Rocketcat says: If you are taking the SAT today, remember:
Rocket's RACECAR Strategy:
1. Read, quickly and smoothly, from upper left corner, with title, through directions and through the question, predicting the possible answers in streamlined style. Then, choose the answer best fitting your guess. Mark it. Go backwards (palindrome) to eliminate one other possibility, if you have not done this while solving. This part is to make sure you answered the intended question instead of something else.
2. On math problems featuring low numbers, expect to jot down some steps. Don't give up because the problem looks unfamiliar; but don't spend too much time either. Mark an answer that you reach by following all the steps you feel will at least get you close. Plan to come back, but keep going.
Pace yourself by spending enough time on the ones you do best and restrained time on the ones that challenge you.
Just go with the format; give your best attention; VISUALIZE what you read.
Make little movies in your head and draw little diagrams to keep visualizing. Think: I can solve this. Try. Mark an answer. Keep Moving until you finish.
Get the points: Know what you know. Keep a pace--and come back with any leftover time. Use all your time. Check systematically--eliminating one more answer to make sure you are answering the question asked.
Then, go relax!!!judiethcarol&RocketcatApril2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
SPEED TO POINTS ON SAT ON MAY 1
Rocketcat’s RACECAR STRATEGY IS ABOUT GETTING THE CORRECT ANSWER QUICKLY AND CONFIDENTLY. ROCKETCAR STRATEGY ON TODAY’S SAT QUESTION RESULTS IN THE CORRECT ANSWER MARKED IN WELL UNDER A MINUTE.
Rocketcat rarely misses the answer on a question in one of the several formats of the language arts questions. Today is an example of the way he solves these. He follows the strategy, and he has answered and checked in UNDER A MINUTE.
The following study and understanding for life will take you about five minutes to do.
You will practice the strategy below. Do the question for yourself on the www.collegeboard.com site. Come to this site, daily, and review past questions and strategies from the archives.
You can use the ROCKETCAT RACECAR c strategy to gain points on many test questions.
Notice the kinds of sentence errors to PREDICT you WILL see on the SAT and other standardized tests.
One key for your success is to know the correct forms to use.
Predict what is incorrect while simultaneously (at the same time) realizing that this is the way the SAT finds out if you know what you know about sentence errors.
Reading the title REMINDS (note the meaning –re minds—putting the information back into the part of your mind that you are using right now on the test) your brain.
1-From familiarity with the format by practicing in books such as the Princeton Review for the SAT or by practicing on the SAT College Board site, Rocket sees the type of question he loves—a reading and writing question.
2-Rocket immediately employs his patent Rocketcat RACECAR strategy:
• Start driving from the beginning upper corner, and speed forward left to right—reading the title: SENTENCE COMPLETION.
• Read the directions—Look for the error in underlined portions. To leave the sentence the way it is, the option is E. (This choice is different for some types of verbal questions.)
• Look at the underlined portions while speeding through the sentence from the left to the right (beginning to end)
• LOOK FOR AN ERROR THAT YOU KNOW WILL BE IN THIS FORMAT: errors in verb tense, errors in person (first, second, third—I,you, he,she,it for singular or we, you, they for plural), errors in punctuation (a comma splice, run-on sentence), errors in pronoun-antecedent (using ‘it’ when referring to a person, for example).
• WHEN YOU SEE THE ERROR, STOP AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
• MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION IF YOU HAVE ALREADY FOUND AT LEAST ONE OTHER UNDERLINED PORTION YOU KNOW IS CORRECT.
(Rocketcat sees a dog running across a field out the window at this point. He comes back to his driving: He could have an accident if he does not do this speedy RACECAR strategy correctly.
VISUALIZING
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, in less than a minute, is that he uses the mind of an English teacher.
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, marks the answers, moves on with confidence is that Rocketcat takes the Rocketcat Racecar Strategy, invented by judiethcarol&Rocketcat, with him in the RACECAR through a question like this one.
If you are taking the SAT on May 1, you can look over the past articles on Rocket’s SAT website: www.coorocketschool.org (notice that .org is the ongoing SAT Q&A explanation blog). Rocket has other websites so stick with the ‘org’ one for SAT when in the last days before the test.
