Transcript for:
Essential Strategies for T7 Reading Exam

what's going on besties this is your comprehensive all-in-one study guide for everything that you need to know about the t7 reading section of the exam let's get started so first up we have topic sentences these are usually the first sentence of every paragraph so here's the key point you can often answer many of these exam questions just by reading that topic sentence the rest is just elaboration so pay attention to the supporting details if they're needed so say for example if you have a question that's asking you about supporting details you want to read that paragraph with the topic sentence first and then choose the answer that's going to best fit what is that topic so we're going to be doing this in practice to tie this all together but just kind of get that idea in the back of your head next we have main idea so the main idea is essentially the thesis statement think of it as the core message that the paragraph is trying to convey often you're going to find this as the last sentence in that first paragraph So if you have a question that asks you about main idea of a passage quickly check that last sentence of that first paragraph and Mark your answer and move on we don't have a whole lot of time on the reading section so usually with these kind of sentence these kind of questions you're going to be able to answer them pretty quickly if you know where to find them next up we have supporting details we kind of talked about that one a little bit that's that supporting details being the bulk of the paragraph and it's going to make up the details that support that topic sentence that you're going to find in the first sentence of every paragraph and then lastly we have summary so with summary you're going to want to think of like back in school when you summarize essays for particular classes right you're going to use that same knowledge that you gained back then to write a conclusion or a restatement of that thesis so similarly a passage's summary is Ty typically the last paragraph's first sentence that is where it's going to be found on the te's exam if there's any questions about the passage's summary go straight to that sentence choose your answer and keep it moving let's take a look at some practice questions to help us tie this all together so just to kind of give you a quick overview of what you're looking at I've highlighted what is a topic sentence main idea and supporting details within the paragraph So starting up here at the top in the red we have our topic sentence that is is incorporating a well-balanced diet is key to maintaining overall health and wellness then we have our supporting details that's everything that's in here in the blue this is everything that's going to build up that topic sentence so a diet rich in fruits vegetables whole grains and lean proteins provides essential nutrients that the body needs to function effectively these foods can lower the risk of chronic illness such as heart disease stroke and diabetes furthermore a balanced diet diet supports immune system health and AIDS and weight management and then our last sentence down here in purple that is our main idea so it's bringing together everything we just kind of talked about therefore making a conscious food choices is a fundamental step towards a healthier more vibrant life so this is what it's going to look like when you're taking the teas this is how you're going to break it down so I always highly recommend that when you are looking at your paragraph read the question first and then dive in to see specifically what it is asking and look for those particular sentences so like I just said before these are important tips that you're going to want to remember when you were taking your teas exam specifically for reading number one you want to read the question first this is the most crucial part of the test and you want to make sure you're doing this read the question carefully and completely before anything else don't waste your time reading the passage first then reading the question and having to go back it's just unnecessary sometimes reading the passage like I said is unnecessary and the answer can be found in the question itself so for example identifying opinions in a statement you're going to want to look for words like should good best or most that's going to help you kind of break down the questions and you might not even have to read the passage at all avoid starting with longer passages some TEAS test takers even like to take notes so I know that when I took my tease I was taking notes about this is the topic sentence this is supporting details this is main idea you're not going to have a whole lot of time for that it's great if you do that because when you go to nursing school you're going to have to take notes like that but specifically for the te's answer the question and move on tip number two is don't leave questions blank in the te's this test is timed and it's important that you manage that time effectively so for your initial approach you're going to want to answer each question first when you encounter it because you might not have time to go back um strategic guessing is also really good if you're uncertain about an answer it's better to make an educated guess initially rather than leaving it blank and considering you know it later when it comes to your time constraints you might not be able to go back and then lastly we have narrowing down this is a great method so it's the elimination method where you're going to reduce your choices so it's going to increase your odds of answering the question correctly and it's going to give you a 50 50% chance of getting it right so let's take a look at our first practice question as I said read the question first so the question is which sentence in the paragraph best serves as the topic sentence so remember topic sentence is usually the first sentence in the first paragraph so I'm going to read the entire thing just so that you have it but we're going to be looking at that first sentence so advancements in Renewable Energy Technologies have become crucial in combating climate change solar and wind power in particular has been significant developments in efficiency and affordability governments and private sectors are increasing in investing in these Technologies recognizing their long-term benefits for the environment and economy such Investments can only reduce carbon emissions but also create job opportunities in new Industries the shift towards renewable energy sources is therefore not only an environmental imperative but also an Economic Opportunity so again what is our first sentence advancements in Renewable Energy Technologies have become crucial in combining climate change so as we take a look at our answers here does there anything that states that topic sentence that we just read let me see solar and wind power in particular have been seen significant developments in efficiency and affordability nope that's not it advancements and Renewable Energy Technologies have become crucial in combating climate change yep that's just what we talked about governments and private sectors are increasing investing in these Technologies nope and the shift towards renewable energy sources is therefore not only an environmental imperative imperative but also an Economic Opportunity we know that's the main idea because that was actually the last sentence of that paragraph so you've guessed it you're correct the correct answer is B advancements and Renewable Energy Technologies have become crucial in combating climate change you see how much time we would have wasted had we read the entire thing we just read that first sentence there it is that is our topic sentence let's take a look at our next practice question so again we want to read the question first what is the main main idea of the paragraph so we know main idea we're looking at the last sentence of that paragraph So going back let's take a look the last sentence is therefore while AI brings significant advancements and convenience it also necessitates careful considerations of its broader societal implications so going back to our question we have ai is significantly improving efficiency in various Industries that's not correct ethical concerns are a minor part of AI development no that's not what our main idea stated AI role in transportation and medical Diagnostics is revolutionary no an AI brings significant advancements and convenience it also necessitates careful consideration of its broader societal implications yes D is our correct answer remember when we're looking at Main Idea we're particularly looking at the last sentence in the first paragraph look how much time we saved let's take a look at our next practice question again we want to read the question first which of the following is a supporting detail found in the paragraph so again we're looking at that bulk of the paragraph so we're going to have to pay a little bit more attention to this question our first sentence is our topic sentence the study of astrophysics has led to remarkable discoveries about the universe so that is the topic that's what we're going to be talking about everything below here is our supporting details it has revealed the existence of black holes massive Celestial entities with gravitational poles so strong that not even light can escape them additionally through astrophysics scientists have been able to estimate the age of the universe providing insights into the Big Bang Theory this field also contributes to the identification of numerous exoplanets increasing our understanding of potentially life sustaining planets beyond our solar system so all of that is our bulk of our supporting details and then our last sentence is our main idea thus astrophysics continues to expand our knowledge and challenge our understanding of the cosmos so back to our question looking at our choices astrop physics has been instrumental in discovering the speed of light no we didn't really talk about that the existence of black holes have been revealed through the study of astrophysics yes that's absolutely something that we talked about astrophysics has disproved many traditional theories about the solar system we can automatically eliminate that and the study of astrophysics has led to the development of advanced space travel Technologies So based on all of the answers that we have here we have B being the correct answer B was something that was specifically stated within the text and as we talked about before when we're identifying supporting details we're going to find them in the same sentence as our topic sentence and it's going to make up a bulk of the paragraph let's take a look at our final question when it comes to this section again we're going to read the question question first which sentence best summarizes the content of the second paragraph so we're looking at summary here so let's take a look at our actual passage so again the question is specifically asking about the summary of the second paragraph so we don't really need to waste our time on that first paragraph don't even bother so as we know with summary summary is going to be that first sentence of our last paragraph it's going to SU everything that we had talked about so our first sentence States efforts to mitigate climate change are diverse and include both Global and local strategies so let's go back to our question and see if we have an answer that talks about that so climate change has farreach impacts on the environment and human societies nope efforts to mitigate climate change are diverse and include both Global and local strategies we just literally talked about that so we know that that is most likely our correct answer but let's take a look at our last options Rising global temperatures lead to more frequent and severe weather events and international agreements aimed to reduce carbon emissions and limit global warming so we know that those are not the correct answers based on what we read we know that the correct answer is going to be B efforts to mitigate climate change are diverse and include both Global and local strategies so again just a reminder when we're identifying summary we're looking at the first sentence of the last paragraph next we're going to talk about making inferences and logical conclusions so an inference in drawing a logical conclusion is essentially a conclusion drawn by combining evidence and logical reasoning both of these terms are considered the same when you were taking your te's so in our daily lives we often unconsciously infer things using cu's in our environment to understand various situations so for instance you might deduce that a baby is hungry if they are crying or someone is was likely speeding if they were pulled over by the police all of that is based on observations as well as the knowledge that we have how can we apply that skill and that knowledge with making inferences when it comes to reading so initially what we want to do is we want to focus on identifying Clues which is the context of our reading it's going to present within the text as evidence to help us draw our conclusion next we're going to merge these Clues with our existing knowledge of what we have previously learned through real world situations and then the final steps involve synthesizing and formatting that information in order to come up with an idea or an inference so let's take a look at some examples let's take a look at our first practice question again we want to read the question first based on the paragraph what can be inferred about Dr Baker's perspective on dolphins so let's read our passage so Dr Baker a renowned Marine biologist has spent the last decade studying the behavioral patterns of dolphins in the wild her research conducted off the coast of Hawaii has shown that these intelligent creatures have complex social structures and communication methods Dr Baker's observations reveal that Dolphins often work together to hunt and protect each other from predators she has also noted instances of dolphins exhibiting what appears to be playful Behavior engaging with each other and even humans so let's go back and take a look at our options so what can we infer based on that passage she believes that dolphins are solitary creatures we know that that's not correct they usually hunt and play Within groups she finds dolphin's Behavior to be relatively simple no we know that she finds it to be complex she considers Dolphins to be highly intelligent and social animals absolutely that's something that she talked about and she thinks dolphins cannot interact well with humans well as we know she stated that Dolphins can so the best choice when it comes to this particular question is going to be C she considers Dolphins to be highly intelligent and social animals and again remember when we're looking at inferences and conclusions we're drawing them based on the evidence and the reasoning that's found within the text and our prior knowledge let's take a look at another example so our question States what logical conclusion can be drawn about the future future trend of vehicle purchases so going back to our passage let's go ahead and read that in recent years there's been significant increase in the number of electrical Vehicles EVS on the road Automotive manufacturers are investing heavily in EV technology leading to improvements in battery life and vehicle range governments around the world are also supporting this shift with incentives for Ev buyers such as tax rebates and grants additionally public charging infrastructures is becoming more widespread making it more convenient for Ev owners to charge their vehicles so going back to our question what can we draw a conclusion based on that paragraph is it a the number of traditional gasoline vehicles are rapidly increasing B electric vehicles will become less popular due to high costs C electric vehicles are likely to become more prevalent in the automotive Market or D government incentives for EVS will soon be discontinued well this is a very positive article in regards to the implementation of EV Vehicles so we know that we can automatically eliminate D and we know we can automatically eliminate a because we don't really talk about traditional gasoline vehicles so electric vehicles will become less popular due to high costs that's not really something that we talked about but C is so electric vehicles are likely to become more prevalent in the automotive Market making see the correct answer for this question next let's talk about explicit and implicit evidence so when we think of explicit evidence we think of e for expressed because explicit evidence is straightforward and it directly is stated in the text it leaves no room for doubt or interpretation it's like a direct statement or clear facts so for instance consider a sign that reads wet paint this is an explicit indication that the sign directly informs you that the paint is wet leaving no room for guesswork right so remember