Chapter 7
Reading for Comprehension
IN THIS CHAPTER
Grasping points and subpoints
Understanding what you’ve read
Becoming a better reader
The military services want their members to understand what they’re reading. This skill is known as reading comprehension, but on the ASVAB, it’s called paragraph comprehension, and it makes up part of your AFQT score.
Why does the military place so much importance on reading comprehension? Quite simple: Miscommunication has been the leading cause of almost every major military accident or battlefield disaster in history.
The military runs on paperwork. A former Air Force vice chief of staff once commented that he had looked at 13,000 pieces of paper in a five-day period. Granted, you won’t see quite so much correspondence as a newly enlisted member, but you’ll have to read and understand your share of memos, policy letters, regulations, manuals, and forms. In some branches, your promotions are based, in part, on how well you can read, comprehend, and retain information from written material. And the higher rank you earn, the more paperwork you’ll see.
Reading comprehension involves several skills that anyone can develop with practice. To thoroughly understand what you read, you must develop the abilities to recognize the main idea, recall details, and make inferences. The information in this chapter helps you improve your reading comprehension skills, making it possible for you to nail the Paragraph Comprehension subtest of the ASVAB.
Taking Pointers about Points
When someone writes something, he’s almost always trying to make a point. This message is called the main point or principal idea of the writing. The paragraph or passage may also contain information that supports or reinforces the main point; these little gems are called subpoints.
Picking out the main point
The main point is the most important part of a paragraph or passage. It’s the primary theme that the writer wants you to understand. In many cases, the writer states the main point simply. In other cases, the writer may imply the main point rather than state it directly.
Quite often, the main point of a paragraph or passage is contained in the first sentence. You may recall from school that your English teacher referred to this sentence as the topic sentence. Sometimes a writer also rephrases or summarizes the main point in the passage’s last sentence.
In the following passage, the main idea is stated in the first sentence:
U.S. military forces will increasingly be called upon in the immediate future for peaceful military-to military contacts, humanitarian intervention, peace support, and other nontraditional roles. The end of the Cold War transformed U.S. national security. The United States entered the 21st century with unprecedented prosperity and opportunities threatened by complex dangers. Problems associated with fostering a stable global system require the U.S. military to play an essential role in building coalitions and shaping the international environment in ways that protect and promote U.S. interests.
The main point is stated clearly in the very first sentence: “U.S. military forces will increasingly be called upon in the immediate future for peaceful military-to-military contacts, humanitarian intervention, peace support, and other nontraditional roles.” The sentences that follow are subpoints that help clarify and emphasize the paragraph’s main point.
Sometimes the main point isn’t in the first sentence. Look at the passage again, slightly reworded:
The end of the Cold War transformed U.S. national security. The United States entered the 21st century with unprecedented prosperity and opportunities threatened by complex dangers. Problems associated with fostering a stable global system require the U.S. military to play an essential role in building coalitions and shaping the international environment in ways that protect and promote U.S. interests. A key assumption is that U.S. military forces will increasingly be called upon for peaceful military-to-military contacts, humanitarian intervention, peace support, and other nontraditional roles.
The paragraph’s main point remains the same, but it isn’t stated until the last sentence.
Sometimes the main point isn’t clearly stated but is rather implied. Take a look at the following paragraph:
The plane landed at 9 p.m. The children were disappointed that new security rules prevented them from meeting their father at the gate. They waited with their mother in the car outside the airport doors, amidst dozens of other people in vehicles, there for similar purposes. With each passing moment, their excitement grew. Finally, the automatic doors opened, and he walked out. “Dad! Hey, Dad!” the excited children yelled.
Though it’s not directly stated, the main point of this paragraph is obviously that the children’s father is coming home.
Take another look at the preceding passage. When trying to determine the main point of a paragraph, ask yourself the following:
- Who or what is this paragraph about? A father returning to his family.
