Tip #23 Reading Exam Part 3: Use Sudoku-style deduction, read one paragraph at a time, use strategies that use synonyms but be open to partial matches

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Pre-Reading Tips
1. Sudoku Deduction Method
✔ Read Paragraph A First:

• Skim for 2-3 key topics (e.g., "Einstein's childhood," "early education").
• Scan all statements. Tentatively assign matches (e.g., "Statement 1 = A? Statement 5 = A?").

✔ Move to Paragraph B:

• Check if any A assignments fit better here.
• Add new possible matches for unassigned statements.

✔ Repeat for C/D:

• Update previous assignments if better fits emerge.
• Leave statements with no clear match for E.

✔ Finalize E ("Not in any paragraph"):

• Only choose E if no paragraph contains the info (even implicitly).

2. Key Strategies
✔ Look for Synonyms: The text might say "financial struggles" while the statement says "money problems."
✔ Beware Partial Matches: A paragraph mentioning "Einstein's patents" doesn’t necessarily match "Einstein's inventions."
✔ One Paragraph = Multiple Answers: Some paragraphs will match 2 statements.
 
Practice Reading (380 words)
 
                                              "The Life of Marie Curie"

A
Marie Curie was born in Warsaw in 1867 under Russian rule, where women were barred from universities. Her father, a physics and mathematics instructor, secretly taught her advanced concepts at home. Despite limited resources, she excelled in underground "floating university" classes, often studying by candlelight. At 24, she moved to Paris, where she initially struggled with French but mastered it within months. She enrolled at the Sorbonne, surviving on meager meals of bread, butter, and tea while earning degrees in physics and mathematics. Curie’s apartment had no heating, and she frequently wore all her clothes to stay warm during winter lectures.
B
Curie’s groundbreaking research on radioactivity began when she partnered with Pierre Curie, whom she married in 1895. Their wedding was a simple affair, with Marie wearing a dark blue dress she would later use as a lab coat. The couple discovered polonium (named after Marie’s homeland) and radium, working tirelessly in a poorly ventilated shed with minimal equipment. Their 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics made Marie the first female winner, though the committee initially omitted her name, crediting only Pierre and Henri Becquerel. A colleague intervened, and her name was added last-minute. The Curies used their prize money to install electricity in their modest home.
C
After Pierre’s tragic 1906 death in a street accident, Marie continued their work, becoming the Sorbonne’s first female professor. She kept Pierre’s lab notes in a leather-bound journal, which she often referenced. In 1911, she won a second Nobel Prize (Chemistry) for isolating radium, though scandalous rumors about her personal life nearly derailed the honor. During WWI, she developed mobile X-ray units called "Petites Curies," driving them to the front lines herself. She trained over 150 women to operate the machines, though she disliked the military hierarchy and often bypassed protocol.
D
Curie’s legacy endures through cancer treatments and nuclear research. Her daughter Irène later won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, continuing the family’s scientific tradition. However, Marie’s notebooks and even her cookbook remain too radioactive to handle safely and are stored in lead-lined boxes. She died in 1934 from aplastic anemia, caused by prolonged radiation exposure—a risk she knowingly took to advance science. Today, her Paris lab is a museum, and her office remains untouched, down to the chalk dust on her blackboard. A statue of her in Warsaw holds a vial of radium, though it’s now filled with a safe substitute.
E (No Paragraph)

Statements to Match

1. The challenges Curie faced as a female scientist       A    B    C    D    E
   
2. How Curie honored her cultural heritage                    A    B    C    D    E
   
3. The health risks of Curie’s research                               A    B    C    D    E
   
4. An example of Curie’s wartime contributions            A    B    C    D     E
   
5. The initial lack of recognition for Curie’s work           A    B    C    D     E
   
6. Curie’s educational achievements despite poverty  A    B    C    D     E
   
7. A scientific application of Curie’s discoveries today  A    B    C    D    E
   
8. The personal cost of Curie’s dedication                       A    B    C    D    E
   

Answers at the end

Post-Reading Assessment

Self-Checklist
✔ Did I assign multiple statements per paragraph where possible?
✔ Did I verify synonyms (e.g., "wartime contributions" = "mobile X-ray units")?
✔ Did I resist forcing matches for E options?

Reflection Questions

1. Which statement required the most rereading? Why?
2. Did I miss any implicit matches (e.g., "cultural heritage" = polonium naming)?
3. How can I speed up synonym recognition?

Pro Tip: Practice with historical articles—highlight topics per paragraph, then create your own matching statements.

Answer Key

• A: 1, 6 (Female challenges + education in poverty)
• B: 2, 5 (Polonium naming + Nobel omission)
• C: 4 (X-ray units)
• D: 3, 7 (Health risks + modern applications)
• E: 8 (No explicit mention of "personal cost")