TODAY’S SENTENCE: ROCKET NEEDS TO VISUALIZE. HE HAS THE UNDERLINED PORTIONS IN CAPS HERE. They SHOUT visually to Rocketcat. Rocketcat is deaf. He is a visual learner.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments
‘CALL FOR’ is a little odd but not incorrect in any of the predictable ways
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDES (SCREEECH—This is the error! Special instruments which include is the correct form—This test is using an error of verb agreement in number (singular or plural), a favorite on the SAT. The number verb form is not correct. ThePLURAL instruments INCLUDE (plural form)
MARK your answer sheet for the B. answer.
Now, back up (Rocketcat RACECAR—check one on the backup—RACECAR reads the same in reverse and speeds in reverse, as well). Go back and make sure one more underlined portion is correct. This is to be sure you did not overlook something about the question.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDE (as you correct this) the hi-hat, a pair of cymbals OPERATED BY a foot pedal…
There’s nothing wrong with “cymbals operated by a foot pedal.”
Now, you have checked two underlined portions other than the error you found. You’ve CHECKED this answer. KEEP MOVING ON THE TEST. When you have a different type of question to solve, you will be taking more time on that question and answer only—and, then, if your method is too long, you may need to choose an answer and move on. See the mathematics part of yesterday’s strategies (April 27 and April 28 together). Those math questions REQUIRE a little extra time—just to get the fairly simple answer. The SAT is determining if you can pace yourself.judiethcarolandrocketcatApril2832010c.
Rocketcat rarely misses the answer on a question in one of the several formats of the language arts questions. Today is an example of the way he solves these. He follows the strategy, and he has answered and checked in UNDER A MINUTE.
The following study and understanding for life will take you about five minutes to do.
You will practice the strategy below. Do the question for yourself on the www.collegeboard.com site. Come to this site, daily, and review past questions and strategies from the archives.
You can use the ROCKETCAT RACECAR c strategy to gain points on many test questions.
Notice the kinds of sentence errors to PREDICT you WILL see on the SAT and other standardized tests.
One key for your success is to know the correct forms to use.
Predict what is incorrect while simultaneously (at the same time) realizing that this is the way the SAT finds out if you know what you know about sentence errors.
Reading the title REMINDS (note the meaning –re minds—putting the information back into the part of your mind that you are using right now on the test) your brain.
1-From familiarity with the format by practicing in books such as the Princeton Review for the SAT or by practicing on the SAT College Board site, Rocket sees the type of question he loves—a reading and writing question.
2-Rocket immediately employs his patent Rocketcat RACECAR strategy:
• Start driving from the beginning upper corner, and speed forward left to right—reading the title: SENTENCE COMPLETION.
• Read the directions—Look for the error in underlined portions. To leave the sentence the way it is, the option is E. (This choice is different for some types of verbal questions.)
• Look at the underlined portions while speeding through the sentence from the left to the right (beginning to end)
• LOOK FOR AN ERROR THAT YOU KNOW WILL BE IN THIS FORMAT: errors in verb tense, errors in person (first, second, third—I,you, he,she,it for singular or we, you, they for plural), errors in punctuation (a comma splice, run-on sentence), errors in pronoun-antecedent (using ‘it’ when referring to a person, for example).
• WHEN YOU SEE THE ERROR, STOP AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
• MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION IF YOU HAVE ALREADY FOUND AT LEAST ONE OTHER UNDERLINED PORTION YOU KNOW IS CORRECT.
(Rocketcat sees a dog running across a field out the window at this point. He comes back to his driving: He could have an accident if he does not do this speedy RACECAR strategy correctly.
VISUALIZING
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, in less than a minute, is that he uses the mind of an English teacher.
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, marks the answers, moves on with confidence is that Rocketcat takes the Rocketcat Racecar Strategy, invented by judiethcarol&Rocketcat, with him in the RACECAR through a question like this one.
If you are taking the SAT on May 1, you can look over the past articles on Rocket’s SAT website: www.coorocketschool.org (notice that .org is the ongoing SAT Q&A explanation blog). Rocket has other websites so stick with the ‘org’ one for SAT when in the last days before the test.
TODAY’S SENTENCE: ROCKET NEEDS TO VISUALIZE. HE HAS THE UNDERLINED PORTIONS IN CAPS HERE. They SHOUT visually to Rocketcat. Rocketcat is deaf. He is a visual learner.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments
‘CALL FOR’ is a little odd but not incorrect in any of the predictable ways
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDES (SCREEECH—This is the error! Special instruments which include is the correct form—This test is using an error of verb agreement in number (singular or plural), a favorite on the SAT. The number verb form is not correct. ThePLURAL instruments INCLUDE (plural form)
MARK your answer sheet for the B. answer.