- What aspect of this subject is the author talking about? The moments before and the moment of the father’s appearing at the airport doors.
- What is the author trying to get across about this aspect of the subject? The drama of the father’s reunion with his family.
Simplifying subpoints
Most writers don’t stick to just one point. If they did, most paragraphs could be reduced to just one sentence. But it doesn’t work that way. Writers usually try to reinforce their main points by providing details. These subpoints may include facts, statistics, or descriptions that support the passage’s main point. Subpoints help you see what the author is saying. Take, for instance, the following passage:
For the purposes of drill, Air Force organizations are divided into elements, flights, squadrons, groups, and wings. The “rule of two” applies (that is, an element must consist of at least two people, a flight must consist of at least two elements, and so on). Usually, an element consists of between eight and ten people, and a flight has six or eight elements. Drill consists of certain movements by which the flight or squadron is moved in an orderly manner from one formation to another or from one place to another.
Notice how the writer uses the second, third, and fourth sentences to explain in detail how Air Force organizations are divided for the purposes of drill. These supporting details are subpoints.
Look for signal words in the passage — words like again, also, as well as, furthermore, moreover, and significantly. These signal words may call your attention to supporting facts.
Analyzing What You’ve Read
Understanding what you read involves more than just picking out main points and subpoints. To analyze a paragraph, you need to examine the passage carefully to identify causes, key factors, and possible results. Analyzing a passage requires you to draw conclusions from what you’ve read and understand relationships among the ideas in the text.
Say what? What does that passage mean?
By drawing conclusions about a passage’s meaning, you reach new ideas that the author implies but doesn’t come right out and state. You must analyze the information the author presents to make inferences from what you’ve read. What conclusions can you infer from the following paragraph?
The local school district is facing a serious budgetary crisis. The state, suffering a revenue shortfall of more than $600 million, has cut funding to the district by $18.7 million. Already, 65 teachers have been laid off, and more layoffs are expected.
Can you conclude that the local school district really stinks? Possibly, but that’s not the point the author is trying to make. Although the author doesn’t come straight out and say so, you can draw the conclusion that if the state revenue shortfall could somehow be corrected — by increasing state sales tax or income tax, for example — the local school district’s budgetary crisis could be resolved. The author never actually makes this point, but you can draw this conclusion from the facts presented by using reason and logic.
When analyzing a passage, leave your baggage at the door. For example, you may not like the current governor, but nothing in the passage suggests that the writer supports electing a new governor to solve the budget problem.
Say it again, Sam: Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing means to rewrite a passage using your own words. This strategy is often useful when you’re trying to understand a complex idea. Putting the passage in your own words can help you understand the main idea, which can in turn help you discover information that may not be stated directly. Paraphrasing can also be helpful in making inferences and drawing conclusions from the information provided. Look at the following short passage:
On-the-job training (OJT) is often the most effective method of training because the employer tailors the training to meet the specific job requirements. OJT can be as casual as giving a few pointers to a new worker or as formal as a fully structured training program with timetables and specified subjects.
How would you paraphrase this passage? If you wrote something like the following, you’d be on the right track:
Some OJT programs involve a formal lesson plan, while others simply tell a new employee what to do and how to do it. OJT works well because new employees can be taught what they need to do the specific job.
Paraphrasing is just saying the same thing using different words. In basic training, your drill instructor may say, “You really need to work on your running time,” or he may say, “Get the %$@* lead out of your pants and run faster!” Both mean the same thing.
Improving Your Reading Comprehension Skills
Some people read and comprehend better than others, but one thing is for certain: You’re not born with the ability to read. It’s something you learn. Like almost anything that is learned, you can use proven techniques to help you do it better:
- Read more and watch TV less.
- Practice skimming and scanning.
- Learn to identify the main ideas and the all-important subpoints.
- Work on the meanings of strange or difficult words.
- Practice paraphrasing.
- Reflect on what you’ve read.