e is stands for explicit and express and next we have implicit evidence so that's our I the I stands for implied so when it comes to implied evidence it's more subtle and it's not directly stated so instead it's hinted at or it's kind of suggested requiring you to read between the lines or infer what the meaning is so an example of this would be seeing a bench that looks like it has paint on it and there is a can and a brush beside it but there's no sign there's no explicit statement stating that the bench is wet but you can infer right or imply that it is wet based on the context and the surrounding Clues around that bench so keep in mind when we're thinking about implicit that I stands for implicit or implied let's take a look at some examples of how this is used on the te's so let's read our question first which statement is an example of explicit evidence from the paragraph so remember this is going to be specifically stated in the paragraph we're not going to have to draw a conclusion or imply what it is so during a recent lecture on public health Professor Jenkins discovered the I'm sorry discussed the impact of poor air quality on respiratory Health she cited a study that found a significant increase in asthma cases in cities with high levels of air pollution Professor Jenkins also mentioned that children in the elderly are particularly vulnerable to these effects she concluded the lecture by emphasizing the need for stricter air quality regulations to protect public health so let's take a look at our examples air pollution might cause discomfort in some people we didn't really talk about that that might be just more implied asthma cases increase in cities with high levels of air pollution absolutely that was stated inside the text let's take a look at our final two options all urban areas have have poor air quality again that's not something that we talked about and air quality regulations are universally strict again not something discuss so the correct answer for this particular example is going to be B asthma cases increase in cities with high levels of air pollution our next practice question States what can be implicitly inferred about the protagonist view on social media so again this isn't going to be directly stated within the text it's going to be implicit meaning that is going to be implied so we're going to have to draw a logical conclusion about what it is that the author is trying to convey when it comes to social media so the passage is in her last novel author Emily Carter explores themes of isolation and connection in a digital age the protagonist a young blogger struggles with feelings of loneliness despite her large online following throughout the story she navigates the complexities of forming genuine relationships and World dominated by social media the novel ends with a protagonist finding solace in a small community of like-minded individuals away from the digital realm so let's take a look at our examples she believes social media is the best way to form relationships well we know that's not true because she talks about the feelings of loneliness when it comes to social media B she finds greater fulfillment and in-person interactions than online well we can kind of imply that based on the last sentence right the novel ends with the protagonist finding solace in a small community of like-minded individuals away from the digital realm but let's take a look at our final two options she thinks social media should be avoided at all costs that's not really something that she talks about right and then lastly she uses social media to increase her popularity well we know that's not true uh just simply based on the fact that she talks about her feelings of loneliness so out of all of the options that we have the most correct answer is going to be B she finds greater fulfillment in in-person interactions than online in the last section of this video we're going to be talking about comprehension of written directions starting with transition words and phrases for order and relationship so a memory trick when it comes to this particular part of the test transition words can be found at the beginning of a sentence and are usually followed by a comma there's four key types we have emphasis addition contrast and order so starting with emphasis we have words that we use to highlight something important examples of this can be indeed in fact most importantly but I also included additional uh words that you might want to be on the lookout so please feel free to take a screenshot of this particular slide next we have addition so when we talk about addition these are transition words that are used to want to add more information to a text so commonly you're going to see examples of words like furthermore additionally and also next we have contrast so contrast words are used when showing differences or opposing ideas so think of them as like two different sides of a coin right examples of this can be however on the other hand nevertheless and then lastly we have order so with order these transition words are used as a sequence of ideas or events and these are ones that we know very well they're examples of like firstly subsequently finally next those kinds of words let's take a look at some practice test examples of each one of these different kinds of transition words so taking a look at our first example the question reads what transition word in the paragraph is used to emphasize a crucial point so let's take a look remember we're looking for a word with a comma behind it key tip so nutrition plays a key role in maintaining good health importantly that's our first war with a comma behind it a balanced diet provides the body with the essential nutrients this includes vitamins and minerals that support various bodily functions regular consumption of fruits and vegetables for instance have been linked to the reduced risk of many chronic diseases so let's take a look at our choices we have regularly includes importantly and for instance well based on the paragraph that we had the only uh transition word that we had was importantly so we can deduce that the correct answer is going to be C importantly our next example which transition word in the paragraph indicates the addition of information remember we're looking for those addition words so global warming is a major environmental concern it leads to rising sea levels and increased temperatures furthermore it contributes to these frequent and severe weather events like hurricanes and droughts these changes are have significant ific impacts on ecosystems and human societies so we have leads furthermore like and these based on our paragraph here we have Furthermore with a common behind it that is the only transition word that we have in this paragraph So worst case scenario if you were unable to figure out oh I can't remember what the addition word is look for those words at the beginning of a sentence with a comma behind it so based on all the choices that we have the correct answer is going to be B furthermore that is our addition transition word our next example the question reads which transition word in the paragraph introduces a contrasting idea remember that's that both sides of the coin kind of contrast uh transition word so taking a look at our paragraph exercise is known to be beneficial for health alternatively comma there's our transition word a sedentary lifestyle is associated with various health risks including obesity and heart disease the contrast between an active or a sedentary lifestyle highlights the importance of regular physical activity for maintaining good health so let's take a look at our options no that's not a transition word right alternatively absolutely including that's usually like an addition right and then highlights no So based on all of the options that we have here the best option is going to be B alternatively let's take a a closer look at our final question so which transition word in the paragraph is used to indicate the next sequence of advents so we're looking for something that is related to next okay when it comes to transition words so let's take a look at our paragraph in the process of photosynthesis plants convert sunlight into energy first comma so here's our first transition word they absorb sunlight using chlorophyll in their leaves second comma they use this energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen this process is essential for the growth of plants and for producing oxygen in the environment so again the question states which transition word in the paragraph is used to indicate the next sequence of events so we have convert we know that's not right first is definitely one of our order transition words second again another one of our order transition words and essential so remember this is when you really need to read that question it's indicating the next sequence of events so while first is a transition word the correct answer is actually c c is second that is our second sentence second we use energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen that is indicating our next sequence of events when we're looking at an order of events now that we've become very familiar with transition words with order we have priority and Direction they're kind of like the same thing you're looking for those transition words so you're going to be provided with a list with bullets or a number priority so you're going to look for words like first second third fourth or you can even be looking for things like first additionally next and finally so let's take a look at our example I have highlighted those words for you as a nursing student Sarah has developed a structured approach to manage her study sessions effectively first there's our first word she reviews her lecture notes to reinforce the material covered in class next there's our second one she tackles practice questions related to these topics to enhance her understanding and application skills additionally there's our third one Sarah allocates time to participate in study groups where she discusses complex concepts with her peers finally there's our last one she indicates the last part of her study session by reviewing difficult topics ICS ensuring the comprehensive grasp of materials before her exams let's take a look at some practice questions so we can kind of grasp what we're looking for when it comes to priorities and directions taking a look at our practice question according to Julia study plan which two activities are planned to be done together remember we're looking for those addition transition words to combine two topics together so taking a look at our paragraph to prepare for the upcoming coming nursing certification exam Julia outlined a detailed study plan first she decided to review all of her class notes to refresh her fundamental knowledge second she planned to take several additional tests to identify areas where she needed more Focus additionally during this phase Julia intended to join online forums and discussion groups to gain deeper insight into challenging topics and finally she would dedicate the last week before the exam to revising her weakest subjects ensuring thorough preparation so let's take a look at our options here so we already found our transition word did you find it yes it's additionally so those are the two topics that were combining together first we have reviewing class notes and taking practice tests well that was our first one and our second one those we were not combining together right first second that's our sequence of events B joining online forms and revising weest subjects again that was our third to last and our last we're not combining those together because we have that transition word in between finally so that separates them taking practice tests and joining online fors yep that's in between our transition word additionally so those two things would be what we're combining together but let's look at our final option refreshing fundamental knowledge and revising weakest subjects again that is the last sentence of our paragraph It's not combining anything so based on all of the options that we have available to us the correct answer is going to be C taking practice tests and joining online forums let's take a look at our final section for this video and that is missing information and contraindications so when we're looking at these questions we want to scan for gaps and statements that contradict against actions so for missing information we want to make sure that we're skimming the passage to grasp the main idea remember that's the last sentence of our first paragraph we going to identify what specific information the question is trying to seek and lastly we want to look for gaps in that explanation when it comes to contraindications where we really need to understand what it is that the text is trying to convey is it medical is it mechanical what is it trying to tell us we want to identify any mentioned conditions situations or factors that we're going to see in the text and then lastly we want to look for statements that advise against certain actions so let's take a look at some practice questions so we can tie this all together so starting with our question first we have what crucial aspect of heart health maintenance is missing from Dr Ellis's seminar looking at our passage we have in a recent public health seminar Dr Ellis discussed the impact of lifestyle choices on heart health she covered the benefits of regular exercise exercise and a balanced diet however during her talk she realized that she hadn't addressed The crucial aspect of heart health maintenance despite this Omission she emphasized the importance of avoiding smoking and reducing stress so taking a look at our examples we have the importance of regular exercise well she did talk about the benefits of regular exercise so we can get rid of that option the benefits of a balanced diet again she did cover that topic so we can automatically eliminate that we have the role of medication and heart health that wasn't really something that she discussed so we can keep that one on the back burner and then lastly D the importance of avoiding smoking well based on our very last sentence our main idea she did emphasize the importance of avoiding smoking So based on all of the options that we have available to us the correct answer is going to be C the role of medications and heart health taking a look at our next question we have what contraindication does Dr wi advise against for her patient so we're looking for something that Dr WN says do not do this so let's take a look at our example during a consultation Dr W NN advised her patient who has a history of chronic kidney disease about managing hypertension she prescribed a specific blood pressure medication but cautious cautioned against that's that word we're looking for against the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also known as nids for pain relief noting their potential for worsening kidney function so let's take a look at our question examples so we have a taking prescribed blood pressure medication well that's something that she did advise to do right engaging in high intensity exercise well that wasn't something we talked about at all in this paragraph so we can eliminate that consuming a high protein diet again didn't really discuss diet we were more focused on medications and then last using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also known as NES she did caution against using these drugs for pain relief because they can worsen kidney function So based on all of the options that we have available to us the correct answer is going to be D using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs we're going to begin by locating specific information in the text we want to find relevant information that's within that text asking us what problem are we trying to solve or what decision am I trying to make in order to identify this we usually follow one of four steps so step one is you want to read the question first as always specifically when it comes to reading you want to read the question first step two you want to find the passages topic sentence and Main Idea remember that topic sentence is usually that first sentence of the paragraph and the main idea is the last sentence of that paragraph step three you want to read that supporting detail so carefully read through the details that follow that topic sentence focus on how these details expand upon or explain that main idea and you want to pay attention to examples facts statistics or antidotes that are used to support that main idea as well and then lastly with step four is there anything that's missing or is there any information that maybe is considered irrelevant to the topic or the main idea so we want to evaluate whether all of that information that we read is really con conclusive to what the topic is talking about we want to look for gaps and logical reasoning as well as areas that maybe need additional