The Best Way To Practice SAT Reading

The Best Way To Practice SAT Reading SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Let’s get down to business, to defeat...the SAT Reading. How can you practice for the SAT Reading? Where can you find SAT Reading practice questions? Is it even possible to practice for the Reading section? Read on for the answers to these questions. feature image credit: Mulan by mickey, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. A Brief Breakdown of SAT Reading To start off, I’ll do a quick runthrough of the structure of SAT Reading. Feel free to skip over it to the Important Tips (â„ ¢) (not actually trademarked, unless I can trademark things just by typing the symbol, in which case I just trademarked that). The SAT Reading section consists of one 65 minute section with 52 passage-based (read the passage or paired passages, answer questions about it/them) multiple choice questions (each with four answer choices). In total, there are four long reading passages and one set of shorter paired passages. Read more about how the SAT is structured here, or find out more about the format of SAT Reading with our article about what’s actually on SAT Reading. Now that you have a better idea of what exactly is on SAT Reading, it's time to jump into tips for how to practice the SAT Reading section in the best way. SAT Reading Practice Tip 1: Use Official SAT Tests When you are practicing for the SAT, you must use actual SAT questions. Why? Because only official SAT questions will test you the same way the test does. Part of what is so tricky about the SAT is that it takes concepts everyone knows (since it's standardized, it has to stick to standard knowledge) and then asks about them in weird ways. Therefore, the best way to ensure you get used to the weird ways of questioning is to do actual SAT questions. As PrepScholar co-founder Allen Cheng has said, â€Å"If you train yourself on questions that don't reflect what's on the SAT, you're going to learn the wrong patterns.† So where do you find official tests? Well, for starters, we've compiled a complete list of all available free complete SAT tests. You can also buy our very own PrepScholar test prep platform, which integrates offical SAT practice tests as part of your personal study program. SAT Reading Practice Tip 2: Practice Under Realistic Conditions When you take the SAT, you’re going to have limited time, materials, and space to spread out (do not underestimate the effect of having to take a test on a tiny desk). You'll be taking the Reading section first, which means that you'll need to be smart about knowing how much effort you can put into the Reading section and conserve enough energy for the rest of the test. Bottom line: I recommend not only drilling reading questions and going through entire reading sections in isolation, but also taking least one full-length timed practice test so you can get used to making it through the whole test . Additionally, make sure to take at least one practice test at the same time of day you would be taking the actual SAT, so that you'll have a good idea of how tired you might be. If you're not a morning person, an 8 am test might mean you don't pay as much attention when reading a passage, especially as compared to studying and practicing Reading questions and passages in the afternoon after school/after work. SAT Reading Practice Tip 3: Review Your Mistakes Effectively The most important part of studying that many students skip over is effectively reviewing mistakes. Learning from your mistakes isn’t just a saying- it’s the single most useful tool for improving your test score. Yes, it’s tempting to just look at a question and go â€Å"oh, I made a stupid mistake† and just move on (I mean, what person wants to dwell on what she got wrong?). KLAXON! KLAXON! Failing to review your mistakes is the biggest mistake of all. To see real improvement in your score, you really need to get down into the nitty gritty of WHY you made the mistake. For instance, what kinds of questions do you struggle with? Do you tend to have problems with data graphic questions? Maybe you struggle when answering inference questions on passages (Line 42 primarily suggests that†¦), or finding the main point of a paragraph. Identifying the types of questions you struggle with most is necessary for creating the most helpful study plan- there's no point in wasting precious prep time practicing questions you already know how to answer. If your problems are with analyzing data graphics questions, you're in luck - we have an article on how best to tackle these questions on this very blog! Have problems with getting through the passage with enough time left to answer all the questions? Brush up your passage reading skills with our article on how best to read the passage on SAT Reading and learn how to stop running out of time. What about the kinds of mistakes you tend to make? Why did you make them? Don't just stop at surface explanations. Surface reason: Oh, I just ran out of time for this question because it was at the end of the section. I totally could have gotten it since it was asking about a detail that was really easy to find. This response is not helpful, because it doesn't make you learn from what you did wrong (and if you don't learn from your