SAT Prep Course –

Critical Reading IIPassage-Based Reading

Jennifer L. Fry

jenniferfry1@mac.com · (469)995-5771

1

Verbal: Critical Reading II Overview

You will encounter 48 passage-based reading

questions in Critical Reading.

No specific prior knowledge of the subject matter

is required in order to do well on these questions.

There is no way to study in advance for the topics

covered, but you can effectively prepare yourself to

do well.2

Verbal: Critical Reading II Essential Preparation

Escalate the amount of reading and listening you

do to elevate your exposure to global issues and

new vocabulary.

Time, Newsweek, The Economist, Scientific American, National

Geographic, PBS, BBC…

Additionally, practice makes perfect. Practice these

questions and practice them a lot.

3

Verbal: Critical Reading II Recommendations

• Mark the passages in your test booklet. Underline key words and phrases as you read.

• Try taking a real interest in what you are reading. Psych yourself up a bit and approach every passage with the proper attitude.

• While reading, ask yourself, “what are they talking about?” You want to keep the BIG

PICTURE in mind as you progress.

• Harder passage? Take a peek at the questions to get a sense of what you are looking for while reading. 4

Verbal: Critical Reading II Extended Reasoning Questions

With these questions, you are asked to draw

conclusions or evaluate information, such as

themes, tone, parallel themes, and the author’s

purpose or attitude.

Certain key words and phrases will appear in the

passage which you should underline, words like

probably, apparently, seems, suggest, it can be

inferred, the author implies, etc.5

Verbal: Critical Reading II Extended Reasoning Questions

Extended reasoning questions are likely to ask you

to identify assumptions or inferences the author

may be making and it is important to be prepared

to identify these.

1. Assumption - a supposition an author makes to

reach a conclusion.

2. Inference – a conclusion reached based upon

something said in a passage.

6

Verbal: Critical Reading II Vocabulary in Context Questions

Here you are asked to identify the meaning of the

word as used in the passage. If you do not

immediately know the meaning of the word, often

you can figure it out by carefully reading the

surrounding text.

Some words will have multiple meanings and it is

probably not the most common definition of the

word that will be the correct answer.7

Verbal: Critical Reading II Literal Comprehension Questions

These questions tend to be the easiest to answer

because the correct answer can be gleaned directly

from the passage.

Immediately eliminate wrong answers to save you

a lot of time. Be on the look out for words such as

except, not, and only and underline those words.

8

Verbal: Critical Reading II Double Reading Passages

These passages will have a common theme or subject

and one of the passages will oppose, support or relate

to the other passage.

Try this method to avoid frustration:

1. Read the first passage and answer questions related

to it ONLY.

2. Read the second passage and answer its questions.

3. Answer the questions that relate to both passages

last.9

Verbal: Critical Reading II Recommendations

If you experience difficulty completing the verbal

subsections, you should skip the longest reading

passage and come back to it only if you have

time. Since all answers are worth the same

number of points, you will have more time to

devote to all the other questions that take far less

time to answer.

10

Verbal: Critical Reading II Exercise

1. Turn to p. 57 of The Official SAT Study Guide,

Second Edition, and answer questions 1-8.

2. Turn to p. 60 of The Official SAT Study Guide,

Second Edition, and answer questions 9-19.

3. Turn to p. 664 of The Official SAT Study Guide,

Second Edition, and answer questions 13-24.

11

Verbal: Critical Reading II Homework Assignment

Answer questions 7-19 on p. 792-794 of The Official SAT Study

Guide, Second Edition.

12