1) What “dense” really means and why this pack targets it

Dense passages compress ideas. In science, the density comes from definitions, chains of cause and effect, and compact references to data or methods. In the humanities, the density lives in layered claims, historical comparisons, and careful hedging that adjusts certainty. The trap is thinking these require different strategies. They do not. They require two compatible lenses that you can switch in seconds:

• Science lens: mechanism, measurement, limitation.
• Humanities lens: claim, support, counterclaim.

This pack trains you to detect which lens to use, then to map the paragraph quickly so that every question has a clear anchor.

2) The dual lens method

A) Science lens: mechanism–measurement–limitation (MML)

1. Mechanism: What is happening and to what. Look for verbs like converts, inhibits, triggers, stabilises.
2. Measurement: How do they know. Watch for units, sample sizes, instruments, baselines, error terms.
3. Limitation: Where it might fail. Listen for only, unless, except, tends to, in these trials.

Why it works: most factual and inference questions use either the mechanism itself or how it was measured. False or Not Given often hide in the limitation phrase.

B) Humanities lens: claim–evidence–stance (CES)

1. Claim: What the writer wants you to accept. Often sits at the start or end of a paragraph.
2. Evidence: What supports the claim. Examples, quotations, statistics, named authorities.
3. Stance: How strongly the writer commits. Hedges and boosters control Yes, No, or Not Given decisions.

Why it works: writer view questions rely on stance. Matching features relies on who provided which evidence.

Switching between lenses is simple. Ask which of the three words you see most in the paragraph. If you spot units and instruments, choose MML. If you see names, dates, and quotations, choose CES.

3) Page setup that keeps your eyes honest

• Margin tags: write one tag per paragraph. For science use Mech, Meas, Lim. For humanities use Claim, Ev, Counter, Stance.
• Symbols: box numbers and units, circle negatives and exclusives like not, only, except, unless, draw a small triangle for conditions, a star next to the author’s own view, and a wavy underline under hedges such as may, tends, likely.
• Roster strip: for humanities, list people and schools of thought with a two word trigger. For science, list key terms and variables.

Minimal markup guides you without turning the page into art.

4) Skim once, decide the lens, then lock an anchor

A fast 60 second pre read will raise your score:

1. Read the title and write a two to five word purpose.
2. Read the first two lines and last two lines of the passage.
3. Skim the first line of each paragraph and tag Mech or Claim accordingly.
4. If a figure or table appears, glance at axes and units only. Do not read numbers yet.

Now you can attack any question knowing where the likely anchor lives.

5) Science passages: the five patterns that repeat

1. Definition then application
   The text defines a term such as photoperiodism then applies it to a species. Questions often ask for the application detail, not the definition itself.
2. Method then result
   Look for verbs like we measured, we recorded, we simulated. Answers live near the result sentence that follows.
3. Mechanism chain
   A causes B which leads to C. True False Not Given statements often insert an extra link. Reject if the chain is not printed.
4. Exception and boundary
   Phrases such as except at low pH or above altitude 3000. Circle these. They flip polarity.
5. Model versus field data
   The writer may contrast predictions with observations. Identify which is being described in the question. Wrong options will swap them.

6) Humanities passages: the five moves that repeat

1. Thesis with concession
   The author states a position, then concedes a limit. Stance is still supportive if the conclusion returns to the thesis.
2. Historiography
   The writer lists how different scholars interpret the same event. Track who says what and who the writer sides with.
3. Concept framing
   A term is redefined or narrowed. Matching Headings and definition questions target this paragraph.
4. Case then principle
   An example illustrates a broader point. For global questions choose the principle, not the case.
5. Continuity versus change
   The text weighs what persisted and what shifted across periods. True False Not Given traps exaggerate or erase one side.

7) Question type tactics for dense material

True False Not Given

• Science: align to mechanism or measurement. Missing method detail is Not Given, not False.
• Humanities: align to the writer’s stance. A quote is not the author unless endorsed.

Yes No Not Given (writer view)

• Star the writer’s own line. If the writer hedges with may, an option that says always will be No.

MCQ

• Rewrite options as relations in five words. Example: X reduces Y, X contradicts Y, X supports Y in period Z. Match relation, not nouns.

Locating Information

• Choose by paragraph function. A sentence about calibration belongs with Meas, not the general method paragraph.

Matching Features/People

• Use the roster strip. Credit the owner of the claim. Demand a clause level anchor for each match.

8) Mini science passage with questions and keys

Text
Researchers tested whether a shaded canopy reduces soil evaporation in semi arid plots. Each 5 by 5 metre plot received either a mesh canopy or no canopy. Moisture probes logged water content at 10 centimetres depth every hour. Over six weeks, canopy plots retained on average 12 percent more moisture than controls. However, during two wind events, differences narrowed as turbulent mixing increased.

Questions

1. The study measured soil moisture at a depth of less than 20 centimetres.
2. Wind events eliminated any advantage of shading.
3. According to the passage, the main instrument was a rain gauge.
4. Which choice best states the mechanism the researchers tested
   A The canopy changed rainfall patterns
   B The canopy slowed surface water loss
   C The canopy lowered air temperature at night
   D The canopy improved plant root growth

Keys and anchors

1. True. at 10 centimetres depth is less than 20.
2. False. differences narrowed as mixing increased, not eliminated.
3. False. moisture probes logged water content.
4. B. reduces soil evaporation equals slowed surface water loss.

What to notice
Mechanism is reduce evaporation. Measurement is moisture probes at 10 cm. Limitation is wind events.

