I call our world Flatland, not because we call it so, but to make its nature clearer to you, my happy readers, who are privileged to live in Space.
Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface, but without the power of rising above or sinking below it, very much like shadows — only hard and with luminous edges — and you will then have a pretty correct notion of my country and countrymen. Alas! a few years ago, I should have said, “my universe;” but now my mind has been opened to higher views of things.
In such a country, you will perceive at once that it is impossible that there should be anything of what you call a “solid” kind; but I dare say you will suppose that we could at least distinguish by sight the Triangles, Squares, and other figures moving about as I have described them. On the contrary, we could see nothing of the kind, not at least so as to distinguish one figure from another. Nothing was visible, nor could be visible, to us, except straight Lines; and the necessity of this I will speedily demonstrate.
Place a penny on the middle of one of your tables in Space; and leaning over it, look down upon it. It will appear a circle.
But now, drawing back to the edge of the table, gradually lower your eye (thus bringing yourself more and more into the condition of the inhabitants of Flatland), and you will find the penny becoming more and more oval to your view; and at last when you have placed your eye exactly on the edge of a table (so that you are, as it were, actually a Flatland citizen) the penny will then have ceased to appear oval at all, and will have become, so far as you can see, a straight line.

I never thought about that! If you lived in a place that was flat, like you were really small and lived between two sheets of paper, you would only see lines. And so if you think about it, we only see two dimentions at one time, even though our world has three dimentions (like height, width, and depth). We can sorta see in 3D because we can tell if something’s close or far away, but we can’t see someone from the front, and the back, and the top and bottom all at the same time! So could there be like a 4th dimention or a 5th dimention? Could someone in a 4th dimentional world see us from the top and bottom and even our insides all at once? See, it gets really confusing! I bet this is the kind of thing Dwayne would like. It sounds all like science fiction! But I guess it’s just math, really. Here’s a practice question about the book.

According to the above passage, who is the narrator in Flatland?

1. A Man
2. A Line
3. A 2D Shape
4. A 3D Shape
5. Impossible to Know

At first I might think that answer 1 is right, because it’s not like a shape could write a book. But you gotta remember that the narrator and the author are two different things, so even though only a man or a woman could write the book, the narrator could be a shape or an animal or anything!

If you re-read the passage, you notice a line right away that mostly explains this answer.

“Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about… and you will then have a pretty correct notion of my country and countrymen.”

He says right there that his “countrymen” are “Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures” all living in a “flat” land. So it can’t be a man or a 3D shape.

That means it’s either 2, 3 or 5. Later on, he talks about how things look like a line, but are really a shape. Like how he says that when you look at a penny with your eye right on the table its on, it looks like a line. So you might think the narrator is a shape. However, in that first line I quoted, it said, “Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares…” Lines were included! So that means some of his “countrymen” might be lines, and so he might be a line too. It’s impossible to know from just this passage. So, the answer is number 5.

Pretty loco, huh? This is the kinda book where it’s not like the words themselves are hard or anything. There’s not really anything I have to look up in the dictionary. But his ideas that he’s talking about are kinda weird and I’m not used to thinking that way, so I have to read it a few times to get what he’s really saying. But in the end, it’s fun to read things like this once you understand them. Now I can understand the things like 2D and 3D and maybe even 4D a little better. So if someone starts talking about it, I don’t feel completely lost (and by SOMEONE it’s probably going to be Dwayne)!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

One author who has done a really good job of writing genre fiction that a lot of people consider to be “literature” is Stephen King. He writes mostly scary stories and some science fiction, and most authors who write those kinds of things aren’t thought of very highly in the literary world, but he’s won a lot of awards and gotten a lot of good review from critics. He’s also been writing for a really long time! His first novel, Carrie, was published in 1974, and his latest one, Under the Dome, was published just last  year in 2009. That’s 35 years of writing!

So, maybe Stephen King writes “literature.” Maybe not. Either way, our practice question today is about his short story, “Willa.”

