A few more thoughts about the difficulty of raising Critical Reading scores

Granted Im no math expert, but from following some of the debates over just why SAT Math is so difficult, it seems to me that theres a very fundamental difference between that section and Critical Reading a difference that accounts for a lot of the trouble many people have in raising their CR score as compared to raising their Math score. From what I gather (and please correct me if Im wrong), many of the difficulties that people encounter on the Math section stem from the fact that the SAT requires them to deal with relatively familiar concepts in highly unfamiliar ways, and to combine and apply principles in ways that arent immediately apparent.  The specifics of the test might be different from what theyve seen in school and can often be very hard, but the general principles behind them arent fundamentally new for most people whove gone through a couple of years of algebra and geometry. So even they miss a question because theyre used to solving for x instead of (x-y), theyve still seen plenty of problems in math class that involve variables and parentheses. The Critical Reading section is different. For a lot of high school students, its the verbal equivalent of BC Calculus rather than algebra and geometry. In other words, it tests material of a level and content that they have never actually been exposed to, and it requires them to maneuver with it in ways that theyve never encountered in school. Even in AP English. Consider this: in sophomore and junior English class, the average American high school student probably reads a Shakespeare play or two and a handful of classics such as  Catcher in the Rye,  The Great Gatsby,  To Kill a Mockingbird, and maybe some Thoreau, Austen, Dickens, or in an advanced class, Joyce. The point is that pretty much all of it is fictional, and its usually set in an English-speaking country sometime in the past. SAT passages, on the other hand, are largely non-fiction and are drawn from contemporary sources books that were published in the last couple of decades and that include subject matter only the most sophisticated independent high school readers will have even a passing familiarity with: art and media criticism, anthropology, cognitive science, and method acting to name a few. The novels that do appear are just as likely to be written by a nineteenth century Russian author as by a twentieth-century American one, and often the cultural milieux and scena rios are wildly unfamiliar. The other piece of this is the level at which most of the texts are written at the risk of sounding reductive, if SAT Math is essentially middle school competition math,  as some people have asserted, then Critical Reading is essentially introductory-level college reading. Those texts those passages are taken from are not written specifically to test high school students reading ability (even though ETS will often edit them to make them somewhat more digestible) theyre either written by professional academics for other professional academics, or by specialists in a subject for educated adult readers. And they sound like it. It seems fair to say that most high school students have simply never been asked to deal with a text that reads like the following: The question Why have there been no great women artists? is simply the top of an iceberg of misinterpretation and misconception; beneath lies a vast dark bulk of shaky ideas about the nature of art and the situation of its making, about the nature of human abilities in general and of human excellence in particular, and the role that the social order plays in all of thisBasic to the question are many naive, distorted, uncritical assumptions about the making of art in general, as well as the making of great art. (from Linda Nochlin, Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?, featured on the October 2009 SAT.) The syntax of last part in particular is so unfamiliar that it tends to stop a lot of kids cold: Basic to question? Are you even  allowed  to start a sentence that way? (Yes, you are.) And that first sentence is really long isnt it a run-on? (No, it isnt, its ok to have a sentence that long.) And why does it have to sound so confusing? (Because thats just how academics write.)  The only way you get comfortable dealing with sentences like that is to read lots of them. Theres no shortcut, no trick. If you havent been regularly exposed to people who talk and think and write like that, the reality is that you just cant compensate in a few weeks or even a few months. Most of the major test-prep companies do not even acknowledge the presence of this level/type of passage when they write their own materials, which is part of why people often get shocked by the difficulty of the real test. The other problem is that most English classes revolve primarily around discussions, which are easily tuned out, and papers, which can be pulled together with minimal effort via a combination of Sparknotes and Wikipedia. The teacher might give a couple of quizzes just to make sure people are doing their reading, but those are easily dealt with. In terms of rhetoric, figures such as metaphors and personification might be covered, but thats about it. Rarely if never are students asked to study how the text functions at its most basic level: how form and syntax and diction all work together to create meaning. Rather, the meaning  itself  is taken as the starting point for discussion (What do you think about that? Do you agree? Disagree? How does it relate to your own life?). The notion that a text is a rhetorical construction designed to elicit a particular reaction from the reader never enters into play. So its no wonder that Critical Reading, whose questions tend to revolve around the relationship between form and meaning, comes as a shock. Besides, if youve always been asked for your own personal interpretation in English class, the idea that your own personal interpretation is totally and utterly irrelevant on the SAT can be hard to stomach. Finally, most high school students are never introduced to the notion that different kinds of texts require different kinds of reading. Because they are only exposed to literary fiction in English class, they develop the idea that real reading involves carefully underlining and annotating and note-taking and analyzing (although a lot of these supposedly careful readers display a remarkably weak grasp of what the passages as well as the questions are actually saying). As a matter of fact, it isnt uncommon for students to take offense when I ask them to try reading for the main ideas and skimming over everything else; they consider it a betrayal of everything theyve been taught and take it as further evidence of the stupidity of standardized testing. And if the test is so stupid, why would you waste your time studying for it anyway?