information we want to identify any details or elements um that do not directly relate to the main idea or seem to be out of place and then we want to determine if the provided information thoroughly and effectively supports the main idea so let's take a look at an example so starting with reading our question first and asks what factor mentioned in the study significantly disrupts sleep cycles in adults so we're looking at what is disrupting our sleep cycle as adults so starting with our topic sentence in a recent study on sleep patterns researchers discovered several factors that affect the quality of sleep in adults here's our supporting details the study emphasized the role of a consistent sleep schedule and the impact of electronic devices on Sleep Quality it was found that exposure to blue lights from screens before bedtime significantly disrupts sleep cycles however the study did not elaborate on the effects of dietary habits of sleep focusing primarily on environmental and behavioral factors here's our main idea the researcher suggested further investigation of non-environmental factors that could influence Sleep Quality so let's take a look at our options inconsistent sleep schedules so that's not really something in regards to specific information that we're looking at when it comes to disrupting sleep cycles in adults dietary habits as the paragraph said it did not talk about the effects of dietary habits so we can eliminate that explosure exposure of blue lights from screens we absolutely talked about that and how that affects our sleep cycles and then use to traditional light sources again not something that was discussed So based out of all of the options the correct answer that we are going to be looking at is going to be see exposure of blue lights from screens when it comes to identifying the information and this text so I'm going to be off screen for this one so that you can get the entirety of the screen this is one of my favorite parts of the te's is glossies indexes and table of contests because they're so easy to answer so starting stting with glossies that we have over here the definition of a glossery is a list of terms and their definitions typically related to a specific subject or field you're usually going to find these at the end of a textbook or at a study guide and the main purpose is really to help you understand specific terminology when it comes to the t's next we have indexes so an index is an alphabetical list of names subjects with references to places where they occur typically found at the end of the book so as we said that location is usually found at the very end of the textbook or the study material and it's to help you quickly find information on a particular topic or keyword that's found in the text and then lastly we have table of contents so the table of contents is a list of chapters sections and often is the major subsections within them so again this is found at the beginning the very beginning of your textbook or your study guide and it's really to provide an overview of the structure and the main topics covered in that material helping you navigate through the actual text instead of wasting your time trying to find information about specific chapters so let's take a look at some practice questions so starting with our first practice question which of the following definitions correctly describes a bar graph so we have a a diagram showing the relationship between two variables using a line B the the graph that represents data visually using bars of different Heights or lengths c a circular chart divided into sectors illustrating numerical proportions or d a collection of dots on a graph representing values of two variables so we're going to take a look over here at our example we're going to look for bar graphs so we see here bar graphs a graph that represents data visually using bars of different Heights or lengths so we're going back here we're trying to figure out what the correct definition is and we can see that b is going to be the correct answer it's a graph that represents data visually using bars of different Heights or lengths so taking a look at our next practice question If you're looking for information on Amazon best sellers in a book about online marketplaces which of the following pages should you refer to so over here to the right of the screen we have our index so we're going to move down our index and find the information that we need we're looking for Amazon best sellers look here we have Amazon so we're getting close oh and right below it we have Amazon best sellers what's interesting about the teas is they are going to try to trip you up so it's very important that you make sure you read that question understand specifically what it's looking for while Amazon is listed here it's not the correct answer we're looking for Amazon best sellers So based on our index that's going to be between pages 79 and 82 looking over here at our options what is the best option we do have the correct answer is going to be a Amazon best sellers is going to be on the pages of 79 to 82 and for our last question we have a table of contents question so in any research method textbook where would you find information about the results of an experiment based on the table of content so let's take a look over here at our table of contents so we have the abstract dedication acknowledgement prease solist of tables figures and schemes here we have some chapters so chapter one is going to be an introduction chapter two is going to be method oh look right here chapter three we have results so the question is about information about the results of an experiment based on the table of contents so we have chapter 3 and we know that it is on page 18 so we're going to look over here at our options do we have it yes absolutely we do the correct answer is going to be a chapter 3 page 18 so let's talk about headings and subheadings so when it comes to headings this is the title at the head of a page or a document so it's going to introduce that main topic or theme that's going to be written in the passage and then when it comes to our subheadings that's going to be the headings underneath that main heading that provides those additional details so it's going to break down that main topic into more specific areas or aspects so let's take a look at an example of what this would look like so here's an example of our headings and subheadings so our headings are going to be in the red color and our subheadings is going to be in more of our tail color so guide to mastering the barbecue so that is our main heading right that is what all of this is about and then we start to see our subheading so remember this is that additional information about our main heading our main idea so choosing the right G grill right absolutely we need to know how to choose that it's very important and then we have another subheading essential grilling tools so we have the right Grill we're going to have to have the tools right that is that next additional information underneath our main heading let's take a closer look with some practice questions so I want to make something very clear when it comes to the te's sometimes the questions are not going to ask you to identify headings and subheadings they're going to require you to come up with them yourself so I wanted to give you a little bit of the harder examples because as we could see from the previous example it was really easy to tell what was a heading and what was a subheading but in this particular case I want you to be able to identify what could be a good heading or subheading so let's take a look at our first example what is the best heading for the above passage so remember this is the main idea of the passage so sleep plays a critical role in maintaining overall health and well-being it aids in memory consolidation muscle repair and regulation of hormones that control growth and appetite poor sleep patterns are linked to various health issues including obesity heart disease and depression the importance of consistent sleep schedules and creating a conducive sleep environment are also discussed so these are our options when it comes to identifying what would be a good heading so nutrition and health wasn't really something that we talked about that really the topic sentence is more related to sleep the importance of exercise well we didn't really talk about that either right we talked about issues that could be related to the overall health and well-being when it comes to sleep C understanding sleep and health this sounds great right that sounds exactly like what we talked about in this paragraph and mental health awareness we did talk about depression but was really the main focus of the passage So based on all of the options that we have the most correct answer is going to be C understanding sleep and health for our next question it states which of the following should be the best subheading for the section of the text remember that's adding additional information it's not what the main ideas is about it's just that additional piece it's those supporting details so the paragraph is the relationship between dietary choices and heart health is a critical area of study and preventative medicine that is our topic this section delves into certain types of fats and cholesterol levels influence the risk of developing heart disease it also discusses the importance of antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system so we're looking for those supporting details those important subheadings so we have diet and cardiovascular health yes absolutely those are two of the things that they talk about so those could be our subheadings we also have exercise and heart disease prevention well it wasn't really something that was discussed within this text so we can automatically eliminate that managing stress for heart health I think that's really important you do need to manage your stress but it wasn't something that was explicitly stated within the passage and then lastly impacts of sleep when it comes to cardiovascular system again not really something that we talked about so based out of all the options that we have available to us the correct answer is going to be a diet and cardiovascular health next let's talk about one of my personal favorites and that's sidebars underline Bolden and italicized text footnotes and legends these are super easy to answer so starting with sidebars these are those short pieces of text are usually found alongside the margins of the main text and they provide additional information clarify ification or examples relevant to the main text next we have underline text so this is where they draw a little line underneath a specific word and it can appear anywhere within the body and it's often used to indicate some kind of importance or highlight significant terms sometimes even use for hyperlinks when you're looking at digital texts next we have bolded texts so bolded texts are usually darker and thicker than their surrounding texts and again they're found anywhere within that main body they're used to emphasize key keywords headings making them stand out and easier to identify next we have a talize text and this is kind of that slanted to the right kind of text um again it appears in the main body and it's used to emphasize to denote titles of work or to highlight foreign words or even phrases next we have footnotes footnotes are additional information and citations found at the bottom of the page um it's usually located in the footer and there's usually a reference number attached to it in order to identify what it is referenced and then lastly we have Legends so when it comes to Legends that's not explanatory information it's key for understanding like figures tables as well as maps and they're usually found below or beside that figure table or map depending on what it is that you're looking at so let's take a look at some practice questions to put all of this together so as always we want to read our question first so according to the sidebar in the healthy eating patterns chapter of modern nutrition what type of content is featured so when we're taking a look at this particular practice question we don't even have to look at the passage itself we're simply looking at what's down here which is our sidebar so let's take a look it says experiences Maria who after switching to the Mediterranean diet saw remarkable improvements in her cholesterol levels and overall he heart help another story is about John who managed to control his type 2 diabetes and reduce his medication significantly by adhering to this diet so going back to our question according to the sidebar in the healthy eating patterns chapter of modern nutrition what type of content is featured so we have statistical data on the popularity of different diets well we know that's not true I didn't talk about that at all we have B personal accounts related to the Mediterranean diet absolutely we had two examples of where that was featured C ex scientific explanation of diet benefits didn't really talk about that and then lastly D recipes related to healthy eating patterns there was no recipes there at all so based on our conclusion with what we read in that sidebar we know that the correct answer is going to be B personal accounts are related to the Mediterranean diet our next practice question in the context of the provided passage what does the bolded term diver biodiversity refer to so let's take a look at our passage in the study of e ecosystems the concept of biodiversity is fundamental biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem that is our definition right there it tells us specifically what it is about so going back to our practice question options we have a protection of natural habitats NOP doesn't talk about that b the variety of life in a specific area or ecosystem yes that is the correct answer based on that sentence that refers to what the specific definition is but let's look at our last two options the process of species becoming extinct didn't even talk about that and the climate and weather patterns of an ecosystem no So based on all of the options that we have available to us we were able to answer this question quickly and deduce that b the variety of life in a specific area or ecosystem is the correct answer next let's talk about common elements of graph as well as Maps so you're going to have different things that you're going to have to be able to identify they being title labels on the X and Y AIS scale and Legend So let's break each one of these down so first we have title so the title of the graph gives that concise description about what the graph is specifically about you're usually going to find it always at the top of your graph and it's going to help you identify what the main topic and focus is then we have the label for our X and Y axis so these labels describe what each axis represents so our x- axis is going to be horizontal and our y AIS is going to be on the other side and it's going to be vertical next we have scale so a scale is a graph that indicates the units of measure and the value each increment of the axis that it represents so if you take a look over here this is your scale this is what is breaking down specifically how uh big something is how small something is what the population is and this particular case it's going to give you a unit of measure and then lastly you're going to have Legend So a legend is that explanatory information or key of understanding figures tables that are going to be found on the map so let's take a look at some practice questions to kind of break this down of what the te's might specifically ask you starting with our first question according to the map of Los Angeles California what is the distance in kilometers between Torrance and Compton so if you take a look here you have two different kinds of distances so this is where the te's is going to mess you up so you have kilometers and you have miles so this particular question is asking about kilometers so what I usually do is I'll take like a little piece of paper I know it's kind of hard to see but I'll line it up with the actual graph that is on the te's and I'll usually make like a little line and this is my 0er kilm as I'm measuring out here's another little line in the middle that would be about 10 and then we have another little line here at the end and that is 20 km and I take that and I actually lay it on top of my graph to kind of get what it is that I'm trying to figure out so I'm trying to figure out the kilometers what is the distance between these two points on a map so if you take a look the distance between Torrance and Compton it's a little bit more than 10 KET right we know that this middle line right here is 10 of kilom but it's not quite 20 right we're not quite at 20 km so when we're taking a look at our answers and we're trying to make the best educated guess we know that 8 km is incorrect correct that would be kind of on this side then we have 10 km