error, there's nothing to stop you from continuing to mess up). Nitty gritty: I ran out of time because I spent a solid minute reading and re-reading this one sentence that really confused me on my first skimming of the passage. How can I avoid this in the future? Make sure that I really only skim on my first read-through or read the questions first and do all the detail ones that don’t rely on having to read the whole passage. Here's another example of possible reactions to getting a question wrong: Surface reason: There were two answers that seemed like they were sort of right, and I went with the wrong one. Oh well. A good start, but WHY did you go with the wrong one? Go deeeeeeper. Nitty gritty: I didn’t read the question carefully enough to get what it was really asking. Because of this, when I went back to the passage I wasn’t able to eliminate three wrong answers. Next time, I will really focus on exactly what the question is asking and make sure I only answer the question based on the information in the passage, not based on my outside knowledge. For even more detailed advice and suggestions on how to make sure you review mistakes in a way that improves your score, read my article on that very topic. Action Plan #1: Get official tests to practice from. Learn the way the SAT asks you about concepts to avoid tripping up on questions you can answer. #2: Practice under realistic conditions. Don't neglect to do timed Reading sections as well as full-length practice tests, so you can get used to conserving your energy while still performing at a high level on Reading questions. #3: Mark questions you are unsure of when you are taking the test. This way, you’re not just reviewing questions you got wrong- you’re also reviewing questions you were shaky on. #4: Review your mistakes so you can pinpoint your higher level weaknesses and drill them. If there's a particular type of question you tend to mess up on, focus your studying on that skill type. #5: Do it all over again: never give up [your test prep], never surrender. 'Persistence" in the dictionary by uberof202 ff, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. As you study, your weak areas may shift, so don’t hesitate to adapt your studying plan to fit your current skill level. For instance, if you had planned to spend a week studying each type of question, but find that after a couple of days you’ve already got the hang of answering questions that ask you to search for details in the passage, don’t waste your time spending five extra days on it- reallocate that time to an area that needs your attention more. For more guidance and suggestions that might work for you, try reading our article on how to improve your SAT Reading score and how to get a perfect on SAT Reading. What’s Next Want more tips on how to study for the SAT? Read our guide to improving your SAT score by 160+ points! Looking to target specific SAT Reading skills? Our ultimate guide to SAT Reading has a comprehensive list of articles targeting each specific Reading skill. What's actually tested on SAT Reading? Find out here! Interested in adding some tutoring to your test prep? PrepScholar Tutors might be right for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Reading lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Analysis of Feathers, a Short Story by Raymond Carver

Analysis of 'Feathers,' a Short Story by Raymond Carver American poet and author Raymond Carver (1938 - 1988) is one of those rare writers who is known, like  Alice Munro, primarily for his work in the short story form. Due to his economical use of language, Carver is often associated with a literary movement known as minimalism, but he himself objected to the term. In a 1983 interview, he said, Theres something about minimalist that smacks of smallness of vision and execution that I dont like. Feathers is the opening story of Carvers 1983 collection, Cathedral, in which he began to move away from the minimalist style. Plot of Feathers SPOILER ALERT: If you dont want to know what happens in the story, dont read this section. The narrator, Jack, and his wife, Fran, are invited to dinner at the home of Bud and Olla. Bud and Jack are friends from work, but no one else in the story has met before. Fran is not enthusiastic about going.   Bud and Olla live in the country and have a baby and a pet peacock. Jack, Fran, and Bud watch television while Olla prepares dinner and occasionally tends to the baby, who is fussing in another room. Fran notices a plaster cast of very crooked teeth sitting on top of the television. When Olla enters the room, she explains that Bud paid for her to have braces, so she keeps the cast to remind me how much I owe Bud. During dinner, the baby begins fussing again, so Olla brings him to the table. He is shockingly  ugly, but  Fran holds him  and delights in him in spite of his appearance. The peacock is permitted inside the house and plays gently with the baby. Later that night, Jack and Fran conceive a child even though they had not previously wanted children. As the years pass, their marriage sours and their child demonstrates a conniving streak. Fran blames their problems on Bud and Olla even though she saw them only on that one night. Wishes Wishes play a prominent role in the story. Jack explains that he