9) Mini humanities passage with questions and keys

Text
Some historians argue that medieval guilds hindered innovation by restricting entry and enforcing fixed practices. Others counter that guilds preserved quality and trained artisans who later drove technical change. Recent archival work suggests both effects occurred but varied by city and by industry. The writer concludes that guilds acted as conservative institutions that sometimes incubated skills under protection.

Questions

1. The writer believes guilds consistently blocked innovation in all contexts.
2. Which statement best expresses the writer’s stance
   A Guilds always hindered progress
   B Guilds only trained artisans and never blocked change
   C Guild impacts depended on place and sector, with a conservative tilt overall
   D Neither side has evidence
3. It can be inferred that the writer accepts that in some cities guilds supported later technical change.

Keys and anchors

1. No. sometimes incubated skills and varied by city and industry reject consistency.
2. C. varied by city and by industry plus conservative institutions that sometimes incubated skills.
3. Yes. sometimes incubated skills under protection implies support in some cases.

What to notice
Claim plus concession plus stance. The hedge sometimes is decisive.

10) Figures and tables in dense passages

Quick figure protocol

1. Read axis labels and units only.
2. Note the trend direction, not every number.
3. Circle any threshold line or category that the question cites.
4. When transferring an answer with a number, write unit first in your notes, for example % 12 or km 3.2.

Common traps

• The question asks about rate of change while the figure shows totals.
• The option reverses axes.
• The statement uses an absolute word always or never when the graph shows overlap and error bars.

11) The small words that decide big marks

• Quantifiers: all, most, many, some, few, none. Treat few as a small minority, not zero.
• Negatives: not, never, no, without, except.
• Conditions: only if, unless, provided that.
• Hedges: may, might, tends to, likely.
• Boosters: clearly, certainly, always, must.

In dense passages, these govern scope and polarity. Circle them first. They flip True to False, or Yes to Not Given, more often than long terms do.

12) Speed drills you can finish in minutes

1. Lens switch
   Take a mixed article. Label each paragraph with MML or CES. Time limit 3 minutes.
2. Relation rewrite
   For five MCQ options, convert each to a five word relation. Solve by relation only.
3. Hedge to absolute
   Replace may and tends with always in three sentences, then explain why the absolute option would be wrong.
4. Unit guard
   Dictate ten numbers with units to yourself. Write unit first and digits in pairs, for example % 12, 05 15.
5. Voice fence
   Draw a line at each quote. Write A for author, Q for quoted. Decide one writer view item.

These drills build automatic checks that protect you under time pressure.

13) Error map with quick fixes

• Fishing without an anchor: you scan too long. Apply the 90 second wall. If no clause appears, mark L and move.
• Scope creep: you turned many into most. Fix by circling quantifiers before reading details.
• Voice swap: you credited a source as the author’s view. Fix with a star on the author’s own conclusion.
• Table mirage: you copied a number from the wrong row. Fix with label plus unit checks before answering.
• Example trap: you picked a case as if it were the rule. Fix by tagging EX next to case paragraphs and choosing the principle paragraph for global questions.

14) 10 day plan for dense passages

Day 1
Learn the dual lens method. Practice margin tags on two short passages without answering questions.

Day 2
Science focus. Run the mini science passage. Do 10 True False Not Given items that target mechanism and measurement. Record time and accuracy.

Day 3
Humanities focus. Run the mini humanities passage. Do 10 writer view items and 6 matching people items. Track stance words.

Day 4
Figures and tables. Practice the figure protocol on three charts. Solve 8 figure based questions.

Day 5
MCQ clusters. Repair options to relations and solve five dense MCQs from both domains.

Day 6
Locating Information. Map four passages with tags then answer 12 locating items by function rather than keywords.

Day 7
Mixed block: 20 items in 25 minutes. Enforce the 90 second wall. Mark L on low confidence items.

Day 8
Autopsy. Sort wrong answers by error map labels. Schedule drills for the top two errors.

Day 9
Speed stretch. Repeat the mixed block in 22 minutes while keeping proof quality. Do not sacrifice clause anchors.

Day 10
Full timed passage at 20 minutes. Record proof rate, average time per item, and drift count. Keep what helped. Drop what added time with no gain.

Targets by Day 10

• Proof clause present for 90 percent of answers or more
• Science and humanities accuracy both above 75 percent
• Average item time under 75 seconds on hard paraphrases
• Drift count two or fewer per passage

15) Checklists you can glance at during practice

Science checklist

• Mechanism identified
• Measurement and unit confirmed
• Limitation circled
• Clause anchor underlined

Humanities checklist

• Claim and evidence marked
• Writer stance starred
• Opposing view fenced
• Clause anchor underlined

Global checklist

• Quantifier and negative checked
• Relation matched, not just words
• No anchor, no answer
• 90 second wall respected

16) Quick glossary for dense passages

• Mechanism: how a process works, stated with causal verbs.
• Measurement: method and metrics used to gather evidence.
• Limitation: scope or conditions where findings may fail.
• Claim: the main idea the writer asserts.
• Evidence: support used to justify the claim.
• Stance: strength of commitment; hedged or boosted.
• Anchor clause: the short line that proves your answer.
• Drift: time lost scanning without progress.

17) Final routine card for test day

1. Title and purpose in five words.
2. Lens decision by paragraph with margin tags.
3. Box numbers, circle negatives, star the author’s own stance.
4. Answer by relation with a clause anchor.
5. Enforce the 90 second wall for any stubborn item.
6. Final sweep for polarity and unit slips.

Dense passages are not walls. They are tightly packed maps. Use the dual lens method to see structure quickly, then move answer by answer with proof. With these habits, science paragraphs feel mechanical and humanities paragraphs feel logical. The result is steady accuracy under a calm clock.