A Simple Guide To Reading Comprehension Skills For TOEFL

The Reading section of the TOEFL consists of a total of 36-56 questions which will last from 60-80 minutes.
There are three to four passages, which will each be followed by an average of ten to fifteen questions.

Tips for the Reading Section
The reading section requires you to demonstrate your ability to find information, use basic comprehension, and read to learn.

Tip 1: Reading to Find Information
When reading to find specific ideas, it is important to be able to scan or skim a text for a specific phrase or context. To improve your reading speed and ability to scan a text, find passages that discuss a specific topic and practice looking for main ideas quickly without taking the time to read every word or sentence.

Tip 2: Basic Comprehension
When reading for basic comprehension of a passage, you will likely be asked to identify themes, main ideas, and vocabulary in context. These pieces of information are most likely to be found in the first sentence of the paragraph and in introductory or conclusion paragraphs. Spend some time reading through paragraphs and short stories looking for key information.

Tip 3: Reading to Learn
When reading to learn, one must be aware of organization and presentation of information within a passage. As you read through passages, try to identify the point of a passage, as well as whether it is speaking in an informative or persuasive manner. Keep track of important details, as some questions may require you to insert sentences that fit best in a passage. In these questions, there may be more than one answer that is technically correct, but only one that is truly the best fit.

Reading Comprehension Skills
This guide is organized to introduce you to the passages that you will find on your exam. We cover the different types of passages from narrative to persuasive. Then, we move to the reason that a passage is written. As you may know, some texts are written to persuade. Other passages want to inform.
The writing devices used by writers are important to understand as you practice reading passages. The other parts of a passage we focus on are main ideas, supporting details, and themes. Then, we review making inferences and drawing conclusions. With this step-by-step guide, you will move to a higher score on your test.
Careful reading and thinking about a passage are important in every part of life. Work with this information by reading books, magazines, or newspapers. When you read carefully, you can use this information for other passages. With practice you will strengthen your skills for the future.

Types of Passages

1. A narrative passage is a story that can be fiction or nonfiction (i.e., false or true). To be a narrative, the passage must have a few things. First, the text must have a plot (i.e., an order of events). Some narratives are written in a clear order, but this is not necessary. If the narrative is good, then you will find these events interesting. Second, a narrative has characters. These characters can be people, animals, or even lifeless items. As long as they play in the plot, they are characters. Third, a narrative passage often has figurative language. This is a tool that authors use to stir the imagination of readers with comparisons or comments. For example, a metaphor is a comparison between two things without using the words like or as. He stood like a king is not an example of a metaphor. The moon was a frosty snowball is an example of a metaphor. In reality, this is not true. Yet, the comparison creates a vivid mental image for readers.

2. An expository passage aims to inform or teach readers. The passage is nonfiction and usually centers around an easily explained topic. Often, an expository passage has helpful organizing words such as first, next, for example, and therefore. These words let readers know where they are in the passage. While expository passages don’t need to have difficult vocabulary and fancy writing, they may be improved by them. Yet this can make it difficult to pay attention to an expository passage. Expository passages are not always on topics you will find interesting. Also, writers focus more on clarity and precision than with keeping the reader’s interest. By careful reading, you will establish a good habit of focus when you read an expository passage.

3. A technical passage is written to describe a complicated thing or action. Technical writing is common in medical and technology fields. In those fields, ideas of mathematics, science, and engineering need to be explained simply and clearly. A technical passage usually proceeds in a step-by-step order to help with understanding the passage. Technical passages often have clear headings and subheadings. These headings act like the organizing words in an expository passage: they let readers know where they are in a passage. Also, you will find that these passages divide sections by numbers or letters. Many technical passages look more like an outline than the paragraphs that you are reading right now. Depending on the audience, the amount of difficult vocabulary will change in a technical passage. Some technical passages try to stay away from language that readers will have to look up. However, some difficult vocabulary has to be used for writers to share their message.

4. A persuasive passage is written to change the minds of readers so that they agree with the author. The purpose of the passage may be very clear or very difficult to find. A persuasive passage wants to make an acceptable argument and win the trust of the reader. In some cases, a persuasive passage will be similar to an informative passage. Both passages make an argument and offer supporting details. However, a persuasive passage is more likely to appeal to the reader’s feelings and make arguments based on opinions. Persuasive passages may not describe other points of view. So, when they do show other points of view, they may show favoritism to one side.

