Day 11 Notes

English Economy Questions

• 1/3 of the English questions test awareness of the following:
• Redundancy
• The passage says the same thing twice
• Never let text in a sentence repeat itself
• Verbosity
• Using more words than is necessary for clarity – does not add meaning to the sentence
• The best way to write something is the shortest way, as long as it doesn’t violate grammar rules
• Irrelevance
• Topics that have nothing to do with what is being discussed in the passage
• Omit ideas that are not directly and logically tied in with the purpose of the passage.

English Test 3

Day 12 Notes

The ACT Math Mindset

• On the ACT, you’ll sometimes be called upon to do more than merely regurgitate memorized facts and unquestioningly follow prepackaged procedures
• Don’t Be Obedient
• All that matters on the ACT is that you get the right answer, not HOW you got that answer
• Don’t Show Your Work
• Make notes about the problems, but don’t worry about writing out every step (like you may be required to on a test for math class)
• Be a Thinker – Not a Number Cruncher
• Work less, but think harder
• No ACT math question should take more than a minute to take care of, if you know what you’re doing

Math Test 3

Day 13 Notes

The Key to Active Reading

• Read quickly, but actively, getting a sense of the “main idea” of the passage
• Constantly try to think ahead
• Look for key words that tell you what the author is doing
• Pay attention to “structural clues” to get a sense of where a piece of writing is going
• Words like but, nevertheless, and moreover
• Look for signal phrases to determine the logic of the passage
• Words like clearly, as a result, or no one can deny that

Reading Test 3

Day 14 Notes

5 Steps for ACT Science

• Step 1: Preread the Passage
• Don’t get bogged down in the details
• Most science passages have same general structure – begin with an introduction
• Always read the introduction first to orient yourself
• If you’re familiar with the concepts discussed in the intro, you may not need to do more than skim
• After reviewing the intro, quickly scan the rest of the passage
• Take notes, mark up the test booklet
• Remember, your goal is to ANSWER QUESTIONS, not to learn and remember everything presented in the passage

Science Test 3

Day 15 Notes

The Writing Test – Just the Facts

• How the ACT Essay is Scored
• Holistic scale 1-6 (6 is the best)
• Two readers read, and the scores are added together
• What Skills are Tested?
• Stating a clear perspective on an issue
• Providing supporting evidence and logical reasoning
• Maintaining focus and organizing ideas logically
• Writing clearly
• It must be complete and well organized (a grader may spend as little as a minute reading your essay)

Writing Activity 3