SAT Reading Comprehension: Literal Comprehension Strategies

We've seen in the previous lesson that literal comprehension swarm through the SAT reading section like shoppers swarm through Walmart on Black Friday. To avoid being trampled, you must keep a calm head and remember the following tips.

TIPS FOR LITERAL COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Tip 1
Use the point test. An answer choice is correct only if you can take its ideas and then point to corresponding ideas in the passage.

Tip 2
Make sure your answer choice includes all the basic ideas presented in the passage or section of the passage from which you need to draw your answer. Focus on the nouns (people, places, or things) present in the referenced lines. Your correct answer will contain all of these nouns and only these nouns.

TIPS FOR LITERAL COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS IN ACTION

According to most historians, the beginning of Egypt dates back to 3000 BCE, shortly before King Menes united Lower and Upper Egypt to form one nation. As a country with a vast amount of history still to be uncovered, Egypt often appeals to archeologists as the perfect region for practical research. Over the centuries, many precious artifacts from Egypt have been lost. Others are still waiting to be unearthed from the nation’s terra firma. With so many opportunities for archeologists to attempt to fill in the puzzle pieces of Egypt’s past, it often seems as though Egypt holds as many foreign visitors as it does its own citizens.

In lines 2, the author primarily states that:
(A) archeologists prefer to travel to Egypt
(B) Egypt is the oldest country and thus perfect for research
(C) archeologists conduct research in Egypt because of its partially known history
(D) ancient countries appeal to archeologists who wish to do research
(E) foreign visitors to Egypt are attempting to uncover the country’s past

WAIT FOR IT...

Think you've got the answer. Let's check using the point test, starting by picking out the main ideas in the answer choices.

Choice (A): archeologists prefer to travel to Egypt
Choice (B): Egypt is the oldest country and thus perfect for research
Choice (C): archeologists conduct research in Egypt because of its partially known history
Choice (D): ancient countries appeal to archeologists who wish to do research
Choice (E): foreign visitors to Egypt are attempting to uncover the country’s past

Now let's check these ideas against those found in the passage: "As a country with a vast amount of history still to be uncovered, Egypt often appeals to archeologists as the perfect region for practical research."

The correct answer choice must contain all the main ideas found in the lines. Because they only contain some of the ideas, Choice (A), Choice (B), Choice (D), and Choice (E) fail the point test. Only Choice (C) contains all the essential ideas found in the passage.

SAT Literal Comprehension Strategy

Lesson Includes:

—Overview of Literal Comprehension Strategies

—Tips for Literary Comprehension Questions

—Tips for Literary Comprehension Questions in Action

—Explanation for Practice Question

SAT Math

SAT Writing

SAT Reading

SAT Vocabulary