Now, back up (Rocketcat RACECAR—check one on the backup—RACECAR reads the same in reverse and speeds in reverse, as well). Go back and make sure one more underlined portion is correct. This is to be sure you did not overlook something about the question.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDE (as you correct this) the hi-hat, a pair of cymbals OPERATED BY a foot pedal…
There’s nothing wrong with “cymbals operated by a foot pedal.”
Now, you have checked two underlined portions other than the error you found. You’ve CHECKED this answer. KEEP MOVING ON THE TEST. When you have a different type of question to solve, you will be taking more time on that question and answer only—and, then, if your method is too long, you may need to choose an answer and move on. See the mathematics part of yesterday’s strategies (April 27 and April 28 together). Those math questions REQUIRE a little extra time—just to get the fairly simple answer. The SAT is determining if you can pace yourself.judiethcarolandrocketcatApril2832010c.
TWO STRATEGIES FOR MATH AND LANGUAGE POINTS ON MAY 1 SAT
The April 27th question is a math question. Only 36% got this answer correct out of well over 200,000 attempts. There was an EASY way to get it right. Unfortunately, there was an even EASIER way to get it wrong. A higher percentage went that easy (but sort of clever) route to lose the point. By judiethcarol&rocketcatcApril2010
Now, let’s look at the two classic examples of strategies to use in math and in language arts on the test.
The SAT test is Saturday of this week, May 1st, so let me use this math question to reinforce a strategy to use to accomplish your very best possible performance on Saturday. If you are taking the test at a later date, we can do MORE to improve your performance.
April 27th, a math question—and April 28th, a sentence completion show patterns to follow to answer questions correctly on the SAT. You may look at archived articles on this site for more guidance. Here’s the short version:
1. Use the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy on the ‘language arts’ questions. Speed forward. Make up a possible answer. Find the answer that fits the same way as your made up answers. Zip backwards to eliminate at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to check if you are answering the question asked!
2. Notice when a question in math has all low numbers and all different numbers for the question. You are probably about to be asked to do several little problems to solve the problem. If you dive for the answer that SEEMS to be right because you ‘see’ this answer right away, you are almost definitely answering a different question.
SUMMARY: Realize that the design of the Scholastic Aptitude Test is not to ‘trick’ you; but if the answer is extremely easy to solve—especially if you are not a teacher in that content area—be certain to answer the correct question. The ‘trick’ part is that the answer to the wrong question will be one of the possible answers.
This design is to measure your attention to what you know. This is part of what ‘aptitude’ is. The Scholastic Aptitude Test is an attempt to find out if you sift through these possible answers to find the correct one. After all, the answers are there in front of you.
To use the next couple of questions to improve Saturday’s performance if you are taking the SAT:
• Note carefully the type of question that you do well. CHECK those answers by eliminating at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to make sure that you answered the question asked.
• Notice the percentage of responses that were correct on the practice questions you do between now and the test. If the percentage is low, like today, realize that this may be a question to use the ‘difficult’ question strategy—and do it. On the ones you may be able to improve, try to mark your booklet to come back.
‘Difficult’ question strategy: Note what IS simple about the question. In this one, all the numbers are low: 1,2,3 and 4,5,6. ANOTHER simple point is that the numbers are not repeated in the x column and the y column. The numbers are not repeated within the column: x=1, x=2, or x=3 or between the two columns: y=4, y=5, or y=6.
If you THINK you see an easy way to get the answer to a question like this one, you are probably missing a step. Eliminate at least one other answer to make sure you are answering the correct question.
Answer the question that is asked—not another question.
The way to ‘miss’ the answer to this one is to look at the low numbers and the possible combinations –and to notice that the ‘highest’ answer is 9. Well, you see by just counting that there are at least NINE combinations. So, you are ready to choose 9. Yay!
BUT THAT’S NOT THE AUESTION THAT IS ASKED: You are asked how many different values may result in the addition of these values for x and y. You ARE NOT ASKED HOW MANY COMBINATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. Nine is the answer to that question.
You are asked how many DIFFERENT SUMS are possible.
