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You can use the ACT Reading Question of the Day to get into the habit of thinking about ACT Reading content on a daily basis when studying for the ACT. Varsity Tutors' ACT Reading Questions of the Day are drawn from each topic and question type covered on the Reading section of the ACT.
Question of the Day: ACT Reading
Adapted from the Advertisement to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth (1798)
It is the honorable characteristic of Poetry that its materials are to be found in every subject which can interest the human mind. The evidence of this fact is to be sought, not in the writings of Critics, but in those of Poets themselves.
The majority of the following poems are to be considered as experiments. They were written chiefly with a view to ascertain how far the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society is adapted to the purposes of poetic pleasure. Readers accustomed to the gaudiness and inane phraseology of many modern writers, if they persist in reading this book to its conclusion, will perhaps frequently have to struggle with feelings of strangeness and awkwardness: they will look round for poetry, and will be induced to enquire by what species of courtesy these attempts can be permitted to assume that title. It is desirable that such readers, for their own sakes, should not suffer the solitary word Poetry, a word of very disputed meaning, to stand in the way of their gratification; but that, while they are perusing this book, they should ask themselves if it contains a natural delineation of human passions, human characters, and human incidents; and if the answer be favorable to the author's wishes, that they should consent to be pleased in spite of that most dreadful enemy to our pleasures, our own pre-established codes of decision.
Readers of superior judgement may disapprove of the style in which many of these pieces are executed it must be expected that many lines and phrases will not exactly suit their taste. It will perhaps appear to them, that wishing to avoid the prevalent fault of the day, the author has sometimes descended too low, and that many of his expressions are too familiar, and not of sufficient dignity. It is apprehended, that the more conversant the reader is with our elder writers, and with those in modern times who have been the most successful in painting manners and passions, the fewer complaints of this kind will he have to make.
An accurate taste in poetry, and in all the other arts, Sir Joshua Reynolds has observed, is an acquired talent, which can only be produced by severe thought, and a long continued intercourse with the best models of composition. This is mentioned not with so ridiculous a purpose as to prevent the most inexperienced reader from judging for himself; but merely to temper the rashness of decision, and to suggest that if poetry be a subject on which much time has not been bestowed, the judgement may be erroneous, and that in many cases it necessarily will be so.
The tone of this passage could best be described as __________.
rationalizing and adamant
pleading and soliloquizing
decisive and condemning
justifying and defensive
apologetic and withdrawn
Studying for different subjects on the ACT can sometimes require different methods. Preparing for the ACT Reading portion, for example, requires different skills than many of the other parts of the test. One way to help prepare you for the reading portion of the ACT is to use Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools Reading Question of the Day. By using the Question of the Day, you will receive a daily question to help you not only prepare for specific concepts that you will encounter on the ACT, but also prepare you for the method of the reading portion of the test, which to some is quite different from any other part of the test. Whether you need ACT Reading tutoring in New York, ACT Reading tutoring in Chicago, or ACT Reading tutoring in Los Angeles, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.
The Learning Tools Reading Question of the Day will provide you with a different passage to read each day. Each passage will vary in length as well as difficulty. At the end of the passage, you will be asked a question based on the text that you have just read, as well as given a number of different possible answers. Based on the reading that you have just done, you will select your answer. At this point, you will be told whether or not you were correct, as well as several statistics. The statistics include the time it took for you to read the passage and answer your question, the percentage of those that answered the question correctly, as well as the percentile that you fall into based on the statistics. The statistics will accumulate each day, allowing you to compare yourself to others that are also preparing for the test and give you an idea of how you rank. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like a free ACT prep book to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an ACT Reading tutor.
One of the most important statistics for many is the amount of time it took for you to read the passage and answer the question. Given that the ACT is a timed test, the amount of time it takes for you to answer a question can be a very important aspect. With the help of the Learning Tools Question of the Day, you can keep track of the time of each question on a daily basis, continually working to both read the passages and answer the questions more quickly.
Along with the statistics provided in the Learning Tools Question of the Day, you will also be provided with a full explanation of why the answer you have given is right or wrong, as well as an area where you can read more on the general concept associated with each day’s question. Often times, you will be provided with many other examples of each general concept, which will allow you to spend as much time as you like on concepts that may be more difficult to you than others, better preparing you for the ACT Reading portion. In addition to the ACT Reading Question of the Day and ACT Reading tutoring, you may also want to consider taking some of our ACT Reading practice tests.
The reading portion of the ACT can be challenging for many, since it takes a different skill set to properly answer the questions. Along with reading comprehension, the reading section will require speed, English comprehension, and deductive reasoning. With the help of the Learning Tools ACT Reading Question of the Day, you will get a daily opportunity to improve these skills, as well as learn the reasoning behind the concepts that will be tested by the ACT.
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