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READING LECTURE
Reading Comprehension is a test of your ability to read and understand unfamiliar materials and to answer questions about them

Improving Comprehension
The only way to increase your comprehension as well as your reading speed is by reading. Your purpose in reading should be firstly and more importantly to understand, and secondly, to increase your speed. Reading could, in the short term, help you improve your vocabulary immensely along with improving your ability to understand and assimilate the information given. It will throw up words and phrases, which you did not know existed, and if you are curious enough about them you will definitely look them up in your dictionary. Quite an arduous task but that is the way it goes!!! Reading would help you develop in the medium term, the ability to express your ideas cogently. This would help you in your interviews and group discussions, which form a part of the selection process of the various business schools. You need to read diverse topics to improve the quality of your comprehension. The habit of reading diverse topics will, in the long run, make you a liberally educated person, besides radically improving your comprehension and ability to handle diverse information.

Improving Speed
Capacity to read fast is definitely an advantage, though you should bear in mind that reading for speed alone could be an unwise exercise. We are concerned with speed because being efficient is also to achieve ones purpose as quickly as possible. The aim should be to increase the efficiency of your reading so that you make the fullest use of your capacity (remember that is strictly to answer questions). Many of us have the habit of reading out loud. Try to avoid this. Read in your mind. This will, in some measure, help you increase your reading speed. Do not take this observation so seriously that you pay insufficient attention to the content of the material, and thereby hinder your comprehension of it.

Speed with Efficiency

Varying reading speeds: Different kinds of reading material will influence your reading speed in different ways. The language, style, subject matter and length of the material determine your reading speed. For example, in short stories, the language is simple, the style is not complicated, the subject matter is easy to follow. On the other hand an essay on Philosophy requires greater deliberation because the language, style and subject matter are complex. There are reading speeds appropriate to particular purposes too, as are for different kinds of material. If your purpose is to find out the central idea of a passage, you can read it fast and get an idea. However if you are asked to enumerate the important points mentioned in the passage you have to go slow.

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The need for flexibility: If you are to read efficiently, you should vary your reading speed, taking more time where the work is heavy and less time where it is light. Varying your reading speed will help you improve your speed as well as comprehension so that you make the most efficient use of the limited time available to you.

The Reading in Reading Comprehension

Reading a passage in a Reading Comprehension test is like a drive through a strange city. The main idea of the passage is like the overall plan of the city; the main idea of each paragraph is like the plan of the locality through which you are driving. Reading the passage is like driving quickly through the city. You do not waste time memorizing every detail of every locality; you just develop a general sense of the layout of the city.

Read for the Main Idea

The first sentence of a paragraph should always be read carefully since it is so often the key to understanding the entire paragraph. As you read quickly through the passage, you should write a oneor twoword summary of each paragraph on your scratch paper. This is partly to make you articulate what the main idea of each paragraph is but it is also in order to remember them. Have you ever had the experience of reading an entire passage, getting to the end, and then saying, I have no idea what I just read? Most reading passages inspire exactly that thought. To avoid this kind of hangover jot down a couple of key words on your scratch paper to encapsulate the main idea. However, once youve got the main idea, it isnt necessary to pay a lot of attention to the other sentences in the paragraph. For example, you would probably notice that while the second sentence included some specific FACTS, it adds nothing to your understanding of the main point of the paragraph. Later, if you are asked a specific question about this FACT, you can go back and find the answer; it will still be there. Until you know what the main idea of a paragraph is, you should read very carefully. However, as soon as you've got a handle on whats going on, you can speed up. Let your eyes glaze over when you get to the small details. Until a question is asked about them, who cares? The goal is to spend no more than 34 minutes "reading" the entire passage. Impossible? Sure, if you're going to insist on reading the way you normally do. Just remember that you: don't get any points for reading the passages. As you read the passage you must try to get a grasp of: The main idea of the passage, An appropriate title for the passage, The attitude of the writer towards the topic What the author has not said. And the implication of the passage and practical application of certain ideas in the passage

Though the language may not be difficult, the ideas may be complicated. Some of the most important steps for reading comprehension are: 1. Skimming and Scanning. Skimming: It means reading very quickly. It involves selective reading of the most important parts. It helps to get a general idea of what the text is about. Scanning: It involves scanning of the complete passage for important information like dates, places or required data.

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2. 3. 4.

Understanding the Global meaning of a text. Identifying attitude and making inferences. Understanding Unknown Words.

