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Razumevanje branja SAT:osnovna načela

Stran 1

Razumevanje branja SAT:osnovna načela Zakaj vaše razumevanje izboljša, če odlomek manj preberete
Trije odseki SAT bralnega testa se začnejo z vprašanji za dokončanje stavka pred bralnimi odstavki; en del je sestavljen iz vprašanj za branje. Da bi dobili boljšo predstavo o postavitvi odlomkov v SAT bralnem testu, si oglejmo še enkrat njegove tri dele:

• 25-minutni odsek:8 zaključkov stavkov in 16 vprašanj za branje (2 seznanjena majhna odlomka, 1 dolg odlomek)
• 25-minutni razdelek:5 zaključkov stavkov in 19 vprašanj za branje (2 majhna odlomka, 2 srednje dolga odlomka)
• 20-minutni odsek:6 zaključkov stavkov in 13 vprašanj za branje (1 par srednje dolgih odlomkov)

Spet lahko pride do nekaj odstopanj od testa do testa, vendar lahko pričakujete to osnovno postavitev.

Ti odlomki so predvsem dokumentarna literatura in pokrivajo širok spekter tem. SAT so vključevali tako raznolike odlomke, kot so lov na kite, ženske na delovnem mestu, verska svoboda in celo poklicna rokoborba. Bralna vprašanja poleg besedišča ne zahtevajo posebnega znanja. Vse informacije, ki jih potrebujete za odgovore na vprašanja, so navedene v odstavkih.

Odlomki običajno izražajo nečije stališče v razpravi ali razlagi nečesa. Za razliko od vrste leposlovja, ki ga berete pri pouku angleščine, odlomki zahtevajo malo ali nič "interpretacije". Namesto tega je vaša glavna naloga preprosto slediti avtorjevi argumentaciji ali razlagi ali karkoli drugega in odgovoriti na vprašanja o vsebini ali posledicah odlomka.

Tu so navodila za branje odlomkov:

Vsakemu spodnjemu odlomku sledijo vprašanja o njegovi vsebini. Odgovorite na vprašanja glede na to, kar je navedeno ali implicirano v vsakem odlomku in v morebitnem uvodnem gradivu.

Kot lahko vidite, so ta navodila enostavna. Ne bodo se spremenile, zato med testom ne izgubljajte časa za ponovno branje teh navodil.

Kot sem rekel, je SAT branje drugačno
Zdi se, da je branje veščina, ki ste se jo naučili že zdavnaj, vendar se SAT branje razlikuje od tiste vrste obveznega branja, ki ga ves čas opravljate v šoli, ali od tistega, ki ga berete izven šole iz užitka. Če berete odlomek SAT tako, kot berete učbenik ali roman za domačo nalogo, boste na testu v velikih, velikih težavah!

Poglejmo, kako in kaj običajno berete. Pomemben vidik vašega branja je, da imate vedno osnovne informacije o temi ali vsaj kontekst, v katerega ga lahko postavite. Ko berete, je to bodisi predmet, ki ga preučujete, bodisi področje ali zvrst, ki vas osebno zanima. Če gre za razred, je knjiga ali članek predmet, ki ga poznate, in vaš učitelj je verjetno razpravljal o glavnih točkah. Če berete za osebni užitek, ste verjetno povsem zadovoljni s celo težkim gradivom.

Ne podcenjujte, koliko vse te osnovne informacije utirajo pot temu, kar berete. In če se pri nečem zataknete, ni težav - lahko si vzamete čas in ga preberete tolikokrat, kot je potrebno. Nikakor se vam ne mudi, zato lahko premislite o tem, kar ste prebrali, za dodatne vpoglede. Če ste še vedno zmedeni, lahko poiščete dodatne reference ali poglede v drugih virih ali na internetu. Skratka, za vaše običajno branje vam je precej enostavno.

Zdaj pa razmislimo, kako in kaj boste brali na SAT. Na odlomku SAT berete odlomek na neznanem področju, popolnoma ločen od konteksta, ki bi vam pomagal razumeti. Če ste zmedeni, ste malo srečni:ni opomb za razred, na katere bi se lahko sklicevali za razlago, ni glosarja ali kazala, niti nobenega drugega izvornega gradiva za razlago. Če ne razumete besede – ups – ni slovarja ali spletne enciklopedije, v kateri bi jo lahko poiskali. Potem je seveda tu še faktor časovnega pritiska. Imate komaj dovolj časa, da enkrat preberete odlomek in še vedno odgovorite na vprašanja, še manj pa ga preberete drugič ali celo tretjič, kot bi morda doma.

In to je samo tisto, s čimer se moraš spopasti za prehod. Pravilno branje izbir predstavlja svoj nabor še težjih izzivov.

Kako ne brati odlomka SAT
V redu, povej mi, ali se kaj od naslednjega sliši znano iz vaših izkušenj z branjem odlomka SAT.

Pozorno preberete prvi odstavek, a na koncu prvega odstavka ugotovite, da ste nekoliko zmedeni. Brez strahu pritisnete naprej (napaka št. 1). Vestno brskate po besedilu, stavek za stavkom, poskušate vnesti čim več dejstev. Morda podčrtate ključne besede ali fraze, ki se zdijo pomembni. Skozi prehod se premikate vztrajno, odločeni, da boste čim bolj podrobno razumeli (napaka št. 2).

Precej časa ste porabili za odlomek (napaka št. 3), zato ste presenečeni, da ko pridete na konec odlomka, ne razumete prav veliko besedila in se lahko spomnite še manj. Joj, zdaj pa vam primanjkuje časa – ne morete prebrati celotnega odlomka – zato hitite skozi vprašanja (napaka št. 4).

Tukaj je dogovor. Preprosto nimate dovolj časa, da bi razumeli in si zapomnili vse informacije tudi v kratkem SAT odlomku. Kot smo razpravljali v The SAT:Kako pridobiti (ali izgubiti) 30 IQ točk – Takoj!, ima vaš kratkoročni spomin zelo omejeno zmogljivost. Ko se "napolni" s pol ducata dejstev ali idej - verjetno se bo zgodilo nekaj časa v prvem odstavku - se vaš kratkoročni spomin preobremeni in vaša miselna sposobnost pade skoraj na nič. Ne samo, da je podrobno razumevanje prehoda nemogoče na časovnem testu, kot je SAT, ampak vas bo poskus samo zmedel. Poleg tega boste potrebovali ta čas, da ga porabite za vprašanja.

