Part 2 — Reading to Apply a Diagram

What you'll learn: how to read a flyer-plus-table passage efficiently, and a systematic way to cross-reference table data without transposing rows and columns under pressure.

What Part 2 gives you

Part 2 presents a visual, real-world document — an event flyer, a product advertisement, a class schedule, a membership pricing chart — combining a short block of descriptive text with a structured table or list of options (prices, dates, locations, features). Questions ask you to apply the information: "Which class fits someone who works mornings and wants a beginner level?" or "How much would a family of four pay for a weekend pass?" This part tests careful cross-referencing more than vocabulary.

Why this part feels different

Unlike Parts 1, 3, and 4, Part 2 isn't really "reading comprehension" in the narrative sense — it's closer to a logic puzzle laid over a real document. The text component usually just explains what the table means (e.g., "prices below are per person, per night"); the real work is combining a constraint from the question with the right row and column of the table.

A systematic reading order

1. Read the short intro text first — it often defines units, exceptions, or rules that change how you read the table (e.g., "children under 5 are free," "prices increase $10 after August 1st").
2. Scan the table's headers (rows and columns) before reading any numbers — know what each axis represents.
3. For each question, identify every constraint stated (age, day, quantity, date) before touching the table.
4. Locate the row matching one constraint, then the column matching the other — treat it as a coordinate lookup, not a scan of the whole table.
5. Re-check the intro text for any exception that overrides the raw table number.

Worked example

Sample flyer text: "Riverside Kayak Rentals — open weekends only, May through September. Life jackets included with every rental. Groups of 4 or more receive a 15% discount off the total."

Question: "A group of 5 friends wants to rent 5 single kayaks for 2 hours on a Sunday. What is their total cost, after any applicable discount?"

Step through it: base cost is 5 × $30 (Sunday, single kayak, 2 hrs) = $150. The group is 5 people, which qualifies for the "4 or more" 15% discount stated in the intro text — a detail easy to miss if you only scanned the table. $150 × 0.85 = $127.50. A test-taker who skips the intro text entirely would answer $150 and get it wrong, even though the table math was correct — the exception lived in the paragraph, not the grid.

Part 2 checklist

• Read the intro paragraph fully before touching the table — exceptions live there
• Identified what each table column and row actually represents before reading numbers
• Listed every constraint in the question (who, when, how many) before searching
• Double-checked units (per person vs total, per hour vs per day)
• Re-scanned intro text for discounts, minimums, or age exceptions before finalizing

Common mistakes

• Reading only the table and skipping the intro text, missing a discount, surcharge, or exclusion rule.
• Transposing rows and columns — grabbing the Saturday price when the question asked about Sunday.
• Answering with a per-unit price when the question asked for a total (or vice versa).
• Forgetting to apply a stated group/date discount after correctly finding the base price.

Recap

Part 2 rewards careful cross-referencing over vocabulary knowledge: read the surrounding text for the rules, treat the table as a coordinate lookup, and always circle back to the intro paragraph for exceptions before locking in an answer involving numbers.