5 GOLDEN RULES FOR RC

1. 2. The passages are the least important part of every RC. Begin by reading what you need. Do a topic search to determine: 3. The authors point. The authors tone. The passage layout.

Answer the questions in your own words before you read answer choices. In this way you can avoid incorrect answer choices by knowing what the answer is before you read any of the choices. Use Process of Elimination (POE) to get rid of incorrect answer choices. Cross out incorrect choices as you solve the question. If you dont cross out incorrect choices, youll waste time and energy rereading wrong answer choices. Eliminate answer choices that have extreme wording (e.g. must, etc.) or violate common sense.

4.

5.

Be careful on Except/Least/Not questions. Correct answer is one that is not true. Use True/False technique. Always attempt them in the last.

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PRACTICE PASSAGES
Let us practise some passages together: Passage I Euthanasia is often erroneously described as "mercy killing". Most forms of euthanasia are, indeed, motivated by (some say: misplaced) mercy. Not so others. In Greek, "eu" means both "well" and "easy" and "Thanatos" is death. Euthanasia is the intentional premature termination of another person's life either by direct intervention (active euthanasia) or by withholding life-prolonging measures and resources (passive euthanasia), either at the express or implied request of that person (voluntary euthanasia), or in the absence of such approval (nonvoluntary euthanasia). Involuntary euthanasia - where the individual wishes to go on living - is a euphemism for murder. To my mind, passive euthanasia is immoral. The abrupt withdrawal of medical treatment, feeding, and hydration results in a slow and (potentially) torturous death. Moreover, passive euthanasia allows us to evade personal responsibility for the patient's death. In active euthanasia, the relationship between the act (of administering a lethal medication, for instance) and its consequences is direct and unambiguous. To qualify as euthanasia, the termination of life has to be the main and intended aim of the act or omission that leads to it. The sanctity and value of life compete with a host of other equally potent moral demands. Even the most devout pro-life ethicist accepts that certain medical decisions - for instance, to administer strong analgesics inevitably truncate the patient's life. Yet, this is considered moral because the resulting euthanasia is not the main intention of the pain-relieving doctor. Moreover, the apparent dilemma between the two values (reduce suffering or preserve life) is non-existent. 1. What does the phrase mercy killing in line1, refer to? (A) The act of killing someone painlessly especially someone suffering from an incurable illness (B) The act of soft killing. (C) The practice of killing a patient with his active consent, by injecting a lethal dose of some toxin. (D) An easy way to kill a patient feeling a lot of unease due to long disease. (E) The act of killing someone either at the express or implied request of that person. (A) None, except (A) has the essential element of mercy. What is the difference between active euthanasia and passive euthanasia? (A) In active euthanasia, the caretakers evade responsibility for bringing about somebodys death; in passive euthanasia they dont. (B) In passive euthanasia, a person suffers before he dies whereas in active euthanasia person dies immediately without suffering much pain. (C) Passive euthanasia is used in animals whereas active euthanasia is used for human beings. (D) The loss of life is incidental in active euthanasia but is fundamental in passive euthanasia. (E) In passive euthanasia, loss of life is voluntary whereas in active euthanasia loss of life is involuntary. (B) The answer is directly provided in the lines: To my mind, passive euthanasia is immoral. The abrupt withdrawal of medical treatment, feeding, and hydration results in a slow and (potentially) torturous death.

Sol. 2.

Sol.

