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The Beasley Method

The Beasley Method. Strategy for passage-based questions. Introduction. Inspiration of the “Beasley Method” What you should write and when Disclaimer to the freaks who like to read Like Robie, for instance. Types of Questions. Four types of passage-based questions: Specific questions

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The Beasley Method

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  1. The Beasley Method Strategy for passage-based questions

  2. Introduction • Inspiration of the “Beasley Method” • What you should write and when • Disclaimer to the freaks who like to read • Like Robie, for instance

  3. Types of Questions • Four types of passage-based questions: • Specific questions • General questions • Vocabulary-in-context questions (VIC) • Compare and Contrast questions (CC)

  4. Types of Questions • Specific questions • These are the most prevalent of the passage-based questions. • Specific questions will cite specific lines, words, or paragraphs. • Use the Beasley Method on these questions.

  5. Types of Questions • General questions • General questions will have no line references. • Usually they require a general understanding of the whole passage. • Answer these after you have answered the specific and VIC questions.

  6. Types of Questions • Vocabulary-in-context questions • These questions ask you to define a word given its context in the passage. • VIC questions will cite a specific line and word. • Treat a VIC question as if it were a Sentence Completion question.

  7. Types of Questions • Compare and Contrast Questions • Occur when you must read two related passages. • CC questions will either be general or specific. • Specific cites lines, general does not. • Answer these after the specific and VIC questions.

  8. Step 1 – Index the passage

  9. Step 1 – Index the passage

  10. Step 1 – Index the passage

  11. Step 1 – Index the passage

  12. Step 1 – Index the passage

  13. Step 1 – Index the passage

  14. Step 1 – Index the passage

  15. Step 1 – Index the passage

  16. Step 1 – Index the passage

  17. Step 1 – Index the passage

  18. Step 1 – Index the passage

  19. Step 1 – Index the passage

  20. Step 1 – Index the passage

  21. Step 1 – Index the passage

  22. Step 2 – Read the italicized blurb

  23. Step 3 – Start Reading until you get to the end of your first indexed item

  24. Step 4 – Go to the question that was indexed • DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER CHOICES YET!! NONONONONO • Ask yourself these questions: • What is happening in the question? • What is the question asking?

  25. Step 4 – Go to the question that was indexed • Answers to questions • What is happening in the question? • The passage is referring to “the Pilgrim settlers” • What is the question asking? • Why is the reference used?

  26. Step 5 – Go back to the passage • Ask yourself these questions: • What is the subject of the passage that the question refers to? • Keep it simple. Often you will be able to answer this in only one or two words. • What does the passage say about the subject? • Cite actual examples from the passage. Also, ignore the effect of difficult or technical vocabulary. Either replace the word(s) with something that makes sense or ignore. • What is the author “getting at” by telling us this? • You may feel hung up on this question; however, this step is easier than you think. Just take the answer from the last question and expand a little further on it

  27. Step 5 – Go back to the passage • Answer: • What is the subject of the passage that the question refers to? • Native Americans

  28. Step 5 – Go back to the passage • Answer: • What does the passage say about the subject? • The Native Americans are as “mysterious, exotic, and unfathomable” to people nowadays as they were to the Pilgrims 350 years ago.

  29. Step 5 – Go back to the passage • Answer: • What is the author “getting at” by telling us this? • He is telling us that the Native Americans were and still are perceived as “mysterious, exotic, and unfathomable.”

  30. Step 6 – Go back and answer the question • Decide whether the question is able to be answered. If it is, continue reading. If not, then skip ahead to step 7. • If you decide not to write for any of the steps, at least write for this one. The reason for this will soon be apparent.

  31. Step 6 – Go back and answer the question • USE YOUR OWN WORDS TO ANSWER • STILL DO NOT look at the answers • ETS is tricky and will try to deceive you with their answer choices

  32. Step 6 – Go back and answer the question • Answer: • …show that the Pilgrim’s perceptions of the Native Americans were the same as ours are now.

  33. Step 7 – Use process of elimination • If you could answer the question, then eliminate the answer choices that do not agree with your own answer. If not, then eliminate using clues from the questions you answered in step 5. • Be active when you eliminate. Pick up your pencil and cross out the answer choices you eliminate.

  34. Step 7 – Use process of elimination • Remember, you may not find an answer choice which completely matches your own. Pick the one that agrees most with your answer. If none of the answers are close to yours, then you probably misunderstood something somewhere

  35. Step 7 – Use process of elimination • Our answer: • Show that the Pilgrim’s perceptions of the Native Americans were the same as ours are now. • Eliminate (A) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Eliminate (B) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Eliminate (C) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Eliminate (D) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Hold on to (E) because it agrees with your expected answer

  36. Step 7 – Use process of elimination • So our answer must be (E) since it is the only one left

  37. Step 8 – Repeat • Go back to the passage and continue reading until you get to the end of your next indexed item • Then go back to step 4

  38. Step 8 – Repeat

  39. Step 4 – Go to the question that was indexed • What is happening in the question? • The word “charged” is being used in line 12. • What is the question asking? • What does “charged” mean?

  40. Step 5 – Go back to the passage • What is the subject? • European thinkers • What does the passage say about the subject? • Europeans think Native Americans are “charged more by unfathomable visions” than by “intelligence.” • What is the author “getting at” by telling us this? • Europeans think Native Americans are “charged” more by something ethereal rather than by what the Europeans are “charged.”

  41. Step 6 – Go back to the question and answer • Answer: • Motivated; spurred; it is their impetus

  42. Step 7 – Use process of elimination • Our answer: • Motivated; spurred; it is their impetus • Eliminate (A) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Eliminate (B) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Eliminate (C) because does not agree with your expected answer • Hold on to (D) because it agrees with your expected answer • Eliminate (E) because it does not agree with your expected answer • So (D) is the answer

  43. Step 8 - Repeat

  44. Step 4 – Go to the question that was indexed • What is happening in the question? • There is a reference to Rousseau. • What is the question asking? • What is this reference emphasizing?

  45. Step 5 – Go back to the passage • What is the subject? • This idea [that Native Americans are “mystic”] • What does the passage say about the subject? • “This idea is certainly not new.” Then the passage gives a specific example from the past of such a viewpoint. • What is the author “getting at” by telling us this? • This “idea” concerning native peoples has been around for a long time.

  46. Step 6 – Go back and answer the question • Answer: • …length of time that this viewpoint has been around.

  47. Step 7 – Use process of elimination • Our answer: • …length of time that this viewpoint has been around. • Eliminate (A) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Hold on to (B) because it agrees with your expected answer • Eliminate (C) because does not agree with your expected answer • Eliminate (D) because it does not agree with your expected answer • Eliminate (E) because it does not agree with your expected answer • So (B) is the correct answer.

  48. Step 8 - Repeat

  49. Step 4 – Go to the question that was indexed • What is happening in the question? • The phrase “international crowd pleaser” is referring to something. • What is the question asking? • To what or whom is it referring?

  50. Step 5 – Go back to the passage • What is the subject? • The story that appears in the paragraph above • What does the passage say about the subject? • The story that Native Americans were “regarded as ancients” is an “international crowd pleaser,” but there is a “difficulty.” • What is the author “getting at” by telling us this? • The “difficulty” is that story is wrong and Native Americans are contemporary and not ancient.

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