well we know it's not 10 because it's a little bit more than that we have 20 kmet again that would have to be all the way at the end of our little scale here so we know that's not correct so lastly we have 12 it's a little bit more than 10 not quite 20 the only answer out of everything that we have to make our best educated guess would be D 12 km so our next question States according to the graph how many sales the North Division Vision make in 2023 so we're going to take a look at our graph here so we have different color variations right we have a blue we have a red we have a teal and we have a purple and we have a little key up here that's telling us which color corresponds to which division So based on our question we're looking for the North Division so we know we're going to be looking at blue but we also have a breakdown in years here right we have 2021 2022 and 2023 so again we're looking for North Division in 2023 so we're going to be looking at Blue here at the end of our graph and we're going to just kind of best guesstimate how many sales that they made So based on this if we were to follow this line over it looks like they made about 20,000 sales So based on all the options that we have available to us here our best educated guess is going to be that the North Division made about 20,000 sales in 2023 let's talk about biased and miss leading information when it comes to Graphics so Graphics like charts graphs maps and tables are going to be powerful tools for presenting data and information however they can sometimes be used to convey bias or misleading information whether it's intentional or unintentional there are key things that you're going to need to be able to identify so starting here with our manipulating scale the scale of a graph can be manipulated to exaggerate or downplay certain data Trends so for instance a graph may show a steep rise or it might show a steep Fall by using a compressed scale or it might minimize significant changes by using an expanded scale so if you take a look here based on this they say increasing sales every year and they have this steep rise that's taking place but if you take a look here you can see that it's kind of back and forth right so we were doing really good up to 1940 1950 somehow the scales went down then in 1960 they went back up but then look at this 1970 1980 they were kind of down again uh 1990 and then 2000s it came back up and then in 2010 they went back down again so again this is manipulating the scale to make it appear that the data trend is increasing every single year and then we have selective data presentation so pcking selective data to support a specific narrative while omitting contradictory data can be used to skew you a presentation so if we take a look at this graph we have nursing bedside shortage from 2020 to 2025 so if we take a look we have uh 2020 about 100% 2021 it increases increases in 2022 further increases in 2023 then we have a massive increase in 2024 and then it's just going to continuously increase as we see over the years but what's interesting about this argument is it doesn't talk about the bedside nurses that still hold their license that are just not working at the bedside anymore so certain graphs are going to prevent selective data in order to really push their argument forward so it's really important that when you're looking at graphs that you're being critical of the information that you're seeing and look for sources that either confirm or deny that information some additional bias or misleading graphs that you might see is misrepresenting correlations so graphs can imply correlations or causations between variables that may not exist or maybe more complex that's actually represented so if you look here we have home interest rates over the last five years if you were to look at this you would see wow they've maintained 5% since from 2019 to 2023 but all of a sudden in 2024 they're going up 7% what was up with that huge increase between the last several years until this year it doesn't make a whole lot of sense right sometimes individuals might use graphs like this to misrepresent or to bias you into purchasing something stating oh well if you don't do it now it's going to go up the next year so you have to be really critical when you're looking at these kind of graphs when it comes to the t's and then lastly we have inappropriate graph types when we're using graphs that aren't suitable to the kind of data that we have we're going to distort the viewer's overall understanding of what we're trying to represent so if you take a look here we have temperature changes in 20123 they've used a circle graph for some reason right why am I using a circle graph when it comes to temperature changes if I'm looking at this it's not really telling me how those temperatures have varied over the year so to me this would have made much more sense to actually put it in a line graph as opposed to a circle graph so really again be hypercritical of the graphs you see let's take a look at some practice questions to break this down so practice question one we have a bar graph displays a company's annual sales from 1900 to 2020 and states that each year the sales have increased how does the bar Miss Lead regarding the company's sales Trends from 1900 to 2020 by omitting sales data for certain years well if we take a look here we have a pretty consistent decade for each bar graph so we can automatically eliminate that by showing but I'm Sorry by incorrectly showing a continuous increase in sales each year well yes absolutely as we can see we have dips in some of these years so that is absolutely misleading by using a bar graph instead of a line graph when well we could have used a line graph as well um but that's not really what's misleading by not showing sales figures for the year of 1990 so again we do have sales figures for 1990 So based on all of the options that we have available to us the only correct answer that makes sense would be B by correctly showing a continuous increase in sales for each year and lastly when it comes the topics of graphs let's talk about how they can actually strengthen arguments so as we know graphs are are really great tools when it comes to enhancing persuasiveness and Clarity of a point being made they provide visual data that can immediately convey Trends comparisons and relationships that might not be as obvious as we would see with textual descriptions so for example a well-designed graph can sustin show the increase in graduate nurse turn turnover variability over time making it easier for the audience to grasp and remember the key arguments so if you take a look at this graph graduate nurse turnover rates from 2019 to 2023 so in 2019 prior to the covid pandemic the turnover rates weren't really large right but as we started to get into the co pandemic look at how much they skyrocketed right 30 40 well I should say 30 like 35 almost 40% and then in 2023 it was right at 40% just a little bit above so when we have Hospital administrators that are trying to make an argument regarding the screening processes when it comes to graduate Nur nurses or maybe trying to implement programs for attention to lessen these numbers graphs really can be helped with that persuasive aspect of trying to get their point across so that they can develop things like programs and better screening tools to help maintain graduate nurses within the field let's talk about words or phrases when it comes to sequence of events we talked about this in a previous video but it is going to be touched upon um several times throughout the te's exam so transition words and phrases for sequence of events they're broken down by these categories so we have before first next sometimes and last so starting with before this is things are going to happen in the past so we're going to be looking at words like earlier beforehand in the past this morning things that happened in the past next we have first so these are the initial steps when it comes to sequence of events so you're going to see transition words like in the beginning to begin with first firstly originally those are the ones that you're going to see for first next we have next so that's going to start after a step right so we have first something happens first and then we're going to have things like next it's going to be the second things that happen so you're going to see transition words like second soon after afterwards then later those types of words then we have sometimes so sometimes are transition words that happen at irregular intervals there's not really a like a set time that these things happen so you're going to see transition words like every so so often occasionally at times from time to time rarely it's something that's really irregular and isn't very consistent and then our last transition word is of course last and that is the final point that we're making in regards to a passage so you're going to see transition words like finally lastly and conclusion to conclude ultimately overall so these are really the the bulk of words that you're going to see in the aits really make sure that you've honed in on these words and that you understand them because it will be important when you're taking your test so taking a look at our practice question the question States based on the passage what does the phrase every now and then suggest about Sarah's discoveries of cafes and bookstores so this is a classic example of where you don't really need to read read the passage because the question is specifically asking what it is that you need to know so if you want to read the passage we will but in this particular case you wouldn't have to so the passage States in her diary Sarah chronicled her experiences as a new resident in the busling city she noted that every now and then she would discover a quaint little cafe tucked away in a corner of a Charming bookstore hidden down an alley these sporadic discoveries brought her immense joy in her Urban Explorations so again we're looking at what that every now and then phrase means so we have a couple options here we have she finds them regularly and predictable nope if it's every now and then we're not looking at something that is consistent or predictable so we can automatically eliminate that we have B she comes across them continuously and without interruption we just talked about that this is not a continuous transition word so we know that b is the incorrect answer then we have C she stumbles upon them occasionally and at e regular intervals yes every now and then does not give us any kind of consistency or predictability so C sounds like it would be the correct answer but let's look at our final option and then D she found them once and never again well that's not true because she states every now and then so she finds them here she finds them there at irregular intervals So based on all the options we have available to us the correct answer is going to be C she stumbles upon them occasionally and at regular irregular I'm sorry intervals rounding out our transition words we have transition words and phrases with cohesion of events so we're looking at things like when how often and length of time so starting with when that is our timing so when we're looking at things like then that's going to indicate what happens next in a sequence or if we're looking at a transition word like at this moment it's going to show action that's happening at a specific point in time next we have how often so this is our frequency so we're looking at transition where it's like occasionally we can suggest that an event happens from time to time but it's not regular and then then with frequently this is the complete opposite it means that this event happens quite often in comparison to occasionally right and then lastly we have length of time so this is how long something has taken place so if we use a transition word like temporarily it's going to describe an action or event that's going to eventually stop right it's just temporary it's not going to continuously keep happening whereas with the transition word permanently this is going to apply a state or condition that's going to last indefinitely so you see how we can use transition words to make a completely different meaning depending on what we're looking at when it comes to cohesions of events well let's take a look at some practice questions to kind of help build upon this even further this question States according to the biologist notes what does occasionally apply about the frequency of spotted red tailed hawks so for this one let's eliminate reading the passage and see if we can figure it out so we have the word occasionally which means that it happens from time to time but it's not very consistent so we we have a the Hawks are observed continuously we know that that's incorrect cuz it's occasionally it's going to happen from time to time so we can eliminate that b the Hawks were observed rarely that could potentially be the answer so let's keep that in our back pocket but let's move on to the next one C the Hawks are observed at regular intervals we know that's incorrect consistency regular that's not what we're talking about when we use the transition word occasionally and then lastly we have D the Hawks are observed sporadically so again that's that time to time sporadically occasionally they all fit within that category of our transition words so based on what we have without reading the passage and just solely reading the question to save ourselves time we know that the correct answer is going to be D the Hawks were observed sporadically and this is the last section of this video we're going to be talking about drawing conclusions and identifying gaps so drawing conclusions and identifying gaps is the sequence of events that involve an understanding about like a chronological order of events and recognizing when information is going to be missing or implied that we have to kind of make up ourselves so an inference and drawing conclusion remember we talked about them before they're both used interchangeably is essentially drawing a conclusion from combining evidence and logical reasoning so when it comes to identifying gaps we need to kind of follow this kind of timeline so you have to understand the timeline carefully read the text to understand the chronolog iCal order of events and make sure you pay attention to those transition words that we went heavily into those are first then subsequently finally make sure that you're following those words you want to identify key events so you want to note the main events in that sequence this can be done by highlighting or jotting down brief notes about what's happening within that mentioned text and then you want to look for causual relationships determine if there is a cause and effect relationship between events understand why an event occurred that can actually help you in drawing a conclusion about subsequent events that might happen afterwards you want to detect those gaps by looking for context clues be alert to any gaps that are going to be happening within that sequence a gap can be an event that is not fully explained or they could just jump somewhere into the future without having talked about what was happening during present day uh sometimes the information about the ven is not explicitly stated it's going to be more implied so you're going to have to use your past experiences to kind of try to figure out what's missing and then lastly we have evaluate event outcome so we want to assess the outcomes of an event we want to understand the results of each event and can provide insights to that sequence to help us draw those conclusions and the overall narrative or the argument that the author is trying to convey let's take a look at some practice questions of what this will look like on your test starting with question one what important step is missing in the chocolate cake baking process is outlined in the cookbook so we're looking for a miss in step out of all the steps that we have in order to bake this cake so let's take a look at our steps to bake a chocolate cake the following steps are outlined in the cookbook number one gather all necessary ingredients including flour sugar cocoa baking powder eggs milk and oil so that sounds good number two we want to preheat the oven to 350° F okay fantastic three in a large bowl we're going to mix together the flour sugar cocoa and baking powder so we're mixing together all of our dry ingredients number four in a separate Bowl we're going to beat the eggs and then add milk and oil so that's all of our wet ingredients five we're going to combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is smooth and then number seven look look at that looks like we're missing step six right number seven let the cake cool in a wire rack after baking so we're obviously missing something in between five and 7even so let's figure out what that is so frosting the cake well that would probably happen after the cake is cooled so while it