Reading Comprehension: Initial Reading

What is the first step in dealing with a reading passage?    

Not only is reading the passage not the first step, it is not a step at all.

There is no need to read the entire passage at any point. 

If you read the question first, you won't know where in the passage to look for the answer and you'll end up reading the entire passage, thus wasting precious time.

Correct.

What is the first step in Initial Reading?

Remember that we work at the sentence level. We never read more than one sentence at a time.

Therefore, the correct answer is reading the first sentence of the first paragraph.

Correct!

After reading the first sentence of the first paragraph, what is the next step in Initial Reading?

Correct!

What's the next step after reading the second sentence of the first paragraph?

Almost always, reading only the first sentence of the first paragraph is not enough in order to understand its main idea (or the passage's main idea). Therefore, it is recommended that after reading and processing the first sentence of the first paragraph, you go on to the second sentence of the first paragraph and read it too. This will solidify your understanding of this important paragraph.

The correct answer is reading the second sentence of the first paragraph.

Correct.

Not necessarily. It's possible that the first two sentences of the first paragraph gave you a good enough idea of the main idea.

Not necessarily. It's possible that the first two sentences of the first paragraph still did not give you a good enough idea of the main idea.

What's the next step in Initial Reading after being done with the first paragraph?

Correct!

Suppose the passage is only 2 paragraphs long. What's the next step in Initial reading?

Remember that we do not "do" paragraphs, only sentences. Therefore, the correct answer is reading the first sentence of the second paragraph.

The correct answer is reading the first sentence of the second paragraph.

Excellent!

The correct answer is reading the first sentence of the first paragraph. Remember we do not work at the paragraph level but rather at the sentence level.

There's no use reading the second sentence of any of the paragraphs except the first. While the first sentence of the second paragraph is important as it contains the gist of the paragraph, the second sentence and all the sentences that follow it contain only details and supporting ideas. Since the Initial Reading is about extracting the main idea of the passage, sentences that contain supporting ideas and details are not part of it.

There's no use reading the last sentence of any of the paragraphs except, in some cases, the first.

While the first sentence of the second paragraph is important as it contains the gist of the paragraph, all the other sentences in it contain only details and supporting ideas.

The last sentence of a paragraph does not summarize that paragraph. It is merely the last bit of information relevant to that paragraph. All you'll find in it is supporting ideas and details. Since the Initial Reading is about extracting the main idea of the passage, sentences that contain supporting ideas and details are not part of it.

I'm not sure

I'm not sure

I don't know