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Passage II (Note that the passage here appears to be quite lengthy. But as we shall see, the questions are direct and can be answered on the basis of a casual perusal of the passage) Anthropologists all over the world are engaged today to find the missing links between the humans and apes and a mad race to hunt fossils in order to track down the real existence of the first Adam has started. The quest for the earliest human ancestors is a challenging scientific pursuit to know how the first human lived millions of years ago. Modern researchers are seeking the help of molecular science to establish the veracity of evidence taken from the fossils of humans and apes. In 1992, 17 specimens of Hominid fossils were discovered from Ethiopia, the Ardipithecus ramidus being the prominent, and a new interpretation and research of early fossil history emerged. The discoverers endured the heat and thirst of the Sahara desert in their mania to find the First Human of this Universe. Tim White and Gen Suwa estimated the age of ramidus fossil 4.4 millions years. It has many primitive ape-like features such as the small brain size, small canine teeth. Tom Gray and Donald Johnson discovered Lucy fossil that is 3.2 million years old. It is a fossil of a young female of about 25 years of age. About 40% of her skeleton was found and her pelvis, femur and tibia show her to have been bipedal. Le Clark performed a morphological study of teeth and jaws, since these formed most of the fossil evidence. Lee came to the conclusion that Lucy fossil was human like and not ape like. In November 2000, Martin Pickford and Brigitte Senut of France made a remarkable discovery and unearthed Orrorin fossil from the Tugen hills of Kenya. Martin and Brigitte had been studying fossils for the last 30 years; they claimed that the bones were of a hominid - an early ancestor of humankind. The bones were not of apelike creatures; Orrorin was a bipedal creature, and CT scans of the femur bone reveal a pattern of bone intensity that could be the result of an upright walking posture. This important fossil was 6 million year old. Tutavel Hunter fossil was discovered by a team of French discoverers. The fossil consists of a fairly complete face, with 5 molar teeth and a part of the braincase. The skull contains a mixture of features from archaic Homo sapiens and Homo erectus. Tutavel Hunter was a prehistoric hunter 450000 years ago. This First Adam lived in caves; survived on hunting, selected rocks to make his tools. This Paleolithic hunter used sandstone slabs for choppers, scrappers and the materials were available in his habitat. Ann Gibbons introduces the various maverick fossil hunters such as Brunet and Leakey who endured extreme heat, blowing sand and other hazards of fieldwork in Africa. The million dollar question is why did Raymond Dart and Robert Boom go to Africa in search of early hominid fossils? Why did they not go to Australia, Siberia or other parts of the world? It is an established fact that humans are most closely related to the great apes that are indigenous to Africa, as confirmed by DNA investigations of fossils. Perhaps they evolved from a closer species that no longer exists. Charles Darwin had stated this long before any hominid fossils were discovered. Darwin observed thus: It is probable that Africa was formerly inhabited by extinct apes closely allied to the gorilla and chimpanzee and these two species are now mans nearest allies; it is somewhat more probable that our early progenitors lived on the African Continent than elsewhere. Most scientists agree that modern humans first evolved in Africa and later colonized the globe. Some anthropologists believe that a wave of migration from Africa started about 50,000 years ago with modern humans moving from North Africa into the Middle East, then moving in to Asia and Europe and Australia. They crossed the Red Sea, journeyed along the Arabian Peninsula to India, Malaysia and Australia. The mitochondrial DNA investigations have proved that Nicobarese, Onge, Anamneses, African tribes reveal the same genetic ancestry and it is concluded that these tribes descend from the early migrants out of Africa.

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Vincent Macaulay of the University of Glasgow in Scotland conducted his research on the basis of ecological and archaeological evidence and contended that modern humans left Africa via a southern migration route. They had to master ocean travel; life was pretty hard for them, but crossing the Red Sea would not have been impossible and they had successfully crossed the sea on a raft. They used boats to cover a distance of 12000 km to reach Australia. The archaeologists observe that the prehistoric hunters from Spain and France sailed to North America as the glaciers started receding around 17000 years ago. These migrants were hunting marine animals such as seals, walrus and tuna and they miraculously crossed the Atlantic on boats after years of perseverance, hardships, and trials and tribulations. Radioactive carbon dating and microscopic analysis of ancient hair prove that humans crossed a land bridge from Asia to the Americas and these settlers were called the Clovis people. The earliest tools found in Asia are attributed to Homo erectus, a species of African origin. Its body, hard and sturdy, had long limbs, a brain that was capable of hunting and suited to life in prehistoric Asian terrain. Early humans lived in China about 1.66 million years ago; they used stone tools or bones of deer to butcher them for food. Neanderthal human utilized language and tools, played musical instruments, danced and sang, walked, ran and jumped; he had the potential to play music. The first evidence is a piece of small bone from a deer with holes looking like a flute discovered in the Neander valley of Germany in 1856. Even Darwin had observed our ancestors endeavored to charm each other with musical notes and rhythm. Scientists observe that it was music that helped hominids to find a mate, soothe a child and cheer a companion in inhospitable habitat. Thus, the fossil investigations reveal that the immediate ancestors of early humans were living in East Africa and they have been identified as Homo rudolfensis, a Homo erectus. It is believed that the early humans had about 35% larger brains than those of the great apes. People, but not apes, have a gene that stops the production of N-glycolylneuramine acid. Modern day scientists of the University of California have used Molecular Clock Analysis to determine the evolutionary process of the growth of genetic mutation of human beings that led to their growth and modernism. Questions 3 6: 3. According to the author, early humans of Asia (A) were ape-like, living in forests of Africa (B) were seal hunters of prehistoric times (C) lived in caves in the Stone Age (D) were Homo erectus Sol. (D) The answer has been directly provided in the last paragraph: Thus, the fossil investigations reveal that the immediate ancestors of early humans were living in East Africa and they have been identified as Homo rudolfensis, a Homo erectus. 4. The first modern humans were (A) gorillas and Chimpanzees of Australia (B) Africans who crossed the Red Sea (C) seal hunters of Europe who crossed the Atlantic (D) Clovis people who lived in primitive caves (B) Again the answer is directly provided in the third paragraph: Most scientists agree that modern humans first evolved in Africa and later colonized the globe. Some anthropologists believe that a wave of migration from Africa started about 50,000 years ago with modern humans moving from North Africa into the Middle East, then moving in to Asia and Europe and Australia. They crossed the Red Sea.

