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Question and answer technique
The passage looks like a report, which tries to explain some ideas, report some events and prove some conclusions. The relationship between the parts is best brought out by questions and answers. While reading the passage, the readers would naturally ask themselves some questions as a way of predicting what is to follow. If what follows is just the answer to the question in the readers’ mind, then comprehension continues. If what follows is not the answer to the question in the readers’ mind, the readers would look in some other directions to put in the right question to match what follows. This is a very important technique of reading comprehension or bringing out the relationship between the paragraphs. For example: If the readers come across an article which starts with: Mr. Williams was brought into court today. Then the readers would naturally ask: Why was Mr. Williams brought into court? Or who/what is Mr. Williams? Or why was it today that Mr. Williams was brought into court?… If what follows answers one of the questions in the readers’ mind, then comprehension continues. If not, the readers would correct their expectations and insert some other questions to match the development of the article. Now let’s examine the text structure of Reading Passage A in a way of questions and answers. The essay is made up of 4 parts with each part answering one question.  Part 1: When we come up to the article, we read the title — Where Principles Come First. This naturally brings us the question: What are the principles? Part 1 is made up of 2 paragraphs: Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 telling us the principles of the Hyde School. Part 2: Since the principles of the Hyde School are somewhat different from other schools, the readers would wonder whether the principles are accepted by other schools. When we read on, we find the author tries to answer the question in Paragraphs 3 to 11. Paragraph 3 is about one example of how the Hyde School principles were rejected by one public school with the reasons made clear to us. From Paragraph 4 to Paragraph 11 there is another example of how the Hyde School principles were appreciated by another public school. Part 3: Since the Hyde School principles have been rejected as well as appreciated, we would be wondering what the detailed principles or approaches are for the Hyde School. This brings in for us Part 3. Part 3 consists of 5 paragraphs, from Paragraph 12 to Paragraph 16. Paragraph 12 is about some principles for the Hyde School: every student with a unique potential based on character, high value of hard work, success measured by progress or development, and students taking responsibilities for each other. Paragraph 13 is about what is provided by the Hyde School. The Hyde School is different from other schools in additional requirements like arts, sports, and community service. And the grading system includes the fact as to how hard the students have tried in their studies. Paragraph 14 to Paragraph 16 is about another important requirement from the Hyde School: parents’ commitment and participation in the program. Paragraph 14 is about what have been required of parents. Paragraph 15 is about how the requirements work in some other schools and how some parents reject the principle. But Paragraph 16 tells us that once the parents realize the importance of their participation, the Hyde School’s program should work well in public schools. Part 4: Now that we are clear about the Hyde School’s principles, the acceptability of the principles to public schools and what the school’s detailed principles are, we would naturally ask the question: Are these principles good or beneficial to the teachers as well as the students? Part 4 consists of 4 paragraphs: Paragraph 17 tells us how the principles prove to be beneficial to the teachers and Paragraphs 18 to 20 tell us one example of how successful the principles are to the students.
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Question 1: What are the principles?