The moon was high when he and Willa walked back to the road, holding hands. David didn’t see how that could be–they had stayed for only the first two songs of the next set–but there it was, floating all the way up there in the spangled black. That was troubling, but something else troubled him even more.
“Willa,” he said, “what year is it?”
She thought it over. The wind rippled her dress as it would the dress of any live woman. “I don’t exactly remember,” she said at last. “Isn’t that odd?”
“Considering I can’t remember the last time I ate a meal or drank a glass of water? Not too odd. If you had to guess, what would you say? Quick, without thinking.”
“Nineteen… eight-eight?”
He nodded. He would have said 1987 himself. “There was a girl in the there wearing a T-shirt that said Crowheart Springs High School, Class of ‘03. And if she was old enough to be in a roadhouse–”
“Then ‘03 must have been at least three years ago.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” He stopped. “It can’t be 2006, Willa, can it? I mean, the twenty-first century?”

According to the above passage, when was this story most likely written?

1. 1987
2. 1988
3. 2003
4. 2006
5. There’s no way to know.

Ok, so since Stephen King’s been writing from 1974 to the present day, we can’t really cross anything out. And besides, the question specifically asks, “according to the passage above.” So I can’t use outside information to answer this question. Like maybe I already knew when it was written before I read this question. That doesn’t count. I gotta read the text.

In the text, it mentions all the dates: 1987, 1988, 2003, and 2006. Also, the things they talk about in the text could have been written in any time period. Like, roadhouses and t-shirts existed in 1987 and also in 2006, right? It’s likely that it was written in 2006 because that’s when the story seems to take place. At least, that’s what I’d imagine from when he says, “It can’t be 2006, Willa, can it?” But even so, it might not be 2006 even in the story! Obviously, the two main characters are really confused. The only thing they’re going off of to guess that it’s 2006 is that the girl with a ‘03 t-shirt is at a roadhouse. But she could have graduated early or late. Or she could be in the Roadhouse and underage. Or she could look really young for her age, and she actually graduated 10 years ago! There’s really no way to even know what date it is in the book, and even if we knew that, we couldn’t be sure that the date in the book is the same date that the book was written.

What happens in the text of a story doesn’t really have anything to do with the circumstances or time period of the writer. And a book can even be written over a long time. Willa was actually published in 2006, but Stephen King coulda written it at any time. Maybe he even started it in 1974! There’s just no way to know. I’d go with #5.

Good luck studying for your GED, and keep reading!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

It’s all interesting stuff, but sometimes if we want to know more about it, we gotta read science books, like On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. He’s the guy who came up with this idea of evolution. I don’t know if he thought we all came from some sorta primordial soup though. I think he just mostly noticed that animals can change to fit their environment, and that eventually all of that species changes too. Here’s a paragraph from his book:

If we suppose any habitual action to become inherited—and I think it can be shown that this does sometimes happen—then the resemblance between what originally was a habit and an instinct becomes so close as not to be distinguished. If Mozart, instead of playing the pianoforte at three years old with wonderfully little practice, had played a tune with no practice at all, he might truly be said to have done so instinctively. But it would be the most serious error to suppose that the greater number of instincts have been acquired by habit in one generation, and then transmitted by inheritance to succeeding generations. It can be clearly shown that the most wonderful instincts with which we are acquainted, namely, those of the hive-bee and of many ants, could not possibly have been thus acquired.

What point is the author trying to make in this passage?

1. Talented people inherit their abilities.

2. It is difficult to know the difference between a learned habit and an inherited one.

3. Learned habits and inherited habits are the same thing.

4. Animals can not learn.

5. People do not have instincts.

Ay, I had to read this several times to understand it all. Immediately, I understood about Mozart. I know about him, he was a famous composer. Darwin says that he could play piano when he was tres años. That’s impressive, but it doesn’t mean he was born being able to play piano, right? He had to practice a little. So I guess Darwin’s trying to make a point about what you’re born with, and what you’re not born with. Like he says about what instincts get acquired by habit. So if you play piano a lot, then you eventually can play it just like it was an instinct. But it’s not an instinct you were born with, so you don’t necessarily pass it down to your children, like a basic instinct to find food.

That means number one isn’t right, because Darwin says right in the Mozart part that “it would be the most serious error” to guess that someone could inherit their talent just because their father or mother could do it. There’s a possibility that maybe they could inherit it, but that’s not what the author is saying here.

I think number two is right. Darwin says something really similar at the beginning: “If we suppose any habitual action to become inherited—and I think it can be shown that this does sometimes happen—then the resemblance between what originally was a habit and an instinct becomes so close as not to be distinguished.” Look at the last part. “…so as not to be distinguished.” That means they’re almost the same, so you can’t tell the difference. If you can’t tell the difference, then it would be hard to know which is one and which is the other. That’s exactly what number two says!