Taking the time to read
Joseph Addison once noted that “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” My dad has been painting walls to look like stone, precious metals, and all kinds of other materials — anything other than drywall — for more than 30 years. As a result, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between one of his walls and the real deal. My brother’s been wielding a tattoo gun for more than 20 years. He practiced on grapefruits and oranges (and a few brave volunteers). With more practice, he got better (thankfully!), and he gets better each time he creates a new tattoo.
The point is that you can improve any skill with practice. If you don’t read well, the chances are good that you don’t read much. You don’t need a $4 million government-funded study (although I’m sure there are a few) to know that people who read a lot are more likely to be better readers than people who don’t read so much.
If you learn to read for fun, you’ll automatically read more, and I guarantee that your reading skills will improve immeasurably after a relatively short time. So how do you learn to read for fun? Simple: Choose reading material in subject areas that interest you.
You don’t have to pick up A Tale of Two Cities or War and Peace. You can start with the newspaper, a biography of a person you admire, or magazines you find at the library. Personally, I like For Dummies books. If you devote at least one hour a day to improving your reading comprehension, you’ll see results fast — maybe within a month or so.
Skimming and scanning
Different situations call for different styles of reading. The technique you choose depends on your purpose for reading. For example, you may be reading for enjoyment, to find information, or to complete a task. If you’re reading for enjoyment, you usually read and savor every word. However, in other situations — such as when you’re just trying to find the main ideas or look up specific information — you may not want to read every single word.
Skimming
You can skim to quickly identify the main ideas of a text. For example, most people don’t read a newspaper word for word. Instead, they skim through the text to see whether they want to read an article in more depth. Most people can skim three to four times faster than normal reading. Skimming is especially useful if you have lots of material to read in a limited amount of time.
Here are some points to keep in mind when you practice skimming:
- If the article or passage has a title, read it. It’s often the shortest possible summary of the content.
- Read the first sentence or paragraph. This introductory text often consists of the main point(s).
- If the text has subheadings, read each one, looking for relationships among them.
- Look for clue words that answer who, what, where, how, why, and when.
- Pay attention to qualifying adjectives, such as best, worst, most, and so on.
- Look for typographical clues such as boldface, italics, underlining, or asterisks.
Scanning
Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. When you scan, you must be willing to skip over several lines of text without actually reading and understanding them.
Scanning is a useful technique when you’re looking for keywords or specific ideas. For example, when you look up a word in the dictionary, you probably use the scanning technique. In most cases, you know what you’re looking for, so you concentrate on finding a particular answer.
When scanning a document:
- Keep in mind what you’re scanning for. If you keep a picture in your mind, the information is more likely to jump out at you from among all the other printed words.
- Anticipate what form the information is likely to appear in. Will it be numbers? Proper nouns?
- Let your eyes run over several lines of print at a time.
- When you find the information you’re looking for, read the entire sentence.
Skimming and scanning are useful techniques for many of the Paragraph Comprehension problems. I talk more about this subtest in Chapter 8.
Looking for the main ideas and subpoints
Reading wouldn’t have much purpose if you just let your eyes wander over the words without walking away with some sense of what the author is talking about. The author’s ideas are included in the main point and subpoints of the writing. You need to practice extracting this information from your reading material. See the “Taking Pointers about Points” section earlier in this chapter.
Building your vocabulary
It’s hard to understand what you’re reading if you don’t understand the individual words. Effective reading comprehension involves developing a solid vocabulary. Use the techniques in Chapter 5 to strengthen your vocabulary, and you’ll simultaneously improve your reading comprehension skills. The two skills go hand in hand.
When practicing reading, try not to look up new words in a dictionary right away. Stopping to look up words often impairs your concentration and lessens your ability to comprehend what you’ve read.
Instead, start by trying to puzzle out the meaning of a new word by looking at the context in which the word is used in the sentence or phrase. For example, take the following passage:
It had been three days since the shipwreck, and Tammy was unable to find food or much drinkable water. At that point, she would have done anything to get off that wretched island.