Ker delujete v izjemno hitrih razmerah, lahko pričakujete le zelo splošno razumevanje prehoda. Na srečo, ker vam test z več izbirami nudi vse odgovore, je le bežno razumevanje odlomka vse, kar potrebujete, da odgovorite na vprašanja. Navsezadnje vam ni treba priti do odgovora na vprašanje; le prepoznati moraš odgovor med izbirami.

Morda ste slišali ali prebrali predlog, da odlomka sploh ne poskušate prebrati, temveč se pomaknite neposredno na vprašanja. Ta pristop je zelo nepriporočljiv – razen če vam v zadnjih nekaj minutah branja zmanjka časa.

2. stran Pravi izziv bralne sekcije so vprašanja in izbire – ne odlomki
Mislili bi, da težave pri branju izvirajo iz nerazumevanja, o čem govorijo odlomki. Pravzaprav večina napak, ki se jim je mogoče izogniti, izhaja iz nerazumevanja natančno, kaj vprašanje postavlja ali kaj je izbira.

To se morda zdi izjemno. Konec koncev, kako težko je lahko razumeti preprosto vprašanje ali kratke izbire v primerjavi z razumevanjem težkega in včasih dolgega odlomka? Razmislite o tem takole:če napačno preberete ali napačno razlagate celoten stavek v odlomku z 900 besedami, vaše splošno razumevanje celotnega odlomka verjetno ne bo resno prizadeto. Če pa napačno preberete celo ključno besedo kratkega vprašanja ali izbire odgovora, boste zelo verjetno postavili vprašanje narobe.

Kot smo na kratko razpravljali v The SAT:Kako vas lahko možgani spravijo v težave in ker boste v naslednji vaji odkrili iz prve roke, se morate naučiti brati, kaj izbira dejansko govori, namesto kaj se zdi. govoriti!

Krajši kot je odlomek – in nekateri odlomki SAT so lahko dolgi manj kot 100 besed – pozorneje ga morate prebrati.

Previdno preberite vrtanje
Del A: Da vam pokažem, kako natančno morate prebrati posamezne izbire, sem za vas pripravil naslednji odstavek z enim stavkom. Ne ugibajte tukaj; res poskusite razbrati odgovor – nikoli več ne boste videli tako kratkega odlomka! Vzemite si čas, vendar ne tvegajte:uporabite postopek izločanja in se prepričajte, da ste našli odgovor. Če se vam zdi več kot ena izbira pravilna, nadaljujte z delom, dokler ne najdete razloga za izločitev vseh izbir razen odgovora.

Zadnjo supernovo v naši galaksiji, vidno z
Zemlje, so opazili le pet let preden je bil
teleskop prvič uporabljen za opazovanje nebes v
1609.

1. Kaj od naslednjega je mogoče sklepati iz zgornjega odlomka?

1. Teleskopi so bili najprej uporabljeni za opazovanje nebes.
2. Odkar so astronomi začeli uporabljati teleskope, v naši galaksiji niso opazili nobene supernove.
3. Zadnja supernova v naši galaksiji se je zgodila leta 1604.
4. Supernove je mogoče videti z Zemlje s prostim očesom.
5. Teleskop je bil izumljen pet let preden se je pojavila zadnja vidna supernova.

Razpravo o tej vaji boste našli na naslednji strani.

Stran 3 Odgovori na Previdno preberite

Zadnjo supernovo v naši galaksiji, vidno z
Zemlje, so opazili le pet let preden je bil
teleskop prvič uporabljen za opazovanje nebes v
1609.

1. Kaj od naslednjega je mogoče sklepati iz zgornjega odlomka?

1. Teleskopi so bili najprej uporabljeni za opazovanje nebes.
2. Odkar so astronomi začeli uporabljati teleskope, v naši galaksiji niso opazili nobene supernove.
3. Zadnja supernova v naši galaksiji se je zgodila leta 1604.
4. Supernove je mogoče videti z Zemlje s prostim očesom.
5. Teleskop je bil izumljen pet let preden se je pojavila zadnja vidna supernova.

Razprava: Če ste izbrali možnost A – previdno – ste napačno prebrali odlomek in niste upoštevali vseh možnosti. Piše, da so bili teleskopi prvič uporabljeni za opazovanje nebes leta 1609; ne piše, da je bila to prva uporaba teleskopov.

Če ste izbrali možnost B – previdno – ste napačno prebrali odlomek in niste upoštevali vseh možnosti. Izbira pravi, da z Zemlje niso bile vidne nobene supernove, vendar bi astronomi lahko opazovali supernove iz satelitskih teleskopov. Če te možnosti ne bi upoštevali, bi se še vedno morali prebrati med drugimi možnostmi, saj je izbira D nedvomno odgovor brez potrebe po branju med vrsticami.

Če ste izbrali izbiro C – previdno – ste napačno prebrali odstavek in niste upoštevali vseh izbir; morda ste tudi narobe prebrali izbiro. Izbira se nanaša na to, kdaj so se pojavile supernove, medtem ko se prehod nanaša na to, kdaj so bile opažene. Poleg tega bi bilo nemogoče vedeti dovolj o naši galaksiji, da bi rekli, kdaj se je zgodila zadnja supernova.

Če ste izbrali možnost D, ste pravilno uporabili postopek izločanja in našli odgovor. Čestitam, to je bilo zavajajoče težko vprašanje. Če so zadnjo supernovo opazili pet let pred uporabo teleskopov za raziskovanje nočnega neba, so bile supernove jasno vidne s prostim očesom.

Če ste izbrali izbiro E – previdno – ste napačno prebrali odstavek in izbiro. V odlomku ni navedeno, kdaj je bil teleskop izumljen, le kdaj je bil prvič uporabljen v astronomske namene. Glej tudi razpravo k izbiri C, podobna napaka. Upoštevajte tudi, da se izbira nanaša na zadnjo vidno supernovo, odlomek pa se nanaša na supernove v naši galaksiji, kar je zelo velika razlika.

Stran 4 Del B: Če želite ugotoviti, kako pomembno je porabiti čas za pravilno branje izbir, si oglejte spodnje vprašanje. Ta odstavek je dolžina enega od krajših odlomkov dejanskega SAT.