If the answer seems as fast as answering ‘9’ is to this question, LOOK AT THE QUESTION AGAIN.
Also, do NOT think that you will just not be asked to do several steps to find an answer. You WILL be asked to do several steps. A clue here is that the numbers are so low. PLUS, YOU HAVE A CALCULATOR.
But doing these quickly on paper with pencil is the fastest way. Better yet, this is the most VISUAL way. Jot down: 1+4=5, 1+5=6, 1+6=7; 2+4=6; 2+5=7; 2+6=8.3+4=7; 3+5=8; 3+6=9. Okay, 4+1 is already done. You will not have to go down the y column far to realize that you’ve done these problems when you go from y to x rather than from x to y. . But it will not hurt your count to do them because YOU ARE COUNTING HOW MANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS YOU GET.
You can get 5, 6, 7—oh, that’s 6 again—nope. You can get –no, that’s 7 again. Well, there is 8—oh, there are 7 and 8 again. Then, that highest one is 9.
5,6,7,8,9 Count those possible answers. There are five different answer possibilities.
Friend, this was NOT difficult. You just did not want to believe that you can speed through one of our RACECAR questions—even a few in math—but THIS one, even with a straightforward list of values already given for x and for y—THIS one is going to take some jotting down figures. But it’s pretty easy because it is so visual, right? You can COUNT the number of possibilities.
Now, let’s look at the April 28th question. Come back when you finish.
www.collegeboard .com
SAT question for the day
How did you do on the April 28th question?
Now you are back to ROCKET’S RACECAR STRATEGY. The opposite from yesterday’s strategy to go ahead and jot down several steps to solve the problem—realizing that you have low enough numbers and only two columns with all different numbers. In short, yesterday, you could do several steps to solve a problem.
Today, you need to realize that several steps are NOT necessary. You know the answer you are looking for by filling in the blank with a word type that would work for the ‘sense’ and connotation (feeling) of the sentence. You do begin by reading the title: Sentence Completion and the Directions: You are looking for the BEST word to fill in.
Then, you merely read the sentence and think of a word that would fit. You look below and find the word most like the word you dreamed up. CHOOSE IT IMMEDIATELY AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
Then, you come back and eliminate at least one of the wrong answers. That way, you make sure you get the point you know. You make sure that you did not answer a different question from the one asked. (See April 27th above).
Here is how the ROCKETCAT RACECAR strategy works on the ‘easy’ April 28th completion question:
Speed smoothly forward through the title (sentence completion) and keep driving, top down, through the directions. (Yes, we know these from practice but reading them each time puts us in the smooth, speedy, ACCURATE mindset.
We are looking for the BEST word.
Now let’s drive straight on, full speed ahead through the sentence, filling in a word that fits. We are racing, but with purpose to reach the finish line ahead of the others:
Exotic and indigenous weeds include some of the most_____ species;
(NOTE: I don’t have a clue yet except the word will be descriptive—beautiful?—I’m guessing a descriptive word that fits exotic , but I still need a better clue because I’m not sure that ‘weeds’ will be described as beautiful.
So here is the entire sentence:
Exotics and indigenous weeds include some of the most _____ species; their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Okay, I am looking for a word that can be descriptive AND emphasizes that you will see (visual) the plants in these species before the other plants. In my mind’s eye, I see orchids and dandelions along the roadside as we speed by.
I am looking for a word that means that these plants are eye-catching.
A. Lethal (No, that’s deadly—lethal weapon)
B. Diffuse (no, that isn’t about catching your eye..)
C. Varied (well, that fits the sentence okay and ‘varied’ could catch your eye, but not a winner) Keep driving. Nobody would say ‘varied’ sounds like the BEST completion.
D. Striking (Aha! The word striking FITS)
MARK IT AND MOVE ON. You have eliminated enough. If, because you were not familiar enough with some words, you feel your foot going to the brake pedal, go ahead and try out E. resilient.
Speed backwards (RACECAR IS THE SAME WORD BACKWARDS, a palindrome). Nope, resilient is not incorrect in the sentence. But it does not indicate that you are about to read: their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Only ‘striking’ does the job of being the ‘beautiful and/or able to eclipse the other plants when you see it.judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010
Now, let’s look at the two classic examples of strategies to use in math and in language arts on the test.