You can derive several important clues about the meaning of the word wretched based on its context in the passage. Obviously, Tammy isn’t having a very good time, nor does she find the island to be a pleasant environment. Therefore, you can surmise that wretched has something to do with unpleasantness.
Paraphrasing
Putting the text in your own words can help you understand what the writer is talking about. I talk more extensively about this in the “Say it again, Sam: Paraphrasing” section earlier in this chapter.
You probably won’t have time on the Paragraph Comprehension subtest to rewrite passages on your scratch paper. But by practicing the technique while you hone your reading comprehension skills, you’ll develop the ability to paraphrase in your mind.
Remembering by reflecting
Reflecting simply means thinking about what you’ve read. If you take a few minutes to think about it, you’re more likely to remember it. Did you enjoy the passage or article? Did you find it interesting? Do you agree or disagree with the author’s views? Warning: Thinking about what you’ve read may cause you to learn something!
Speaking about Speed
Dozens of speed-reading courses, software, and online programs absolutely guarantee, without qualification, to turn you into a speed-reading wizard. However, if your goal is to score well on the Paragraph Comprehension subtest, I recommend you save your money.
The Paragraph Comprehension subtest isn’t a speed-reading test. You’ll get 22 minutes to answer 11 questions on the computerized version of the test; if you’re one of the few people who takes it on paper, you’ll have 13 minutes to answer 15 questions. Either way, this is plenty of time for most people. The best part is that in many cases, you’ll answer multiple questions about the same passage. That means by the time you get to the second (or, in rare cases, the third) question, you’ve already gained a good understanding of what the passage is about.
If you’re still worried about your reading speed, just remember: The more you read, the better (and faster) you’ll get at it. Read to comprehend by using the information in this chapter, and your speed will automatically get faster as you practice.
Diving for Facts: Paragraph Comprehension Practice
The Paragraph Comprehension subtest of the ASVAB is designed to keep you on your toes. You’ll have to dig for the main idea, pull out facts, draw conclusions about what you’ve read, and find out what the author of the passage is implying. Each of these exercises is designed to help you do those things — and to gauge where you need a little more practice.
Finding the main idea
Read each of the following passages and underline (or circle — it’s your book!) the clues that help you figure out the main idea; then put it into your own words in the space below the passage. Refer back to “Taking Pointers about Points” if you need a refresher. Check your answers by flipping to the “Answers and Explanations” section at the end of this chapter.
Passage 1
About 70 percent of people are eligible for a home office deduction on their taxes, but many are afraid to claim it because they think it’ll get them audited. The truth is that the law allows you to claim a home office deduction if you use some space in your house exclusively for work (so guest bedrooms with a computer don’t count). If you’re eligible, you probably should claim it — but you should talk to a tax professional to be sure.
Main idea: ________________________
_______________________________
Passage 2
The sliding boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate is called the San Andreas Fault. It effectively divides California into two parts, with San Diego and Los Angeles on the Pacific Plate; San Francisco and Sacramento are on the North American Plate. When the two plates build up enough pressure, one finally gives way and causes earthquakes. It’s a common myth that the San Andreas Fault will eventually crack and send California into the ocean. One thing remains certain, though: The fault isn’t going away, and neither are the earthquakes it causes.
Main idea: ________________________
________________________________
Passage 3
Currently serving or honorably discharged veterans may be eligible for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which is an education benefit from the Veterans Administration. The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill pays for you to go to college or a trade school, and if you enroll full-time, you’ll also get a monthly stipend to help pay for your housing. In some cases, a parent can transfer the benefit to his or her children or to a spouse.
