Review the text features before reading the passage.
Take time to read the title, the headings, and the
captions under the pictures.
Read the first sentence of each paragraph under
the headings too. These can be keys to organizing the
information as well.
Think:
What are the key
words in this question? (best,
surprising )
What is this question asking me to do?
(find information to tell why
it was surprising for Maya Lin to win the design competition).
Which choices can you eliminate right
away, and which are possibly correct answers? Remember
the "YES, NO, MAYBE"tool.
Before we look at the answer choices, do you have an
idea of what was most surprising about the selection
of Maya Lin's design for the memorial? Let's see how closely
you noticed text features.
Multiple Choice Answers:
Yes
No
Maybe
Answers
A.
She was an architect and sculptor.
Try this answer in a sentence. It was really surprising
that Maya Lin won the design competition because
she is an architect and sculptor.
Logically,
wouldn't we expect the winner to be an architect and
sculptor? After carefully reading the passage, we
know this answer has to be eliminated right away.
B.
She stands only 5 feet 3 inches tall. We
find this information in the first sentence, under
the first heading. It is a true statement, but is
it why we are surprised that she won the competition?
Let's look at the sentence: It was really surprising
that Maya Lin won the design competition because
she is only 5 feet 3 inches tall.
Again,
logically, what does height have to do with ability?
The article makes the point that although she is small,
she is a giant of an architect. Her height has nothing
to do with her winning the design competition. We
can eliminate this answer. Now we're doing well, because
there are only two possible answers left.
C.
She was a young college student. We
find this information under the second heading: The
Wall.Try
this answer in a sentence. It was really surprising
that Maya Lin won the design competition because
she was a young college student.
Information
in "The Wall" section combines her
college status with information about winning the
competition. "Lin was a Yale University senior
when she won an open competition ..." Later
we find out her competition included 1,420 other entrants
in the "much-publicized design competition."
With so many other competitors, her status as
a college student is surprising. We might expect a
professional, experienced architect to win the competition.
This answer is definitely a possibility. Let's check
the last answer before making a final decision.
D.
She spent months working on her design. Try
this answer in a sentence. It was really surprising
that Maya Lin won the design competition because
she spent months working on her design.
This
is similar to answers A and B. Logically we would
expect a winning design to have taken months. It would
be surprising if she only sketched out one idea and
turned it in and won. It is not surprising that the
design took months to complete. We can eliminate this
answer.
Now, which sentence best tells why it was surprising
that Maya Lin won the competition to design the national
Vietnam Veterans Memorial?