Number three is really close to number two. How do we know that Darwin isn’t just saying that there’s no difference at all? Well, He says that it would be wrong to say that instincts developed by habit in one generation are transmitted down to their children through inheritance. That’s making a strong point that they’re not the same. Otherwise it wouldn’t matter if your parents developed something from habit or from inheritance themselves. You’d have an equal possibility of inheriting either.

Number four and five are both wrong. It doesn’t say anything about either of these. Though, I think it’s important to realize that they’re wrong because the passage doesn’t talk about them. I know that animals can learn. People teach dogs tricks all the time! And I’m pretty sure everyone has instincts. That’s how we survive! But the question doesn’t ask about what’s true and what’s not true. It asks about what the author is saying. But here, we can see that he doesn’t say anything about that. He mostly talks about the difference between instincts and whether they’re developed in your life or inherited from your parents. That’s why I’m pretty sure that number two is right.

This was a really challenging question. If you could answer it right, you’re doing really well! Challenging yourself with difficult readings can make the kind of things you normally read a lot easier! It’s like running a little extra sometimes so that when it’s time for the big race, you know you can do it and more!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at  http://www.passGED.com.

What’s more frustrating is when I have to read English in a book with strange accents I’ve never heard before. A lot of books have different kinds of writing for the dialogue… you know, when people talk. Like different dialects. They can be so confusing. Here’s a GED practice question that shows what I mean. The passage is from “Pollyanna,” by Eleanor Hodgeman Porter.

“For the land’s sake, Miss Pollyanna, what a scare you did give me,” panted Nancy, hurrying up to the big rock, down which Pollyanna had just regretfully slid.

“Scare? Oh, I’m so sorry; but you mustn’t, really, ever get scared about me, Nancy. Father and the Ladies’ Aid used to do it, too, till they found I always came back all right.”

“But I didn’t even know you’d went,” cried Nancy, tucking the little girl’s hand under her arm and hurrying her down the hill. “I didn’t see you go, and nobody didn’t. I guess you flew right up through the roof; I do, I do.”

Pollyanna skipped gleefully.

“I did, ‘most—only I flew down instead of up. I came down the tree.”

Nancy stopped short.

“You did—what?”

“Came down the tree, outside my window.”

“My stars and stockings!” gasped Nancy, hurrying on again. “I’d like ter know what yer aunt would say ter that!”

What does this passage reveal about Pollyanna’s personality?

1) She is gloomy and pessimistic.

2) She is adventurous and carefree.

3) She is easily scared.

4) She is a mischievous troublemaker.

5) She is studious and strict.

When I first look at this passage, I immediately feel so confused. What does “For the land’s sake” mean? And what does she mean by, “Ladies’ Aid?” There are so many things they say here that I just don’t get. But I’ve figured out that you can’t get discouraged if you don’t understand everything in a passage. There are still a lot of things that I can understand, especially after I read the question.

It asks about Pollyanna’s personality. So, I look for things that answer the question, and don’t worry too much about what I don’t understand! Let’s see. In the second sentence, Pollyanna tells Nancy that “you mustn’t, really, ever get scared about me.” And later on she is skipping gleefully. Does that sound gloomy? I don’t think so. Gloomy is the opposite of gleefull!Even if I’m not sure what “gleeful” means, she’s skipping, and just doesn’t seem gloomy at all. Later it says that she just “came down the tree.” This scares Nancy! But it doesn’t scare Pollyanna, so I know #3 isn’t right. I don’t think studious and strict people would climb trees or run off without telling anyone, so #5 doesn’t sound right.

I think that #4 could be the answer. Troublemakers don’t always follow the rules (just look, it has the word “trouble” in it), and it doesn’t sound like Pollyanna is following them either. This is the one you might guess. But what does “mischievous” mean? Have you heard the word “mischief?” It’s more trouble. It’s kind of being mean and making problems. I think that Pollyanna might be causing trouble for Nancy, but she isn’t doing it to be harmful or mean. She even apologizes to Nancy when she realizes that she had scared her!

So, I think the best answer is #2. That one says “adventurous and carefree.” Pollyanna sure seems to like adventure… doing new things… and she doesn’t seem to worry, that makes her “carefree.” It’s a better answer, because Pollyanna doesn’t seem to want to cause trouble, particularly. She just seems to want to go out and have fun.