Main idea: ________________________
______________________________
Passage 4
In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it’s unconstitutional to ban people from burning the American flag, saying that preventing people from doing so would violate their First Amendment rights. As you know, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees us freedom of speech and a number of other freedoms, such as the freedom to exercise our religious beliefs, the freedom to peaceably assemble, and the freedom to petition the government when we disagree with elected officials. In the Supreme Court case United States v. Eichman, the Court upheld the right to burn the flag in this context. The U.S. Flag Code actually prescribes burning the flag when it becomes “so tattered that it no longer fits to serve as a symbol of the United States.” Several organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, conduct dignified flag-burning ceremonies when necessary.
Main idea: ________________________
_______________________________
Going on a fact-finding mission
Some of the Paragraph Comprehension questions on the ASVAB require you to hunt for specific facts in written passages. The questions you encounter may ask you to find out who, what, when, where, why, or how, and you’ll most likely have to return to the passage to find the correct answers. Use the following exercises to test your fact-hunting skills; then flip to the “Answers and Explanations” section at the end of this chapter to see how accurate you were.
Passage 5
When it comes to voting rights (and the responsibilities that come with them), Americans are very clear about what they want. Four out of five Americans support early voting, and 63 percent support automatic voter registration. As many as 19 percent of all citizens are completely against requiring some form of voter identification at the polls. No matter what people prefer, though, that doesn’t change the fact that just over half of all eligible voters turn out for general elections and even fewer show up for midterm elections.
How many Americans support early voting? _______________________________
How many Americans support automatic voter registration? ______________________________________________________
How many Americans are against requiring voter identification at the polls? ______________________________________________
How many eligible voters vote in general elections? ______________________________
Passage 6
Nice is a beautiful city on the coast of France, less than an hour’s drive from Cannes (the city famous for its film festival) and about 932 kilometers from Paris. The city is known for its natural beauty, and painters — including Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, and Niki de Saint Phalle — have been trying to capture its essence for centuries. After a tumultuous history, the city itself was annexed by France in 1860, and it has remained part of the country ever since.
What artists have created famous paintings of Nice? _______________________________
_______________________________
How far is Nice from Paris? _____________________________________________
When was Nice annexed by France? ________________________________________
Passage 7
The National Museum of Natural History, run by the Smithsonian Institution, is located in the heart of Washington, D.C., between the White House and Capitol Hill. It offers free admission, although some of the attractions inside (most notably the butterfly exhibit and the IMAX theater) do charge a fee. The three-story museum has only two floors of exhibits; the ground floor contains shops and a few cafés offering drinks and prepackaged foods. On the first floor, you’ll find the Ocean Hall, a modern mammal exhibit, and the Human Origins Exhibit. You can take stairs or an elevator to the second floor, where you’ll find a remarkable dinosaur exhibit that includes a full T-Rex skeleton, the Hope Diamond, and the Live Insect Zoo.
Where is the National Museum of Natural History located? ________________________________________________________
_______________________________
How many stories is the museum? _________________________________________
Where would you go to learn about human evolution? _______________________________
Passage 8
The “terrible twos,” according to most parents, are very real and very difficult. Dr. Vanessa LoBue says that this tough time actually begins when toddlers are about 18 months old, and it’s because little ones aren’t good at emotion regulation or self-control … and that those two factors combine to create the perfect storm. Dr. Jeremy Friedman, who wrote a book about dealing with toddlers, says that you can minimize tantrums and defuse meltdown situations by staying calm, being loving, and providing reassurance to your toddler.
Who said that the “terrible twos” start when kids are 18 months old? ___________________
_______________________________
What is Dr. Jeremy Friedman’s book about? _______________________________
According to the passage, why do toddlers go through such difficulty? _______________________________________________
_______________________________
Drawing conclusions on your own
In some cases, the ASVAB’s Paragraph Comprehension questions want you to figure out what the passage is telling you when it doesn’t actually say what you need to know. You’ll have to draw conclusions based on what the passage does contain and choose the best answer from the four choices the test makers created for you. Use these passages to draw your own conclusions, and when you’re done, head to the “Answers and Explanations” section to find out how you did.