Državni zdravstveni sistem zahteva stalno
oskrbo z novo krvjo od darovalcev, da bi obnovil svoje
zaloge. Zamrzovanje krvi za dolgotrajno shranjevanje je
občutljiv, drag in dolgotrajen postopek;
poleg tega mnogi zdravniki menijo, da je nastali
izdelek nezanesljiv. Ko so shranjene v raztopini
plazme in hranilne dekstroze (sladkorja), lahko sveže rdeče
krvne celice preživijo in ostanejo sposobne
transfuzije samo šest tednov.

2. Zgornji odstavek nakazuje, kaj od naslednjega?

1. Ustvariti je treba dodatne prostore za pripravo in shranjevanje krvi za prihodnje transfuzije.
2. Brez posebnih postopkov shranjevanja rdeče krvne celice ne morejo dolgo obstajati zunaj človeškega telesa.
3. Javnost je treba pogosto opominjati na potrebo po darovanju krvi, ne pa le nagovarjati v času krize.
4. Nacionalne zaloge krvi so nevarno nizke in potrebujejo takojšnjo infuzijo darovalcev.
5. Nacionalne zaloge krvi se v povprečju izčrpajo enkrat na šest tednov.

Preverite svoj odgovor na naslednji strani.

Ne bodite obupani, če se vam je ta vaja zdela težavna. Zasnoval sem ga, da bi poudaril, kako enostavno se je prevarati z navidezno preprostostjo celo nekaj besed, in pokazal, zakaj moraš upočasniti vprašanja in ne odlomka.

5. stran Ustavi se. Ne preberite naslednje razprave, dokler ne dokončate vprašanja v drugem odlomku.

Državni zdravstveni sistem zahteva stalno
oskrbo z novo krvjo od darovalcev, da bi obnovil svoje
zaloge. Zamrzovanje krvi za dolgotrajno shranjevanje
je občutljiv, drag in dolgotrajen postopek;
poleg tega mnogi zdravniki menijo, da je nastali
izdelek nezanesljiv. Ko so shranjene v raztopini
plazme in hranilne dekstroze (sladkorja), lahko sveže rdeče
krvne celice preživijo in ostanejo sposobne
transfuzije samo šest tednov.

2. Zgornji odstavek nakazuje, kaj od naslednjega?

1. Ustvariti je treba dodatne prostore za pripravo in shranjevanje krvi za prihodnje transfuzije.
2. Brez posebnih postopkov shranjevanja rdeče krvne celice ne morejo dolgo obstajati zunaj človeškega telesa.
3. Javnost je treba pogosto opominjati na potrebo po darovanju krvi, ne pa le nagovarjati v času krize.
4. Nacionalne zaloge krvi so nevarno nizke in potrebujejo takojšnjo infuzijo darovalcev.
5. Nacionalne zaloge krvi se v povprečju izčrpajo enkrat na šest tednov.

Če ste izbrali možnost A – previdno – ste napačno prebrali odlomek in niste upoštevali vseh možnosti. Nič ni bilo rečeno o potrebi po dodatnih skladiščnih prostorih. Nove zmogljivosti bi bile malo uporabne, če se oskrba s krvjo ne bi nenehno dopolnjevala.

Če ste izbrali izbiro B – previdno – ste napačno prebrali izbiro in niste upoštevali vseh izbir. Odlomek pravi, da kri ne more dolgo preživeti; odlomek ne pravi, da kri preneha obstajati. Dejansko nam zdrava pamet pravi, da kri obstaja dolgo časa (pomislite na madež krvi), čeprav kri ne bi dolgo ostala sposobna za transfuzijo.

Če ste izbrali možnost C, ste pravilno uporabili postopek izločanja in našli odgovor. Čestitam, tudi to je bilo varljivo težko vprašanje. Če kri ostane sposobna za transfuzijo omejen čas, mora javnost nenehno dopolnjevati zaloge krvi.

Če ste izbrali izbiro D – previdno – ste napačno prebrali odstavek. Prvi stavek pravi, da narod potrebuje nenehno oskrbo z novo kri; odlomek ne pravi, da je trenutna oskrba neustrezna.

Če ste izbrali izbiro E – previdno – ste napačno prebrali odstavek. Odlomek pravi, da kri v raztopini ostane sposobna preživetja le šest tednov. Zaloga krvi bi bila izčrpana šest tednov od danes le, če ne bi darovali nove krvi.

Stran 6 Izboljšajte svoj rezultat tako, da se odučite od starih navad in pridobite nove
Veste, da morate za spremembo rezultatov spremeniti način opravljanja testa. Spremeniti način pristopa k branju odlomkov bo verjetno težje kot spremeniti način pristopa k dokončanju stavkov. Vaše bralne navade so se oblikovale v zadnjih desetih ali več letih in so vam verjetno dobro služile v šoli. Te iste navade pa so slabo prilagojene zahtevam SAT bralnih testov. Kljub temu lahko z vadbo uporabe novih tehnik v tem in naslednjem poglavju razvijete nove bralne navade za SAT.

Če že dosegate visoko oceno pri vprašanjih za branje – recimo, ena ali dve napaki pri branju v celotnem testu pod časovnimi pogoji – ne spreminjajte svojega splošnega pristopa; očitno ti deluje. Kljub temu lahko tehnike v tem članku dodate v svoj repertoar. Torej, dokler dosledno ne dosežete popolnega ali skoraj popolnega rezultata pri vprašanjih za branje, morate sprejeti te nove tehnike.

Ponavljaj za mano:hitro skozi prehod, počasi skozi vprašanja
Večina študentov preživi veliko več časa za odlomke, kot bi morali, in ne pušča dovolj časa za vprašanja. Ključno je, da čim hitreje preberete odlomek, da boste imeli dovolj časa, da natančno preberete vprašanja. Ko boste odgovarjali na vprašanja, boste morali vsake toliko časa znova prebrati odlomek, da preverite podrobnosti ali razjasnite točko, vendar naj bo vaše prvo branje odlomka hitro.

Vaš cilj je hitro prebrati odlomek za eno ali dve ključni ideji, nato pa vprašanja in izbire prebrati zelo, zelo počasi! Če imate na voljo osem minut za srednje dolg (500 besed) odlomek, ki mu sledi šest vprašanj, poskusite preiti skozi odstavek v dveh minutah ali manj, tako da boste imeli šest minut za vprašanja. Praviloma se uravnavajte tako, da imate v povprečju vsaj minuto za vsako vprašanje. Če na splošno potrebujete več časa, da preberete odlomek ali analizirate in odgovorite na vprašanja, boste morali pustiti nekaj praznih mest.