is missing it's not something that's missing within our steps that we're provided we have B baking the cake in the preheated oven well if you take a look it doesn't really tell us how long that cake needs to be baked right so that could absolutely be the potential answer U we have C serving the cake again that's something that's going to happen after all of these sequence of events so it's not something that's missing from our instructions and then D washing the mixing bowls while that is very important after you bake a cake it's not necessarily something that missing so in this particular case the correct answer is going to be B baking the cake in the preheated oven it doesn't give us specifically how long we need to bake that cake so that would be a critical piece of information that we're missing from this text see Julie decided to visit a nearby friend for a quick catch up she doesn't really talk about that at all within the passage so we know that that's incorrect and then D Julie was busy grocery shopping for the week supplies based on what we can infer from the passage of what happened between 8 :0 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. we can absolutely imply that Julie was busy grocery shopping for this week's supplies making D the correct answer so we're going to start with author's point of view so when we read we're not just looking at words on a page right we're stepping into the author's World seeing it through their eyes but guess what their Viewpoint can dramatically shape the story but how does that happen that's what we're going to talk about in this particular section so imagine that we have two people looking at the exact same house one coming from a middle class background might see their dream home right and the other who's accustomed to luxury might dismiss this as a mere Shack fascinating right it's the same house but their perspectives paint totally different pictures this is exactly what happens in writing an author's background experiences and beliefs color their narrative it's not just about what they say but it's how they say it and that can really reveal a lot about what the author's stances are on various topics let's take a look at a practice question of what we're talking about so the question States what point of view does the author Express in this passage so the passage States growing up in a small coastal town has always influenced my view of the ocean to me it represents freedom and a connection to Nature that City Life simply cannot offer the the sea is not just a body of water it's a vital part of our community's identity and tradition something that Urban environments often lack so our options are a an objective analysis of the differences between Coastal and urban environments maybe b a preference for Coastal Life over City life based on personal and cultural experiences yeah absolutely they do talk about that c a factual comparison of the environmental impact of coal and urban areas or D an unbiased report on living conditions in different geographical locations So based on all the options that we have available to us the most correct answer is going to be b a preference for Cal life over City life based on personal and cultural experiences so as we stated before the author's point of view is influenced by their personal experiences of growing up in a coastal town this passage that we just read reflects that bias towards being part of that Co postal lifestyle emphasizing that deep connection to the ocean and viewing that as a symbol of Freedom as well as Community identity having been raised in a multicultural City I've experienced the richness of diverse cultures firsthand this has led me to believe that cultural diversity is essential for a vibrant and dynamic Society cities that lack this diversity tend to be monotonous and less Innovative in comparison so let's take a look at our options a neutral observation on the effects of cultural diversity in cities that doesn't make a whole lot of sense I don't think that's what they're talking about here an analytical study of urban development in relation to cultural diversity we don't really talk about that at all so we can automatically eliminate that an impartial overview of different societal structures in urban areas while they do talk about diversity they don't talk about the specific structures so it can automatically eliminate C and then lastly we have D A belief in the superiority of Multicultural environment based on personal upbringing to me that one makes the most sense so the correct answer is going to be D A belief in the superiority of Multicultural environments based on personal upbringings so again this is based on someone's personal point of view that is what is influencing that writing so this author reflects that bias towards those Multicultural environments shaped by their personal experience of being raised in a diverse City next let's talk about first second and third third person point of view so when we're talking about this we're really trying to figure out who is telling the story and from what perspective are some of the most important choices that the author is making so for example if a story is told in a different point of view it can entirely change the story all together so let's imagine the classic Rapunzel we all know this story right so depending on who is narrating it the prince Rapunzel or an outsider the tail is going to look entirely different first let's start with the first person point of view where Rapunzel herself is telling the story she could say something like ouch climb faster will you you're hurting me imagine Rapunzel's pain and impatience in the first person as the princess struggling to climb up her hair it's a completely different story right now we have second person so imagine that you were telling the story about Rapunzel you are Rapunzel so in this instance you can say you hear a voice below your heart races as you approach the window let down your hair he calls you hesitate then release your braided locks feeling a tangle of excitement and fear finally let's look at it from third person point of view and this is usually how we're accustomed to hearing fairy tales as are usually told by narrators so in this example let's say the narrator States Rapunzel locked away in her Tower watched the world from above each day was the same until a prince Enchanted by her voice discovered her he called to her Rapunzel Rapunzel let down your hair and she cautiously curiously complied you see how this all three of these completely changed the story that's what we're talking about when we're trying to figure out first second and third person point of views let's take a look at our first example so the question states which point of view is used in this passage so the passage States in my years as a teacher I've seen the impact of individualized attention on students success I believe that when Educators tail tailor their approach to each student's needs the results are significantly more positive so looking at our keywords we're seeing a lot of I right it's being told by that person it's that first person point of view so out of all of our answers that we have here the best one is going to be first person a let's take a look at another example which point of view is used in this passage so again we're looking for those keywords so Dr Ellis holds the view that early intervention is crucial for the treatment of chronic diseases she advocates for her proactive Health screenings arguing that this approach can lead to Better Health outcomes so looking here looking at those keywords we're seeing words like she right so we know that it's not being told from the first person we can automatically eliminate that there is no you yours any of those words we can automatically eliminate the second person but we are seeing keywords like she her things like that so we can deduce that based on this particular passage it is being told from the point of view of third person the correct answer is C next we're going to move on to author's tone so the tone is basically the author's attitude towards the subject and the author expresses this tone through the use of different adjectives so the tone can be judgmental biased it can even be emotional it can also be positive negative and neutral so these are some of the words that you're going to see used on your te's exam so when we're looking at positive words you're going to see see things like optimistic cheerful enthusiastic encouraging very positive bright words when it comes to that type of author's tone for the negative words you're going to see things like critical pessimistic disdain bitter angry those really negative words and then lastly for neutral words you're going to see words like objective informative detached unbiased really just a very neutral playing Ground when it comes to the author's tone so let's take a look at some examples of what that might look like in practice so starting with positive we have an example of as I walked through the revitalized downtown area the vibrant colors of the newly painted murals filled me with joy the laughter of children playing in the fountain added to the Lively atmosphere reminding me of the power of community's spirit so when we're looking at this positive tone it's evident by the choice of words right so we have vibrant Joy Lively it's the language that the author is using to create this uplifting cheerful mood focusing on the positive aspects of the scene and contrast and we're looking at negative tone this example States the once beautiful Park lay in neglect its paths overgrown littered with debris a sense of sadness washed over me as I observed the Decay a stark Testament to years of disregard and forgotten promises you see how the tone is completely changed here we're looking at words like neglect overgrown litter and sadness the author is really trying to convey this sense of Despair and neglect painted as a bleak and disheartening picture and then lastly when it comes to neutral tone or example is the report details the recent statistics on employment trends in the last quarter there was a 2% increase in job creation primarily in the technology sector while the manufacturing sector saw a slight decline so this passage really just has kind of a neutral tone it's really giving more of an informative stance on what is being conveyed right so they use words like objective numbers statistics they're really clearly focused on providing objective data objective information very clearly in regards to the use of this kind of Passage so let's do some practice questions the question States what tone does the author use In this passage so the passage States as the sun dipped below the Horizon It cast a Golden Glow over the meadow transforming the scene into a blue of Tranquility the landscape bathed in the soft light of dust became a Serene Haven where every blade of grass seemed to stand still as if in reverence of the Days end it was as if the meadow itself with its unding Hills and Whispering breezes was inviting onlookers into a realm of Splendor offering a momentary Escape into its Embrace let's see what we have as options we have a pessimistic and gloomy based on the keywords that we had I don't believe that pessimistic and gloomy is going to be the correct answer detached and factual again there's not a whole lot of facts there's not a whole lot of Statistics subjective data so I would go ahead and say that that's probably also not going to be the correct answer we have C warm and appreciative I do feel very warm when it comes to reading this kind of Passage right they use words like soft Dusk and tranquility and reverence it does make you feel kind of warm and very appreciative of the environment but let's look take a look at our last example ironic and skeptical well I wouldn't say that any of this is ironic or skeptical based on what we read so based on all of our answers that we have the correct answer is going to be C warm and appreciative in addition to positive negative and neutral tones we can also have formal nostalgic tragic and reflective tones so when we're looking at formal tones we're looking at factual professional and a structured tone you're going to commonly see these kind of tones in like textbooks encyclopedias as well as biographies when it comes to nostalgic type of tones you're looking for those more sentimental longing for their past romanticizing memories those kind of tones so you're going to see a lot of like reminiscing about the good old days kind of narratives when it comes to your passages next we have tragic tones so tragic tones are more about like sorrow Devastation despair fatal loss and you're going to commonly see these in reports such as like newspapers maybe even see it on the news especially and then lastly we have reflective kind of tone so that's kind of that introspective thoughtful self-examination as well as contemplation you're going to see a lot of personal pronouns right I me those type of things those first persons you're going to see a lot of discussions regarding past experiences and personal feelings being used so let's take a look at an example or practice question of what that's going to look like so for this practice question the question States what is the tone of the passage so the passage States the latest medical study conducted over a span of 10 years presents a comprehensive analysis of the effects of diet on heart health utilizing a large sample size and controlled variables the researchers systematically gathered and interpreted data ensuring scientific rigor in their findings so here are our options we have informal in ational well based on a lot of the words like statistics and comprehensive analysis that are being kind of thrown around this really isn't an informal conversational piece right so we can automatically eliminate that next we have B formal and scientific absolutely this is being conducted in a scientific manner it's very formal they're presenting their findings so this could be the correct answer but let's take a look at our other options we have personal and subjective not very personal right we're not looking at particular words like we're having a conversation and being personal so we can automatically eliminate that and then lastly we have emotional and persuasive there's not a whole lot of persuasive writing in here there's not a lot of emotional writing in here it's literally just a Deliverance of facts of what's going on with this particular study when it comes to heart health So based out of all of our options the correct answer is going to be B formal and scientific so let's talk about biases versus stereotypes they're two completely different things so how do we figure out which is what right so bias is a personal opinion in favor of or against a person group or thing it can be either positive it can be negative and it often impacts decision- making and attitudes unconsciously right so an example of this could be a hiring manager believes candidates from IB League schools are always more qualified than those from other universities this is one person's opinion or bias on a particular group of people in this case it's the candidates for this position now with stereotypes we're looking at a more fixed generalized belief some people have towards a particular group or class of people so it really isn't oversimplified and often inaccurate perception that doesn't consider individual differences so with biases we're looking at individuals with stereotypes we're looking at groups so an example of this could be people assume that all teenagers are irresponsible and addicted to social media this is a stere stereotype as it's a generalized belief by a group of people that believes teens are irresponsible so let's take a look at some additional examples just to help clear up the differences between that bias and that stereotype so a bias could be I prefer hiring younger people because they're more Innovative whereas a stereotype would be young people are always on their phone and can't focus for long periods you see how that kind of changed we're still talking about younger people younger employees but it's either coming from a bias standpoint when it comes to personal opinion or it's coming from like a generalized group opinion when it comes to stereotypes let's take a look at another example so when it comes to a bias someone could say in my opinion older teachers are better because they have more experience in contrast in contrast to that with the stereotype we have older workers are not good with technology you see how that changes from one's personal opinion to a generalization of a group let's take a look at our last example I always choose younger doctors I believe they're more up todate with medical advancements that's a bias whereas with the stereotype it could be young people are Reckless and don't consider the consequences of their actions let's take a look at our first practice question so what does an author's statement in the article