Reading Part 4: Reading for Viewpoints (13 minutes)

There are 2 sections to Part 4:

1. The first reading expresses two different views or opinions about a topic. Test-takers will have to answer 5 multiple-choice questions.
2. The second reading asks test-takers to read a ‘Reader’s comment’, which is a reply to the first reading, and fill in the blanks (drop-down choices)

Note: The topics for the first reading usually include business, economics, social policy, or education.

This is the most difficult Reading Part and Paragon Testing believes this part exposes test-takers with above-average reading skills because test-takers have to have the skills to make inferences, to separate fact from opinion, to incorporate information from separate parts of the reading texts, and to understand challenging vocabulary. The test-taker must be able to comprehend the first reading correctly to be able to successfully complete the second reading answer choices.

For Part 4 Thorough Comprehension of the first reading is necessary:

Remember: When you read for Thorough Comprehension, you try to understand the total meaning of the reading. You want to know the details as well as the general meaning of each section of a text.

If you have thoroughly comprehended a text, you have done the following:

• Understood the main ideas and the author’s point of view
• Understood the relationships of ideas in the text, including how they relate to the author’s purpose
• Note that some ideas and points of view that were not mentioned were, however, implied by the author (drawing inferences)

3. Understand the concepts in the passage as well as the vocabulary. This may require you to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words from ‘context’.

Method:

1. Read the article and note the opposition to the main argument
2. Write down the ‘thesis’ and the ‘antithesis’, or disagreement with the main idea, so you know what is being argued and what is used to argue against the thesis (see below, after this article)