O puščanju praznin se bomo pogovarjali kasneje. Ključna točka pri tem je prepoznati pomen pospeševanja prehoda in upočasnjevanja vprašanj.

Kot sem že rekel, krajši kot je odstavek, pozorneje ga morate prebrati. Pravzaprav boste morda paradoksalno morali porabiti več časa za branje odlomka s 150 besedami in enim odstavkom kot za branje odlomka s 450 besedami in tremi odstavki.

Naš pristop k odlomkom na kratko
Ker je vaš končni cilj odgovoriti na vprašanja, boste želeli porabiti čim manj časa za odstavek in čim več za dejanska vprašanja. Tukaj je na kratko naš splošni pristop k branju odlomka in odgovoru na njegova vprašanja:

1. korak: Počasi preberite odlomek, dokler ne pridete do njegove glavne ideje, nato pa čim hitreje pojdite skozi preostali del.

2. korak: Kolikor je mogoče, se prisilite, da preletite določena dejstva in podrobnosti.

3. korak: Odlomek ima lahko sekundarno idejo, vendar je vaš glavni cilj zdaj dobiti pregled nad organizacijo odlomka (osnovni način, kako vsak odstavek razvija glavno idejo).

4. korak: Pojdite na vprašanja čim hitreje in se prebirajte skozi izbire z agresivnim postopkom izločanja. Scavenger se pogosto vrača v prehod, da preveri podrobnosti.

To je vse. Za nekatere vrste odlomkov bomo morali ta pristop nekoliko spremeniti, vendar ti štirje koraki predstavljajo osnovo zmogljive metode za čim hitrejše in natančnejše odgovore na vprašanja pri branju.

Preden vas vržem v globino, tako da vam dam celoten odlomek SAT in njegova vprašanja, bi rad razpravljal o prvih dveh zgornjih korakih.

Stran 7 1. korak:berite počasi, dokler ne ugotovite avtorjeve glavne ideje
Brez dvoma, na SAT nimate dovolj časa, da bi lagodno prebrali odlomke. Morali se boste prisiliti, da boste odlomke prebrali hitreje, kot bi si želeli.

Ko pravim, da boste morali hitro brati, ne mislim, da bi morali poskušati preleteti cel odstavek z enakim hitrim tempom. Presenetljivo je, da spretni bralci nekaj pomembnih idej dejansko berejo počasneje kot neizurjeni bralci, spretni bralci pa izgubljeni čas nadomestijo tako, da veliko hitreje berejo večjo maso manj pomembnih podrobnosti. To je nekoliko kot vožnja dirkalnika:vedeti, kdaj moraš upočasniti na nevarnih ovinkih, in nato pustiti, da se avto raztrga naravnost.

Osredotočite se predvsem na štiri ključne stavke vsakega odlomka
Ne glede na vsebino je glavna ideja SAT branja odlomkov skoraj vedno locirana na enem od štirih ključnih mest. Verjetno poznate pojem "tematski stavki" in ta koncept je tudi nam v pomoč. Prvi in ​​zadnji stavek vsakega odstavka ponavadi povzemata vsebino odstavka. Za odlomek kot celoto pa, kje bomo verjetno našli glavno idejo?

Glavna ideja odlomka se verjetno nahaja v prvem ali zadnjem stavku prvega odstavka ali v prvem stavku drugega odstavka. Glavna ideja odlomka se pogosto odmeva v zadnjem stavku odlomka.

Z drugimi besedami, ko preberete prvi stavek drugega odstavka, bi morali že poznati glavno misel odlomka in biti pripravljeni dramatično pospešiti tempo branja.

Bodite popolnoma prepričani, da ločite avtorjevo mnenje od tega, kar mislijo »drugi ljudje« – običajna modrost
Ena od nevarnosti pri iskanju avtorjeve glavne ideje je, da se na SAT odlomki pogosto ne začnejo z avtorjevim prepričanjem, temveč s tem, kar mislijo drugi ljudje, znano tudi kot običajna modrost. Mnogi odstavki na vašem SAT ne bodo strogo dejanski odlomki, temveč odlomki z "mnenjem". Avtor običajno predstavi svoje mnenje o temi in ga nato podpre. Preden avtor predstavi svoj pogled, pa običajno predstavi konvencionalno modrost ali "drugo stran" vprašanja.

Pomislite:če bi se avtor strinjal s tem, kar so mislili drugi, kakšen bi bil smisel pisanja odlomka? Na SAT nikoli ne boste našli odlomka, ki se začne s stavkom, kot je naslednji:"Večina zgodovinarjev tehnologije verjame, da je mehanizem diferencialnih prestav relativno sodoben - in hej, mislim, da imajo prav." Ni nujno, da se avtor popolnoma ne strinja s konvencionalno modrostjo, vendar bo njegovo stališče drugačno.

Pozorno morate prebrati – še posebej prvi odstavek –, ker je navadno modrost zlahka zamenjati z avtorjevo perspektivo, še posebej, če avtor hodi naprej in nazaj med obema, ko odlomek napreduje.

Avtor bo običajno predstavil drugo stran z obsežno izjavo, ki jo pripisujejo veliki skupini (znanstveniki, zgodovinarji, kritiki, umetniki, pedagogi, filozofi, rock glasbeniki). Tu so ilustrativni stavki, ki namigujejo, da avtor zgolj artikulira skupno stališče, ki mu bo na nek način nasprotoval:splošno mišljeno, splošno prepričanje, pogosto zatrjevano, prej špekulirano, en pristop, nekaj čutijo.

Še enkrat, ne mislite, da si morate ta seznam zapomniti. Z malo vaje boste lahko takoj prepoznali, ali avtor govori zase ali "drugo stran".

Težko je, da avtor morda artikulira konvencionalno modrost, ne da bi jasno nakazal, da to počne. Pozorno preberite naslednji odstavek in preverite, ali lahko ugotovite, v katerih stavkih avtor razpravlja o svojem stališču in v katerih stavkih o nasprotni strani:

Običajno se domneva, da jih vladno
zavarovanje bančnih vlog naredi varnejše. Če
banka nekako propade z vlaganjem vlog strank
v tvegana posojila, ki niso odplačana, bo
vlada povrnila izgubljena sredstva. Tako
pomirjena, da se javnost ne bo znašla v
primežu finančne panike in ustvarila "teke" na
banki, da bi zahtevala svoj denar nazaj, kot se je
zgodilo v času Velike Depresija v tridesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja.

