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SAT Reading: How to approach a Literature passage

What's in this article?

This is a full SAT Reading Lesson with videos about a single passage, but it's also packed full of tips and strategies designed to help you with every Reading passage you might encounter on Test Day.
  • One full Literature passage with questions
  • 11 videos, including "How to survey the passage", "How to read the passage actively", AND "How to do each question"
  • Written explanations for every question
  • Tips and strategies that will help on other passages as well!
Let's get started!

The passage

First off, here's the passage we're working with, for easy reference:
(you don't have to read it right now)

Survey step

On Literature passages, many students find it helpful to read the blurb and then skim the questions, highlighting important words and line references. Then, they dive straight into a close reading of the passage. Check out how we do it:
Khan Academy video wrapper
Survey step | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

Active reading step

This video demonstrates one way to read a narrative passage actively. As we work our way through, we focus on the WHO, the WHERE, and the WHAT. We also like to mark up the passage to help us keep track of the characters, their relationships, the setting, and what is happening.
Khan Academy video wrapper
Active reading step | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

The questions

Okay! Now it's time for the questions. You can do this three ways:
1) Questions first, one at a time: Try the questions on your own, one by one, and watch each video after you attempt each question. We recommend watching the video even if you got the question right!
2) One big push First, try all of the questions on your own; then, watch the videos to learn how we did them.
3) Videos first, one at a time: Watch the videos first, then try the techniques in the videos by attempting the questions and reading our explanations. If you choose this route, you'll already know the answers to the questions, but it's still good to do them and read our explanations to learn the strategies!

Question 1: Determining explicit meaning

Top tip: For questions like these, we encourage you to
  • Pick out key words and ideas in the question
  • Scan the passage to find where those keywords appear
  • Read around the keywords in the passage to find the answer
  • Express the answer in your own words
  • Find a match for your prediction in the choices!
Question 1: Determining Explicit Meaning
According to the passage, the old man was standing on the verandah because
Choose 1 answer:


Video for question 1: Determining explicit meaning

Khan Academy video wrapper
Determining Explicit Meaning (1 of 2) | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

Question 2: Determining explicit meaning

Try the tips we shared for Question 1!
Question 2: Determining Explicit Meaning
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are compared to a
Choose 1 answer:


Video for question 2: Determining explicit meaning

Khan Academy video wrapper
Determining Explicit Meaning (2 of 2) | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

Question 3: Words and phrases in context

Top tips
  • Cover up the choices
  • Go back to the passage to find the word/phrase
  • Make up your own version of the word/phrase using context clues in the surrounding sentences
  • Uncover the choices, and find a match to your prediction in the choices
Question 3: Words and Phrases in Context
As used in paragraph 7, “air” most nearly means
Choose 1 answer:


Video for question 3: Words and phrases in context

Khan Academy video wrapper
Words and Phrases in Context (1 of 2) | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

Questions 4 and 5: Analyzing purpose and Citing textual evidence

Top tip: For paired questions like these, we encourage you to
  • Rephrase the first question using your own words. Try starting your version with How? What? or Why?
  • Try to find the answer to your version of the question by reading around the quotations provided by the choices in the second question.
Question 4: Analyzing Purpose
The characters’ behavior during the gift giving mainly serves to
Choose 1 answer:

Question 5: Citing Textual Evidence
Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
Choose 1 answer:


Video for questions 4 and 5: Analyzing purpose and Citing textual evidence

Khan Academy video wrapper
Analyzing Purpose and Citing Evidence | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript


Question 6: Analyzing purpose

Top tips
  • If possible, rephrase the question using your own words.
  • Go back to the passage and read around the reference—before looking at the choices!
  • Predict the answer, expressing it in your own words
  • Find a match to your prediction in the choices using Process of Elimination
Question 6: Analyzing Purpose
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s interaction mainly serves to
Choose 1 answer:


Video for question 6: Analyzing purpose

Khan Academy video wrapper
Analyzing Purpose | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

Question 7: Analyzing point of view

Top tips
  • Rephrase the question to take control of it. If possible, use How, What, or Why
  • Consider positive vs negative. Is the character's perspective strongly positive (++), mildly positive (+), neutral (0), mildly negative (-), or strongly negative (--)?
  • Use process of elimination
Question 7: Analyzing point of view
Over the course of the passage, Sandeep comes to view the adults as
Choose 1 answer:


Video for question 7: Analyzing point of view

Khan Academy video wrapper
Analyzing Point of View | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

Question 8: Understanding relationships

Top tips
  • Try to sum up the situation in your own words
  • Ask yourself "what's going on here?" "How does each character feel about what's going on, and how do they feel about each other?"
  • Consider positive and negatives, and let that guide your process of elimination
Question 8: Understanding Relationships
Sandeep would be most critical of which action from the passage?
Choose 1 answer:


Video for for Question 8: Understanding relationships

Khan Academy video wrapper
Understanding Relationships | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript


Question 9: Citing textual evidence

Top tips
  • Simplify the question as much as you can, using your own words
  • Then, apply that simple "test" question to the quotations in the choices
  • With each choice, ask yourself: "Is this quotation doing that thing the question wants it to do?"
Question 9: Citing Textual Evidence
Which lines from the passage most strongly suggest that India has experienced social change?
Choose 1 answer:


Video for Question 9: Citing textual evidence

Khan Academy video wrapper
Citing Textual Evidence | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

Question 10: Words and phrases in context (2 of 2)

Top tips
  • Cover up the choices
  • Go back to the passage to find the word/phrase
  • Make up your own version of the word/phrase using context clues in the surrounding sentences
  • Uncover the choices, and find a match to your prediction in the choices
Question 10: Words and Phrases in Context
As used in the final paragraph, "impression" most nearly means
Choose 1 answer:


Video for question 10: Words and phrases in context (2 of 2)

Khan Academy video wrapper
Words and Phrases in Context (2 of 2) | Literature passage | Reading Test | SAT See video transcript

You made it!
Nice work!
The strategies in this article and its videos have the potential to truly transform your score!
They might feel strange at first, and it takes time and repetition to get used to using them consistently—make sure to try them out when you're practicing on your own!

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