DIAGNOSTIC CBEST EXAM 6 potx

E ach of the 24 lessons in this chapter reviews one important CBEST skill. You can either move through the Mini-Course sequentially or choose the areas you need to study most. If you find you need more help after completing the lessons in one area, be sure to consult the More Help section at the end of this chapter. Here’s an outline of what you’ll find in this Mini-Course: Reading 1: General Strategies (page 64) Reading 2: Organization Questions (page 66) Reading 3: Unmasking the Main Idea (page 70) Reading 4: About the Author (page 73) Reading 5: Definite Details and Tables of Contents (page 76) Reading 6: Impressive Implications (page 79) Reading 7: Wizard Words, Departed Parts, and Other Oddities (page 81) Reading 8: Graphs (also applies to Math) (page 87) CHAPTER CBEST Mini-Course CHAPTER SUMMARY The CBEST Mini-Course gives you the essentials you need to pass the CBEST in just 24 lessons. By spending just half an hour on each lesson—more on the areas that give you trouble, less on the areas you feel confident about—you can increase your CBEST score and earn your California or Oregon teaching credentials. 4 63 Math 1: Words, Words, Words (page 90) Math 2: Numbers Working Together (page 93) Math 3: Rounding, Estimation, and Decimal Equivalents (page 97) Math 4: Fractions (page 101) Math 5: Measurement, Perimeter, and Area (page 104) Math 6: Ratios, Proportions, and Percents (page 109) Math 7: Algebra (page 114) Math 8: Averages, Probability, and Combinations (page 118) Math 9: The Word Problem Game (page 123) Math 10: The CIA Approach to Word Problems (page 127) Math 11: Logic and Venn Diagrams (page 130) Writing 1: Outlining the Essay (page 133) Writing 2: Writing the Introduction (page 136) Writing 3: The Sandwich Paragraphs and the Last Slice (page 140) Writing 4: Sentence Doctor (page 143) Writing 5: Finishing Touches (page 147) More Help with Reading, Math, and Writing (page 151) Most types of questions discussed in each lesson are accompanied by a gray box that gives success steps for solving that type of question. Look for the gray box on each page and read it before you try the sample questions.  Reading 1: General Strategies The reading comprehension section is composed of 50 questions on a variety of passages. The passages are created to simulate high school and college-level mate- rials, student textbooks, teacher’s guides and enrich- ment material, and books on student behavior or psychology. The questions are a variety of types. This section explores some general strategies for all kinds of passages and questions. The sections that follow look in detail at each kind of question you might be asked. Seven Approaches How do you approach reading comprehension questions? Below are some suggestions from former CBEST takers. ■ The Concentrator: “I read the passage thoroughly before I look at the questions. After concentrating on the passage, I can find the answers to the questions if I don’t already know the answer from my careful reading.” ■ The Skimmer: “I skim the passage before looking at the questions. I can always go back and find the answers once I know how the passage is arranged.” ■ The Cautious Reader: “I read the questions first with all their answer choices. I want to know what they will ask me before I read the passage so I can be on the lookout. Then I read the passage two or three times until I am sure I understand it completely.” ■ The Game Player: “I read the questions first and try to answer them from what I already know or can guess. Then I read the passage to see whether I am right. After guessing the answers, I am famil- iar with the questions enough to recognize the answers when I find them.” ■ The Educated Guesser: “I read the questions first, but not the answers. When I find the answer in the passage, I look for it among the answer choices.” ■ The Psychic: “I believe the test makers would put the questions for the first part of the passage first. So I read the first question and go back to the passage for the answer, and then I do the second.” ■ The Efficiency Expert: “First I look at the questions and do the questions that have line numbers that indicate where the answer is to be found. –CBEST MINI-COURSE– 64 Then I skim the passage for the key words I read in the other questions. This way I sometimes do not even have to read the whole passage.” If you don’t already have a preferred method, try some of these approaches as you work through the practice exercises in this book. See which method fits your own mix of talents. Hints for Reading the Passages Try Short Cuts The purpose of a reading comprehension problem is to be as accurate as possible in the given amount of time. Practice will help you determine whether you need to read the questions first, the answers first, or some combination thereof. Try some of the shortcuts listed above to find out which works for you. Associate with the Passage Every passage has something to do with real-life situ- ations. Your mission is to discover the answers to such questions as: ■ What is the author trying to express? ■ Who might the author be? ■ Does the author tell readers in the beginning what to expect later in the passage? ■ How does the author structure the work to con- vey meaning? ■ Does the author make any statements that might surprise or interest you? ■ To what conclusions is the author leading readers? What conclusions are stated? If the passage seems boring or on a topic that is foreign to you, try