Persuasive passages will focus on one main argument and make many minor arguments (i.e., arguments that help the main argument) along the way. If you are going to accept the main argument, then you need to accept the minor arguments. So, the main argument will only be as strong as the minor arguments. These arguments should be rooted in fact and experience, not opinions. The best persuasive passages give enough supporting detail to back up arguments without confusing readers. Remember that a fact must be open to independent verification (i.e., the fact must be something that can be backed up by someone else). Also, statistics (i.e., data or figures are collected for study) are helpful only when they look at other choices. For example, a statistic on the number of bicycles sold would only be useful if it was taken over a limited time period and in a specific area. Good readers are careful with statistics because statistics can show what the author wants us to see. Or, they can hide what the author doesn’t want to show. The writers of your test know that their passages will be met by questioning readers. So, your skill at questioning what you read will be a help in your exam.

Opinions come from how we feel and what we think. Persuasive writers often try to appeal to the emotions (i.e., use or influence someone’s feelings) of readers to make their arguments. You should always ask questions about this approach. You should ask questions because an author can pull you into accepting something that you don’t want to accept. Sometimes these appeals can be used fairly. For example, some subjects cannot be totally addressed without an appeal to a reader’s feelings. Think about an article on drunk driving. Some examples in the article will alarm or sadden readers because of the terrible outcome.

On the other hand, appeals to feelings are unacceptable when they try to mislead readers. For example, a presidential candidate (i.e., someone running for president) says that he/she cares about the country. The candidate pushes you to make a connection. You care about the country as well and have positive feelings toward it. The candidate wants you to connect your positive feelings about the country with your thoughts about him or her. If you make more connections with the candidate, then you are likely to vote for him or her. Also, the person running for president hints that other candidates do not care about the country.

Another common and unacceptable appeal to feelings is the use of loaded language. Calling a religious person a fanatic or a person interested in the environment a tree hugger are examples of loaded language.

Organization of the Passage
The way a passage is organized can help readers to understand the author’s purpose and conclusions. There are many ways to organize a passage, and each one has an important use.
Some nonfiction texts are organized to present a problem followed by a solution. For this type of passage, the problem is explained before the solution is given. When the problem is well known, the solution may be given in a few sentences at the beginning. Other passages may focus on the solution, and the problem will be talked about a few times. Some passages will outline many solutions to a problem. This will leave you to choose among the possible solutions. If authors have loyalty to one solution, they may not describe some of the other solutions. Be careful with the author’s plan when reading a problem-solution passage. When you know the author’s point of view, you can make a better judgment of the solution.
Sometimes authors will organize information clearly for you to follow and locate the information. However, this is not always the case with passages in an exam. Two common ways to order a passage are cause and effect and chronological order. When using chronological order (i.e., a plan that moves in order from the first step to the last), the author gives information in the order that the event happened. For example, biographies are written in chronological order. The person’s birth and childhood are first. Their adult life is next. The events leading up to the person’s death are last.
In cause and effect, an author shows one thing that makes something else happen. For example, if one were to go to bed very late and wake up very early, he/she would be tired in the morning. The cause is lack of sleep, with the effect of being tired the next day.
Finding the cause-and-effect relationships in a passage can be tricky. Often, these relationships come with certain words or terms. When authors use words like because, since, in order, and so, they are describing a cause and effect relationship. Think about the sentence: He called her because he needed the homework. This is a simple causal relationship. The cause was his need for the homework, and the effect was his phone call. However, not all cause and effect relationships are marked like this. Think about the sentences: He called her. He needed the homework. When the cause-and-effect relationship does not come with a keyword, the relationship can be known by asking why. For example, He called her: why? The answer is in the next sentence: He needed the homework.
When authors try to change the minds of readers, they may use cause-and-effect relationships. However, these relationships should not always be taken at face value. To read a persuasive essay well, you need to judge the cause-and-effect relationships. For example, imagine an author wrote the following: The parking deck has not been making money because people want to ride their bikes. The relationship is clear: the cause is that people want to ride their bikes. The effect is that the parking deck has not been making money. However, you should look at this argument again. Maybe there are other reasons that the parking deck was not a success: a bad economy, too many costs, etc.
Many passages follow the compare-and-contrast model. In this model, the similarities and differences between two ideas or things are reviewed. A review of the similarities between ideas is called comparison. In a perfect comparison, the author shows ideas or things in the same way. If authors want to show the similarities between football and baseball, they can list the equipment and rules for each game. Think about the similarities as they appear in the passage and take note of any differences.
Careful thinking about ideas and conclusions can seem like a difficult task. You can make this task easy by understanding the basic parts of ideas and writing skills. Looking at the way that ideas link to others is a good way to begin. Sometimes authors will write about two opposing ideas. Other times, an author will support a topic, and another author will argue against the topic. The review of these rival ideas is known as contrast. In contrast, all ideas should be presented clearly. If the author does favor a side, you need to read carefully to find how the author shows or hides this favoritism. Also, as you read the passage, you should write out how one side views the other.