The SAT test is Saturday of this week, May 1st, so let me use this math question to reinforce a strategy to use to accomplish your very best possible performance on Saturday. If you are taking the test at a later date, we can do MORE to improve your performance.
April 27th, a math question—and April 28th, a sentence completion show patterns to follow to answer questions correctly on the SAT. You may look at archived articles on this site for more guidance. Here’s the short version:
1. Use the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy on the ‘language arts’ questions. Speed forward. Make up a possible answer. Find the answer that fits the same way as your made up answers. Zip backwards to eliminate at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to check if you are answering the question asked!
2. Notice when a question in math has all low numbers and all different numbers for the question. You are probably about to be asked to do several little problems to solve the problem. If you dive for the answer that SEEMS to be right because you ‘see’ this answer right away, you are almost definitely answering a different question.
SUMMARY: Realize that the design of the Scholastic Aptitude Test is not to ‘trick’ you; but if the answer is extremely easy to solve—especially if you are not a teacher in that content area—be certain to answer the correct question. The ‘trick’ part is that the answer to the wrong question will be one of the possible answers.
This design is to measure your attention to what you know. This is part of what ‘aptitude’ is. The Scholastic Aptitude Test is an attempt to find out if you sift through these possible answers to find the correct one. After all, the answers are there in front of you.
To use the next couple of questions to improve Saturday’s performance if you are taking the SAT:
• Note carefully the type of question that you do well. CHECK those answers by eliminating at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to make sure that you answered the question asked.
• Notice the percentage of responses that were correct on the practice questions you do between now and the test. If the percentage is low, like today, realize that this may be a question to use the ‘difficult’ question strategy—and do it. On the ones you may be able to improve, try to mark your booklet to come back.
‘Difficult’ question strategy: Note what IS simple about the question. In this one, all the numbers are low: 1,2,3 and 4,5,6. ANOTHER simple point is that the numbers are not repeated in the x column and the y column. The numbers are not repeated within the column: x=1, x=2, or x=3 or between the two columns: y=4, y=5, or y=6.
If you THINK you see an easy way to get the answer to a question like this one, you are probably missing a step. Eliminate at least one other answer to make sure you are answering the correct question.
Answer the question that is asked—not another question.
The way to ‘miss’ the answer to this one is to look at the low numbers and the possible combinations –and to notice that the ‘highest’ answer is 9. Well, you see by just counting that there are at least NINE combinations. So, you are ready to choose 9. Yay!
BUT THAT’S NOT THE AUESTION THAT IS ASKED: You are asked how many different values may result in the addition of these values for x and y. You ARE NOT ASKED HOW MANY COMBINATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. Nine is the answer to that question.
You are asked how many DIFFERENT SUMS are possible.
If the answer seems as fast as answering ‘9’ is to this question, LOOK AT THE QUESTION AGAIN.
Also, do NOT think that you will just not be asked to do several steps to find an answer. You WILL be asked to do several steps. A clue here is that the numbers are so low. PLUS, YOU HAVE A CALCULATOR.
But doing these quickly on paper with pencil is the fastest way. Better yet, this is the most VISUAL way. Jot down: 1+4=5, 1+5=6, 1+6=7; 2+4=6; 2+5=7; 2+6=8.3+4=7; 3+5=8; 3+6=9. Okay, 4+1 is already done. You will not have to go down the y column far to realize that you’ve done these problems when you go from y to x rather than from x to y. . But it will not hurt your count to do them because YOU ARE COUNTING HOW MANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS YOU GET.
You can get 5, 6, 7—oh, that’s 6 again—nope. You can get –no, that’s 7 again. Well, there is 8—oh, there are 7 and 8 again. Then, that highest one is 9.
5,6,7,8,9 Count those possible answers. There are five different answer possibilities.
Friend, this was NOT difficult. You just did not want to believe that you can speed through one of our RACECAR questions—even a few in math—but THIS one, even with a straightforward list of values already given for x and for y—THIS one is going to take some jotting down figures. But it’s pretty easy because it is so visual, right? You can COUNT the number of possibilities.
Now, let’s look at the April 28th question. Come back when you finish.
www.collegeboard .com
SAT question for the day
How did you do on the April 28th question?
Now you are back to ROCKET’S RACECAR STRATEGY. The opposite from yesterday’s strategy to go ahead and jot down several steps to solve the problem—realizing that you have low enough numbers and only two columns with all different numbers. In short, yesterday, you could do several steps to solve a problem.