imagining that your best friend is talking to you on the same subject, and it totally inter- ests him or her. It might not be your thing, but it’s your friend’s, so listen to every detail and nuance of what your friend has to say and try to associate with it. To Mark or Not to Mark Some test takers find it helpful to underline text or make notes in the margins to designate the stated subject, supporting facts, conclusions, etc. For others, marking a passage seems a waste of time. You are free to make as many marks as you want on the test booklet, so if marking helps, go for it. If you are not sure, now is the time to try out this method. If you decide to mark a passage, don’t mark so much that the meat of the passage is obscured. Marking a few key words and ideas is more helpful than underlining the majority of the passage. Notice Transitions Pay special attention to words that give you an insight into the author’s purpose or that change the context of the passage, such as however, nevertheless, etc. In at least one passage, these words will be left for you to fill in. This topic will be discussed in more detail in Reading Lesson 7. Hints for Reading the Questions Reading the questions carefully is just as important as reading the answers. Read the Questions as Carefully as the Passage It is crucial that you read the questions and answers as carefully as you read the passage. Should you read all the answer choices or stop when you have found one that seems right? Test takers differ on this. Some who read all the answers become confused or worry about wasting time. Others feel more secure when they can eliminate every answer but the right one. It’s up to you to find the best method. –CBEST MINI-COURSE– 65 Know Question Types If, for example, you answer an implication question as a detail question, you will get the answer wrong, even though the answer you chose is in the passage. The lessons after this one will show you how to recognize the different question types and how to quickly choose the best answer. Avoid Controversial Answers There will probably be some type of ethnic or environmental passage on your CBEST. Stay away from answers that seem negative toward any ethnic or gen- der group or any environmental issues. Test makers usually steer clear of right answers that say something negative or controversial. Answer Only from the Passage Everything you need to know has to be somewhere in the passage. While it is helpful to have some knowledge of the subject in order to better understand the author, don’t rely on your experience to answer the question. An answer can be true and still not be the correct answer. Not or Except Look for words in the question such as NOT or EXCEPT, especially if you cannot find your answer or there seem to be more than one answer. For example, a question might read: “Which of the following facts is NOT stated in the passage?” Eliminate Eliminate all the answers that are obviously off the subject or otherwise wrong. Physically cross off the obviously wrong answers in your test booklet so you won’t waste time reading them again. Test takers say that they are often left with two close answers. There has to be one answer that is better than the other. Check the passage for clue words that might point to one choice over the other. If, after trying out all the strategies you learn in this book, you are still left with two answers, go ahead and guess, and get on with the test. None Left? If you eliminate all of the answers, go back over the eliminated answers to determine whether there might be another meaning for any of them. Try to find a rea- son that would make each answer correct. If there is no possible way an answer could be right—for example, it is completely off the subject—then eliminate that answer. Choose the answer that is the least wrong. Marking the Unknown Question Should you mark questions to come back to later? If you do, you will probably have to read the passage again, which can waste valuable time. If an answer jumps out at you after reading the passage once or twice, choose it. Many teachers and test takers recom- mend going with your first answer, your “gut” instinct. To save time and avoid dealing with passages more than once, answer all the questions about one passage before continuing on to the next passage. Using the Steps The lessons that follow discuss types of reading questions you may encounter. They offer sample question beginnings, as well as steps for solving each type of problem. There is no need to memorize all the steps. They are tips that clue you into what the test makers expect. You may be able to find the answer by your own methods without looking at the steps. So much the better. The steps are not there to bog you down, but if any of them can help you, use them. –CBEST MINI-COURSE– 66  Reading 2: Organization Questions Passages on the CBEST are always organized logically. Learning to recognize that organization may also give you some ideas on organizing your essays in the Writ- ing section. In this lesson, you’ll learn about two types of organization questions: structure and misplaced sentences. Structure Questions Structure questions have stems (the question part) that start out like these: ■ Which of the following best represents the arrangement of the passage? ■ Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage? ■ The sequence of the passage is best represented by which of the following? Where to Find Structure Answers in the Passage To