See, you can figure out the main idea of a reading, even if you can’t understand every word. Sometimes it’s important to look words up. But you don’t want to get bogged down with looking up every word! Especially if it seems likeit’s not part of the main point . Or like with the “Ladies’ Aid.” I don’t know exactly what that is, but I can guess that it is someone who most likely looked after Pollyanna, and that’s good enough for the time being. Unless, of course, the question asks specifically, “Who is the Ladies’ Aid?” Then we have some more thinking to do!

Good luck studying for the GED.

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at  http://www.passGED.com

Carlo writes:

Hi Maria. I got a question. On the GED Test I had a couple of questions that I didn’t understand. Could you help me with these questions. I will type the poem and questions. Thanks.

Okay! Let’s go through the GED reading questions. Here’s the poem Carlo is asking about:

What Are the Fish At The Aquarium?

At the Aquarium

SERENE the silver fishes glide,
Stern-lipped, and pale, and wonder-eyed!
As through the aged deeps of ocean,
They glide with wan and wavy motion.
They have no pathway where they go,
They flow like water to and fro,
They watch with never-winking eyes,
They watch with staring, cold surprise,
The level people in the air,
The people peering, peering there:
Who wander also to and fro,
And know not why or where they go,
Yet have a wonder in their eyes,
Sometimes a pale and cold surprise.

Max Eastman. At The Aquarium, 1883: MODERN AMERICAN POETRY Louis Untermeyer, ed. 1919

That’s the poem. The important part, of course, is the questions… There are two questions to answer, and here’s the first one:

What feelings does the speaker attribute to the fish by calling them “wonder-eyed” (line 2)?

(1) fear of the crowds
(2) sadness at the plight
(3) interest in their surroundings
(4) anxiety about their fact service
(5) happiness with each other’s company

This one is a vocabulary question. What does “wonder-eyed” mean? It’s important to look at the context of the poem… it’s overall meaning. If you know what “wonder” is…. a feeling of amazement, kind of, like that things are WONDERful… then that will help eliminate some answers at least… “fear” isn’t wonderful, or “sadness,” or “anxiety.” That leaves two answers… “interest” or “happiness.”

So, what’s the poem say about the fishes? What’s the context? It’s at an aquarium. Can you kind of picture what an aquarium looks like? Like, the Monterey Bay Aquarium… that’s a big one. There are different ones, especially by the coast, and you go there to look at all the sea creatures, kind of like  a zoo, for fishes, sharks, octopuses… If you’ve seen one on TV or can connect it to your life, then you can picture the fish in your mind, and that can help. Well, what I’m getting out of this poem is that it’s got two parts. The first part is about the fishes swimming in the aquarium. They swim around, and they watch the people. The second part is about the people… how they look to the fishes, watching them. So, which feeling seems to fit most with what the poem’s about? Interest in their surroundings (what’s going on around them), or happiness with each other’s company? Since the poem talks about the fish watching people, but doesn’t really talk about what the fishes think about each other, I’ll have to say (3) interest in their surroundings. The fish are interested in the people that walk around outside the tank.

Here’s the next question:

Why do people appear “level… in the air” (line 9) to the fish?

(1) lying down on the beach
(2) waving frantically at the fish
(3) walking away from the water
(4) swimming around the ocean
(5) standing outside the fish tanks

Here’s where it helps to try to picture what’s happening. Say you’re a fish. You’re in, like, a big tank, looking out at the people. What do they look like? They’re not lying down on the beach, or swimming around the ocean. They might wave or walk away, but that doesn’t seem to go with what the poem’s saying. “Level” seems to mean that they’re not really moving. Think about what it says the people are doing: “peering, peering.” That means, they’re looking at the fish. So, if they’re looking at the fish, they must be standing outside the fish tanks. I’d go with (5) standing outside the fish tanks. It just makes the most sense!

I know the language of a poem can make it seem kind of difficult. Trying to picture it really helps, for me! Good luck on your GED, and let me know if you have any other GED questions.

For more information about the GED and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

I found books at the Online Books Page, Classic Reader and also Google Books (if you search for “full view”). It’s easy to find  a book to read, any time. I like to read mysteries, because they’re sort of like puzzles, to think about what the solution is. I started reading this one I found on Classic Reader, called Where There’s a Will. So, I thought I’d make a GED reading practice question from it… Here it is!

He sauntered over and dropped a quarter into the slot-machine by the door, but the thing was frozen up and refused to work. I’ve seen the time when Mr. Sam would have kicked it, but he merely looked at it and then at me.

