Systematic Material For Reading Comprehension

[Subodh Kant]

Author's Voice

An important part of critical reading is distinguishing between factual assertions and opinions/interpretations. It's the opinions/interpretations that the Reading Comp passages are built on, and you should pay the most attention to them. Let's say you come upon a paragraph that reads:

The coral polyps secrete calceous exoskeletons, which cement themselves into an underlayer of rock, while the algae deposit still more calcium carbonate, which reacts with sea salt to create an even tougher limestone layer.

A bunch of statements of fact, right? But don't focus on these facts. Keep reading until you get to the more "abstract" author's point: Why he's writing on the topic of coral reef formation. What should grab your attention is the following sentence:

All of this accounts for the amazing renewability of coral reefs despite the endless erosion caused by wave activity.

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To master understanding on whether an author is speaking in his own voice or is recounting another persons opinion, read music or book reviews.
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Consider how different this sentence is from the earlier, more factual one. The phrase this accounts for should tell you, "that's the author talking," saying, "I believe this to be proven cause-and-effect." The same goes for the word amazing. It indicates the author's personal interpretation. Your response to this sentence should be: "Okay. But, how so? Where's your evidence?" In other words, as an active reader, you are demanding support for the author's opinions. You're forcing the author to defend, his view-to tell you what accounts for the "amazing renewability of coral reefs."

Attacking a passage is what critical reading is all about: stepping back from the sheer factual content, figuring out the author's views on a topic and how she arrived at them, and looking for the evidence that must be provided. Be on the lookout for sentences in which the author's voice is coming through, and try to skip past the sentences that are purely factual or simply there for support.

If you find that you don't personally agree with the author's viewpoints, keep it to yourself. In this situation, that's irrelevant. The questions are going to test your command of the author's views, and you can only get in trouble by imposing your own opinions.

[deepak_nanhu]

tried the first 5. i think all of them are incorrect.

1. Cyberspace is often thought of as a realm of freedom, even of fun.
Topic - cyberspace
Scope - goes into parts dealing with cyber crimes after mentioning the entertainment factor
Purpose - he(the author's) tries to show how this space can be used for entertainment and later on goes to bring out the negative aspects too

2. As Asia faces the global economy of the future, it is necessary to take stock of the once arcane issue of intellectual property.
Topic - the untapped intellectual property of asia
Scope - the passage shows that asians are still unaware of the ip they possess, even after its exposure to the global economy
Purpose - to show that asia will not be able to match upto the future economies unless it realizes its true potential

3. The idea that the human species could alter something as huge and complex as the earth’s climate was once the subject of an esoteric scientific debate.
Topic - changing climate by artificial scientific means
Scope - to show how science has advanced as even the layman is able to understand these complex topics
Purpose - he tries to show that the developing scientific awareness

4. ‘Footie totty, ‘tennis babes’, ‘brolly dollies’ - these cliched images of women for whom the biggest decision of the day is a leg wax or a manicure still persist.
Topic - women : no more the touch me nots
Scope - goes onto show that females are at par with the males
Purpose - highlights the heights to which the females have risen in every field despite the above stated notions

5. It is a leap to go from writing poems about ruins to making ruins to represent poems, but early eighteenth century England did just this.
Topic - the situation both political and social in england in the early 18th century
Scope - how england ruined itself
Purpose - he wants to show that by dominating various societies and the never ending greed led to their decline.
i am really unsure of this one

[Subodh Kant]

For all interested in this thread:

I will reply / post anythinh new after XAT 2007 i.e. 7th Jan 2007.

[deepak_nanhu]

i have tried the next five but i am not sure of any one.

6. The story of jazz is a miniature history of the modern mind.
Topic - the evolution of the jazz genre of music
Scope - origins and present form are discussed
Purpose – to bring out the richness and historical evolution of jazz

7. Warhol was one of the few artists of his time to acknowledge the capitalist nature of art capitalism.
Topic - art capitalism
Scope - probably the origin and trend of art capitalism
Purpose - capitalist nature of art was not considered earlier but in modern times its essential

8. Perhaps more than any other single experience, the Irish migrations of the nineteenth century have captured the modern popular imagination as the most disturbing, indeed by some accounts the most tragic, chapter in the recent history of human relocations.
Topic - the great Irish migration
(i think i have read this passage somewhere)
Scope - the effect of this on human relocation
Purpose - i think its there in the line itself : to show that it has been the most disturbing, indeed by some accounts the most tragic, chapter in the recent history of human relocations

9. Visiting South Korea at the end of 1998 was rather like visiting a once-proud friend who has suddenly been engulfed by a profound identity crisis.
Topic - the emerging south Korea
Scope - the development of south Korea both both culturally as well as economically
Purpose - to show that s Korea has found its true identity even after being helped by the us(i guess...the author is an American) in the Korean crisis earlier in the 20th century

10. The growth of the new nationalism and social and political ‘particularism’ – summarized by Michael Walzer in 1992 as ‘the new tribalism’ – is one of the most profound ‘crises’ in the familiar sphere of political culture at the end of the twentieth century.
Topic - the new tribalism
Scope - discusses the changing political thought at the end of the 20th century
Purpose - the crisis that was caused due to this

[Robaroo...]

Originally Posted by Subodh Kant

liked the thread????????

Gr8 thread!!

[Robaroo...]

My answers for first 3... will reply for other answers soon..

1. Cyberspace is often thought of as a realm of freedom, even of fun.
Topic - Effects of cyberspace on the society.
Scope - Covering its advantages & disadvantages on various sections of society.
Purpose - Highlight the issues related to misuse of cyber.
2. As Asia faces the global economy of the future, it is necessary to take stock of the once arcane issue of intellectual property.
Topic - Intellectual workforce in Asian countries.
Scope - Need for R&D n related things, and the required intellectual workforce to do this.
Purpose - Awareness about the future problems for upcoming economies.
3. The idea that the human species could alter something as huge and complex as the earth’s climate was once the subject of an esoteric scientific debate.
Topic - Climatic changes and its harmful effects.
Scope - Causes, environmental changes, what can be done to preserve climate.
Purpose - Highlight about the problems arising due to emission of harmful gases and its affect on climate.

thnx

[Robaroo...]

Next 3...

4. ‘Footie totty, ‘tennis babes’, ‘brolly dollies’ - these cliched images of women for whom the biggest decision of the day is a leg wax or a manicure still persist.
Topic - Something smiliar to beauty n brains.
Scope - Persistence of women tht women can walk the ramp and take the board room jobs as well.
Purpose - Highlight woman power: feminist.
5. It is a leap to go from writing poems about ruins to making ruins to represent poems, but early eighteenth century England did just this.
Topic - Ruthless British Empire.
Scope - Cruelity and destruction by the british empire for hunger of power.
Purpose - Destruction for any reason cannot be justified.
6. The story of jazz is a miniature history of the modern mind.
Topic - Developments in recent time
Scope - Recent innovations in the field of art, science etc.
Purpose – Human mind is capable of acheiving great heights.

[smartCATer]

i have a doubt...

are u saying that just the 1st few sentenses of a para will always help one decide on TSP???

also it wud be helpful if u can post the answerkey to the RC stuff u hv uploaded..

neverthless... an excellent initiative man...
keep up the good work..

ATB..

Sanjog