel. You’re a growing boy.
You can eat as much as you want. It’s
only natural…”
“Ofelia and Serena understand why I ask
them to be careful about what and
when they eat,” his aunt said. …”Do
you think I’m being unreasonable?”
(lines 47-51)
Distracter #2: The Switch
 Answer choices may actually appear in the
text
• BUT…it’s not the answer to the question you’re
trying to answer
 Watch for choices that are worded
substantially like statements in the
passage-direct repetition.
 Remember-this is not a matching test!
Example of Switch (56A, Prose Fiction)
Question
2. It can reasonably be inferred that
Josie feels her mother will never allow
her, Josie, to:
F. eat sweet desserts she truly enjoys.
G. do things with the school’s popular
students.
H. be comfortable with decisions she
makes for herself. (CORRECT)
Text from Passage
Miguel Chico leaned to the
clinical, if not the scientific, and
took Josie’s side in most family
quarrels. Enjoying his
popularity and the privileges of
a favorite grandchild, he was
still denying what he saw in
himself, let alone others, in
those early years of learning to
be the consummate pleaser.
J. enjoy the kind of life Miguel Chico
has.
(lines 23-28)
Distracter #2: Switch
Which distracter is a
“SWITCH”?
Example of Switch (56A, Prose Fiction)
Question
2. It can reasonably be inferred that Josie feels her
mother will never allow her, Josie, to:
F. eat sweet desserts she truly enjoys.
(DISTORTION)
G. do things with the school’s popular students.
(SWITCH/DISTORTION)
H. be comfortable with decisions she makes for
herself. (CORRECT)
J. enjoy the kind of life Miguel Chico has.
(SWITCH)
The concept of “enjoying” appears in both the
distracter and the passage. Additionally, in
other parts of the passage, the narrator
describes Josie’s jealousy of Miguel. However,
the details in this paragraph are actually about
Miguel.
Text from Passage
Miguel Chico leaned to the
clinical, if not the scientific, and
took Josie’s side in most family
quarrels. Enjoying his
popularity and the privileges of
a favorite grandchild, he was
still denying what he saw in
himself, let alone others, in
those early years of learning to
be the consummate pleaser.
(lines 23-28)
Example of Distortion/Switch Blended
(56A, Prose Fiction)
Question
2. It can reasonably be inferred that Josie
feels her mother will never allow her, Josie,
to:
F. eat sweet desserts she truly enjoys.
(DISTORTION)
G. do things with the school’s popular
students. (SWITCH/DISTORTION)
H. be comfortable with decisions she makes
for herself. (CORRECT)
Text from Passage
Miguel Chico leaned to the
clinical, if not the scientific, and
took Josie’s side in most family
quarrels. Enjoying his
popularity and the privileges of
a favorite grandchild, he was
still denying what he saw in
himself, let alone others, in
those early years of learning to
be the consummate pleaser.
J. enjoy the kind of life Miguel Chico has.
(DISTORTION)
The word “popularity” is used to describe
Miguel, amid other details about his and
Josie’s relationship. The repetition of the
words makes it an enticing choice.
(lines 23-28)
Distracter #3: The Unsupported
Positive
 Choices that sound great - warm and fuzzy
 SEEM reasonable and correct
 Know your own biases and prejudices
 Just because the choice says “because love
is all we need,” doesn’t mean it’s is the
answer to the
 question you are being asked!
Example of Unsupported Positive (56A,
Prose Fiction)
Question
8. It can reasonably be inferred from the passage
that Miguel Chico’s father makes Miguel Chico
feel:
F. nervous. (CORRECT)
G. proud.
H. satisfied.
J. gratified.
Distracter #3: Unsupported Positive
Which distracter is a
“UNSUPPORTED
POSITIVE”?
Example of Unsupported Positive (56A,
Prose Fiction)
Question
8. It can reasonably be inferred from
the passage that Miguel Chico’s father
makes Miguel Chico feel:
F. nervous. (CORRECT)
G. proud. (UNSUPPORTED
POSITIVE)
H. satisfied.
J. gratified.
There is neither text that
really supports this
answer, nor text that
would even lead one to
choose this answer.
This choice is distracting
solely because it plays on
the bias image of a father
as an encouraging figure
who makes his son feel
“proud.”
Distracter #4: The Extreme
 An incorrect answer choice may include
extreme words such as “always” and
“completely.”
 If you can think of one exception, or if
the answer is debatable, then the
extreme answer choice is incorrect.
 Not all extreme answer choices are
incorrect.
Extreme: Examples
A.
Indians won all their battles.”
_________
D.
they established an ideal
community.”
_________
F.
the bank was always busy.
_________
H.
Impressionism was an entirely
different style of painting.
You can do this!!!
Focus, discipline, and
PRACTICE are the keys to
success!!!
Be better tomorrow
than you were
yesterday!