“Turned virtuous, like everthing else around the place. Not that I don’t approve of virtue, Minnie, but I haven’t got used to putting my foot on the brass rail of the bar and ordering a nut sundae…”

When Mr. Sam says “ordering a nut sundae,” it’s a metaphor for:

1) going crazy

2) being virtuous

3) gambling

4) being sinful

What do you think? Can you answer the question?

Going into a bar and ordering an ice-cream sundae isn’t literal language, it’s not talking about really ordering  a sundae. It’s what’s called figurative language. It’s talking about something else. That’s what it means to be a “metaphor.” So, what’s it really talking about? What does it mean?

You need to read the passage to understand what he’s saying. He tries to use a slot machine, and it doesn’t work. He says it’s being virtuous… that’s because the slot-machine is “refusing” to gamble. That’s what’s called personification… he’s talking about the slot machine like it’s a person. So there’s lots of figurative language in this quote!

He says he doesn’t disapprove of virtue but he’s not used to going into a bar and ordering a sundae. The part about the sundae is the metaphor. So, what answer can replace the part about the sundae, and still make sense?

He doesn’t disapprove of virtue but he’s not used to going crazy? That doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t disapprove of virtue but he’s not used to being virtuous? That’s more like it. It makes sense! What about the next one? He doesn’t disapprove of virtue but he’s not used to gambling? That’s not very logical! What about, he doesn’t disapprove of virtue but he’s not used to being sinful? That doesn’t make sense, either, not as much as answer 2. Answer 2 is right… ordering a sundae is virtuous (instead of ordering liquor, at a bar). So, that’s the metaphor.

Good reading! And good GED studying!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

Celebrate Banned Books Week

Banned Books Online

Controversial and Banned Books

Okay, now here’s the practice question… from William Faulkner’s book As I Lay Dying, which was banned in 1986 by the Graves County, Kentucky school board:

Jewel and I come up from the field, following the path in single file. Although I am fifteen feet ahead of him, anyone watching us from the cottonhouse can see Jewel’s frayed and broken straw hat a full head above my own.

The path runs straight as a plumb-line, worn smooth by feet and baked brick-hard by July, between the green rows of laidby cotton, to the cottonhouse in the center of the field, where it turns and circles the cottonhouse at four soft right angles and goes on across the field again, worn so by feet in fading precision.

The cottonhouse is of rough logs, from between which the chinking has long fallen. Square, with a broken roof set at a single pitch, it leans in empty and shimmering dilapidation in the sunlight, a single broad window in two opposite walls giving onto the approaches of the path. When we reach it I turn and follow the path which circles the house. Jewel, fifteen feet behind me, looking straight ahead, steps in a single stride through the window. Still staring straight ahead, his pale eyes like wood set into his wooden face, he crosses the floor in four strides with the rigid gravity of a cigar store Indian dressed in patched overalls and endued with life from the hips down, and steps in a single stride through the opposite window and into the path again just as I come around the corner. In single file and five feet apart and Jewel now in front, we go on up the path toward the foot of the bluff.

When the writer says Jewel has “the rigid gravity of a cigar store Indian,” he means:

1) Jewel is part Native American.

2) Jewel is not moving at all.

3) Jewel seems tense and stiff.

4) Jewel is smokng a cigar.

5) Jewel is excitable but hiding his feelngs.

So, what did you think? Do you find the answer? This is what’s called a metaphor. The author is comparing Jewel to a wooden Indian that stands outside a cigar store. Now, there aren’t any cigar stores with wooden Indians outside them anymore, anyway not a lot of them, so who knows anything about that? But you can probably tell that it’s a metaphor, he’s not really saying Jewel is an Indian or anything about Jewel smoking a cigar. It’s also not saying Jewel is not moving at all, because Jewel is walking. So that leaves answers 3 and 5. Answer 5 says Jewel is excitable… but there’s not anything in the passage to hint at that. It would be reading too much into it. The answer is 3… Jewel is stiff, like a wood statue of an Indian. Do you think you could think that one through?

Good luck on your GED!

How do you figure out Business Documents on the GED Reading Test?

One of the parts of the GED reading test is on Workplace and Community Documents. There will probably be 2 nonfiction readings on a full-length GED reading test, and they’ll either be nonfiction prose, workplace/community documents, or critical reviews. That means, you’ll likely have 1 workplace/community document on the test.