suggest so we're trying to figure out if we're looking at a bias we're looking at a stereotype so the question or the p Mage States based on my extensive experience in the corporate sector it's become evident that younger people often lack the same level of commitment and professionalism as their older counterparts from what I've observed many of the younger generation seems to prioritize personal interests over the company goals a stark contrast to the dedication I notice in employees from previous generations so when we're looking at this we're looking at a lot of eye words right and B Bas on my extensive experience from what I've observed so we're most likely looking at somebody's bias right so we have a it is a factual representation of generational differences in the workplace we can't really tell if this is fact right there's no statistics no data nothing that suggests this so we can automatically eliminate that then we have B it reflects a personal opinion based on the author's experiences well this could absolutely be correct right because they use words like my extensive experience what I've observed so let's put that on the back burner and look at our other answers C it's an unbiased observation about changing workplace cultures well it really is kind of bias right we know we have a bias because they're speaking of their personal opinion their personal observations so we can automatically eliminate that and then lastly we have D it is a statistical fact analysis of employees Behavior across Generations again there's no statistics here so based out of all the answers that we have the most correct cor answer is going to be B it reflects personal opinion based on the author's experiences just like with bias and stereotypes we also have to distinguish between fact and opinion so a fact is information that can be verified it can be proven so for example an a fact can be the human heart typically beats between 60 to 100 beats per minute at rest right this is a statement of fact because it presents objective data about the human heart that can be verified and measured it's based on that scientific observation that can be proven through empirical evidence so when we're looking at fact we're looking at things that make sense they can be verified they can be measurable an extra tip when it comes to your teas is that if the passage contains any kind of numbers it's almost always going to be a fact okay facts are characterized by their lack of emotional content as well you're not going to see a lot of emotional words they do not express the author's personal beliefs or biases in the information that's being presented if you're seeing things like that you're most likely looking at an opinion so an opinion is subjective it's based on personal views emotions and interpretations so there's a short list of words that are really going to be imperative when it comes taking your te's just like we saw with stereotypes and biases you're going to see opinion words like should best most good better worst scenes and more you're going to see those kind of words in sentences so so an opinion could be jogging in the morning is the best form of exercise to maintain a healthy heart right that's that opinion word best this statement is an opinion because it expresses a personal belief and preference about jogging and the benefits of heart health opinions are going to be subjective that can vary from person to person what constitutes the best form of exercise for one person can vary differently from another group of people or an individual so making that statement really is going to be opinion based so let's take a look at some additional examples to hopefully help drive this home when you're taking your te's first example is it's 70 degrees outside yes absolutely that's fact I can look on my phone I can look at a news report they're going to tell me it's 70 degrees outside it is verifiable right versus an opinion of that could be it's too hot outside right 70° might not be hot to some people some individuals it could be some it couldn't be so that is absolutely somebody's personal opinion next we have the Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world covering over 5.5 million square kilometers again we have a number so that's fact it's also verifiable right we can look in a textbook we can look up news articles about the Amazon rainforest we're able to verify that information whereas with an opinion it could be the Amazon rainforest is the most remember those words most impressive rainforest in the in the world that is again someone's personal belief it's their personal opinion and then with our last example we have as of 2023 the most powerful supercomputer can perform over a quantian calculations per second so again that is verifiable we have numbers and we are able to measure and verify those things this is a fact whereas with an opinion we have super computers are more important for scientific advancement than traditional research methods so we got those uh trigger words when we're looking at an opinion right that more best most all of those type of words so again that last example is going to be an opinion so let's take a look at some practice questions to help kind of bring all of this home so our practice question states which of the following best describes the statement so the passage reads according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine individuals who follow a Mediterranean Rich diet and fruits vegetables and whole brains have a 25% lower risk of heart disease compared to those who follow a standard Western diet so let's take a look at our options an opinion about the Mediterranean diet while it could potentially be seen as an opinion we have statistical data in here right they say 25% lower risk of heart disease compared to those who follow a standard Western diet so it's not somebody's personal belief somebody's personal opinion we have a lot of informational factual as well as statistical data so we can you can automatically eliminate that next we have b a fact based on a published medical study yes right that's exactly what it's talking about it gives us a number we know that there's a fact piece taking place and it also talks about it being published in the New England Journal of Medicine so this absolutely could be answer B but let's take a look at our last two answers a hypothesis about dietary impacts on heart disease again there's not really a hypothesis here they've already done the experiment which is why they have statistical data so we can get rid of that and the last one is an anodal observation about dietary preferences again we can get rid of that so based out of all of the options that we have available to us B is going to be the most correct answer let's take a look at one more example what type of statement is primarily presented in this passage so the passage reads many healthc Care Professionals believe that a plant-based diet is the most effective way to prevent chronic diseases they argue that this diet rich in fruits vegetables and Grains of is the best balance of nutrients for longterm health so as we're reading this I'm noticing some words right we see words like most effective right that most that's usually an opinion word but let's take a look at our answers and see what we have so a fact supported by universal scientific consensus well there's not really a whole lot of statistical data there's not really a whole lot of informative information in here so we can automatically eliminate that a general observation based on common dietary patterns we don't really have a whole lot of information about dietary patterns it's specifically providing us information about one specific thing that plant-based diet so we can automatically eliminate that c an opinion held by some healthc Care Professionals well absolutely because as the passage starts it states many Health Care Professionals and we know that it's an opinion because it uses words like most right so we can keep that one as a potential answer and then our last option is a proven guideline for chronic de disease prevention again it's not proven there's no statistical data there's no research study nothing in here that suggests that this is a proven guideline So based out of all the answers that we have available to us the most correct answer is going to be C an opinion held by some healthc Care Professionals so let's move on to context clues so context clues are hints a reader can use to discover the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases how are you going to do that well you're going to look for words in the context themselves and the sentences around them so let's look at some practice examples so example one States during the intense summer heat the Arid landscape seemed almost lifeless with only a few cacti dotting their Horizon so our word that's in red arid that's the one that we are trying to figure out what it means so the phrases that they use around it are like intense summer heat that's that description word about the landscape it's almost lifeless there's only a few cacti so it's really suggesting that it's a dry Barren environment so these Clues help us to conclude that arid most likely means dry lacking and moisture typically used to describe a desert or kind some kind of similar environment our next example States the children's ulent laughter filled the room as they excitingly shared stories of their day at school so again that word in red is what we are trying to Define so in order to Define us we have to use those context clues that are found around that word so we have words like child's laughter filling the room and their behavior as being excitingly sharing stories so it might suggest that this word means some kind of lively enthusiastic atmosphere so in conclusion we can kind of say that this word May mean that it's being full of energy cheerful as well as an enthusiastic when you're looking at context closes you're looking at four different types of encounters that can take place so starting with definition this is when the author gives the meaning of the word right in the sentence it's like having a minute dictionary with inside the text right so an example could be an orbitar a garden devoted to trees was Jane's favorite place to visit here the garden devoted to trees is directly giving you the definition of the word right so that is what we're seeing when we're looking at definition next we're going to look at restatement so restatement typically involves rephrasing the unknown word in a way that makes it seem more clear so an example of this could be he was elated so happy that he couldn't stop smiling so happy is a restatement that clarifies what elated means so that's what we're looking at when we have restatement our third choice can be contrast right so here the author is going to give you the opposite to help you understand the word so a example of this could be unlike his greous sister who loves social ing Joe was shy and reserved right so the contrast to greous helps us understand that Joe is the opposite indicating that he's more shy and reserved than his sister and then for our last example we have inference so inference you're going to have to do a little bit of detective work when it comes to trying to figure out what a word means so for an example here she Tred through the snow her feet heavy and cold we can infer trudged implies that she had to do this kind of slow laborous walk without being without it actually being directly stated within the example so these are the top four kind of context clues that you're going to find when you're trying to define words on the tees so our first question States based on the passage what can be inferred about Mark's personality so we're trying to do a little detective work here right because we have the word inferred so the passage States unlike his brother who is loquacious and often the center of attention at so social Gatherings Mark is rdent he seldom initiates conversations and prefers to listen rather than speak in group settings so let's take a look at our first option we have a he is outgoing and enjoys socializing well we know that's not true because he tends to not want to initiate any conversations right he seldom does that so he's not very good at the socializing aspect so he can automatically eliminate a b he's reserved and less talkative than his brother absolutely he's reserved he doesn't really want to initiate a whole lot of con conversations and he prefers to listen rather than speak so that's where that less talkative he's reserved comes in so this could be the correct answer but let's look at our other options he dislikes attending social Gatherings well we don't really know if that's true he's there but it doesn't really state that he doesn't like to be there right so it can automatically eliminate that one and D he is more popular than his two brothers well we know that is incorrect right because he is more reserved he's more shy he doesn't really want to have a whole lot of conversations So based on all the options that we have available to us the correct answer is going to be B he is reserved and less talkative than his brother Let's us talk about figurative language so figurative language refers to a set of literacy techniques that enhance your writing by adding new meaning or context Beyond just the basic literal facts so there's four types of different figurative language that you're going to encounter on the t's and they are simile personification metaphor and hyperbole so let's break each one of these down so when we're looking at simil types of figurative language we're looking for words like like and as there's going to be a direct comparison between two ideas so words like life is like a box of chocolates I came in like a wrecking ball those are things that you're going to see when it comes to simile when it comes to Metaphor you're going to be looking for words like is is and was so that's a comparison that makes an implied or hidden connection between two ideas so Love is an Open Door Life is a Highway right that's more of a metaphor so similarly we have like and as metaphor we have is and was next we have personification so it's like giving a nonhuman object human characteristics so the SE was angry that day well the SE is not really angry right it's just was really choppy but we're giving it human characteristics to make it more personal and then lastly we have hyperbole so that's an exaggerated claim that emphasizes a point right so maybe you've had grandparents I know I had grandparents that used to say I would walk 500 miles to get through to school in the snow with no shoes and no coat right that is a hyperbole they're exaggerating that claim to emphasize their point you probably did have to walk quite a bit of miles or quite a bit of way to get to school but doesn't mean that they walked 500 Miles they're really exaggerating that and for our last section we're going to look at types of writing so we have informative persuasive entertaining descriptive and expository so let's take a look at each one so we're going to start with an informative writing so the main purpose is to provide information and facts right it's going to focus on delivering data statistics and straight four facts that educate the reader on a specific topic so you're going to see a lot of neutral and unbiased language it's going to avoid any kind of like persuasive language personal opinions we're strictly sticking to facts numbers you're going to see a lot of this when it comes like news reports research papers factual brosters as well as encyclopedia entries so that's where you're going to see this the most an example of this could be the Amazon rainforest spans over 2.1 million square miles housing diverse wildlife and ecosystems right we have numbers it's a fact we can identify we can measure we can look it up next we have persuasive writing so really with persuasive writing the main objective is to convince or persuade the reader to agree with the author's point of view or to take a specific action it's about influencing the reader thoughts as well as their actions so you're going to see a lot of things like emotional appeals strong opinions and argumentative techniques it can include rhetorical questions evidence persuasive language to make a compelling case so examples where you might see this could be like opinion editorials advertisements speeches cover cover letters and even sales pitches an example of this could be implementing renewable energy sources can significantly reduce Global carbon emissions and save our planet right this is giving the person an action it's it's appealing to their emotional uh appeal because again we're talking about reducing those global carbon emissions by implementing this one piece of thing next we have entertaining writing so entertaining the goal of this is really to provide the reader with enjoyment Amusement as well as pleasure it's meant to engage and captivates the audience attention about what the