Below are some suggestions for taking and passing exams in language arts (reading). For additional help, see the Some Hands-on Study Suggestions section on the Extra Tools page of this website.
Language Arts - Reading
Take time to read and understand each of the following literary works:
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Drama
- Nonfiction
To help you understand what you've read, try the following:
- Use the flashcards and quizzes for each topic in the Reading section.
- Select a piece of literature from each of the four areas.
- Look for the deeper meaning beyond the words that are shown.
- Write out a list of questions based on the text you have read. Then
answer the questions.
- Paraphrase or reword the text you're reading using your own words.
Some Helpful Tools
To look for the deeper meaning is the ability to read, comprehend, and draw conclusions.
For example:
An Overview of Truffles Comforters
Truffles Comforters is a manufacturing company in Des Moines, Iowa that produces quilted comforters. These comforters are shipped to retail stores in the mid-western states where they are sold to retail customers.
Truffles Comforters has been in business for the past five years. Their sales have a direct correlation to seasonal temperatures. For this reason, Truffles Comforters has seen lower sales in the spring and summer and higher sales in the fall and winter.
Look for the Deeper Meaning
Keep in mind : Truffles Comforters is a fictitious manufacturing company that is used to demonstrate critical thinking.
Create a List of Questions to Answer
When reading any sentence, paragraph, or essay, remember to ask the following five questions:
1. Who is involved?
2. What action is taking place?
3. When is the action taking place?
4. Where is the action taking place?
5. Why is the action considered important?
Let's look at the following example:
The girl is shivering in the rain.
1. Who? The girl is the subject of this sentence.
2. What? The girl is shivering.
3. When? The action is possibly taking place in the spring or autumn.
4. Where? The action seems to be taking place outside.
5. Why?
By knowing the definition of certain words, we can replace wordy phrases with concise words that mean the same thing.
Example:
Applying yourself with steadfast diligence at the university in which you matriculate will determine your future success. (17 words)
Paraphrase:
Your hard work and commitment at the college where you are enrolled will determine how successful you are in the future. (21 words)
We can make this sentence more concise:
Your hard work during college will determine your future success. (10 words)
Paraphrase
We can draw this conclusion because it rains more often during these seasons, and the temperatures are usually chillier than they are in the summer.
We can conclude that the girl is shivering because she is standing for a long time in a place where there is no shelter, and she is not wearing a coat or jacket.
Exam Help