Purposes for Writing
To be a careful reader, pay attention to the author’s position and purpose. Even passages that seem fair and equal--like textbooks--have a position or bias (i.e., the author is unfair or inaccurate with opposing ideas). Readers need to take these positions into account when considering the author’s message. Authors who appeal to feelings or favor one side of an argument make their position clear. Authors’ positions may be found in what they write and in what they don’t write. Normally, you would want to review other passages on the same topic to understand the author’s position. However, you are in the middle of an exam. So, look for language and arguments that show a position.

Sometimes, finding the purpose of an author is easier than finding his or her position. In most cases, the author has no interest in hiding his or her purpose. A passage for entertainment will be written to please readers. Most stories are written to entertain. However, they can inform or persuade. Informative texts are easy to recognize.

The most difficult purpose of a text to determine is persuasion. In persuasion, the author wants to make the purpose hard to find. When you learn that the author wants to persuade, you should be skeptical of the argument. Persuasive passages try to establish an entertaining tone and hope to amuse you into agreement. On the other hand, an informative tone may be used to seem fair and equal to all sides.
An author’s purpose is clear often in the organization of the text (such as section headings in bold font points for an informative passage). However, you may not have this organization in your passages. So, if authors make their main idea clear from the beginning, then their likely purpose is to inform. If the author makes a main argument and gives minor arguments for support, then the purpose is probably to persuade. If the author tells a story, then his or her purpose is most likely to entertain. If the author wants to gain your attention more than to persuade or inform, then his or her purpose is most likely to entertain. You must judge authors by how well they achieve their purpose. In other words, think about the type of passage (technical, persuasive, etc.) that the author has written and whether the author has followed the demands of the passage type.

The author's purpose will influence his or her writing approach and the reader’s reaction. In a persuasive essay, the author wants to prove something to readers. There are several important marks of persuasive writing. Opinion given as fact is one mark. When authors try to persuade readers, they give their opinions as if they were facts. Readers must be on guard for statements that sound like facts but cannot be tested. Another mark of persuasive writing is the appeal to feelings. An author will try to play with the feelings of readers by appealing to their ideas of what is right and wrong. When an author uses strong language to excite the reader’s feelings, then the author may want to persuade. Many times, a persuasive passage will give an unfair explanation of other sides, or simply not show the other sides.
An informative passage is written to teach readers. Informative passages are almost always nonfiction. The purpose of an informative passage is to share information in the clearest way. In an informative passage, you may have a thesis statement (an argument on the topic of a passage that is later proven). A thesis statement is a sentence that normally comes at the end of the first paragraph.

Authors of informative passages are likely to place more importance on clarity. Informative passages do not normally appeal to the feelings. They often contain facts and figures, and almost never include the author’s opinion. However, you should know that there can be a bias in the facts. Sometimes, a persuasive passage can be like an informative passage. This is true when authors give their ideas as if they were facts.
Entertainment passages describe real or imagined people, places, and events. Entertainment passages are often stories or poems. So, figurative language is a common part of these passages. Often, an entertainment passage appeals to the imagination and feelings. Authors may persuade or inform in an entertainment passage. Or, an entertainment passage may cause readers to think differently about a subject.
When authors want to share feelings, they may use strong language. Authors may share feelings about a moment of great pain or happiness. Other times, authors will try to persuade readers by sharing feelings. Some phrases like I felt and I sense hint that the author is sharing feelings. Authors may share stories of deep pain or great joy. You must not be influenced by these stories. You need to keep some distance to judge the author’s argument.
Almost all writing is descriptive. In one way or another, authors try to describe events, ideas, or people. But some texts are concerned only with description. A descriptive passage focuses on a single subject and seeks to explain the subject clearly. Descriptive passages contain many adjectives and adverbs (words that give a complete picture for you to imagine). Normally, a descriptive passage is informative. Yet, the passage may be persuasive or entertaining.

Writing Devices
Authors will use different writing devices to make their message clear for readers. One of those devices is comparison and contrast. As mentioned above, when authors show how two things are alike, they are comparing them. When authors describe how two things are different, they are contrasting them. The compare and contrast passage is a common part of nonfiction.