author is trying to convey so you're going to see a lot of like narrative techniques humor imaginative storytelling and creative language it's really characterized by the ability to evoke emotions whether it's about laughter suspense excitement or other feelings right so you're going to see the a lot of like novel short stories comedic articles plays and even some kind of poetry so an example of this could be the wizard vanished into a cloud of smoke leaving behind only a trace of sparkling Embers right it's very imaginative it's very storytelling it's exciting it's trying to get you in that mood it's to give you that pleasure our fourth one is descriptive writing so the goal when it comes to descriptive writing is really to paint a picture in the reader's mind it's about describing and detailing a scen person place or an object to make the reader visualize and experience what it is that they are trying to convey so characteristics of this could be like using sensory details figurative language like similes and metaphors that we talked about before they can also use evocative descriptions it's really going to focus on your five senses right you really should have something about your sight sound smell touch and taste to create a strong impression when we're looking at examples of this you're going to see this in like literature fiction travel writing nature writing character sketches as well as even like personal essays so an example of this could be the sunset painted the sky in Hues of orange pink and purple casting a warm glow over the Tranquil Sea see how they kind of painted that picture they want you to feel what it is that they're doing where they are at what it looks like and then lastly we have expository writing so with this kind of writing it's going to aim to explain clarify and provide information about a topic well it's also going to inform it's going to go further into offer a deeper understanding or insight into a subject matter so you're going to see elements like you know argumentation comparison analysis cause and effect relationships it's going to break down complex ideas into more understandable parts so you're going to see this a lot when it comes to academic essays how-to guides textbooks business reports as well as technical writing so an example of this could be photosynthesis in Plants involves converting sunlight into energy using water and carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen as a byproduct it's informative and it also explains the process right so when we're using terms like informative and expository writing they're often used interchangeably but they do have subtle differences between them informative is going to be more about studying the facts expository is going to be more about going into the details and the steps about those facts so let's take a look at some practice questions to tie this all together so our question states which writing style does the above passage represent so we're looking at persuasive descriptive informative or narrative so let's take a look the Great Barrier Reef located off the coast of Queensland Australia is the world's largest coral reef system comprised of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 Islands it stretches for over 1,400 miles and can be seen from space The Reef is is a Hotpot for biodiversity supporting a wide range of marine life including numerous species of fish mollusks birds and sea turtles so when we're taking a look at this we have a lot of numbers right we have a lot of statistical data so remember when we're looking at informative writing we're looking at that statistical data we're not it doesn't really go much more into detail about like how the sea life live and how they work together and why it's a bio hot spot for biodiversity so we can automatically eliminate it as as being expository writing because it has a lot of those numbers that 2900 individual Rees 900 Islands 1400 miles can be seen from space all of that information really we're looking at more informative writing so our correct answer is going to be C informative there are three concepts that you're going to need to know when it comes to citing evidence from a text including predictions interpretations and conclusions and I'll give you a simple way to remember each one as always the number one thing you are going to want to do every single time when it comes to answering questions about citing evidence is to read the question first it's important to know what the question is specifically asking before you read the passage so starting first with predictions this is like being a little detective and guessing what might actually happen next so for example if a story mentions dark clouds gathering You can predict that there might be some kind of rain or storm that's coming it's like looking up at the clouds in real life and guessing what is actually going on is it going to rain is it not going to rain it's the same thing next up we have interpretations so think of this as like being a psychologist and understanding the deeper meaning that the author is trying to imply so say a character in the text keeps fidgeting and avoiding eye contact you might interpret that as they're being nervous or they could potentially be hiding something it's like noticing a friend's body language in real life and understanding that they're most likely angry anxious and lastly we have conclusions so this is where you become a judge and you're going to ultimately decide what the text is really saying at the end so if a story ends with a character smiling and celebrating You can conclude that it's a happy ending it's like watching the end of a movie and understanding the story's overall message let's take a look at some practice questions starting with our first practice question based on the passage what prediction can be made about the upcoming events in the story The Passage reads the sky was overcast a blanket of gray extending as far as the eye could see Natalie noted the heavy oppressive air and the way the leaves on the trees suddenly stilled as if in anticipation she remembered the last time the sky looked like this barely a month ago when the town was hit by a storm that left them without power for days so our potential answers are Natalie prepare for an outdoor adventure well that's probably not going to happen if it's looking very ominous outside right the town will experience calm and pleasant weather well based on the way that she describes what's happening that's probably not going to be the correct answer C there will be a significant storm that may impact the town well based on what she said based on past experience it sounds like that could potentially be the answer but let's move on Natalie will leave town to escape the bad weather well doesn't really mention anything about her leaving town to escape this weather so out of all of the options that we have available to us C is going to be the most correct answer answer the next question is based on the passage how can Mr Dalton's feelings towards the ancient text be interpreted in the quiet library Mr Dalton's gaze lingered over the ancient text his his expression a mixture of awe and curiosity these books he whispered hold secrets of A Lost Civilization waiting to be rediscovered their knowledge is like a buried treasure Priceless and rare so our options are R A he is indifferent and uninterested in the books well based on what he's saying about the books that doesn't seem like that's the correct answer B he finds the books outdated and useless well again he uses things like these books hold secrets of lost civilizations while they might be outdated based on when they actually took place they're definitely not useless in his eyes see he's deeply fascinated and values the knowledge in books yes absolutely that could be our correct answer but lastly D he is confused and overwhelmed by the contents of these books well he's definitely not confused by them so based out of all of the options that we have available to us again C is going to be the correct answer so let's talk about identifying theme in a story so a theme is a significant concept interwoven through a narrative it's really going to transcend that plot and that synopsis delving much more deeper into the overall meaning of the story so that theme is going to bridge a broad concept about life or Society with the narrative's events so often a theme addresses fundamental questions are going to be posed by the story such as really what defines a family what are our deepest fears and it's going to answer these questions through the form of the story's theme like family goes beyond blood relations or our greatest fear can be the loss of our unique identity right so theme differs from the main idea which is the Central topic of the story and from the summary which recounts the story's events while the main idea and summary deal with what the story is about and what is happening in It theme is really going to offer that insightful or that moral compass for the reader as it's applying it to their own life so what's great about themes is themes are universally relatable Concepts so for instance if I share an experience about getting a questionable funnel cake at a carnival and ultimately ending up with food poisoning the theme isn't specifically about packing my own food or about avoiding that particular food stand because not everybody has carnivals instead it's really a broader message like The Importance of Being prepared in case something like this happens the theme resonates more widely because while not everyone May encounter a specific hot dog stand or specific funnel cake stand everyone can understand the value of preparation so think of a theme as being similar to finding the moral of a story but it's really going to have a little bit of a slight difference so a moral directly imparts a specific lesson whereas a theme might Encompass a lesson but it isn't limited to just that it can be more abstract to unearth that story's theme you have to consider asking yourself some of these overarching questions what did the character learn and what way did they grow or transform what motivated their actions what has changed in the story's end and what lingers in your mind long after the story is over let's take a look an example of what this might actually look like when you're taking the teas so let's take a look at these questions with this folklore called the caterpillar's wisdom in a lush vibrant Forest where the trees danced with the breeze and the flowers whispered Secrets there lived a young caterpillar named Kora cor was unlike other caterpillars she was born with vibrant multicolored patches all over her body making her Stand Out amongst the green foliage cor loved exploring but her unique appearance often attracted attention making her an easy target for birds and other Predators her friends more camouflaged and less noticeable warned her about the dangers of being conspicuous one day while venturing out cor met an old wise butterfly named AA Alara listened to ka's worries about her bright colors and smiled gently your uniqueness is your strength strength she said in time you will see not long after a group of birds spotted Kora she remembered alara's words and instead of hiding displayed her colors more boldly these birds dazzled by her beauty decided not to harm her remarking that something so beautiful must be cherished emboldened by The Experience cor started to view her colors as a gift rather than a curse she began to embrace her uniqueness no longer trying to blend in but rather to stand out as Autumn came cor prepared to Cancun she wrapped herself in a silk Copus pondering over her life and her transformation when she finally emerged she became a breathtaking butterfly her wings a mosaic of the colors she had once feared kaora fluttered back to her friends who were Amazed by her transformation she shared her story teaching them the value of embracing her uniqueness and seeing strengths and what makes them different cor became known throughout the forest not only for her beauty but for her wisdom she reminded everyone that What Makes You Different Makes You special so looking back at our questions what did the characters learn well cor learned that her uniqueness was her strength and not a weakness to be hidden in what way did they grow or transform cor Grew From A self-conscious caterpillar into a confident wise butterfly who embraced her unique qualities what motivated their actions well initially fear and the desire ired to fit in motivated Kora but later that wisdom that she got from Alara and her own experiences taught her the value of showcasing her uniqueness what has changed by the story's end well by the end cor transformed not only physically into a butterfly but also in her perspective seeing her distinct colors as a gift and then lastly what stays with you after the story is over so that enduring message is about embracing and celebrating our unique trip that can ultimately transform our vulnerabilities into strengths let's take a look at a quick practice question of how this will be applied on the te's so here's our practice question what way did Taro grow and transform in the story so the story States in a small Coastal Village there lived a Humble Fisherman named Taro known for his exceptional skills Taro was most admired for his humility and kindness during a fierce storm he Bry saved a drowning traveler not for fame or reward but out of sheer compassion Taro became a hero in his village yet he always credited his success to the unity and support of his fellow villagers he often said alone we are drops but together we are an ocean let's take a look at our potential answers so a he became the most skilled fisherman in the village well it doesn't really talk about that while he may be exceptionally skilled in his fishermen we don't know about the other other villagers B he learned the importance of fishing for survival well that's not really something that was discussed in this particular passage so we can automatically eliminate b c he transformed from a lone fisherman to a community hero well absolutely that is something that they talked about he lived as a Humble Fisherman he ultimately saved someone's life that was drowning so he did become a community hero so that could be the potential correct answer but lastly we have D he realized the dangers of fishing during the storms well really the end of it was more about Community more about him becoming a hero and him saying that I'm only as good as my community so we can automatically eliminate that so out of all the answers that we have available to us C is the correct answer our next question States what stays with you after the story about Sarah is over so Sarah is a high school student was facing immense pressure while preparing for an important exam just like you all are observing her stress her mother shared her own past experiences with exam anxiety and emphasizing the need for balance she advised Sarah to dedicate time to study to relax and to pursue Hobbies inspired Sarah modified her routine balancing her study time with leisure activities she not only performed well on her exam but she also learned the crucial life lesson of maintaining balance so out of our potential answers we have a the lessons of balance seeing work and relaxation in life yes that is absolutely something that was discussed during this passage let's look at our other answers B the role of Parental advice in academic success well that wasn't the overall theme of the story but that was something that they did talk about C the pressure of high school exams well while high school exams have a lot of pressure associated with them that is not the overall theme of this passage and then lastly D the techniques of effective exam preparation well again they didn't really talk about exam preparation they really talked about that balance so out of each of the potential options we have available to us a is the most correct answer next we're going to discuss claims and counter claims so many of you have social media accounts and you probably noticed that disagreements are common why because each of us holds a different opinion in discussions or meetings we often prefer Harmony wishing nobody would disagree however disagreements are going to be inevitable due to the diverse viewpoints of each individual person this leads us to the concepts of claims and counter claims so a claim is your main argument it's the stance your opinion or conclusion on a particular issue or topic essential to the thesis statement of your Viewpoint remember a well- constructed claim doesn't just present your argument but it also situates within a broader context which often includes acknowledging and addressing any potential counterarguments that may may take place conversely the counter claim is essentially the opposite in that it is a statement that is going to challenge refute and oppose that initial claim in debates this opposition is typical as teams often