Читать книгу 2022 / 2023 ASVAB For Dummies - Angie Papple Johnston - Страница 93

Another reason people read slowly is that they don’t have confidence in themselves. They’re not convinced that they understand what they’re reading, so they read a passage several times, trying to make sure they haven’t missed anything. But just like people who check that the front door is locked 15 times before leaving for vacation and still lie awake at night wondering whether they locked the door, you’ll find that reading and rereading a passage doesn’t give you confidence that you understand the text. You get confidence from proving that you understand it.

How do you prove to yourself that you understand what you’re reading? Here are a few tips:

 Get out a textbook or reference book (preferably one that contains some subject matter that interests you) and read one or two paragraphs straight through without going back and rereading anything. Then set the book aside (keeping your place marked) and write, in your own words, a brief description of what you’ve read. Finally, turn back to the passage and compare your description to the information on the page.

 Play the 20-questions game. Read an article from a magazine, reference book, or textbook. Then ask someone to pick out facts from the article and ask you questions.

 Create motivation and interest by reading the daily newspaper or news magazines. Discuss the news events with your classmates, friends, or co-workers. Stronger interest equals greater comprehension.

Is your written version of the article close in meaning to the original? Are you getting most of the 20 questions correct? Do you feel comfortable discussing current events with others? If so, you understand what you’re reading, and that should build your confidence. If not, don’t toss the book or magazine aside in frustration or go ballistic on your mom for asking you tough questions. Keep working on it, and your comprehension will improve. Do the preceding confidence-building drills a few times a day until you feel like you can read any paragraph or two and understand the content without having to reread the information.

The Paragraph Comprehension subtest tests your ability to understand what you read, not how quickly you can read it. When you sit down to take this subtest, try to go as quickly as you can without sacrificing accuracy. Being methodical in your reading isn’t a bad thing as long as you’re getting the answers right. Just try to read a little faster than normal without panicking or missing the point. It’s better to read the paragraphs carefully and answer the questions correctly on half of the questions and guess on the other half of the questions than it is to speed through all the reading and get none of the answers right.