Questions with a Line Reference, or Specific Questions are generally easier to get correct and should be completed first.
Specific questions can be inference questions, assumption questions, contextual vocabulary questions, questions about the author's intent, or factual questions.
Some examples of specific questions are:
- The author includes the quote in line 4-3 in order to...
- In the context of line 4, the word "exhibition" most nearly means...
- What is the speaker's main point in lines 5-7?
- In line 14, the author is making the assumption that...
- Based on line 13-17, the author would most likely agree with which of the following statements
In approaching specific questions you should:
- Read the question and identify the question type
- Translate the question into your own words (ask yourself what the question is asking).
- Refer back to the lines mentioned
- For single long paragraphs or paired long paragraphs, read 5 lines above or below the referenced lines, or until the start or end of the paragraph.
- For single short passages or paired short passages, read 2 lines above or below the referenced lines, or until the start or end of the paragraph.
- Predict the answer to the question
- For all questions except inference questions, you should have a good idea of what the answer to the question is before reading the answer choices. That will help you to avoid trap answers
- Work through the answer choice, eliminating obviously incorrect answers and looking for the answer that best matches your prediction
