Plenty O’ Paragraph Fun

Read the question stems…

Ex. According to the passage, volcanoes that have explosive eruptions are called…

Read the passage.

If the passage is about an experiment, make sure you pay attention to the controls and variables.

Write down (in margin or scrap paper)…

Key ideas or terms Variables Evidence or supporting facts Different points of view Formulas

Avoid definites

Ex. A.Some of the highest values occurred

during periods of low activityB.The highest values occurred at an activity

level of 5 throughout the observed periodC.The lowest values occurred at an activity

level of 2 throughout the observed periodD.The activity level remained the same

throughout the observed period

Use common sense; most questions can be answered by simply applying some logic.

Ex. Which of the following conclusions about the length of day is consistent with the information provided in the passage?

A. The longer the day, the more photosynthesis takes place

B. The length of the day has no affect on photosynthesisC. The length of day was the most important variable

testedD. Further trials need to be conducted to determine the

true effect of the length of day

Don’t let new information bother you!

Ex. Which conclusion is supported by the experiments?

A. Unable to reproduce due to the absence of bee pollination

You’re not Einstein…and don’t have to be!

Most of the answers to questions are right in the passages even if you don’t understand the topic the passage is about.

Ex. Which of the following explanations would also account for the presence of holes in the images?

A. Unexpected solar eclipsesB. Lightning storms on VenusC. Flaws that occurred when converting the

electronic data to visible imagesD. A uniform thinning of Earth’s atomosphere

Instincts are usually right.

Ex. If scientist 1 is correct, the larger the ant colony, the…

A.Less frequently foraging will occurB.More frequently foraging will occurC.Larger the size of the foraging areaD.Smaller the size of the foraging area

Guess aggressively. Eliminate as many answers as you

can and then make the best guess you can thinking about all related information you know about the question.

Remember that you aren’t penalized for incorrect answers so you shouldn’t leave any answer blank!

Do the easy passages and questions first

Don’t waste time trying to figure out which scientist is right

Don’t panic if you don’t understand both scientists positions; many questions are about one of the arguments…not all of them.

1. Read the stems (of questions)2. Read the passage3. Write it down (notes)4. Avoid definites5. Use common sense6. Don’t let new info. bother you7. You’re not Einstein8. Instincts are usually right9. Guess aggressively