岛与幕歌Example:
A passage states: “He was notorious for making decisions on the spur of the moment…”
Question: Which of the following words, if substituted for the word “notorious” would introduce the LEAST change in the meaning of the sentence?
A. evil
B. disturbed
C. famous
D. despised
If you knew that the most common definition for “notorious” meant being known in an unfavorable sense, then you might be tempted to choose choice A, “evil.”
But once you review back over the passage, choice C, “famous” fits in better into the context of the sentence of passage. Read the sentence again and substitute your chosen answer choice for the word it
replaces. This gives you:
““He was famous for making decisions on the spur of the moment…,” which makes sense and is correct.
Strategy 11: Breaking Down Passage Organization
In trying to understand the author’s perspective, you will sometimes be asked about how the passage is organized. Many times, the
