Gamma GAMSAT Section 1 MCQ Free Introduction
This free document contains an introductory sample of the techniques and methods that will be taught in Gamma GAMSAT’s Humanities Workshops. All rights reserved. This document or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Gamma Education. © 2014 GAMMA Education ABN 839 468 77 535
GAMMA HUMANITIES - READING
GAMMA HUMANITIES - READING
Gamma Humanities - Reading The best way to read for the Humanities section of GAMSAT is different to the way that you may normally be used to reading. Normally, when reading for leisure, the reading is quite passive and you are allowed to be “swept along” by the story. When reading to study, for example Chemistry, your reading is focused on picking up the main facts and often memorising things. However, in order to achieve the most success in Humanities, students need to engage with text much more thoroughly and in a deeper manner, all while working under strict time pressures. The most effective way to improve in the Humanities section is to develop more effective reading habits. Essentially, you want your approach to reading to be as active as possible as opposed to normal passive reading. The rest of this section will be devoted to developing more thorough and efcient reading techniques.
The Fundamentals of GAMSAT Reading We’ll begin by talking about reading applied to the dense academic passages that are the most common component of the GAMSAT. The best way to read these isn’t by trying to develop a deep understanding of everything that’s contained in the passage; this is unnecessary and impossible within the time constraints. Many of the denser academic passages are convoluted and full of unnecessary details. Attempting to understand or memorize every detail is time-consuming and counter- productive. Visualize breaking down the passage into large chunks of information (this could be a part of or an entire paragraph), each conveying a central point or idea.
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GAMMA HUMANITIES - READING
The purpose of this is to allow you to develop a framework of the text that encapsulates the major ideas and conicts within the text so that you are better able to grasp its meaning. The central point of each chunk, serves a particular function within the passage as a whole and the interplay between each of these central point’s is usually what denes the passage overall meaning. While reading, separate the central point of each chunk or paragraph from the evidence used to support that point. Additionally, throughout the reading, you should be trying to predict what the author is going to say next . Look at the evidence presented so far to try and predict the conclusions that the author will try to develop, or the ow of the argument so far and predict where it will go next . By always thinking about the possible directions the text could go, you gain a richer perspective on the story the author is trying to tell. It isn’t necessary to get the prediction right; the main point of this is to encourage thinking critically about the text. It is important to translate, or simplify each of the central points into your own words, expressing each idea without complex terminology in a way that’s easy for you to understand.
one good test for this is childishness – a child should be able to understand the simplied point As you move through the passage and uncover more and more central points, always try to gure out; what is the author trying to prove? Why are they doing this? Pay close attention to words that indicate the author’s opinion or attitude. Analyse the interplay between the chunks you have moved along. E.g. Link the Main Points of the previous chunks/paragraphs together to nd a common theme, or look at how they conict with each other to generate a certain central theme, or Big Picture for the passage as a whole . This form of Active reading is far more effective than normal “passive reading”, or even detailed “deep” reading. Combined with effective diagramming and notation, (covered in workshops), it allows you to quickly get to the crux of the passage, after which you can conduct more detailed analysis once you know what’s relevant.
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GAMMA HUMANITIES - READING
The method we just applied to academic type stimuli can be applied to any of the GAMSAT stimuli, with variations on what we regard as the chunks and the way we analyse them . Gamma breaks these down comprehensively with fully worked examples and more detailed theory.
Gamma - Humanities Workshops With Gamma, you will learn how to critically Analyse the most common and difcult GAMSAT Section 1 stimuli types. You will also learn about the most effective ways to Answer Section 1 MCQ’s, including how to analyse the question to gure out exactly what it means and evaluate the text as a whole. Most importantly, we help you develop the most critical skill for Section 1 success - reading ability and provide a study plan to systematically improve your ability. This will happen in a small-class environment,which encourages critical discussion and practical, problem based learning. We help take the ambiguity out of the Humanities so that you can perform at your best. To nd more free material, or register for our workshops, visit us at: www.gammagamsat.com
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