Comparisons are known by certain words or phrases: both, same, like, too, and as well. Contrasts may have words or phrases like but, however, on the other hand, instead, and yet. Of course, comparisons and contrasts may be understood without using those words or phrases. A single sentence may compare and contrast. Think about the sentence Brian and Sheila love ice cream, but Brian loves vanilla and Sheila loves strawberry. In one sentence, the author has described both a similarity (love of ice cream) and a difference (favorite flavor).

Another regular writing device is cause and effect. A cause is an act or event that makes something happen. An effect is what comes from the cause. A cause and effect relationship is not always easy to find. Several words and phrases can be used to show causes: since, because, and due to. Words and phrases that show effects include consequently, therefore, this lead(s) to, as a result. For example, a cause and effect sentence is: Because the sky was clear, Ron did not bring an umbrella. The cause is the clear sky, and the effect is that Ron did not bring an umbrella. Readers may find that the cause and effect relationship is not clear. For example, He was late and missed the meeting. This does not have any words that show cause or effect. Yet, the sentence still has a cause (he was late) and an effect (he missed the meeting).

Remember the chance for a single cause to have many effects. For example, a single-cause sentence is: Because you left your homework on the table, your dog eats the homework. The single cause of leaving homework on the table can have many effects: (1) You fail your homework. (2) Your parents do not let you see your friends. (3) You miss out on the new movie. (4) You miss holding the hand of an important person.
Also, a single effect can have many causes. For example, a single-effect sentence is: Alan has a fever. This fever can have multiple causes: 1) An unexpected cold front came through the area. (2) Alan forgot to take his multi-vitamin.
An effect can also become the cause of another effect. This is known as a cause and effect chain. For example: As a result of her hatred for not doing work, Lynn got ready for her exam. This led to her passing her test with high marks. Hence, her resume was accepted, and her application was also accepted.
Often, authors use analogies to add meaning to their passages. An analogy is a comparison of two things. The words in the analogy are connected by a relationship. Look at this analogy: moo is to cow as quack is to duck. This analogy compares the sound that a cow makes with the sound that a duck makes. What could you do if the word quack was not given? Well, you could finish the analogy if you know the connection between moo and cow. Relationships for analogies include synonyms, antonyms, part to whole, definition, and actor to action.
Point of view has an important influence on a passage. A passage’s point of view is how the author or a character sees or thinks about things. A point of view influences the events of a passage, the meetings among characters, and the ending to the story. For example, two characters watch a child ride a bike. Character one watches outside. Character two watches from inside a house. Both see the same event, yet they are around different noises, sights, and smells. Character one may see different things that happen outside that character two cannot see from inside. Also, point of view can be influenced by past events and beliefs. For example, if character one loves bikes, then she will remember how proud she is of the child. If character two is afraid of riding bikes, then he may not remember the event or may fear for the child’s safety.
In fiction, the two main points of view are first person and third person. The narrator is the person who tells a story’s events. The protagonist is the main character of a story. If the narrator is the protagonist in a story, then the story is written in first-person. In first person, the author writes from the view of I. Third-person point of view is the most common among stories. With third person, authors refer to each character by using he or she and the narrator is not involved in the story. In third-person omniscient, the narrator is not a character in the story and tells the story of all of the characters at the same time.

Transitional words and phrases are devices that guide readers through a passage. You may know the common transitions, though you may not have thought about how they are used. Some transitional phrases (after, before, during, in the middle of) give information about time. Some hint that an example is about to be given (for example, in fact, for instance). Writers use transitions to compare (also, likewise) and contrast (however, but, yet). Transitional words and phrases can point to addition (and, also, furthermore, moreover) and understood relationships (if, then, therefore, as a result, since). Finally, transitional words and phrases can separate the chronological steps (first, second, last).

Understanding a Passage
One of the most important skills in reading comprehension is finding topics and main ideas. There is a small difference between these two. The topic is the subject of a passage (what the passage is all about). The main idea is the most important argument being made by the author. The topic is shared in a few words while the main idea needs a full sentence to be understood. As an example, a short passage might have the topic of penguins, and the main idea could be written as Penguins are different from other birds in many ways.
In most nonfiction writing, the topic and the main idea will be stated clearly. Sometimes, they will come in a sentence at the very beginning or end of the passage. When you want to know the topic, you frequently find it in the first sentence of each paragraph. A body paragraph’s first sentence is often--but not always--the topic sentence. The topic sentence gives you a summary of the ideas in the paragraph. You may find that the topic or main idea is not given clearly. So, you must read every sentence of the passage. Then, try to come up with an overall idea from each sentence.
Note: A thesis statement is not the same as the main idea. The main idea gives a brief, general summary of a text. The thesis statement gives a clear idea on an issue that is backed up with evidence.