Passage 9
Simón could smell the sweet scent of mantecada baking in the house when he dropped his bike near the porch stairs after school. He burst through the door, hoping they were done and ready to eat. Mom was standing in the kitchen, laughing at Paloma, whose tiny hands were covered in flour, and Dad was snapping pictures with his phone as the little girl toddled across the floor. Simón said, “Mom, may I have a piece of mantecada?” Mom smiled and said, “Yes, as soon as you’ve had your dinner.”
What is mantecada? _________________________________________________
How old is Paloma likely to be? ___________________________________________
What time of day is it? ________________________________________________
Passage 10
The twins were both surprised when their mother took them to the mall on Sunday afternoon — the Sunday right before the big day — but the festive music, snowy seasonal décor, and throng of shoppers were distracting … and exciting. A long line of people trailed into the food court; young parents with strollers, grandparents peering over boxes and bags to smile at their grandkids, and everyone in between were slowly inching forward. The occasional flash of a camera brightened the space toward the front of the line, and both girls squealed happily when they figured out why they were there.
When does this story take place? __________________________________________
Why are so many people waiting in line? _____________________________________
Passage 11
The littlest one tumbled over the pile of his playful littermates. He made his way to Cheryl, his tail wagging as he panted. She bent down to scratch his pointed ears, and when he looked up into her eyes, she made her decision. “I’m going to call you Jack,” she whispered.
What is Jack? _____________________________________________________
What was Cheryl’s decision? ____________________________________________
Passage 12
Heather watched the lizard dart up the tree, took a huge gulp of water, and wiped the sweat from her face with a towel. As her breathing slowed, she knew she could’ve been faster. She knew that she’d have to be faster if she wanted to stand a chance against the other competitors. The problem: she didn’t really want to compete. Even if she did, she wasn’t sure she had the skill to keep up. She pushed aside her negative thoughts, bent down to tie her shoe, and thought she could still see a handful of competitors near the bend in the road ahead. “Twenty-three miles down and three more to go,” she thought, the dread ebbing away as she took off again at a comfortable pace.
Why is Heather sweating? ______________________________________________
What is Heather participating in? __________________________________________
Answers and Explanations
Check your answers against these and see how close you were to finding the correct ones.
Passage 1: The main idea of this passage is that some people can claim a home office deduction on their taxes. It’s mentioned in the first and second sentences, and it’s alluded to (hinted at) in the final sentence.
Passage 2: The main idea of this passage is the San Andreas Fault and why it causes earthquakes.
Passage 3: The main idea of this passage is the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill — what it is and who can use it.
Passage 4: This passage is about burning the American flag. It mentions why it’s legal to do so as freedom of speech and when the U.S. Flag Code prescribes (calls for) it.
Passage 5: Four out of five Americans support early voting; 63 percent of Americans support automatic voter registration; 19 percent of Americans oppose voter identification requirements; and just over half of all eligible voters vote in general elections.
Passage 6: Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, and Niki de Saint Phalle have painted Nice; the city is 932 kilometers from Paris; and France annexed it in 1860.
Passage 7: The National Museum of Natural History is located in Washington, D.C., between the White House and Capitol Hill; the museum is three stories high; you’ll find the exhibit about evolution on the first floor, in the Human Origins section.
Passage 8: Dr. Vanessa LoBue said that the “terrible twos” begin around 18 months; Dr. Jeremy Friedman’s book is about dealing with toddlers; and 18-month-old kids aren’t good at emotion regulation or self-control.
Passage 9: Mantecada is most likely a dessert; Paloma is most likely a toddler; and the story takes place in the afternoon.
Passage 10: The story takes place the Sunday before Christmas; the girls are excited because they’re waiting to have their pictures taken with Santa Claus.
Passage 11: Jack is a dog; Cheryl decided she was going to keep him.
Passage 12: Heather is sweating because she’s run 23 miles; she’s competing in a marathon.