Rapid Reading and Composition
Rapid Reading and Composition tests speed plus control. You meet a longer or unfamiliar passage and must locate information quickly, sequence events, infer meaning, and then produce a short composition-often a summary, note-making, or a functional piece linked to the passage.
Skim, then scan
First read for the gist: what is the passage about, and what is the writer's purpose? Then scan for names, dates, numbers and connectives. Do not read every word at the same speed.
Sequence and inference
For sequencing questions, track time markers such as before, after and meanwhile. For inference, ask what the passage implies but does not state; the answer must still be supported by the text.
Summary discipline
A summary states the central idea and the main supporting points in your own words. Leave out examples, dialogue and repetition. Respect the word limit; a 50-word summary cannot carry three quotations.
Worked example
Task: Summarise in about 50 words a passage explaining that a village library began in a temple room, grew through donated books, and now runs a reading hour for children. Reasoning: the central idea is the library's growth; the supports are its origin, donation model, and current service. Draft: 'A village library that began in a temple room has grown through donated books and now holds a reading hour for children.' This is 26 words and keeps cause and present status.
Traps
Copying whole sentences; adding your opinion; exceeding the limit; answering a summary with a list of details rather than a main idea.
Exam habit
Number the points in the passage before drafting; cross out anything that is example, not idea.