Reading Study Guide for the CBEST

Page 4

More Comprehension and Context Skills

Main Idea or Purpose

The main idea of a piece (also called a thesis ) is essentially the entire work summed up in a single sentence. If you were writing a persuasive essay, for instance, your thesis might be, “All new vehicles should be equipped with remote-controlled emergency braking systems.” This provides a summary of your argument, as well as a direction for your argument to follow.

The main idea of a paragraph or passage is often stated in the first sentence, but may be found elsewhere in the text. When you think you have found the main idea, quickly look back at the passage to see if all, or most, of the information given speaks to that main idea. If it does, your answer choice is correct.

Summarization

A summarization of a work is a short and concise “wrap-up” of something. The most easily recognizable summary is the paragraph found on the back of movie covers; these paragraphs give a brief overview of the content of the film.

In writing, the basic idea is the same: a summary provides a brief overview of a work’s content, either providing information or enticing someone to read that work.

Identifying Facts and Details

As you work to identify facts, ask yourself these questions: Is this independently verifiable or backed up by evidence? If the answer is yes, you have likely found a fact. When searching for details, ask, “Does this support or provide insight into a piece?” If the answer is yes, you have found a detail. If the answer is no, keep searching—every piece should contain at least a few facts and details.

Drawing Conclusions

Drawing conclusions requires several steps: reading, analyzing, and deciding. In a persuasive piece, for instance, you might read the essay, analyze the arguments, and decide if the piece is adequately supported and superbly argued. This leads to the conclusion that the work is (or is not) accurate.

In a narrative, drawing conclusions will look different; instead of having much of the work done for you, you will have to pick out supporting details on your own and find the nuances of a piece to determine what the author is saying. This might include drawing conclusions about the purpose of the author or drawing conclusions about the redemptive qualities of a villain. The conclusion is not usually specifically stated, but might be inferred from statements made.

Making Inferences

Making inferences essentially involves making logical jumps to a conclusion not necessarily spelled out for the audience. For instance, if a character was described as carrying a book bag, being in a hurry, and tucking a pencil behind his ear, a safe inference would be that the character in question is late for school.

Inferences may also be made in arguments; if an author reveals that a man is being held for questioning for a hit and run, and he has a quarrel with the victim, as well as matching the description of the perpetrator, you might infer that he is the perpetrator.

Using Context Clues

Context clues are parts of text that lend insight into the meaning of something. Look at the words and sentences surrounding the word or concept you do not understand. Using those words and sentences, work to uncover the most likely meaning of the concept, word, or phrase. For example, you may be stumped by the word euphemisms, at first, but consider the surrounding words in this passage:

The doctor was always careful to express things in a kind, considerate manner, even if the news was less than positive. His euphemisms were well known throughout the hospital.

Now, it becomes apparent that euphemism must mean a kind, considerate way of expressing oneself.

Identifying Figurative Speech and Colloquial Language

Figurative speech is the opposite of literal speech. While literal speech should be taken at face value, figurative speech uses words and phrases to convey an idea using metaphors or evocative language. “This is taking forever” is an example of figurative speech; whatever is being discussed is clearly not taking a literal eternity, but feels interminable.

In a similar vein, colloquial language is language that might be figurative or might not, but that relies upon an informal method of delivery to convey meaning. A colloquial phrase might be “She’s out.” rather than “She is no longer here.” Colloquial language is both informal and typically relegated to conversation.

Recognizing Transition Words

Transition words are words that create a bridge between two or more ideas. Transition words might denote time (words such as before, next, and after), or may simply indicate a shift in discussion tactics (words such as however and conversely). To identify and recognize indicators of a transition, search for a break in a sentence or idea. Has a second step been added to a series of instructions? A transition will be placed there. Is a sentence veering to a negative view of a topic, immediately following a positive one? A transition should be present. First, identify the shift in perspective or ideas, then search for the word that connects the two (or more) ideas.

Research and Reference Skills

Given a variety of research materials, you need to be able to draw conclusions and gain information from the information presented, including:

Using Features such as:

  • Table of contents: The table of contents will serve as a reference for the layout of a book or magazine, giving page numbers for various topics and chapters.

  • Index: An index also serves as a way for you to look things up; however, rather than grouping these things by chapter, an index groups things by topic via a keyword. Most indexes are in alphabetical order and include more specific information than the table of contents.

  • Section headings: Section headings are useful, in that they provide single-sentence or single-phrase summary of a section’s contents.

  • Other reference tools: Other reference tools might include a glossary, which is a sort of mini-dictionary that only includes words from the text. There might also be one or more appendices (appendix is the singular version of this word). Appendices provide additional information in the form of graphs, pictures, tables, maps, and other devices.

Locating Information

To locate information in a particular place, use any of the reference materials listed previously. A simple glance through the table of contents might yield the results you seek, while a more detailed look through the index of a work will likely yield faster, more detailed results. A quick flip through the work, noting section headings can also help. If the material is shorter, such as a passage, you should be able to skim it quickly for key words and locate the information necessary.

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