Sol.

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5.

Sol. 6.

Orrorin fossil proved that the Orrorin (A) was ape like (B) was Homo erectus (C) was a bipedal creature (D) was a Paleolithic hunter (C) Para 2: Orrorin was a bipedal creature. Neanderthal humans (A) loved hunting and caved life (B) used stone tools for hunting (C) adapted to inhospitable environment (D) played music, walked and jumped (D) Neanderthal human utilized language and tools, played musical instruments, danced and sang, walked, ran and jumped; he had the potential to play music.

Sol.

Passage III (This passage is even lengthier than the previous one. But in most such cases, the questions are direct and can be answered on the basis of a casual perusal of the passage) Contrary to classical traditions, the Freudian and the Jungian themes are very much in vogue in Hollywood films. The Producers always desire to sell a new idea in the film industry world wide. They take up the themes of amnesia and memory loss to achieve grandeur and suspense in the films as the audience demand, action, intricacy in the plot and a sense of romantic mystery. In the Jeffersonian age, the plots of lost children were very popular and the audience enjoyed the identity mystery of the two brothers who were declared lost in the beginning of the film. In the post World War era, science fiction dominated the Hollywood, and James Bond and his tag 007 as a spying agent thrilled the audience. The films referred to the Cold War culture. The psychoanalytical theories of Freud and Carl Jung revolutionized art and culture and the Hollywood could not escape the influence of psychological themes. The films produced on these themes of amnesia and the memory loss, were always the box office hits as they were different. Since the 1930s, this memory disorder theme was the main theme in nearly 80 films. The recent example of a film dealing with the theme of amnesia is Momento which was released in 2001. It narrates the story of a farmer insurance investigator, Leonard Shelby and his attempts to trace the person who attacked him and his wife, leaving him with a brain injury that made him incapable to form new memories and killing his wife. The director of the film was Christopher Nolan and the story was written by Jonathan Nolan. The film perpetuates the myth that amnesia is marked by a loss of identity. Shelby is the central character who encounters a number of people and tells one of them I dont have amnesia. I know who I am. I just cant form new memories. Psychologists hold that Amnesia is a condition in which some one cant recall stored memories like their moms maiden name or what happened in the last birthday party. The limbic system comprises the hippocampus, the amygdale and portions of the cortex. People are amnesic when the memory retrieval portion of the limbic system is not working properly. There are two types of memory, short term memory and long term memory. Long term memory includes relational and procedural memory. Researchers opine that Amnesia is of several types; Anterograde is very common. Henry M, popularly known as HM was born in 1926 in Connecticut and had become an anonymous memory impaired patient who has been widely studied world wide since the late 1950s. He has been very significant in the psychological history to explain the link between brain function and memory, and in the development of cognitive neuropsychological research. Unlike patient HM, Shelby acquired his Anterograde amnesia through an accidental brain injury. Researchers maintain that Anterograde amnesia develops from a stroke or viral