Media Violence Essay - 1529 Words

There has been far-reaching research on the link between televised violence and violent behavior amongst adolescents. Current studies have shown a direct correlation between aggressive conduct and watching violence depicted in many media services and suggest that media is a variable that put children at risk of aggressive behavior (Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, Eron, 1992). According to the American Psychological Association, watching playing violent scenes them on games and television, can desensitize children to the suffering and pain of others and may be a greater risk of acting aggressively toward others and theyre less bothered by violence in general and less likely to see anything wrong with it. Studies disclose that children†¦show more content†¦Many argue that media violence is at least partly to blame for the school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, Taber, Alberta and Erfurt, Germany. Proponents of the idea that violence depicted on both television and video games affects the behavior of children state that, contrary to other beliefs, these scenes teach a higher sense of the justification of the use of violence in different situations (Tompkins, 2003). It teaches that violence is a correct avenue to solve differences, which is not an acceptable action within real life situations. The classic setting of using violence for a virtuous cause may interpret in daily life into a validation for using violence to even the score against supposed victimizers. Consequently, defenseless youth who have been maltreated may be tempted to use aggressive means to resolve problems. The hero in most of these scenes also teaches them that violence has no consequences because he/she never gets in trouble for their actions. Most psychologists agree that experiences teach children during their early years and have a longstanding effect on their lives. Toddlers between the ages of eighteen to sixteen months are intelligent enough to comprehend the significance of the programs (Tompkins, 2003) that they watch and respond in the same manner to both actual and acted violence since their link between dream and actuality is still not strong. Furthermore, toddlers between the ages of three and five years areShow MoreRelatedMedia Violence And The Media Essay864 Words   |  4 PagesExposure to the media violence may be especially problematic in late adolescence. Television and other media play a major role in adolescent socialization and identity development by providing perspectives, values, ideologies, and behavior models (Arnett G., Roberts D. et al.). The socializing role of television in particular may be ampliï ¬ ed by the large amount of time young people spend with this medium. Speciï ¬ cally, 18- to 24-year-olds spend more time watching television and movies than youngerRead MoreMedia Violence1535 Words   |  7 Pagesat looking at the potentially harmful effects of the consumption of violent media and the impact it has on psychological factors. Two psychological factors that have been researched are empathy and aggression and how violent media influences these two emotions. Theories that have tried explaining the pathway from the viewing of violence in media and the impact on aggression have generally focused on the role of violent media being used by consumers as observational learning and promoting the developmentRead MoreMedia Violence and Violence in Society1059 Words   |  4 Pagesprogramming contains some violence, there should be more and more violent crime after television is available† (Freedman). Many suggest the vi olence in media is causing violence in society but then how is it that violent crimes are actually decreasing in the United States. 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The impact of exposure to violence in the media the long term development and short term development of aggressive behavior has been documented. Aggression is caused by several factors, of which media violence is one. Research investigating the effects of media violence in conjunction with other predictors of aggression such as; environmental factors and dysfunction within the family household,Read MoreThe Effects Of Violence On The Media1550 Words   |  7 PagesThe effect of violence in the media is a big controversy; some say it affects are society and others say that there is not any proof of this. There are many theories on how violence in media does, and how it does not, affect our society. Many people claim watching television or even playing video games will affect children’s or young adults’ minds. Researches claim that they found no evidence of change in aggr essiveness in children or young adults while playing video games. Researchers allowed children

Atheism as a historical philosophy and its relevance in...

