Lesson 1: How to Read a CARS Passage

Question 1

What are the the important things to look for during your initial read-through of a passage?

Answer 1

• Main Idea
• Tone
• Viewpoints

Question 2

What should we focus on about the main idea?

Answer 2

Identifying the author’s main argument or thesis

Question 3

What should we focus on about the tone?

Answer 3

Determining the author’s attitude towards the subject they are discussing

Question 4

What should we focus on about viewpoints?

Answer 4

Have a broad sense of the various perspectives discussed in a passage

Question 5

Where can the main idea of a passage normally be found in most CARS passages?

Answer 5

The first paragraph or the last paragraph

Question 6

How are most CARS passages structured?

Answer 6

1. Top-Down
2. Bottom-Up

Question 7

In Tone:

We have to practice whether the author…

Answer 7

1. Supports, is against, or is unbiased towards the topic presented
2. Believes that cited viewpoints and perspectives are valid
3. Presents information in such a way as to trigger your emotional engagement with the text

Question 8

Define:

Viewpoints

Answer 8

Ideas communicated in a passage that are attributable to a certain source

Question 9

What are the sources of viewpoints?

Answer 9

May or may not be the passage author

Question 10

What type of CARS questions are there?

Answer 10

A large proportion explicitly test your ability to understand the viewpoints found in the passage and how they fit together
* Comprehensive Questions
* Reasoning Within Text Questions
* Reasoning Beyond Text Questions

Question 11

How would a CMP questions work?

Answer 11

How the author/someone else mentioned within the text feels about a certain topic

Question 12

How would RWT questions work?

Answer 12

Whether two viewpoints contradict each other, or which is supported by evidence

Question 13

How would RBT questions work?

Answer 13

Whether if a new piece of information invalidates a viewpoint, or apply to a viewpoint

Question 14

List:

What to look for to find the main idea

Answer 14

• Obvious wording
• First and last paragraphs of a passage
• Something that the author is asserting
• A broad argument that blankets all subpoints

Question 15

List:

What to look for in tone

Answer 15

• Words with obvious tonal connotations
• Words with non-obvious tonal connotations (insist, especially, commonly etc.)

Question 16

List:

How to identify viewpoints

Answer 16

• Voicing (passive voice, active voice etc.)
• Stating “opinion”
• Use of sarcasm
• Use of transition words (however etc.)
• Names associated with specific viewpoints (e.x. economics, politics)

Question 17

True or False:

The main idea is a viewpoint

Answer 17

True, the main idea is a subtype of view point

Question 18

Define:

Arguments

Answer 18

Passage ideas that are attributable to a certain source and based on reasoning and evidence

Question 19

True or False:

All passage viewpoints have reasons or evidence

Answer 19

False, these are frequent subjects of CARS questions

Question 20

Viewpoint + Supportive Reasoning =

Answer 20

Argument

Question 21

What do we have to identify in CARS arguments?

Answer 21

Attributing the arguments to their source
* Decide if the author is asserting the argument or just describing

Question 22

Define:

Claims

Answer 22

Statements that are being asserted by someone as true

Question 23

What is the difference between claims, viewpoints, and arguments?

Answer 23

Viewpoints and arguments are fundamentally built upon claims

Question 24

True or False:

Claims are asserted by the author as true

Answer 24

False, they are asserted by SOMEONE as true

Question 25

What does analyzing an argument by its claims help us?

Answer 25

Helps us see where the argument falls short

Question 26

Define:

Strong Claims

Answer 26

Claims that are definitive and admit to little or no exceptions

Question 27

What are explicit indicators of strong claims?

Answer 27

• “All”
• “Always”
• “Every”
• “No”
• etc.

Question 28

Define:

Weak claims

Answer 28

Claims that allow for exceptions