SAT Reading Comprehension: History Passages

History seems to be a subject of extremes. So, at its mention, you probably fall into one of two categories. Either, you are chair-dancing right now, palms sweating with the mere thought of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. Or, you have lapsed into a vegetative state, eyes topped by a glaze thick enough to top donuts with.

Regardless of which group you fall into, be careful. You history fanatics won't be able to use your encyclopedic knowledge in SAT reading passages. You history contrarians won't have to slog through endless lists of names and dates.

Instead, when you deal with a history passage on the SAT, it generally contains two components: 1) a historical period and 2) the lives of a certain group of people within that period. A representative passage might discuss the lives of women (group) during the United States Civil War (historical period).

TIPS FOR HISTORY PASSAGES:

Tip 1
When answering line questions, focus on the group of people rather than the historical period. While the historical period is important for context, it is never in dispute. This fact means that the passage focuses on people, on their actions and reactions within the period of history. For example, correct answers will focus on “women” and not the “U.S. Civil War”.

Tip 2
Do not be distracted by comparison groups. Picking up the previous example, a passage may discuss women during the U.S. Civil War. In order to thoroughly discuss women, men of the same time period will be mentioned in contrast to these women. Yet men are not the focus of the passage, and thus they are generally not included in correct answer choices. In this case, any answer choice that focuses on “men” or “women and men” can almost always be eliminated.

Tip 3
If you have any knowledge of a historical time discussed in a passage, do not use it to select answers. Save your knowledge of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 for parties and to get dates. (Nothing attracts people more than discussions of import duties and foreign agriculatural imports.) While taking the SAT, on the other hand, stick to the passage and its facts.

Tip 4
Except when they occur as double passages, the attitude of history passages is generally neutral and their primary purpose is generally to explain.

SAT Reading: History Passages

Lesson Includes:

—Overview of History Passages

—Tips for History Passages

SAT Math

SAT Writing

SAT Reading

SAT Vocabulary