Passage structure for Non-Narrative Passages

Title
Centered on the page, the title’s main words are capitalized (articles, prepositions, and infinitives are not capitalized in a title). The title may have quotation marks, or it may be underlined or italicized. The title has a few words that hint at the subject of the paper and catch the reader's interest.

Introduction
An introduction summarizes the passage and the thesis statement. The purpose of the introduction is to grab the reader’s attention. To do this, authors may use a quote, question, or strong opinion. Some authors choose to use an interesting description or puzzling statement. Also, authors use the introduction to explain their reason for writing.

Body Paragraph
Following the introduction, body paragraphs are used to explain the thesis statement. A body paragraph has a topic sentence, typically the first sentence. In these paragraphs, there is evidence that helps the argument of the paragraph. Also, the author may give commentary on the evidence. Be careful because this commentary can be filled with bias.

The topic sentence gives the paragraph’s subject and the main idea. The rest of the body paragraph should be linked to the topic sentence. Again, the topic sentence should be supported with facts, details, and examples.
The topic sentence is general and covers the ideas in a body paragraph. Sometimes, the topic sentence may be implied (i.e., the sentence is not stated directly by the author). Also, the topic sentence shows the connections among the supporting details.

Conclusion
The conclusion should provide a summary on the passage. New material is not given in the conclusion. The conclusion is the final paragraph that may have a call to action (something the writer wants readers to do) or a question for the reader to think about.
The main idea is the umbrella argument of a passage. So, supporting details back up the main idea. To show that a main idea is correct, authors add details that prove their idea. All passages contain details. However, they are supporting details when they help an argument in the passage. Supporting details are found in informative and persuasive texts. Sometimes they will come with terms like for example or for instance. Or, they will be numbered with terms like first, second, and last. You should think about how the author’s supporting details back up his or her main idea. Supporting details can be factual yet biased toward the author’s main idea. Sometimes supporting details can seem helpful. However, they may be useless when they are based on opinions.

An example of a main idea is: Giraffes live in the Serengeti of Africa. A supporting detail about giraffes could be: A giraffe in the Serengeti benefits from a long neck by reaching twigs and leaves on tall trees. The main idea gives the general idea that the text is about giraffes. The supporting detail gives a clear fact about how the giraffes eat.

A theme is an issue, an idea, or a question raised by a passage. For example, a theme of Cinderella is determination as Cinderella serves her stepsisters and stepmother. Passages may have many themes, so be careful to find only themes that you are asked to find. One common mark of themes is that they give more questions than answers. Authors try to push readers to consider themes in other ways. You can find themes by asking about the general problems that the passage is addressing. A good way to find a theme is to begin reading with a question in mind (e.g., How does this passage use the theme of love?) and to look for answers to that question.

Evaluating a Passage
When you read informational passages, you need to make a conclusion from the author’s writing. You can identify a logical conclusion (find a conclusion that makes sense) to know whether you agree or disagree with an author. Coming to this conclusion is like making an inference: you combine the information from the passage with what you already know. From the passage’s information and your knowledge, you can come to a conclusion that makes sense. One way to have a conclusion that makes sense is to take notes of all the author’s points. When the notes are organized, they may point to the logical conclusion. Another way to reach conclusions is to ask if the author’s passage raises any helpful questions. Sometimes you will be able to draw many conclusions from a passage. Yet, these may be conclusions that were never imagined by the author. Therefore, find reasons in the passage for the conclusions that you make.

Text evidence is the information that supports a main argument or minor argument. This evidence, or proof, can lead you to a conclusion. Information used as text evidence is clear, descriptive, and full of facts. Supporting details give evidence to back up an argument.
For example, a passage may state that winter occurs during opposite months in the Northern hemisphere (north of the equator) and Southern hemisphere (south of the equator). Text evidence for this claim may include a list of countries where winter occurs in opposite months. Also, you may be given reasons that winter occurs at different times of the year in these hemispheres (such as the tilt of the earth as it rotates around the sun).

A text is credible, or believable, when the author is knowledgeable and fair. The author’s motivations for writing the passage have an important part in judging the credibility of the passage. For example, passages written about a professional soccer game by a sports reporter and an average fan will have different levels of credibility.