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Top Careers & You _________________________________________________________________________________________________ encephalitis. These all may result in damage to the hippocampus. In explaining his condition, Shelby says he has no memory but what he means is that he had working memory. He can hold experiences from moments to seconds. He can maintain his intelligence and ability to reason, make logical arguments and express his thoughts, read a map and remember a telephone number in his mind. His predicament is similar to the famous case of patient HM. His case was kept confidential to protect his privacy; he lost his ability to form new memories. Like Shelby, patient HM woke everyday with no memory of what took place the day before. Scientists theorize that retrograde amnesia means the loss of past memories. This situation occurs when hippocampus is disrupted and the process of consolidation becomes non effective. Memory loss is caused by psychological trauma and this is called hysterical amnesia. Brain concussion is a brain dysfunction which does not have any macroscopic structural damage but is caused by mechanical force. Post traumatic amnesia was a condition to diagnose the brain concussion. Patients with brain concussion have always amnesia with normal neurological status. One form of memory left intact in both patients HM and the fictional Shelby, is the ability to learn skills called procedural memory. We learn how to ride a bike, play a piano or swing a golf club properly. The brain forms a kind of unconscious memory of the skills that you learnt in the past. Procedural memory is central to a subplot in Momento in which Shelby recalls an insurance investigation which he carried out before his injury on a man Sammy claiming amnesia. He wanted to check that the man wasnt faking his memory disorder. Sammy repeatedly picks up the electrified block, indicating that his brain does not respond to what Shelby calls conditioning. Apparently Sammy does not appear to have procedural memory. Shelby at last concluded that Sammys memory loss must have been psychological in nature and not the result of a physical brain injury. A large number of Hollywood movies are produced on the theme of memory and amnesia. The Blue Dahlia was animated from the name of the frightful 1947 Black Dahlia murder case in Los Angles. The case went unsolved for more than 50 years. In 2006, the director Brian De Palma premiered The Black Dahlia on the theme of loss of memory. Kaufmans Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind portrayed Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as former lovers who wipe out all their relationship memories by undergoing high tech treatment by

the Lacuna Agency. Like Momento, the film flashes back at times to convey the impressions of amnesia. A science fiction element is used in the film to explore the nature of memory and love. In psychology, memory is an organisms ability to store, retain and recall information. Today it has assumed the name of neuroscience. The film was a box office hit and won an Academy Award. Much of the film takes place in Joels mind who struggles to maintain at least some memory of his love for Clementine. The audiences watch their love affair going in reverse. The memories get slowly erased from Joels mind as he tries his best to resist them and hide them inside his mind. Joel and Clementine meet at a beach party in Montauk, New York and get romantically involved. After two years, their relationship slides down, as illustrated by a scene in a Chinese restaurant. Both have nasty fights. Clementine takes the lead and gets Joel erased from her memory by scientific procedures The film Shattered directed by Wolfgang Peterson, presented Dan Merrick who comes out from a shattering car accident with amnesia. He discovers that he is married to Judith who is trying to help him start his life again. He keeps getting flashback about events and places that he cant remember. Most Hollywood films project partial amnesia and not total amnesia. In the film The Majestic, the victim cant remember anything. The film Vanilla Sky offers the traditional car crash syndrome and the loss of memory. When Paycheck Gothika and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind appeared, there were still more twists in the amnesia scenario. They lack scientific credibility and look like fantasies. But in spite of these technical flaws, they are always box office hits and the producers make huge money in selling the themes of amnesia and the memory loss.

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Questions 7 9 7. Hollywood Film Momento is based on the theme of (A) retrieval of memory of the hero Shelby who was hit in an accident (B) loss of human relationships and the situation of paranoia (C) loss of identity and inability to form new memories (D) loss of procedural memory and the psychological process of recovery Sol. (C) The film perpetuates the myth that amnesia is marked by a loss of identity. And I just cant form new memories. 8. Which of the following statements is true? (A) Leonardo Shelby, the hero of the film Momento, is depicted as a victim of psychological trauma. (B) Shelby, the hero is depicted as a victim of brain dysfunction. (C) Shelby, the hero is suffering from epileptic disorders. (D) Shelby, the hero is a victim of anterograde amnesia through an accident. (D) Shelby acquired his Anterograde amnesia through an accidental brain injury. According to the author, amnesia may be defined as a (A) disease connected with genetic dysfunction of the brain (B) strange overgrowth of the tissue or tumor of the brain (C) breakdown of the consciousness either due to an accident or a sudden shock (D) loss of memory due to damage to brain either through trauma or disease (D) Paragraphs 2 and 3 (in continuum): Memory loss is caused by psychological trauma and this is called hysterical amnesia Brain concussion is a brain dysfunction which does not have any macroscopic structural damage but is caused by mechanical force. Post traumatic amnesia was a condition to diagnose the brain concussion. Patients with brain concussion have always amnesia with normal neurological status.

Sol. 9.

Sol.

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