2016SHSAT_English

Specific StrategiesVerbalScrambled ParagraphsThe scrambled paragraph portion of the test measures your abilityto organize written material according to the sequence ofideas and/or cues provided by transitional words and phrases.There are five paragraphs, each consisting of six sentences. Thefirst sentence is provided, with the remaining five presented inrandom order. You are to arrange the sentences in the author’soriginal order using cues contained in the sentences. Only onearrangement of each set of sentences will form a well-organized,cohesive, grammatically correct paragraph. Each correctlyordered paragraph is worth double the value of a questionin any other section of the test.The sentences contain words and phrases that help toidentify the flow of ideas from one sentence to the next,perhaps describing a procedure or tracing a historicalevent. The sentences may also provide grammatical cuesas to how to construct the paragraph. For example, thepronoun “she” may refer to someone mentioned in a previoussentence. Transitional words such as “although” and “however”also provide cues about how the sentencesrelate to one another.As you put the sentences in order, it may help to write thecorrect position of each sentence in the blank to the left.For example, write “2” next to the sentence that you thinkfollows the first sentence, “3” next to the sentence youthink follows “2,” and so on.Read Example 1. After reading all the sentences, you shouldhave an idea of what the paragraph is about. Now go back tothe given sentence and determine which sentence should comenext. The given sentence reveals the secret to teaching a parakeetto talk—realizing that the bird just repeats what it hears.The “realization” in the given sentence leads to U, which begins“for this reason” and explains how the realization in the previoussentence affects how a teacher presents the “lessons.”The next step of the teaching process is in R. The many timesthe phrase is repeated in R is followed by “your repetitions” in S,which advises the teacher to leave the bird after teaching. Qexplains how to leave the bird. The closing sentence is T. The“word of farewell” in Q refers to “Goodbye” in T. URSQT createsa paragraph that is logically and grammatically correct.RSQTU might look appealing, but the transition from the givensentence to R is poor. R does not follow up on the “secret” presentedin the given sentence. Another problem is the placementof U at the end of the paragraph. T provided a specific exampleof distraction. U refers to a range of distractions, including, butnot limited to, other noises. The resulting paragraph is disjointedand poorly organized.Example 1The secret to teaching a parakeet to talk is the realization that a “talking” bird is simply imitatingwhat it hears, not putting its own ideas into words._______Q. As you leave, don’t give a word of farewell._______R. Stay just out of sight of the bird and repeat the phrase you want it to learn for at least 15minutes every morning and evening._______S. After your repetitions, leave the bird alone for a while._______T. Otherwise the bird might combine that word, such as “Goodbye,” with the phrase you aretrying to teach it._______U. For this reason, when you train your bird to repeat your words, eliminate any distractions,especially other noises, during its “lessons.”Example 1The second sentence is Q R S T UThe third sentence is Q R S T UThe fourth sentence is Q R S T UThe fifth sentence is Q R S T UThe sixth sentence is Q R S T U22