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Reading: Information & Ideas

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SAT Reading — Information and Ideas Quick Reference

Core Concepts

Main Idea Questions

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Evidence Support Questions

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Cross-Text Questions

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Strategy	Detail
Read the full passage first	Never answer before reading everything
Identify: topic + author's point	Main idea = what the text is about + what it says about that
Eliminate too narrow	Answer only covers one sentence/detail
Eliminate too broad	Answer goes beyond what the text claims
Thesis location	Usually first or last sentence of short passages
Type	Strategy
Paired quote question	Find quote that directly proves the specific claim — topic isn't enough
Data question	Read title, axes, units; choose answer that accurately reads the data
Correlation ≠ causation	Never accept an answer claiming causation from a graph/table
Undermine question	You're looking for evidence AGAINST the claim — flip your search
Step	Action
1	Summarize Text 1 in your own words
2	Summarize Text 2 in your own words
3	Identify the relationship: agree / disagree / partially agree
4	Match the relationship to an answer

Three relationships:

Agree: Both authors support the same position

Disagree: One challenges the other's position

Partially agree: One accepts part, complicates the rest

Common Exam Traps

Main idea — too narrow: An answer true for one sentence isn't the main idea

Evidence — right topic, wrong support: A quote about the same subject that doesn't actually prove the claim

Data — causal claim from correlation: "X causes Y" when graph only shows X and Y move together

Cross-text — overstated relationship: "Completely disagree" when authors only partially differ

Cross-text — reversed: Answer correctly describes the relationship but gets the authors backward

Cross-text — outside knowledge: Authors' professions or backgrounds don't determine what they believe; base answer on text only

Aligned to the College Board Digital SAT specifications.

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Sections in this topic

Main Idea Evidence Support Cross Text