Question

Dear Mitch,

I agree with Mr. Franklin:  our students, and many of the parents would appreciate it if you went on with various information and strategies for the reading comprehension part of the SAT test.

Thanks,

Mary Von C.

(Just  another instructer who teaches in Mr. Franklin's district).

Answer

 Dear Mary Von C.,

So, to recap yesterday's final point, if and when you encounter the "double portion" of essays on the reading section, I recommend you do not follow their instructions of reading both passages before answering the questions to the first section, then move along to the second essay, read it, and then approach the set of questions that focus on that second essay. And finally, move on to the third set of questions, which usually (and hopefully) are focsued on your making accurate comparisons and spotting fine deliniations between the two.

In such a double passage section more than in any other section, remember that you may not be able to answer an inference question from some inference you make from a particular sentence in one of the essays; more likely, you must combine ideas from each of the two different sections and find  something implied or alluded to as a result of combining your knowledge from reading both essays.

Okay, that's today's standardized test reading section tip to help you achieve a high score, and since we are still in the thick of this complex and important subject, we are certainly not about to 'drop the ball', as they say in sports and in shopping malls across the U.S.,  And so we will continue our progression tomorrow from exactly where we're stopping now. 

Until then, I hope this helps,

Mitch