Workplace and community documents might be the easiest to understand because they’re the type of documents everyone has to deal with in everyday life. You’ll find memos, letters, manuals, forms, voter information pamphlets, and other everyday types of written communication. If you work in an office, just think of how much written material is part of your work. You have an employee manual, documentation about how to do your job or run machines, e-mails and letters, memos and forms, and all kinds of other written materials. The ones you find on the test should be straight-forward, easy-to-read documents.

The first thing to look at is, what kind of document is it? Is it a letter? If so, who’s it from and who’s it to? Is it a memo? Again, who’s it from and who’s it to? Is it part of a manual or book or pamphlet? What’s the purpose of it? Who’s supposed to read it?

If you understand the purpose (why it’s written) and audience (who’s supposed to read it) of the document, you’ll find it a lot easier to understand and get information from.

Here’s an example of a workplace and community document:

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN AN EMERGENCY AT WORK?

Emergency Policies

A.    Emergency Warning Notifications

If an emergency or disaster in the community occurs, you may receive a warning from radio or television, government organizations such as NOAA, Internet web sites, the local or state police, or even friends or family members. In case of an emergency in the building, you may be warned by the smoke detectors, sprinkler system, an emergency siren, building security, or building management. In case of a suspected emergency, monitor several sources of information to gather as much relevant information as possible.

If you receive notification of a possible disaster or emergency situation, immediately notify your superior. If the situation requires urgent action, such as a fire, sound alarms and notify employees as quickly, calmly, and succinctly as possible. As necessary, take action to avoid further damage without risking harm to yourself or others.

B.    Sprinkler System, Smoke Detector, and Fire Alarm

In the event of a fire, the activation of the sprinkler system and/or smoke detector due to smoke and/or heat will automatically activate the fire alarm. The building management, company management, and fire department will all be notified by the alarm company. Pull-type manual alarms are located on every floor, as are fire extinguishers and fire evacuation plans. Do not use elevators in the event of a fire.

C.    Emergency Sirens

The building is equipped with emergency sirens that sound in the case of severe weather alerts and other situations that may require emergency action. Please use television, radio, or Internet to gather information if the siren sounds.

D.    Emergency Aid

First aid kits and emergency water and food are stored on each floor of the building.

The GED reading test gives you a question at the beginning of each reading, to help you think about what you’re going to read. The question gives you a clue what the reading is about. This one asks, “What should you do in an emergency at work?” So, you know it’s a document from a workplace, and you have an idea that it has to do with emergency situations. That gives you context to understand what you’re reading.

Since there are a lot of kinds of workplace and community documents, the first thing to ask is: what is this? It has a title at the top, “Emergency Policies.” Well, that just tells you again what you got from the question, this is a workplace document about emergencies. Who’s supposed to read it (audience)? Probably the people who work in an office. What’s it supposed to do (purpose)? It’s supposed to tell you what to do in an emergency.

The document explains information about emergencies and disasters. You might have similar documents at your work. If you can relate what you’re reading to something you’re familiar with, it will be easier to read and understand. Have you ever had your home smoke detector go off? Were you ever in an earthquake or tornado? And where did you get your information then? Workplace documents can often be related to your real life.

It’s important to see that the document is organized. It’s broken up into sections, and that will help you find information to answer questions quicker. Sometimes reading less is better. Instead of getting bogged down in trying to read through the whole document, skim the document quickly to get an idea what it’s about and then read the first question. It’ll tell you which section of the document to take a closer look at.

One thing about the workplace or office: it has its own vocabulary. Workplace and business vocabulary has words like “policy” “estimate” “invoice” “wage” or “employee,” things that affect businesses but not a lot else. So, brushing up on some business words can help. Here are some links to help you build your workplace and business vocabulary:

Workplace Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle

Workplace Vocabulary Quia Quiz

BBC Skillwise Workplace Vocabulary

Business English Vocabulary

Let me know if you need more information!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

]]> http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/12/03/ged-reading-business-documents/feed/ 1 http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/11/17/ged-reading-how-to-tackle-tough-passages/ http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/11/17/ged-reading-how-to-tackle-tough-passages/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:39:25 +0000 Maria http://www.passged.com/student_blogs/maria/2008/11/17/ged-reading-how-to-tackle-tough-passages/ Hola, everyone! Hope the GED studying is going well. Here’s a comment from Sunflower on one of my blog posts, and I wanted to write some about it:

when I see a paragraph like this I get scared I feel like its to many words on the page can anyone give me suggestion on reading passage like these and understand what I’m reading I get lost after a few minutes of reading …

I know a lot of people feel this way! I guess the problem is that it’s just overwhelming! I mean, it kinda makes you just not want to even try to read it. Well. I really felt that way a lot when I was first learning English. You look at all the writing, and you don’t know all the words, and you don’t even know where to start or how to figure it out.