Ironično pa je, da dojemanje te
»varovalke« spodbuja banke k dajanju veliko bolj tveganih
posojil, kot bi jih sicer, s čimer
povečuje verjetnost katastrofalnih bank
propadov. Končno lahko zavarovanje bančnih depozitov
spodkopa, namesto da okrepi
zaupanje javnosti v naše finančne institucije.

1. Katera od naštetega je glavna ideja tega odlomka?

1. Vladno zavarovanje bančnih vlog ima lahko nenamerne posledice.
2. V prihodnosti verjetno ne bo prišlo do finančne panike in bega bank, saj so bančne vloge zavarovane.
3. Če bi vlada sprejela ustrezne ukrepe, bi veliko depresijo lahko preprečili.
4. Vlada bi morala sprejeti večje ukrepe za zavarovanje depozitov strank.
5. Banke ne bi smele tvegati vlog strank z dajanjem posojil, ki morda ne bodo odplačana.

Razprava: Stavek, ki ga običajno domnevamo v prvem stavku, nas namiguje, da avtor razpravlja o konvencionalni modrosti. Drugi in tretji stavek sta razdelava splošnega stališča, ne pa izjave avtorjevega stališča. V prvih treh stavkih avtor pravzaprav pravi naslednje:

Običajno se domneva, da jih vladno
zavarovanje bančnih vlog naredi varnejše. Predvideva se, da če banka nekako propade z
vlaganjem depozitov strank v tvegana posojila, ki
niso odplačana, bo vlada povrnila izgubljena
sredstva. Predpostavlja se, da tako pomirjena,
javnost se ne bo znašla v primežu finančne
panike in ustvarila "teke" na banki, da bi zahtevala
svoj denar nazaj, kot se je zgodilo med veliko
depresijo .

Vstavil sem fraze (poševno), da pojasnim, da avtor ubeseduje, kaj si drugi mislijo. Šele v četrtem stavku – namig je beseda vendar — da nam avtor pove, kaj misli. Odgovor je izbira A.

Torej še enkrat:preberite počasi in previdno, dokler ne ugotovite avtorjevega stališča. Če vam med branjem odstavka ni jasno, s katero stranjo – avtorjevo ali drugo – imate opravka, boste izgubili tok avtorjevega argumenta.

If the passage begins with the conventional wisdom, the author's main idea will most likely be located either in the last sentence of the first paragraph or the first sentence of the second paragraph. The sentence will usually contain a direction reversal word like but , although , or however .

Page 8 The First Paragraph Will Open in One of Three Ways
You'd think SAT passages could have hundreds of possible openings. Amazingly, however, you can count on one of three variations for the first sentence of any SAT passage. In order of likelihood, here are the three possibilities for the first sentence of every SAT passage:

Opening Variation #1: The first sentence will set out the conventional wisdom. You already know that if this is the case, the main idea will almost certainly appear in the last sentence of the first paragraph or the first sentence of the second paragraph.

Opening Variation #2: The first sentence will be an introductory statement providing background for the topic. The main idea will occur anywhere in the first paragraph, probably in the last sentence. If a question is asked in the first paragraph, the main idea will be the answer to that question.

Opening Variation #3: The first sentence will articulate the author's main idea. The rest of the first paragraph will go on to elaborate on that idea. Sometimes the author then contrasts his main idea with the conventional wisdom before returning to develop his idea with details and examples.

Once you've "gotten a fix" on the opening paragraph and the author's main idea, you'll have a much easier time following the rest of the passage as it unfolds.

If You're Confused by the End of the First Paragraph—Stop!
Sometimes you'll come across a passage so difficult—or poorly written—that you're confused way before you even reach the second paragraph. You may think that if you continue reading, sooner or later the passage will begin to make sense. Unfortunately, what usually happens is that you become even more confused.

It's absolutely crucial that you come to grips with the main idea of the passage. Until you do, the details won't make much, if any, sense. Since the author frequently sums up his or her point in the last sentence or two of the passage, go directly to the last paragraph. By reading the last few lines carefully, you should get a much better grasp of the author's main idea.

If you don't understand the first paragraph, immediately skip down to the final paragraph and read the last sentence carefully. Once you've gotten a handle on the main idea, return to the first paragraph and proceed with the rest of the passage. Now the text should make a lot more sense.

Step 2:Once You've Identified the Main Idea, Speed Up and Force Yourself to Ignore the Details
No question about it, skimming a passage under time pressure is uncomfortable and sometimes quite scary. (Like many other things about taking the SAT, the best way is often the scariest if it weren't scary, many more students would be achieving outstanding scores, as we discussed in Knowing What to Do on the SAT—and Being Able to Do It).

So you have to train yourself not to pay attention to the details, because your natural inclination will be to try to absorb as much as possible, and probably underline the material you can't absorb.

Big mistake. As we've discussed at length, your short-term memory can handle only so much before it gets overwhelmed and short-circuits your ability to think. What's more, a typical passage on the SAT contains dozens if not hundreds of facts—and yet the number of factual questions on a passage will be at most eight. In other words, most of the facts in an SAT passage are completely unrelated to any questions you have to answer. Remember, too, that when you get to the questions, you can always look back to the passage to find any fact or detail you need to verify.

A helpful mindset to adopt is to think of reading an SAT passage in the same way you would listen to a long-winded friend who blathers on and on until you want to scream out in exasperation, "Could you please get to the point?!"

Important facts and secondary ideas are often found in sentences that contain direction reversal words. By far the most common such word on the SAT is but . Other words include although, despite, except, however, though, and yet . Whenever you see one of these words in a passage, circle the word—the sentence may come in handy when you reach the questions.

Underline as You Read Sparingly Only, If at All
You know you're getting lost in the details if you find yourself underlining every other phrase or sentence. These are precisely the things that clog up your short-term memory and clog your brain. If underlining helps you focus while you read, fine—but try to keep it to a minimum. And whatever you do, don't waste time wondering whether you should underline something or not. The clock's ticking. Underline it or not, but keep moving.

Take a Long Breath Now—I'm Throwing You into the Deep End
We'll examine our basic approach in more detail shortly. Before we do, I want you to complete the next drill. The following passage is typical of the subject matter and of the kinds of questions you can expect on the SAT. You'll have 12 minutes to read the passage and answer the questions. The passage is long, and of medium-to-hard difficulty. Longer passages on the SAT contain more details than do the shorter passages, but they rarely contain more ideas.

The longer SAT passages may be preceded by a brief italicized introduction. This two- or three-sentence preface contains background information about the author or the passage to place the excerpt in a context for you.