and Fran regularly wished out loud for things we didnt have, like a new car or the chance to spend a couple of weeks in Canada. They dont wish for children because they dont want children. It is clear that the wishes arent serious. Jack acknowledges as much when he describes approaching Bud and Ollas house: I said, I wish we had us a place out here. It was just an idle thought, another wish that wouldnt amount to anything. In contrast, Olla is a character who has actually made her wishes come true. Or rather, she and Bud together have made her wishes come true. She tells Jack and Fran: I always dreamed of having me a peacock. Since I was a girl and found a picture of one in a magazine. The peacock is loud and exotic. Neither Jack nor Fran has ever seen one before, and it is much more dramatic than any of the idle wishes theyve been making. Yet Olla, an unassuming woman with an ugly baby and teeth that needed straightening, has made it a part of her life. Blame Though Jack would place the date later, Fran believes their marriage began to deteriorate precisely on the night they had dinner at Bud and Ollas, and she blames Bud and Olla for it. Jack explains: Goddamn those people and their ugly baby, Fran will say, for no apparent reason, while were watching TV late at night. Carver never makes it clear exactly what Fran blames them for, nor does he make it clear exactly why the dinner gathering inspires Jack and Fran to have a baby. Perhaps its because Bud and Olla seem so happy with their strange, squawking-peacock, ugly-baby lives. Fran and Jack dont think they want the particulars - a child, a house in the country, and certainly not a peacock - yet perhaps they find they do want the contentedness that Bud and Olla seem to have. And in some ways, Olla does give the impression that her happiness is a direct result of the particulars of her situation. Olla compliments Fran on her naturally straight teeth while she herself had required braces - and Buds devotion - to fix her crooked smile. At one point, Olla says, You wait until you get our own baby, Fran. Youll see. And as Fran and Jack are leaving, Olla even hands Fran some peacock feathers to take home. Gratitude But  Fran seems to be missing one fundamental element that Olla has: gratitude. When Olla explains how grateful she is to Bud for straightening her teeth (and, more generally, giving her a better life), Fran doesnt hear her because she is picking through the can of nuts, helping herself to the cashews. The impression is that Fran is self-centered, so focused on her own needs that she cant even hear someone elses expression of gratitude. Similarly, it seems symbolic that when Bud says grace, Olla is the only one who says amen. Where Happiness Comes From Jack does note one wish that came true: What I wished for was that Id never forget or otherwise let go of that evening. Thats one wish of mine that came true. And it was bad luck for me that it did. The evening seemed very special to him, and it left him feeling good about almost everything in my life. But he and Fran may have miscalculated where that good feeling was coming from, thinking it came from having things, like a baby, rather than feeling things, like love and appreciation.

Report on Nutrition and Breastfeeding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report on Nutrition and Breastfeeding - Essay Example The Australian Breastfeeding Association and many other bona fide health institutions around the world consider breastfeeding as the best feeding practice that mothers are encouraged to comply to ensure optimal health and well-being of their children (â€Å"Why Breastfeeding is,† 2005; World Health Organization (WHO), n.d.a) -- and suggested positive effects have indeed inspired many to do so. Besides providing nutrition, breast milk is also believed to help spare a baby from a range of illnesses. In the year 2004, the Federal Government received a report about the alarming trend of the decline in breastfeeding rates among mothers as their babies reach the first few months (as cited in Godfrey, 2009). As a result, the Department of Health and Aging introduced the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015 in response to the perceived threat to the health of the young Australians which is â€Å"recognized as a matter of national importance† (National Public Health Partnership (NPHP), 2004). As health providers, it is the responsibility of nurses to perform their designated roles in advocating proper breastfeeding practices and nutrition among infants in the community level in support to the thrust of promoting health and preventing illness in the population. Complementary Feeding - â€Å"Complementary feeding refers to feeds that are given after 6 months of age when breast milk along does not provide adequate nutrition to the growing infant† (Bhat, 2009, p. 43). Despite the fact that Australia is indeed one of the healthiest countries in the whole world, it cannot be denied that it still suffers from major health problems like most, if not all, of the countries around the world do. What makes Australia’s health status unique, however, is the presence of a considerable socioeconomic status diversity between its mainstream and Indigenous populations (Moodie, Harper, and Oldenburg, 2008, p. 4). Because it is