Today, you need to realize that several steps are NOT necessary. You know the answer you are looking for by filling in the blank with a word type that would work for the ‘sense’ and connotation (feeling) of the sentence. You do begin by reading the title: Sentence Completion and the Directions: You are looking for the BEST word to fill in.
Then, you merely read the sentence and think of a word that would fit. You look below and find the word most like the word you dreamed up. CHOOSE IT IMMEDIATELY AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
Then, you come back and eliminate at least one of the wrong answers. That way, you make sure you get the point you know. You make sure that you did not answer a different question from the one asked. (See April 27th above).
Here is how the ROCKETCAT RACECAR strategy works on the ‘easy’ April 28th completion question:
Speed smoothly forward through the title (sentence completion) and keep driving, top down, through the directions. (Yes, we know these from practice but reading them each time puts us in the smooth, speedy, ACCURATE mindset.
We are looking for the BEST word.
Now let’s drive straight on, full speed ahead through the sentence, filling in a word that fits. We are racing, but with purpose to reach the finish line ahead of the others:
Exotic and indigenous weeds include some of the most_____ species;
(NOTE: I don’t have a clue yet except the word will be descriptive—beautiful?—I’m guessing a descriptive word that fits exotic , but I still need a better clue because I’m not sure that ‘weeds’ will be described as beautiful.
So here is the entire sentence:
Exotics and indigenous weeds include some of the most _____ species; their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Okay, I am looking for a word that can be descriptive AND emphasizes that you will see (visual) the plants in these species before the other plants. In my mind’s eye, I see orchids and dandelions along the roadside as we speed by.
I am looking for a word that means that these plants are eye-catching.
A. Lethal (No, that’s deadly—lethal weapon)
B. Diffuse (no, that isn’t about catching your eye..)
C. Varied (well, that fits the sentence okay and ‘varied’ could catch your eye, but not a winner) Keep driving. Nobody would say ‘varied’ sounds like the BEST completion.
D. Striking (Aha! The word striking FITS)
MARK IT AND MOVE ON. You have eliminated enough. If, because you were not familiar enough with some words, you feel your foot going to the brake pedal, go ahead and try out E. resilient.
Speed backwards (RACECAR IS THE SAME WORD BACKWARDS, a palindrome). Nope, resilient is not incorrect in the sentence. But it does not indicate that you are about to read: their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Only ‘striking’ does the job of being the ‘beautiful and/or able to eclipse the other plants when you see it.judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Use coolrocketschool.org to prepare MAY 1 SAT
Five minutes here every day will help you to learn how to move quickly AND accurately on the SAT and other standardized tests. Come here to visit daily after you complete the SAT Question for the day on the College Board Site: www.collegeboard.com Next SAT is May 1. http:www.coolrocketschool.org By judiethcarol&rocketcat
April 26th has a Q&A to test the RACECAR STRATEGY in a classic way.
Do the steps below. In less than three minutes, you will learn the strategy to gain points on the SAT and other standardized tests. You will also learn the rules of grammar you will use in other writing. To answer correctly, you use prediction.
The April 26th SAT Question for the day requires Rocketcat’s patent RACECAR STRATEGY to pace yourself well. You already know this style of directions. Read them anyway.
The strategy is to read straight through, reminding your brain of the sequence. You find and mark the correct answer. Then you look back to eliminate at least one incorrect answer to check it in the sentence..
RACECAR is a palindrome. You move forward with smooth and accurate speed. You mark your winning answer neatly. Then you speed backwards (palindrome) to eliminate one incorrect answer to check. Then move on!
The following describes the steps. At the end is today’s question with the correct answer.
1) Read the title: IMPROVE the sentence.
2) Read the directions. Read the directions, as given, straight through. You are looking for the BEST option to IMPROVE the sentence. You choose A. only if no option improves the sentence. On this type of Q&A, the first option does not change anything in the sentence.
3) Read the sentence looking for a predictable error in the underlined portion.
4) TWIST: The underlined portion in this sentence is correct, as is. The problem is in the comma before the underlined portion.
5) This sentence has a comma before the pronoun and verb. The UNDERLINED PORTION HAS TO BE CHANGED TO CORRECT THE COMMA SPLICE RIGHT BEFORE IT. This is a bit of a twist because the comma is NOT underlined. Even so, one of the answers will change the underlined portion so it is no longer a complete phrase.