Disbelief in the existence of God is an enduring, worldwide phenomenon that is quite possibly also one of the most misunderstood belief systems in the world. For many, the term â€Å"atheism† immediately spurs negative imagery inspired by years of indoctrination – churches proclaiming the sins of the infidels, and how questioning God’s infinite love will result in instant damnation. Atheists are perceived as dark, nihilistic, immoral, amoral, pessimistic, and even evil, because without God, clearly they are also without morality and goodness. But if this disbelief is so negative, why would nearly 1 billion people globally, and more than 16 percent of the American population identify themselves as â€Å"nonbelievers†? In fact, a survey published in†¦show more content†¦Many of atheism’s critics are quick to call the worldview invalid because they assume it wouldn’t exist without theism – without the idea of the Divine. In fact, some even go so far as to say that atheism is actually parasitic on religion. This is an incorrect statement. Without theism, the only part of atheism that wouldn’t exist is its name. Julian Baggini, the editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine, weaves this analogy in his book Atheism: In Scotland there is a deep lake called Loch Ness. Many people in Scotland – almost certainly the majority – believe that the lake is like other lochs in the country. Their beliefs about the lake are what we might call normal. But that is not to say they have no particular beliefs. It’s just that the beliefs they have are so ordinary that they do not require elucidation†¦However, some people believe that the loch contains a strange creature, known as the Loch Ness Monster. Many claim to have seen it, although no firm evidence of its existence has ever been presented. So far our story is simple fact. Now imagine how the story could develop The number of believers in the monster starts to grow. Soon, a word is coined to describe them: they are part-mockingly called ‘Nessies’. (Many names of religions started as mocking nicknames: Methodist, Quaker, and even Christian all started out this way.) However,Show MoreRelatedA Comparative Analysis of the Various Contemporary Theologies Presented by Paul Enns and Millard J. Erickson3614 Words   |  15 PagesComparative Analysis Of The Various Contemporary Theologies For Systematic Theology TH 200 This paper is an attempt to assemble a comparative analysis of the various contemporary theologies presented by Paul Enns and Millard J. Erickson. In order to do a comparison we first need to understand the individuals involved and how theology is defined by each of these individuals. Generally speaking the term theology comes to us from Greek words meaning â€Å"the study of God†. AccordingRead MoreWorld Religion5936 Words   |  24 Pagesin most religions? 4. Define what is meant by sacred in religion and give some examples of how sacred is understood? 5. Offer some examples of religious symbols and discuss their meaning. Group B 1. Discuss the goal of studying religion in the historical and comparative sense 2. Identify and describe the First Pattern of religion which deals with sacramental, prophetic, and mystical orientation. Explain how all three orientations might be found in the same religious tradition. 3. As described inRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesSixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the

You8217ve Come a Long Way Baby Essay Example For Students

You8217ve Come a Long Way Baby Essay Shakespeares presentation and portrayal of his female characters in The Merchant of Venice and Henry V follows a typical pattern that is present in all of the Shakespearean plays that I have read so far. When looking closely at the fate of his female characters, this pattern becomes even more evident for it repeats itself no matter how different the plays are. For instance, Henry V and The Merchant of Venice are different in every respect. The female characters not only come from different backgrounds, they also have very different personalities. However, as different as these plays and their characters are, the female characters end up suffering the same fate. We will write a custom essay on You8217ve Come a Long Way Baby specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now It doesnt seem to matter whether they are born into a life of peasantry, nobility, or come from royalty, for they ultimately will end up being no better than a piece of land, or cattle, or some possession that a man can own and do with as he pleases. Scholars have been debating for centuries now as to whether Shakespeares women reflect his societys attitudes or that of his own. Henry V is definitely geared more for the male audience. There are only two or three acts in which a female character is present at all. When we first get a glimpse of Katherine, she is trying to learn the English language. This scene is supposed to be somewhat comical, but are we really supposed to believe that while there is a war raging throughout her country, that all Katherine is concerned about is the fact that she cant speak the language of her enemy? This scene in which we get our first glimpse of Katherine is somewhat degrading to her character as well as misleading. This leaves the audience with the inaccurate perception that Katherine, and thus all women in general, care very little about whats going on around them, and more about making themselves presentable. Afterall, isnt Katherine the Grand Prize that will be awarded to the winning side? I find it very insulting that Shakespeares only significant female role in the whole play, is being used as a Prize to be given away. Shakespeare doesnt even try to hide the fact that he is setting Katherine up as a prize. I find this kind of arrogance to be offensive and very belittling to women. While the men are off fighting the battle, Katherine, the future Queen of France, does not appear to be a bit concerned over the fate of her own country. Instead, she readily accepts her fate as she prepares herself for the role of Queen of England. This play is very biased and one-sided. Most of the English men are portrayed as noble, humble and superior to the French. Henry himself can do no wrong, and is portrayed through out the play as the best leader that the English have ever had. This image that he can do no wrong and is as close to being perfect as one can get, only holds up if you dont go digging around in Henrys past, in which he had been portrayed as a spoiled, pampered partying boy. The French, in contrast to the English, are presented as arrogant, incompetent, and weak, very similar to what Henry had been not to long ago. There is, however, one thing lower than a Frenchman, and that is, a French woman. The fact that Shakespeare subjected Katherines character, (she, who had been born into royalty which was the highest social position one can reach), to being treated as a possession or prize for a man, only adds credence to the argument that Shakespeare had very little respect for women. Katherine character, for the most part, adds very little, if anything at all, to the play. In fact, the role of Katherine could have easily been omitted altogether, and personally, I wish it had been The last act, in which Henry easily manages to win the affections of Katherine, is a weak attempt on Shakespeares part to end the play on a an uplifting note. Its a shame that Shakespeare put it in at all because it definitely changes the way I feel about this play, in particular, .