Haha yeah I would love to trade my RC score! What was your strategy? Did you use search and destroy or did you read through the passage first?
I did read through the first two passages. I didn't have time to read through the third. With the first passage I found my mind wandering and I wasn't able to focus on what I was reading. After I noticed that I was mindlessly "reading", I forced myself to pay careful attention to the passage. I really didn't have a plan for this part of the test, but I did decide to write down a few words that summarized the topic of the paragraph after I finished each paragraph. This helped me to focus and comprehend what I was reading, and provided a quick reference for me to figure out which paragraph the answer was likely in. By the time I got to the second article I was focusing on what I was reading, trying to understand it as I quickly read it. I didn't even read the third article because I was running out of time, so I quickly skimmed the paragraphs until I found the words I was looking for. I think I'm pretty good at picking words off a page, so if you're not, I would definitely recommend practicing that. Have somebody look at a passage, write down a few random words, then try to find them as absolutely fast as possible.
The real trick was figuring out exactly what they were asking, finding the appropriate sentences in the passage, then determining exactly what the passage was saying. A lot of times they had similar answers that appeared good, but on further thought (and rereading) I could figure out which was the best answer. For at least 1 or 2 of the questions, you really had to pick the "best" answer when there were more than one acceptable answers.
In the third passage I just had to jump to the questions and read to answer the questions. If I did miss a question, it was on this passage. By the time I had answered the last question, I had pretty much read the entire article and thought I had better go back to look at the second question again to make sure I put down the right answer. Then, the clock ran out, so I never got to double check.
The pressure of reading with the clock ticking on the screen was similar to having a drill sargeant leaning over you, yelling at you to drop down and give him 50 push-ups. It wasn't my favorite reading experience to say the least. I plan to practice for taking this portion of the test with somebody else by finding some practice articles and questions and having the other person try to make it intense for me to read and answer the questions (like blowing a whistle every minute which means I am out of time for that question and have to move onto the next question). I haven't worked out the details, but creating a stressful practice environment is the best I can come up with for simulating the real testing environment.
Other than that, convince yourself what you are reading really is interesting and make yourself curious to learn more about the subject. Then, you'll be able to focus, become more eager to read it, and possibly enjoy what you are reading. It sounds crazy, I know, but I was really fascinated by the second article. Force yourself to become intrigued by the passage and it won't be as bad.
You mentioned that you've been in the US for a year and a half. So, if English isn't your first language, I can see how this part would be tough. I have taught ESL, so I'm coming with a little understanding when I say that. One painless way that you could "beef up" your English language ability is to turn English subtitles on when you are watching movies or TV shows (whatever) and to read along. If you do this, I would try to watch some more sophisticated titles as opposed to brain-dead comedies that really don't challenge your vocabulary. As you watch, read the subtitles. If you don't know what words mean, pause it and look it up. You have three goals: 1) speed reading; 2) expanding your vocabulary; 3) comprehending what you are reading. You could probably even find the script online for most movies, print it off, and read along. Honestly, this is a good strategy for anybody who wants to get better at reading.
Good luck!