You may be tempted to skip a passage's introduction "to save time." Don't. No questions will be asked about the introduction, but you can scan it in a few seconds and the background it provides may offer you a useful insight.

Page 9 Sample Passage Drill:12 Minutes
To get the most out of this, it's important that you appreciate the difficulties of reading on the SAT. To experience these difficulties, you'll have to set aside some time and complete the following drill at a desk as you would on the actual exam. And no, it's not the same thing to do this drill reading comfortably on your bed while listening to some MP3 tunes you've downloaded.

This passage is slightly more difficult than average, though some of the questions are quite difficult. Do the best you can; you're just getting warmed up to the reading techniques.

Time yourself using OmniProctor.

The following excerpt is from a book by Umberto Eco, an internationally renowned scholar and prolific Italian author (nonfiction as well as bestselling fiction).

(5) I frequently feel irritated when I read essays on
the theory of translation that, even though brilliant
and perceptive, do not provide enough examples. I
think translation scholars should have had at least
one of the following experiences during their life:
(10) translating, checking and editing translations, or
being translated and working in close cooperation
with their translators. As an editor, I worked for
twenty years in a publishing house. As a translator,
I made only two translations of others works,
(15) which took me many years of reflection and hard
work. As an author, I have almost always
collaborated with my translators, an experience
that started with my early essays and became more
and more intense with my four novels. Irrespective
(20) of the fact that some philosophers or linguists
claim there are no rules for deciding whether one
translation is better than another, everyday activity
in a publishing house tells us that it is easy to
establish that a translation is wrong and deserves
(25) severe editing; maybe it is only a question of
common sense, but common sense must be respected.

Let us suppose that in a novel a character says,
"You're just pulling my leg." To render such an

(30) idiom in Italian by stai solo tirandomi la gamba or
tu stai menandomi per la gamba would be literally
correct, but misleading. In Italian, one should say
mi stai prendendo per il naso, thus substituting an
English leg with an Italian nose. If literally
(35) translated, the English expression, absolutely
unusual in Italian, would make the reader suppose
that the character (as well as the author) was
inventing a provocative rhetorical figure; which is
completely misleading, as in English the expression
(40) is simply an idiom. By choosing "nose" instead of
"leg," a translator puts the Italian reader in the
same situation as the original English one. Thus,
only by being literally unfaithful can a translator
succeed in being truly faithful to the source text.
(45) Which is like echoing Saint Jerome,* patron saint
of translators, that in translating one should not
translate verbum e verbo sed sensum exprimere de
sensu (sense for sense, and not word for word),
even though the notion of the right sense of a text
(50) can imply some ambiguities.

In the course of my experiences as a translated
author, I have always been torn between the need
to have a translation that respected my intentions
and the exciting discovery that my text could elicit

(55) unexpected interpretations and be in some way
improved when it was re-embodied in another
language. What I want to emphasize is that many
concepts circulating in translation studies (such as
adequacy, equivalence, faithfulness) can also be
(60) considered from the point of view of negotiation.
Negotiation is a process by virtue of which, in
order to get something, each party renounces
something else, and at the end everybody feels
satisfied since one cannot have everything.
(65) Between the purely theoretical argument that,
since languages are differently structured,
translation is impossible, and the commonsensical
acknowledgement that people, after all, do translate
and understand each other, it seems to me that the
(70) idea of translation as a process of negotiation
between author and text, between author and
readers, as well as between the structure of two
languages and the encyclopedias of two cultures is
the only one that matches our experience.

* A Catholic monk and scholar (342-420) who translated the Old Testament from the ancient Hebrew to the then-contemporary Latin

1. In lines 3–8 ("I think translation . . . translators."), the author expresses the opinion that translation scholars
1. should have practical experience in their field
2. should have open minds about the opinions of others
3. are brilliant and perceptive, if somewhat academic
4. should be less concerned with theories of translation
5. should have more than one degree, and ideally in different fields
2. In lines 8–15 ("As an editor . . . novels."), the author
1. displays the scope of his erudition on multiple topics
2. reveals conflicting attitudes about the work of translators
3. elaborates on the source of his irritation with theories of translation
4. summarizes the breadth of his background and perspectives on the subject
5. confesses that he lacks the academic qualifications of typical translation scholars
3. In lines 25–28 ("To render such . . . misleading."), the author says that it would be misleading to so translate the English statement because
1. in Italian there are two equally valid ways of translating the words
2. the word-for-word translation would not have the same sense
3. an English character would not speak in Italian
4. in Italian there is no equivalent idiom
5. the Italian translations use far more words than does the original version
4. In line 34, "figure" most nearly means
1. body
2. thought
3. picture
4. character
5. expression
5. In lines 38–40 ("Thus, only by . . . text."), the author
1. raises a question
2. employs an idiom
3. poses a paradox
4. proves a theory
5. introduces a metaphor
6. In referring to the "ambiguities" (line 46), the author
1. admits that two translators might very well differ regarding their determination of the sense of a text
2. points out that words can often have more than one meaning
3. criticizes translators who offer only one version of a work
4. rejects the commonsensical notion that literal translations are ineffective
5. anticipates the possible objection that translations cannot be as clear as the original work
7. What is the author's view of the concepts mentioned in lines 53–56?
1. These concepts are not useful in understanding the translation process
2. These concepts are theoretical, and refer to things that do not actually exist
3. These concepts do not adequately reflect the tradeoffs translators must weigh in practice
4. These concepts are outdated, and should be replaced by new ones
5. These concepts unnecessarily distort the meaning of translations
8. It can be inferred that the author mentions "encyclopedias" (line 69) rather than dictionaries because unlike dictionaries, encyclopedias
1. are revised frequently, making them more up-to-date
2. are compilations of contributions from individual experts in many fields
3. do not contain literal definitions of words, making them more reliable
4. contain cross-referenced indexes, affording translators easy comparisons
5. contain the cultural contexts and connotations of the original and the new language
9. Based on the passage as a whole, the author's approach towards translation, as contrasted with that of theoretical translation scholars, can best be characterized as
1. mercenary
2. untenable
3. literal
4. pragmatic
5. rhetorical

You'll find the answers to these questions on the next page.