A reader should always draw conclusions from passages. Sometimes conclusions are implied (i.e., information that is assumed) from written information. Other times the information is stated directly within the passage. You should try to draw conclusions from information stated in a passage. Furthermore, you should always read through the entire passage before drawing conclusions. Readers often expect the author’s conclusions at the beginning or the end of the passage. However, many texts do not follow this format.
 

Implications are things that the author does not say directly, but you can assume from what the author does say.

For example: I stepped outside and opened my umbrella. By the time I got to work, the cuffs of my pants were soaked. The author never says that it is raining. However, you can conclude that this information is implied. Conclusions from implications must be well supported by the passage. To draw a conclusion, you should have many pieces of proof. If you have only one piece of evidence, then you need to be sure that there is no other possible explanation than your conclusion. Practice drawing conclusions from implications in real life events to improve your skills.
Outlining the information in a passage should be a familiar skill to readers. A good outline will show the pattern of the passage and lead to better conclusions. A common outline lists the main ideas of the passage in the order that they come. Then, beneath each main idea, you can list the minor ideas and details. An outline does not need to include every detail from the passage. However, the outline should show everything that is important to the argument.
Another helpful tool is summarizing information. This process is similar to creating an outline. First, a summary should define the main idea of the passage. The summary should have the most important supporting details or arguments. Summaries can be unclear or wrong because they do not stay true to the information in the passage. A helpful summary should have the same message as the passage.

Ideas from a passage can be organized using graphic organizers. A graphic organizer reduces information to a few key points. A graphic organizer like a timeline may have an event listed for each date on the timeline. However, an outline may have an event listed under a key point that happens in the passage.
Make a graphic organizer that works best for you. Whatever helps you remember information from a passage is what you need to use. A spider-map is another example. This map takes a main idea from the story and places it in a bubble. From one main idea bubble, you put supporting points that connect to the main idea. A Venn diagram groups information as separate or connected with some overlap.

Paraphrasing is another method that you can use to understand a passage. To paraphrase, you put what you have read into your own words. Or, you can translate what the author shared into your words by including as many details as you can.

Responding to a Passage
One part of being a good reader is making predictions. A prediction is a guess about what will happen next. Readers make predictions from what they have read and what they already know. For example: Staring at the computer screen in shock, Kim reached for the glass of water. The sentence leaves you to think that she is not looking at the glass. So, you may guess that Kim is going to knock over the glass. Yet in the next sentence you may read that Kim does not knock over the glass. As you have more information, be ready for your predictions to change.

Test-taking tip: To respond to questions that ask about predictions, your answer should come from the passage.
You will be asked to understand text that gives ideas without stating them directly. An inference is something that is implied but not stated directly by the author. For example: After the final out of the inning, the fans were filled with joy and rushed the field. From this sentence, you can infer that the fans were watching baseball and their team won. You should not use information outside of the passage before making inferences. As you practice making inferences, you will find that they need all of your attention.

Test-taking tip: When asked about inferences, look for context clues. Context is what surrounds the words and sentences, adding explanation or information to an unknown piece. An answer can be true but not correct. The context clues will help you find the answer that is best. When asked for the implied meaning of a statement, you should locate the statement first. Then, read the context around the statement. Finally, look for an answer with a similar phrase.
For your exam, you must be able to find a text’s sequence (i.e., the order that things happen). When the sequence is very important to the author, the passage comes with signal words: first, then, next, and last. 

However, a sequence can be implied. For example, He walked through the garden and gave water and fertilizer to the plants. Clearly, the man did not walk through the garden at the beginning. First, he found water. Then, he collected fertilizer. Next, he walked through the garden. Finally, he gave water and fertilizer to the plants. Passages do not always come in a clear sequence. Sometimes they begin at the end. Or, they can begin halfway through and then start over at the beginning. You can strengthen your understanding of the passage by taking notes to understand the sequence.
 

Dual passages, or comparative essays, give two passages from authors with different points of view. The format of the two passages will change with each exam. For example, the author of the first passage may give an idea from his or her point of view. Then, the author of the second passage gives an argument against the first passage. Other dual passages will give a topic in the first passage. Then the second passage will support or provide explanation for the topic in the first passage.
You may see that the questions ask about passage one, passage two, and both passages. No matter the length or kind of passages, you should read them in order (read Passage 1 first, then move on to Passage 2). However, if your time is limited, you can read passage 1 first and answer all of the questions for passage 1. Then, read passage 2 and answer the remaining questions.