Look at this again, please. Understanding how this is designed will gain points for you on the test. Understanding how this is designed will also help you to avoid comma splices in your writing. Here is what you are seeing on your first time reading the sentence:
The underlined portion has a pronoun. This pronoun is correct in form for the antecedent. The underlined portion has a verb. This verb is correct in form (tense, number) as well.
This correct underlined portion has to be changed to make the entire sentence correct because changing this part is your only option to avoid two sentences ‘spliced’ with a comma.
Now, you are looking for the change option that will correct a run on sentence error. This type of error is commonly called a comma splice. The comma is splicing (joining) two entire sentences. This is incorrect punctuation. You need a semi-colon, a conjunction (and, but…) with the comma, or a period and a new sentence.
You do not have the option to make a new sentence using the above punctuation corrections of the comma splice. You have to choose an option that will make this sentence correct with different words.
Here is how it looks on the test:
The finest quality raw silk comes from the commonly domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, it feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree.
A. Sentence stays as is. It feeds
B. Feeding (surely, something will be better)
C. They feed (still incorrect with the comma)
D. which feeds (This corrects the sentence. MARK IT ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND MOVE TO YOUR NEXT QUESTION. YOU HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED MORE THAN ONE OR TWO INCORRECT ANSWERS.)judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010c http:www.coolrocketschool.org
April 26th has a Q&A to test the RACECAR STRATEGY in a classic way.
Do the steps below. In less than three minutes, you will learn the strategy to gain points on the SAT and other standardized tests. You will also learn the rules of grammar you will use in other writing. To answer correctly, you use prediction.
The April 26th SAT Question for the day requires Rocketcat’s patent RACECAR STRATEGY to pace yourself well. You already know this style of directions. Read them anyway.
The strategy is to read straight through, reminding your brain of the sequence. You find and mark the correct answer. Then you look back to eliminate at least one incorrect answer to check it in the sentence..
RACECAR is a palindrome. You move forward with smooth and accurate speed. You mark your winning answer neatly. Then you speed backwards (palindrome) to eliminate one incorrect answer to check. Then move on!
The following describes the steps. At the end is today’s question with the correct answer.
1) Read the title: IMPROVE the sentence.
2) Read the directions. Read the directions, as given, straight through. You are looking for the BEST option to IMPROVE the sentence. You choose A. only if no option improves the sentence. On this type of Q&A, the first option does not change anything in the sentence.
3) Read the sentence looking for a predictable error in the underlined portion.
4) TWIST: The underlined portion in this sentence is correct, as is. The problem is in the comma before the underlined portion.
5) This sentence has a comma before the pronoun and verb. The UNDERLINED PORTION HAS TO BE CHANGED TO CORRECT THE COMMA SPLICE RIGHT BEFORE IT. This is a bit of a twist because the comma is NOT underlined. Even so, one of the answers will change the underlined portion so it is no longer a complete phrase.
Look at this again, please. Understanding how this is designed will gain points for you on the test. Understanding how this is designed will also help you to avoid comma splices in your writing. Here is what you are seeing on your first time reading the sentence:
The underlined portion has a pronoun. This pronoun is correct in form for the antecedent. The underlined portion has a verb. This verb is correct in form (tense, number) as well.
This correct underlined portion has to be changed to make the entire sentence correct because changing this part is your only option to avoid two sentences ‘spliced’ with a comma.
Now, you are looking for the change option that will correct a run on sentence error. This type of error is commonly called a comma splice. The comma is splicing (joining) two entire sentences. This is incorrect punctuation. You need a semi-colon, a conjunction (and, but…) with the comma, or a period and a new sentence.
You do not have the option to make a new sentence using the above punctuation corrections of the comma splice. You have to choose an option that will make this sentence correct with different words.
Here is how it looks on the test:
The finest quality raw silk comes from the commonly domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, it feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree.
A. Sentence stays as is. It feeds
B. Feeding (surely, something will be better)
C. They feed (still incorrect with the comma)
D. which feeds (This corrects the sentence. MARK IT ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND MOVE TO YOUR NEXT QUESTION. YOU HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED MORE THAN ONE OR TWO INCORRECT ANSWERS.)judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010c http:www.coolrocketschool.org
Sunday, April 25, 2010
USE SAT QUESTIONS YOU KNOW FOR POINTS AND SPEED
Use your pacing and checking strategies to gather all the points you know. Today's question is a fast one. It is a classic for the strategy to use.
