Learning Express - GED Test Skill Builder: Language Arts, Reading

Introduction

T his book is designed to help people master the basic reading skills and concepts required to do well on the GED Language Arts, Reading test. Many people who are preparing for this particular GED test have not been in a school setting for some time. This means reading skills have gotten rusty or have been forgotten altogether. Others may have been in a school setting, but have not mastered various essential reading skills. By focusing on basic reading skills, this book will give its readers a better grasp of key reading concepts.

As the GED Test Skill Builder title suggests, this book is not designed to prepare people to take the GED test immediately afterward. Instead, its goal is to provide the necessary foundation of reading skills required for the GED Language Arts, Reading test. Without these fundamental skills, it would be difficult for a person to prepare for the test effectively, much less earn a passable score. However, once these basic reading skills are understood, a person is then on the right path toward learning the concepts needed to succeed on this particular GED test.

What This Book Contains

In addition to this introduction, GED Test Skill Builder: Language Arts, Reading also contains the following:

The LearningExpress Test Preparation System. Being a good test taker can boost anyones GED score. Many of the skills and strategies covered in this book will be familiar to anyone who has taken many multiple-choice tests, but there is a large difference between being familiar with the strategy and being excellent at using the strategy. Our goal is to get you into that second category, and this chapter offers you the means to do so.

A Diagnostic Exam. Its always helpful to see where your reading skills stand. Therefore, we recommend taking the diagnostic test before starting on the content chapters. By taking the diagnostic test, you should be able to determine the content areas in which you are strongest and the areas in which you might need more help. For example, if you miss most of your questions on the nonfiction passages, then you know that you should pay extra attention when the book discusses the best ways to approach nonfiction passages.
The diagnostic test does not count for any score, so dont get caught up on how many you got right or wrong. Instead, use the results of the diagnostic test to help guide your study of the content chapters.

Content Chapters. These chapters form the heart of the book. Here we cover the basic reading concepts discussed earlier. To help you understand all these ideas, every chapter has sample questions, helpful tips, summaries, as well as explanations of the concepts being discussed. We recommend reading these chapters in order and not skipping around, as many of the concepts in the earlier chapters are built on in the later chapters.

Two Practice Tests. Once you have a better grasp of the basic reading skills, the best thing to do is to practice those skills. Both our practice tests are designed to be similar to the real GED Language Arts, Reading test in terms of question types and passage content.

Taking these tests under timed conditions will help you gain familiarity with taking a timed reading test, which can help you in your GED preparations. However, if you would prefer to work on the questions untimed in order to focus on mastering the basic concepts of the content chapters, thats not a bad idea, either. Either way is helpful preparation.

Preparing for any test takes time. While we understand that there are more enjoyable things to do than studying basic reading skills, the concepts contained in this book will be helpful to you not only during the GED Language Arts, Reading test, but in your personal and professional life after the test as well.

Good luck, and good studying!

CHAPTER 1 The LearningExpress Test Preparation System

T aking any written exam can be tough. It demands a lot of preparation if you want to achieve the best possible score. The LearningExpress Test Preparation System, developed exclusively for LearningExpress by leading test experts, gives you the discipline and attitude you need to be a winner.

Taking the GED Language Arts, Reading test is no picnic, and neither is getting ready for it. You want to earn the highest possible score, but there are all sorts of pitfalls that can keep you from doing your best on this all-important exam. Here are some of the obstacles that can stand in the way of your success:

being unfamiliar with the format of the exam

being paralyzed by test anxiety

leaving your preparation until the last minute or not preparing at all

not knowing vital test-taking skills: how to pace yourself through the exam, how to use the process of elimination, and when to guess

not being in tip-top mental and physical shape

messing up on exam day by having to work on an empty stomach or shivering through the exam because the room is cold

Whats the common denominator in all these test-taking pitfalls? One word: control . Whos in control, you or the exam? The LearningExpress Test Preparation System puts you in control. In just nine easy-to-follow steps, you will learn everything you need to know to make sure that you are in charge of your preparation and your performance on this GED test. Other test takers may let the exam get the better of them; other test takers may be unprepared or out of shape, but not you. After completing this chapter, you will have taken all the steps you need to get a high score on the GED Language Arts, Reading test.

Heres how the LearningExpress Test Preparation System works: nine easy steps lead you through everything you need to know and do to get ready for this exam. Each of the steps listed here and discussed in detail on the following pages includes both reading about the step and one or more activities. Its important that you do the activities along with the reading, or you wont be getting the full benefit of the system. Each step tells you approximately how much time that step will take you to complete.

Step 1: Get Information (30 minutes)

Step 2: Conquer Test Anxiety (20 minutes)

Step 3: Make a Plan (50 minutes)

Step 4: Learn to Manage Your Time (10 minutes)

Step 5: Learn to Use the Process of Elimination (20 minutes)

Step 6: Know When to Guess (20 minutes)

Step 7: Reach Your Peak Performance Zone (10 minutes)

Step 8: Get Your Act Together (10 minutes

Step 9: Do It! (10 minutes)

Total time for complete system: (180 minutes3 hours)

We estimate that working through the entire system will take you approximately three hours. Its perfectly okay if you work at a faster or slower pace. If you can take a whole afternoon or evening, you can work through the whole LearningExpress Test Preparation System in one sitting. Otherwise, you can break it up and do just one or two steps a day for the next several days. Its up to youremember, you are in control.

Step 1: Get Information

Time to complete: 30 minutes

Activity: Read the Introduction to This Book

Knowledge is power. The first step in the Learning-Express Test Preparation System is finding out everything you can about the types of information you will be expected to know and how this knowledge will be assessed.

What You Should Find Out

The more details you can find out about the exam, the more efficiently you will be able to study. Heres a list of some things you might want to find out:

What skills are tested?

How many sections are on the exam?

How many questions are in each section?

How much time is allotted for each section?

How is the exam scored, and is there a penalty for wrong answers?

Can you write in the exam booklet, or will you be given scratch paper?

Step 2: Conquer Test Anxiety

Time to complete: 20 minutes