answer structure questions, you will need to skim the passage carefully enough to discover the gist of each sentence; that is, whether it is a statistic, an example, a quote, an opinion, and so on. Practice Passage and Questions Try the six Success Steps on the structure questions that follow this passage. Many extended-time programs use heterogeneous grouping of multi-age and/or multi-ability students. Mixed-ability grouping is based on the theory that lower-ability students benefit from working in small groups with their higher-achieving peers, and high-ability students reinforce their knowledge by sharing with their lower-achieving peers. Researchers also have found that multi-age grouping benefits students’ mental health as well as aca- demic achievement and contributes to positive attitudes toward school. Because the voluntary nature of participation in an extended-time program results in a range of student ages and skills, heterogeneous groups may result naturally. Often, however, extended-time program planners arrange groups so that high- and low-ability students work together—with the expectation of cooperative rather than competitive learning. In Chicago’s ASPIRA program, students are selected for participation with a goal of mixing high achievers and at-risk participants—and these groups work together closely in all activities. 1. Skim the passage or read the topic sentences to understand the general topic and the purpose of the passage. 2. Notice the logical sequence of ideas that the author uses. 3. The description of sentences in the answers goes in the same order as the sentences in the passage. So notice the first sentences. Do they state a theory, introduce a topic, quote a famous person, or . . . ? 4. Look at the answer choices. If the first few sentences state a theory, then the first part of the correct answer should say that the author stated a theory, gives a hypothesis, or other words to that effect. Eliminate any answers that do not match. 5. Go back to 3 and 4 above; look at the next few sentences. 6. You should have eliminated at least one or two answers. When only two or three are left, read them to see what possibilities they reveal for the rest of the passage. Read the next sentences of the passage and find the answer that matches the rest of the structure. Six Success Steps for Structure Passages 67 –CBEST MINI-COURSE– 68 Two Success Steps for Misplaced Sentences 1. Read the passage to determine the main idea. 2. Be suspicious of any sentence that has nothing to do with the main idea. 1. Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage? a. The passage begins with a hypothesis, and then gives an explanation and support for this theory. b. The passage starts with a main idea, gives an example, and then draws a conclusion. c. The passage opens with an introduction to the topic, then gives a more detailed account of the topic. d. The passage begins with a statement, supports that statement with research, and gives real life examples. e. The passage begins with an event and then continues the narrative. 2. Which of the following would be the best outline for the passage? a. I. Statement II. Facts III. Quotations b. I. Theory II. Practices c. I. Research II. Discussion III. Example d. I. Question II. Answer III. Support e. I. Quote II. Thesis III. Examples Answers Here’s how you could use the six Success Steps to answer question 1. 1. It seems as though the passage is about students of different ages and abilities learning together. 2. The first paragraph tells why and the second tells how students come to be in groups of mixed age and ability. 3. The first sentence states a fact. The other sentences in the paragraph seem to cite research. It doesn’t say so at first, but later it says, “Researchers also found . . .” which implies that research was involved in the theories before that sentence. 4. Answers c and e are out. The passage does not give much introduction to the topic, and does not start with an event. 5. The next sentences support the topic sentence with research. The answer must be d. 6. For this question, you don’t need to use this hint. If you use the same method to answer question 2, you will quickly eliminate answers d and e on the basis of the first few sentences.You eliminate a because there are no quotations. You are left with b and c, which are very close. Answer c contains a vague word, discussion, which could be almost any kind of structure. Answer b is more precise. The first paragraph in the passage gives the theory, and the second gives the application of the theory. The better answer is b. Misplaced Sentences You may be asked to find the sentence that does not logically flow, or that is not necessary to the purpose of the passage. Such questions often start out like this: ■ Which sentence, if omitted from the passage, would be least likely to interrupt the sequence of ideas? . (page 64 ) Reading 2: Organization Questions (page 66 ) Reading 3: Unmasking the Main Idea (page 70) Reading 4: About the Author (page 73) Reading 5: Definite Details and Tables of Contents (page 76) Reading. bog you down, but if any of them can help you, use them. CBEST MINI-COURSE– 66  Reading 2: Organization Questions Passages on the CBEST are always organized logically. Learning to recognize. every answer but the right one. It’s up to you to find the best method. CBEST MINI-COURSE– 65 Know Question Types If, for example, you answer an implication question as a detail question, you will