To go back to the Reading Main Menu, click here.
The SAT Reading section contains 5 passages and each passage has approximately 10 questions. Usually 2-3 questions will be Defining Terms in Context (DTC) questions first. Do these questions first, before reading the passage. Reading the entire passage isn't necessary to complete DTC questions... the only context you need is several lines before and several lines after the word.
Many students mistakenly think DTC questions are vocabulary questions. Wrong!! The SAT isn't testing your vocabulary. They're testing you to see if you know how a specific word is being used in the context of the passage.
The words tested in DTC questions have multiple definitions. For instance, the word "want" has the following definitions:
The key is to pay more attention to the context around the word than the actual word itself. Let's take a look at the example below:
There was a want of water due to the massive drought.
As used in the sentence above, “want” most nearly means
A) desire
B) wish
C) hope
D) absense
Step 1: Read the question and ignore the answer choices:
Read the question and ignore the answer choices. Don't look at the answer choices. Pretend the answer choices don't exist.
Step 2: Refer back to the passage and pay attention to the context around the word. Create your own answer and write it down.
Concentrating on the context is imperative here. When we think of the word "want" , most of us think of "I want this book" ...as in "I wish to have this book" for or "I desire this book." However, we already know that DTC words tested on the SAT have multiple meanings. To correctly answer the question, we must focus on the context: "massive drought." A drought means that there is a lack of water. So "lack" will be the answer we create and write down.
Step 3: Eliminate the 3 answer choices least like the word you wrote down.
When it comes to multiple choice exams, we've all been taught to focus on picking the right answer. Forget about that. The most important thing in SAT Reading is to focus on eliminating the 3 wrong answer choices. Your job isn't done until you've crossed out 3 choices and remain with one answer choice. The words "desire", "wish" and "hope" clearly don't mean "absence", so we can eliminate answer choices A, B, and C. That leaves answer choice D as the correct answer, because the word "absence" refers to a lack of water.
Let's take a look at an example in SAT Practice Test 1 (Section 1: Reading): Look at question #3 in the first passage- The Strangeness of Beauty by Lydia Minatoya.
As used in line 1 and line 65, "directly" most nearly means...
Remember to ignore the answer choices. Whenever a DTC question references the word in two different parts of the passages, it's important for us to if there is any common context.
Lines 1-3: Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form--had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between-- would Chie have been more receptive?
Lines 64-66: I directly because the use of a go-between takes much time.
The word "go-between" is in both line references. From the context, we can figure out that the word "directly" means skipping the step of using a go-between...so the answer we will create and write down is "not using a go-between." The final step is to eliminate the 3 answer choices that least match the answer we created.
Now, let's look at question #8: As used in line 2, "form" most nearly means...
Ignore the answer choices and refer back to the passage...
Lines 1-3: Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form--had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between-- would Chie have been more receptive?
The word "tradition" is a huge clue, so the answer we will create and write down is "tradition"
To go to the next lesson, click here.
The SAT Reading section contains 5 passages and each passage has approximately 10 questions. Usually 2-3 questions will be Defining Terms in Context (DTC) questions first. Do these questions first, before reading the passage. Reading the entire passage isn't necessary to complete DTC questions... the only context you need is several lines before and several lines after the word.
Many students mistakenly think DTC questions are vocabulary questions. Wrong!! The SAT isn't testing your vocabulary. They're testing you to see if you know how a specific word is being used in the context of the passage.
The words tested in DTC questions have multiple definitions. For instance, the word "want" has the following definitions:
- verb have a desire for (something)
- verb ought, should or need to do something
- noun a lack or deficiency of something
- noun a desire for something
The key is to pay more attention to the context around the word than the actual word itself. Let's take a look at the example below:
There was a want of water due to the massive drought.
As used in the sentence above, “want” most nearly means
A) desire
B) wish
C) hope
D) absense
Step 1: Read the question and ignore the answer choices:
Read the question and ignore the answer choices. Don't look at the answer choices. Pretend the answer choices don't exist.
Step 2: Refer back to the passage and pay attention to the context around the word. Create your own answer and write it down.
Concentrating on the context is imperative here. When we think of the word "want" , most of us think of "I want this book" ...as in "I wish to have this book" for or "I desire this book." However, we already know that DTC words tested on the SAT have multiple meanings. To correctly answer the question, we must focus on the context: "massive drought." A drought means that there is a lack of water. So "lack" will be the answer we create and write down.
Step 3: Eliminate the 3 answer choices least like the word you wrote down.
When it comes to multiple choice exams, we've all been taught to focus on picking the right answer. Forget about that. The most important thing in SAT Reading is to focus on eliminating the 3 wrong answer choices. Your job isn't done until you've crossed out 3 choices and remain with one answer choice. The words "desire", "wish" and "hope" clearly don't mean "absence", so we can eliminate answer choices A, B, and C. That leaves answer choice D as the correct answer, because the word "absence" refers to a lack of water.
Let's take a look at an example in SAT Practice Test 1 (Section 1: Reading): Look at question #3 in the first passage- The Strangeness of Beauty by Lydia Minatoya.
As used in line 1 and line 65, "directly" most nearly means...
Remember to ignore the answer choices. Whenever a DTC question references the word in two different parts of the passages, it's important for us to if there is any common context.
Lines 1-3: Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form--had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between-- would Chie have been more receptive?
Lines 64-66: I directly because the use of a go-between takes much time.
The word "go-between" is in both line references. From the context, we can figure out that the word "directly" means skipping the step of using a go-between...so the answer we will create and write down is "not using a go-between." The final step is to eliminate the 3 answer choices that least match the answer we created.
- a) frankly - To be frank with someone means to be honest with somebody. "Honesty" does no equal "not using a go between" (ELIMINATE)
- b) confidently - If we looked up the word "confidently" in the dictionary, we would not see "not using a go-between" (ELIMINATE)
- c) without mediation - On first glance, this may look correct, so I'm going to skip it. Remember, our job isn't done until we eliminate 3 answer choices. (SKIP)
- d) with precision - The word "precision" means exactness or accuracy, which has nothing to do with "not using a go-between" (ELIMINATE)
- Go back to answer choice (c). Since we've eliminated 3, (c) must be correct. A mediator is a "go-between" between 2 people. Remember, don't try to pick the right answer. Eliminate the 3 wrong answers first.
Now, let's look at question #8: As used in line 2, "form" most nearly means...
Ignore the answer choices and refer back to the passage...
Lines 1-3: Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form--had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between-- would Chie have been more receptive?
The word "tradition" is a huge clue, so the answer we will create and write down is "tradition"
- a) appearance - does not mean tradition. (ELIMINATE)
- b) custom - looks like the right answer, but let's skip it for now. Our job is to eliminate 3 answer choices.
- c) structure- does not mean tradition (ELIMINATE)
- d) nature- does not mean tradition (ELIMINATE)
- Go back to answer choice (b). Since we've eliminated 3, (b) must be correct. The words "custom" and "tradition" are synonyms. Remember, don't try to pick the right answer. Eliminate the 3 wrong answers first.
To go to the next lesson, click here.