split into affirmative and negative sides for instance let's consider a topic like mandatory overtime for nurses should be implemented to ensure adequate Staffing if that's the main argument or claim a counter claim could be mandatory overtime for nurses should not be implemented as it leads to nurse burnout and that's going to have to be backed up by specific reasons and evidence and as we know in today's nursing field I'm sure that you're not going to have a difficult time finding that evidence so a country claim is going to challenge that initial claim presenting an alternative Viewpoint so starting with our question what is the main claim made by Sarah in the story so the story States in a quaint town of Greenville a debate was brewing among the residents about the operating hours of their cherished Public Library the library a Cornerstone of the community had always closed at 6:00 p.m. however a recent proposal to extend the hours until 9900 p.m. sparked conversations across the town during a community meeting Sarah the head librarian took to the floor She passionately argued the extension of the library's operating houra until 9:00 p.m. is essential for the enrichment of our community by staying open later we can provide invaluable access to resources for working adults and students these groups often struggle to utilize the library due to their daytime commitments furthermore extended hours would allow for more Community programs and workshops in the evenings benefiting everyone so what is the main claim our options are a the library needs to up upate its collection of books well it's not really something that we discuss so we can eliminate that b extending the library's hours will significantly benefit the community absolutely that's explicit evidence that's specifically stated within the text C the library should hire more staff that wasn't something that was argued at all they were only discussing particularly the hours and then DED the community does not use a library enough well again that is something that is not what was stated it was stated that they're using the library constantly want more people to use the library so out of all the options we have available to us B is going to be the most correct answer now let's talk about evaluating resources so when we're evaluating sources we're going to need to identify where that source is coming from is it a primary source secondary or trary source so each source is going to serve a unique purpose in building a robust argument so primary sources are often going to be direct evidence about a person an event or phenomenal so for instance Marie Curry's lab notebook is a quintessential primary source although its radioactive nature makes it a little bit difficult to handle these sources can be anything from the time period or period That's being studied so say we have a World War I soldiers Journal that's considered authoritative it's directly from the person that experien the events so secondary sources on the other hand are created using primary sources so they're going to analyze interpret and restate primary source information so examples of this could be newspaper articles or even some textbooks while primary sources are authoritative secondary sources are going to be more persuasive so it's important to note that what defines a primary or secondary source can vary based on the context and academic discipline just know that primary are going to be much more authoritative when it comes to the te's and secondary um sources are going to be more persuasive and lastly tertiary sources include information from both primary and secondary sources but don't present new information or any kind of new analysis so common examples can be textbooks abstracts and reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias Wikipedia for example which many of us use is a trary source so let's take a look at an example of what this is going to look like when it comes to your teas so so let's explore the topic of the effects of social media on Mental Health the primary source can be an original study or survey titled the impact of social media on youth mental health which was published in a psychology Journal this is a primary source as it presents original research data and findings directly from the researchers a secondary source could be a documentary film analyzing various studies on social media's impact on Mental Health including interviews with psychologists and summaries of several key studies like the one that we had mentioned before this is a secondary source because it reviews and discusses findings from the primary research providing a more complex Concepts on the context as well as additional perspectives and then lastly we have tary sources so this could be an entry in a textbook on digital media psychology that summarizes findings from various studies on social media as well as mental health including the mentioned research study as well as the documentary film so this is a chary source as it compiles information from multiple primary and secondary resources without actually providing any kind of new analysis of those two so let's take a look at an example which of the following best describes the source used in a study mentioned in the passage so the passage States a recent experimental study study published in the Journal of environmental science explores the effect of urban green spaces on air quality the research team collected air samples from various Urban parks and analyzed them for pollutants like carbon dioxide nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter the study found a significant reduction in these pollutants within the green spaces compared to nearby urban areas without such spaces so our potential answers are a a primary source as it involves original research and data collection in urban green spaces yes absolutely this is all original data b a secondary source as it summarizes findings from an environmental study well again it's not really coming from a secondary source it's not providing new analysis based on an original Source or primary source so we can eliminate that a trary source as it provides an overview of urban environmental issues well again we're not taking our primary in our secondary sources and putting them together without new analysis so we can automatically eliminate that and then lastly a review article critiquing existing environmental policies we didn't discuss anything about environmental policies so we can automatically eliminate that the correct answer to this question is going to be a as it is a primary source so what are rhetorical devices how can you effectively convince someone to understand and accept your perspective or Aristotle or renowned Greek philosopher offered insightful strategies for persuasion he identified three critical techniques known as the three appeals which are fundamental in persuading an audience to support an argument these appeals are named ethos pathos and logos and each of them are going to Target a different aspect of the audience response and reasoning so starting with ethos ethos seeks to earn the audience's trust in the speaker or writer emphasizing credibility and reliability so for example gaining the trust of a doubtful audience hinges on the person that's presenting showing that the speaker is going to be credible knowledgeable and has good intentions ethos is established by citing relevant experiences outlining qualifications or utilizing reputable sources to demonstrate expertise in a subject matter now when it comes to Pathos pathos really Taps into the audience's emotions it's encouraging a belief through emotional connection and empathy this technique is widely used in various forms of popular media including movies books as well as music when it comes to academic writing merely evoking emotions is not going to be enough to effectively employ Pathos in a scholary context authors are going to use vivid descriptive language this includes the Strategic use of emotions powerful adjectives verbs that compain a clear emotional resonant picture for the reader and then lastly we have logos on the other hand it's going to engage the audience's logic right logos logic it's going to engage their logic and their reason persuading them with well reasoned arguments and logical consistencies this is achieved by constructing a solid case of using facts figures well-reasoned evidence by presenting arguments that are logically sound the position of the conclusion as rational and well founded makes counterarguments seem less convincing or even irrational depending on what they're talking about let's take a look at some practice questions of how they might ask this on the teas the first question states which theme in the passage reflects the use of ethos remember we're looking for credibility and reliability so in my 20 years of as a heart surgeon I have seen the direct impact of healthy eating on cardiovascular health this experience coupled with extensive research has led me to advocate for a balanced diet as a Cornerstone of heart health I stand before you not just as a doctor but as someone who has personally witnessed the transformative power of good nutrition so our options are a I have seen the direct impact of healthy eating or cardiovascular health again we're not really gaining their trust we're not showing our credibility and reliability here so we can automatically eliminate that b this experience coupled with extensive research has led me to advocate for a balanced diet again there's not really any credibility here there's not any reliability while he talks about his experience we're not really seeing specifically how this is credible c i stand before you not as a doctor but as someone who has personally witnessed this is huge right this is credibility I am a doctor reliability I have WT so yes C would make the most sense in regards to a correct answer but then we have D the transformative power of good nutrition again there's no credibility here so out of all the options that we have available to us C is going to be the most correct answer our next question States what part of the passage is an example of pathos so remember we're looking for those Vivid imageries we're looking for it to invoke some kind of emotion that's what we're looking at in this particular passage so as I walk through the remnants of a once thriving coral reef I would is struck by the devastating effects of ocean pollution the Vivid colors and bustling marine life I remembered from my childhood were replaced by a bleached coral and Eerie silence this heartbreaking scene is a grim reminder of what we stand to lose if we don't take action to protect our oceans this sounds like a very persuasive writing right so let's take a look at our options we have a the devastating effects of ocean pollution while we do invoke some kind of emotion when when it comes to that particular statement it isn't really painting a vivid imagery of what we're looking at right so we can automatically eliminate that we have B the Vivid colors and bustling marine life I remembered from my childhood while we are looking at more of an imagery thing here we're looking at Vivid colors we're looking at bustling marine life it's not really stating specifically what it is that we want or what it is that we're trying to convey so keep that on the back burner for now but I don't think that's our correct answer C this heartbreaking scene is a grim reminder of what we stand to lose this is excellent right we have a heartbreaking scene that is our imagery we know that our oceans are becoming more polluted and they also talk about what their position is what we stand to lose what it is that they're trying to persuade or convey to you so C seems like it's going to be the most correct but let's take a look at D if we don't take action to protect our oceans that's not really providing us with a lot more information that we need in order to make an informed decision so out of all the options we have available to us C is going to be the most correct answer this particular sentence is effectively employing that pathos by evoking emotions and sadness as well as loss it's that description of that heartbreaking scene the reminder of what could be lost is appealing to that particular reader's emotions so out of B and C those two options C is going to be the most correct answer lastly let's take a look at qualitative and quantitative research so so quantitative research is designed to test hypotheses and typically involves data collection that's going to result in a numerical or graphical representation this method generally necessitates a larger sample group and the gathered numbers are analyzed using mathematics and statistical techniques meaning that it's going to be able to be measurable so that's our quantitative datas think quantity right that's a number quantity quantitative Converse we have qualitative research which is utilized primarily for formulating hypotheses so unlike quantitative research it produces data that is expressed in words rather than numbers and often requires a smaller number of respondents meaning that the data cannot be measured mathematically the analysis for qualitative research involves summarizing categorizing and interpreting the collective verbal and textual data so now that we understand the differences between the two the next question is what method should we use for each well the decision really is going to be straightforward if your objective is to confirm or test a specific Theory or hypothesis the quantitative approach is going to be the most suitable approach however if your aim is to gain a deeper understanding of or to explore a concept or idea in depth then you're probably going to want to use a more qualitative approach in the way that you approach this particular ular study so using the context of nursing let's apply quantitative and qualitative approaches so if I wanted to adopt a more quantitative approach I might survey 300 nursing students at a university asking them to rate questions like on a scale of 1 to five how satisfied are you with the clinical training part of your course based on that collected data I would perform statistical analysis it could conclude something like on average nursing students rate their clinical training experience 4.2 out of five that would be a more quantitative approach conversely if I chose a more qualitative approach I would conduct an in-depth interview with maybe 15 nursing students asking open-ended questions like how do you feel about your clinical training in the nursing program or what improvements would you suggest for the clinical training aspect of your course after transcribing these interviews I would analyze and to identify common patterns or themes across all of the interviews so for instance I might find a recurring sentiment like many students Express a desire for our handson experience and direct mentorship during their clinical rotation this would be a more qualitative approach let's take a look at some practice questions of what it will look like on the te's let's take a look at our question is the research method used in this study quantitative or qualitative so the study States a group of researches conducted an interview of 20 nurses working in emergency departments to explore their experiences in coping strategies during high stress situations the interview consisted of open-ended questions allowing nurses to share detailed personal experiences and insights the researchers then analyze the transcripts to identify common themes and insights about Stress Management and emergency nursing so right off the bat we have a qualitative study we have a small small group of nurses and they're looking at coping strategies and their experiences and they're asking open-ended questions so automatically we can eliminate anything about quantitative so a quantitative because it focuses on specific groups of professionals we can eliminate that and uh let me see C quantitative because it's uses statistical methods to analyze data automatically can eliminate that we're looking at a qualitative research study so we have B and we have D B qualitative because it involves anal in personal experiences shared in interviews yes absolutely they're analyzing everybody's personal experiences and looking for common themes and then we have D because it employs a large sample size in interviews well like we know qualitative research is going to have smaller sample sizes that's why we only have 20 so we can automatically eliminate D out of all the answers we have available to us B is going to be the most correct answer that was a lot that's everything that you're going to need to know in order to Ace that reading section of the aits as always if you have any questions make sure that you leave them down below I love answering your questions head over to nurse chunk store.com where there's a ton of additional resources available to you to help you Ace those exams and as always I'll catch you in the next video bye