SAT PACE: Move Fast on RACECAR Q&A: Check Quickly
To pace well for high scores on standardized tests, do the ones you know quickly; but check the answers in an abbreviated way. In summary: Get the points you know. Use the speed, with accuracy, to keep moving.
April 25, 2010, Sentence Completion is an easy one for the Rocketcat RACECAR strategy. This is a classic one for the fast forward, mark the answer strategy.
Today’s answer is so quick, as Rocketcat guessed the exact word before looking at the list, that the ‘backwards’ part of the strategy is enough after eliminating one of the other answers. Use the fast answer and quick check to pace along fast enough to spend time on a different type of question.
REVIEW Rocketcat patent RACECAR strategy:
Quickly read the title: We will be completing sentences.
Read the directions: We will be completing the sentence by filling in the blank with the BEST answer.
Read the sentence, noting the clues and connotations (feeling, emotion, tone). Fill in the blank yourself with a word to express the connotation and tone.
A remarkably _________ plant, (already something is remarkable about an aspect of the plant...)
A remarkably ________ plant, the soybean (what is remarkable?) yields not only dairy like products, but also flour, cooking oil, and sprouts.
Rocketcat, with one blue eye and one green eye, is deaf. He visualizes the soybean plant and the milky products and the oil and sprouts and sees ‘different’ ‘varied’ and ‘versatile.’
He looks down the list of words to find a word that means versatile. There it is: versatile. He does not always guess the word ahead, but this time he did.
Rocketcat advises marking this answer immediately on your answer sheet. Then, go backwards (RACECAR is a palindrome, the same frontwards and backwards). Eliminate one of the other answers to make sure you answered the right question. The main thing to check in questions that go fast is that you answered the right question.
Try a couple of the other answers: Do they mean: different, varied, or versatile? If you do not know what some of the words mean, try the ones you do: A remarkably tedious plant (NO!)
A remarkably incessant plant (NO!)
A remarkably versatile plant (YES).
Now, keep going. Move on.judiethcarolandrocketcatapril2010c.
SAT PACE: Move Fast on RACECAR Q&A: Check Quickly
To pace well for high scores on standardized tests, do the ones you know quickly; but check the answers in an abbreviated way. In summary: Get the points you know. Use the speed, with accuracy, to keep moving.
April 25, 2010, Sentence Completion is an easy one for the Rocketcat RACECAR strategy. This is a classic one for the fast forward, mark the answer strategy.
Today’s answer is so quick, as Rocketcat guessed the exact word before looking at the list, that the ‘backwards’ part of the strategy is enough after eliminating one of the other answers. Use the fast answer and quick check to pace along fast enough to spend time on a different type of question.
REVIEW Rocketcat patent RACECAR strategy:
Quickly read the title: We will be completing sentences.
Read the directions: We will be completing the sentence by filling in the blank with the BEST answer.
Read the sentence, noting the clues and connotations (feeling, emotion, tone). Fill in the blank yourself with a word to express the connotation and tone.
A remarkably _________ plant, (already something is remarkable about an aspect of the plant...)
A remarkably ________ plant, the soybean (what is remarkable?) yields not only dairy like products, but also flour, cooking oil, and sprouts.
Rocketcat, with one blue eye and one green eye, is deaf. He visualizes the soybean plant and the milky products and the oil and sprouts and sees ‘different’ ‘varied’ and ‘versatile.’
He looks down the list of words to find a word that means versatile. There it is: versatile. He does not always guess the word ahead, but this time he did.
Rocketcat advises marking this answer immediately on your answer sheet. Then, go backwards (RACECAR is a palindrome, the same frontwards and backwards). Eliminate one of the other answers to make sure you answered the right question. The main thing to check in questions that go fast is that you answered the right question.
Try a couple of the other answers: Do they mean: different, varied, or versatile? If you do not know what some of the words mean, try the ones you do: A remarkably tedious plant (NO!)
A remarkably incessant plant (NO!)
A remarkably versatile plant (YES).
Now, keep going. Move on.judiethcarolandrocketcatapril2010c.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)