But it’s sorta like studying for the GED, you know. You can’t let it get to you, but just take it a little at a time. Here’s a strategy that helps me a lot:

1) When you first look at something you need to read, just look at the headline, the first sentence, the last sentence, and any pictures, diagrams, subheads, or labels you see. Try to get an overview of what it’s about from the clues in the title or in parts of the reading. If there’s just text, read the first sentence of each paragraph, and the last sentence, just to get an idea and start asking questions about it. What do you get from doing this? You get an idea of what the text is about, a background to read it. In your brain, you’re making connections between things you already know and the text you’ll need to read. Try to make as many connections as you can, by thinking of things you know about the topic and asking yourself questions about what you’re going to read!

2) If you’re reading a GED passage, read the questions first. Find out what it is they’re going to ask you about. Now, what are you get by reading the question? You get a goal! You get a real idea of why you actually want to read this. That means, your reading is directed. It gives you a way to make sense of what you’re getting out of reading.

3) Now, start reading, with the question in mind. You’re not just reading, you’re looking for the answer. That will help you understand what you’re reading. Think about it while you’re reading, and it’ll help.

4) What happens when you get to a word you don’t know? Try to understand the word by what the word sounds like or is similar to, and by the context of the word–what’s around it, what the sentence is saying. Don’t worry if you can’t understand every word. You can still get an idea of what the whole text is talking about.

5) Go back to the question after you finished reading. Does the question make more sense now? Do you know what the answer is? You might not be able to answer all the questions, but you’ll be able to improve a lot by taking reading one step at a time, giving it context, and thinking while you’re reading.

Good luck with your GED!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

A GED reading synthesis question has two parts to read. First, there’s the main reading, like this one, from The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck:

They arose in the dark no more to hear the sleepy birds’ first chittering, and the morning wind around the house while they waited for the first light to go out to the dear acres. These things were lost, and crops were reckoned in dollars, and land was valued by principal plus interest, and crops were bought and sold before they were planted. Then crop failure, drought, and flood were no longer little deaths within life, but simple losses of money. And all their love was thinned with money, and all their fierceness dribbled away in interest until they were no longer farmers at all, buy little shopkeepers of crops, little manufacturers who must sell before they can make, Then those farmers who were not good shopkeepers lost their land to good shopkeepers. No matter how clever, how loving a man might be with earth and growing things, he could not survive if he were not also a good shopkeeper. And as time went on, the business men had the farms, and the farms grew larger, but there were fewer of them.

Now farming became industry, and the owners followed Rome, although they did not know it. They imported slaves, although they did not call them slaves: Chinese, Japanese, Mexicans, Filipinos. They live on rice and beans, the business men said. They don’t need much. They couldn’t know what to do with good wages. Why, look how they live. Why, look what they eat. And if they get funny–deport them.

And all the time the farms grew larger and the owners fewer. And there were pitifully few farmers on the land any more. And the imported serfs were beaten and frightened and starved until some went home again, and some grew fierce and were killed or driven from the country. And farms grew larger and the owners fewer.

Then, the synthesis question gives you another piece of information, like this:

John Steinbeck made ends meet by working as a farm laborer while he was studying at Stanford University.

And then, there’s a question that asks you to use information from both:

John Steinbeck’s experience working on farms probably:

A)  Made him an expert in California history

B)  Contributed to his writing about gourmet foods

C)  Contributed to his writing about farm workers

D)  Led to him owning a farm

E)  Led to him writing about husbandry

Basically, you have to see how the two things relate to each other. In the passage, Steinbeck talks about how farms have changed over time and how the big, modern farms treat the farm workers badly. Then, you learn that Steinbeck worked on a farm while he was going to college. It seems likely that his experiences on a farm made him want to write about what farm workers were going through… remember, it’s got to relate both the new information and the information from the reading together. So, answer C is the best.

Keep a lookout for synthesis questions on the GED, and you’ll know how to do them!

For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.