ACT Preparation / Unit 23 ACT 2214 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
A Science Passage Plan
The idea
A science passage is worked in four steps, following the ACT guide's tips. First, read the entire text and examine every table, graph and figure before the questions. Second, for experiments, note the design: what was varied, what was measured and what was controlled. Third, for conflicting viewpoints, write a one-line summary of each view. Fourth, answer from the passage, using background knowledge only where the passage leaves a gap.
In practice
Worked example: a research summary describes two experiments on plant growth. In the margin: "Experiment 1: light varied, height measured, water fixed. Experiment 2: water varied, light fixed." With those notes, a question about which experiment tested water takes seconds.
Where people slip
No calculator is allowed in science, so estimate with friendly numbers, as unit nineteen showed.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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