I think short (reading comp passage length), well written, and dense (and somewhat boring?) passages are best. I recommend the Wall Street Journal and the Economist. Try to pick articles that don't interest you for the best practice! For science passages, something like Scientific American would probably be a good choice.
Really, any well written material will do the trick, though - and not just for RC, but also for critical reasoning and sentence correction.
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What's good reading material to prep for RC?
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It's interesting because you said that increased reading leads to improved performance on CR. How is this so? I know of the benefits it produces for RC and SC, but I'm curious as to how it augments CR proficiency.
I've been reading a lot of Edgar Allen Poe lately, does that count ?
I've been reading a lot of Edgar Allen Poe lately, does that count ?
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Jury is out on Poe, since he's fiction and fairly engrossing.
The operative word Jim uses: boring. Poe isn't that...(albeit subjective).
I'd recommend the same magazines as Jim, as well as add onto it some literary journals and other mags, like Utne Reader, McSweeneys, Habitus, and Zeek (zeek.net). (It's a shout out - - I'm art director for the journal!)
Getting hold of LSAT reading passages also, are great. Again: real tests over 3rd party tests. GRE would also work, and MCAT VR, but really, LSAT should keep you busy.
Good Luck!
The operative word Jim uses: boring. Poe isn't that...(albeit subjective).
I'd recommend the same magazines as Jim, as well as add onto it some literary journals and other mags, like Utne Reader, McSweeneys, Habitus, and Zeek (zeek.net). (It's a shout out - - I'm art director for the journal!)
Getting hold of LSAT reading passages also, are great. Again: real tests over 3rd party tests. GRE would also work, and MCAT VR, but really, LSAT should keep you busy.
Good Luck!
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Yeah I only mentioned Poe because his diction and vocabulary is somewhat archaic... boring he is not! I like the suggestion regarding The Economist and all the other aforementioned publications.
How can reading help you on CR? In addition to just developing better verbal skills in general...
If you read well written material, you'll see how others formulate persuasive arguments. Think critically about what you read - what's wrong with the author's argument? Can you poke holes in it? Getting practice at answering those sorts of questions will certainly help you in CR.
If you read well written material, you'll see how others formulate persuasive arguments. Think critically about what you read - what's wrong with the author's argument? Can you poke holes in it? Getting practice at answering those sorts of questions will certainly help you in CR.
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The passages that can be the toughest to wade through, for many business-minded students, are the science ones, because you're probably not as familiar with the terminology. A passage about "fossils" might not grab you as much as one about "revenue models" or "fluctuating interest" might. That's why we often encourage our students to read science articles in preparation for the GMAT. Being familiar with the terminology allows you to focus on the content you're reading, as opposed to slowing down every time the passage defines something.
I completely agree with the nods given to Wall Street Journal and Economist. They can help you on RC and CR for the reasons mentioned, AND you can start formulating some great "back-pocket" examples for your Issue Essay on the AWA.
Read as many Issue prompts as you can, and you'll see the same sorts of themes running through many of them. Also, as you read, keep an eye out for potentially usable examples that are related to these themes.
I completely agree with the nods given to Wall Street Journal and Economist. They can help you on RC and CR for the reasons mentioned, AND you can start formulating some great "back-pocket" examples for your Issue Essay on the AWA.
Read as many Issue prompts as you can, and you'll see the same sorts of themes running through many of them. Also, as you read, keep an eye out for potentially usable examples that are related to these themes.
Last edited by Jose Ferreira on Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ladistar, I for example try to read a passage from Science Daily news daily, doesn't happen all the time, but I try 
I am also a NYT subscriber, but I guess it's no really reresantative, their writing, since it's not dense or boring
I am also a NYT subscriber, but I guess it's no really reresantative, their writing, since it's not dense or boring
