Reading skills practice For upcoming college readiness tests

Types of words you might see The sentence in the passage… contrasts Implies Infers Clarifies Alters Contradicts Illustrates Concludes analyzes

The passage contrasts or contradicts … Shows differences / opposites The gardener snake is harmless, yet the coral snake is deadly.

The passage states a cause/effect… Cause is an action: Because She forgot to study Effect is a result or consequence of the action: she failed the exam.

The sentence clarifies… Makes clear or understandable The bear is a creature motivated by instinct. In other words, it usually reacts aggressively when cornered.

The statement analyzes… Analyzing takes apart information and explains material

The passage illustrates… To clearly present with detail Last winter was devastating to the small town. Large oak Trees uprooted, homes collapsed, and animals died from hunger.

The author implies… When an author Hints at the topic without directly stating it The instructor slammed her fist on the desk and stared at the students in front of her. Hint: She is very angry at their behavior.

Central point The most important idea the author presents. It revolves around what the author is trying to communicate to the reader.

Main idea What the topic is mostly about. It is a combination of all the details presented in the passage. It is not just one specific detail Detail + Detail+ detail = Main idea

Inference & Conclusion Inference = an educated guess made by the details provided in the text Conclusion = a prediction of an outcome based on the inference Traffic was at a stand-still on the highway. Inference: There is an accident up ahead Conclusion: You will be late to your destination.

TONE/attitude The way an author feels about a subject. oftentimes punctuation and adjectives can indicate tone. Do you know what these mean? Sarcastic Solemn Cynical Apathetic