Page 10 Answers to the Sample Passage Drill

1. In lines 3–8 ("I think translation . . . translators.") the author expresses the opinion that translation scholars
1. should have practical experience in their field
2. should have open minds about the opinions of others
3. are brilliant and perceptive, if somewhat academic
4. should be less concerned with theories of translation
5. should have more than one degree, and ideally in different fields

Discussion: This was an easy question. Some students select choice B. Of course everyone should have an open mind about the opinion of others; unfortunately, this is beside the point the author is making in these lines.

2. In lines 8–15 ("As an editor . . . novels."), the author
1. displays the scope of his erudition on multiple topics
2. reveals conflicting attitudes about the work of translators
3. elaborates on the source of his irritation with theories of translation
4. summarizes the breadth of his background and perspectives on the subject
5. confesses that he lacks the academic qualifications of typical translation scholars

Discussion: This was a relatively easy question. Some students select choice B, but the author does not say and does not imply that he has conflicting attitudes about translation. Consider why the author is mentioning his background. He begins the passage by teasing translation scholars for not having any practical experience in translating (the subject of question 1). He cites his own background, then, to demonstrate that he has plenty of experience translating.

3. In lines 25–28 ("To render such . . . misleading.") the author says that it would be misleading to so translate the English statement because
1. in Italian there are two equally valid ways of translating the words
2. the word-for-word translation would not have the same sense
3. an English character would not speak in Italian
4. in Italian there is no equivalent idiom
5. the Italian translations use far more words than does the original version

Discussion: This was a relatively easy question. Some students select choice A which is a true statement, but which does not answer the question!

4. In line 34, "figure" most nearly means
1. body
2. thought
3. picture
4. character
5. expression

Discussion: This was a medium question, although many students get snookered by choice C. If we convert the question into a sentence completion, with the word "figure" as the blank, the answer becomes fairly obvious. If we refer back to the passage—which you should do as often as necessary, especially on this type of question—we see that the author mentions "inventing . . . a figure." There's only one choice that can be invented:an expression.

5. In lines 38–40 ("Thus, only by . . . text."), the author
1. raises a question
2. employs an idiom
3. poses a paradox
4. proves a theory
5. introduces a metaphor

Discussion: This was an extremely difficult question. Some students select choice A, but the author does not raise any questions with this statement (though of course anything anyone says can raise a question in somebody's mind). Many students select choice D, but this choice is far too extreme. The author of any passage can make a case for his or her point of view, but he or she can't prove it. Even though the answer contains a moderately difficult word—paradox—students who use process of elimination rigorously are able to identify the answer even without knowing the meaning of the answer. (A paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement that may in fact be true; a self-contradictory yet possibly true statement.)

6. In referring to the "ambiguities" (line 46), the author
1. admits that two translators might very well differ regarding their determination of the sense of a text
2. points out that words can often have more than one meaning
3. criticizes translators who offer only one version of a work
4. rejects the commonsensical notion that literal translations are ineffective
5. anticipates the possible objection that translations cannot be as clear as the original work

Discussion: This was a difficult question. Some students select choice E but the author is not discussing whether or not translations can be as clear as the original works on which they are based. Many students select choice B, which does seem to answer the question. While ambiguous words do have more than one meaning, that is not why the author refers to ambiguities. If we refer back to the passage—which again we should do frequently—we see that the author first claims that translators should focus on the sense of the work's words rather than their literal meaning. The author then says that these senses might involve some ambiguities, not the words meanings.

7. What is the author's view of the concepts mentioned in lines 53–56?
1. These concepts are not useful in understanding the translation process
2. These concepts are theoretical, and refer to things that do not actually exist
3. These concepts do not adequately reflect the tradeoffs translators must weigh in practice
4. These concepts are outdated, and should be replaced by new ones
5. These concepts unnecessarily distort the meaning of translations

Discussion: This was a very difficult question. Many students were attracted to choices A and B. Choice A is too extreme. The author does not say that these choices are not useful; if he did, he would say that they should be scrapped altogether. Choice B is incorrect because although the concepts themselves are theoretical, they refer to aspects of the translation process that do exist.

8. It can be inferred that the author mentions "encyclopedias" (line 69) rather than dictionaries because unlike dictionaries, encyclopedias
1. are revised frequently, making them more up-to-date
2. are compilations of contributions from individual experts in many fields
3. do not contain literal definitions of words, making them more reliable
4. contain cross-referenced indexes, affording translators easy comparisons
5. contain the cultural contexts and connotations of the original and the new language

Discussion: This was a fairly difficult question. Some students select choice B, but while this choice is true, it does not answer the question! Many students choose choice C—perhaps because they are attracted to the word "literal" in this choice—but C is wrong on at least two counts. First, encyclopedias do contain literal definitions of words. Second, this choice misses the point of the passage, which is that translators need to consider numerous aspects of the original and new languages. Encyclopedias are more likely to contain different perspectives than are dictionaries, which are primarily confined to definitions.

9. Based on the passage as a whole, the author's approach towards translation, as contrasted with that of theoretical translation scholars, can best be characterized as
1. mercenary
2. untenable
3. literal
4. pragmatic
5. rhetorical

Discussion: The difficult vocabulary words in the choices made this a fairly difficult question. Choice C was probably the easiest of the choices to eliminate because the author was arguing against literal translations. If you weren't sure of the definitions of the other choices, you should still have guessed among them. Remember that every blank you leave lowers your potential maximum score by 10 points. The answer, pragmatic, is an important SAT word, and means practical. Mercenary means motivated by money (which, if you knew what it meant, you should have eliminated). Untenable means unjustified or hard to maintain (which, if you knew what it meant, you should have eliminated). Rhetorical means relating to the use of language, especially persuasive language (which, if you knew what it meant, you should have eliminated).

Summary: As I mentioned, this passage was slightly harder than average but some of the questions were extremely difficult. As a rough performance measure for this passage only use the following formula:

Reading Score =800 – 60 (blanks) – 70 (errors)

So someone who left two questions blank and got two wrong would lose 120 points for the blanks and 140 points for the errors, for a rough—very rough—score of 540.

Page 11 Step 3:Once You've Identified the Main Idea, Focus on How Each Subsequent Paragraph Develops That Main Idea
In the first step you identified the main idea of the passage. This should have occurred by the end of the first paragraph, or by first sentence of the second paragraph at the absolute latest.

In the second step you then picked up the pace, forcing yourself to ignore the details as much as possible. The passage might have a second major idea, but on the SAT such passages are rare. You're underlining very little if at all, but you re circling words like but, although, and however if you encounter them; sentences that contain those words often come in handy later.

Now, in the third step, your goal is to see what the main idea of each paragraph is; its function in the overall passage. Each paragraph will develop the author's main idea in some way, and the only thing you care about now—before you get to the questions—is how each paragraph as a whole fits in to the passage as a whole.

An SAT Passage Can Unfold in Only So Many Ways
Under the previous step we discussed the role of the opening paragraph of an SAT passage as either presenting the main idea itself or setting up the main idea, in which case the main idea would occur in the first sentence of the second paragraph.

After the passage states the main idea, the main idea will be elaborated or supported. The author can elaborate or support the main idea in various ways, including the following:

• defining a key term
• providing details
• offering examples
• comparing a related idea
• quoting an expert

As you're reading the passage, you shouldn't care about the specifics of an example, but rather simply that an example is being offered. As soon as you recognize that an example is being offered, you should race ahead in the passage—slowing down only when you get to the next example or the next definition or whatever other way the author is using to develop the main idea.

After the author supports the main idea, be alert for any opposing ideas or—especially—qualifications. An idea is qualified when its scope is limited, such as when exceptions to the idea are pointed out. Qualifications to the main idea will almost always be introduced with the direction reversal words we discussed earlier, "but" being the most common, followed by words like although, despite, except, however, though, and yet . Qualifications are also sometimes introduced with words and expressions like of course, admittedly, not the only, and so forth.

The passage will not always qualify the main idea of the passage, but it often does. So, after the passage states the main idea and supports it, and then possibly qualifies it, how else can the main idea be developed; where else can it go?

The final way the main idea may be developed is by extending or applying the idea into another area, to show the idea's significance or wider relevance. The main idea is applied when the author answers the further question, So what?

The basic format of all SAT passages, then, is simple:introduce the main idea (possibly with the conventional wisdom); elaborate and support the main idea with details and examples; and then possibly qualify the main idea or apply it.

Following the Development of a Passage:An Illustration
The next passage illustrates a wide range of development techniques. Before reading the discussion below the passage, try to determine how each sentence moves the passage forward.

In the past, how has one civilization conquered
another? Many historians have concentrated on
the technological superiority of one side over the
other's. Undoubtedly, technological advances such
as the development of metal weapons or gunpowder
or even the stirrup for horses enabled one
civilization to defeat another.

But the conquering side often had invisible
allies, too. Europeans took over the North
American continent from the native population as
much by introducing not always unwittingly—
microbes and viruses into a populace that had no
immunity to them, as by their muskets and other
technologically advanced weapons. A growing
acknowledgement among historians of the role of
this phenomenon will undoubtedly lead to a radical
reinterpretation of many historical events.

Discussion: The first sentence is a rhetorical question that is answered in the second sentence by the introductory statement. The third sentence supports the introductory statement with two examples (metal weapons and gunpowder). The fourth sentence contradicts the introductory statement with opposing idea (invisible allies). The fifth sentence qualifies the opposing idea by saying that both factors (technological superiority and invisible microbes) can answer the initial rhetorical question, and that many historians were not completely mistaken. The sixth and final sentence applies the main idea to the larger scope of history in general.

If You Can, Anticipate the Passage's Likely Development
One way to stay actively engaged in the passage is to anticipate how it is likely to develop. For example, if a question is asked in the passage, we would expect an answer to follow. A problem stated in one paragraph should be followed by a solution in the next paragraph. A general statement should be followed by an example.

You won't always anticipate the development correctly, but that doesn't matter. What's important is that you think as you read. Apart from thinking being a good idea on its own, thinking as you read prevents you from overloading your short-term memory with details because your brain is already occupied.

Page 12 Writing IM (Instant Message) Summaries to Yourself Can Be Helpful
You know you shouldn't underline details on the SAT as you read, but if you're used to writing margin notes in the books you read for school—an outstanding practice that I highly recommend—this next technique may appeal to you.

When you read the newspaper, most articles start off with a main headline that summarizes the entire article. Every few paragraphs you will often see a sub headline that summarizes the next few paragraphs. If you were to read only those headlines, you'd understand the gist of the entire article without getting swamped by all the details.

Unfortunately, SAT passages don't come with helpful titles or subtitles, but you can write them yourself. I call these IM Summaries to emphasize that you should keep them super-short, as if you were writing a text message to a friend.

Keep it brief. Your IM summaries don't need to be grammatically correct, and of course you should abbreviate as much as possible. Your IM summaries are for your benefit; it's not like anyone else will read them.

Creating these IM summaries is an active process that forces you to come to grips with the main idea of each paragraph. Many students find that this process helps them focus and helps them ignore the details (which won't help you write a summary).

If you have trouble summarizing a paragraph, you're reading the text too closely and getting lost in the details. In other words, read only enough of a paragraph to summarize its contents. As soon as you've read enough of a paragraph to write an IM summary, jump to the next paragraph and continue the process. Get to the questions; get to the questions.

IM Summary Drill
In the sample passage you just read, create IM summaries for each of the three paragraphs. Try to create your summaries without rereading the entire passage, which would defeat the point. You'll find my summaries on the last page of this article.

The Fourth and Final Step:Answering the Questions
The first three steps of our approach to the reading passages and questions are designed to let you extract the gist of the passage as quickly as possible so that you'll be prepared to spend most of your time on the questions.

After we finish discussing our process of elimination techniques, we'll discuss the minor modifications we need to make to our general method for special situations. Finally, we'll consider how to manage your time to maximize the number of questions you're able to answer correctly.

Take a Break from the Reading Section for Now
We've covered a lot of ground in this article so you've earned a breather. If you'd like to do more work today, I'd recommend switching to a different SAT subject—math, vocabulary, whatever—but give the basic reading concepts you've just learned a day or so to gel before you move on to the advanced reading concepts.

The reading method you've learned in this article can be applied to your everyday school reading as well. Try using this approach when you have lengthy nonfiction reading assignments—not fiction—and you'll be amazed at how much time you['ll save. The more you use these techniques, the more comfortable you'll be using them under pressure on the actual SAT.

Page 13 Answers to the IM Summary Drill
Here are my IM summaries for the three paragraphs from the sample passage. Keep in mind that yours may be quite different from mine; the important thing is to get the gist right.

Paragraph #1: translators need common sense Paragraph #2: Italian example, sense more important than words Paragraph #3: translation equals negotiation On the actual exam I would have used abbreviations, so actually my test booklet would have had margin notes more like the following:Paragraph #1: trans. need com. s. Paragraph #2: Ital. ex, sense> words Paragraph #3: trans. =neg.