CPS HSAT Reading Beyond The Words Mastering Author’s Purpose & Tone 2025 Volume 1

$34.00

Introduction

(Read this first—even before Chapter 1)

You are about to enter one of the most revealing conversations a reader can have with a writer: Why did you write this, and how do you feel about it? Master those two questions—purpose and tone—and every CPS HSAT passage, every ACT article, every college reading assignment snaps into sharper focus.

But standardized‐test prep can feel like cramming random facts into a leaky bucket. This book plugs the holes by showing you patterns, not trivia. Every chapter is built around a single belief:

If you hear the author’s goal and attitude, you can predict the entire passage.

Here is what awaits you:

  1. Foundation First.
    Chapters 1–7 break down purpose, tone, diction, structure, main idea, and bias into bite-sized strategies. No fluff—just the moves great readers make automatically.

  2. Targeted Application.
    Chapters 8–10 walk you through informational texts, literary passages, and paired sets, showing where the traps hide in each genre.

  3. Speed & Precision Drills.
    Chapters 11–12 tighten your reaction time with mini-sets and devious tone nuances.

  4. Full Simulations.
    Chapters 13–14 replicate the pressure of the real test. Score trackers and reflection prompts help you see exactly where to improve.

  5. The Appendix Toolkit.
    Instant answer keys, a tone-word bank, and explanation templates let you self-coach long after you close the covers.

How to Use This Book

  • Read actively. Underline charged words, jot the purpose in the margin, guess tone before you see the choices.

  • Time yourself. Start generous, then shave minutes until you match HSAT pacing.

  • Talk it out. Explain aloud why each wrong option fails; teaching the concept—even to your bedroom wall—cements it.

  • Log progress. Use the score tables; patterns of error are road maps to improvement.

  • Schedule breaks. Brains need recovery just like muscles. A rested reader hears subtle tone shifts others miss.

A Quick Word on Confidence

Purpose-and-tone questions reward calm observation, not frenzied memorization. You already possess a lifetime of tone detection—you sense sarcasm in a friend’s text, sympathy in a coach’s pep talk. This book simply teaches you to label what you already hear and to prove it with textual evidence.

Keep a pen handy. Ask “why” and “how” on every page. By the time you reach the first full-length test, you’ll catch the author’s motive before the second paragraph and spot bias from three adjectives away.

Welcome to the conversation.

Introduction

(Read this first—even before Chapter 1)

You are about to enter one of the most revealing conversations a reader can have with a writer: Why did you write this, and how do you feel about it? Master those two questions—purpose and tone—and every CPS HSAT passage, every ACT article, every college reading assignment snaps into sharper focus.

But standardized‐test prep can feel like cramming random facts into a leaky bucket. This book plugs the holes by showing you patterns, not trivia. Every chapter is built around a single belief:

If you hear the author’s goal and attitude, you can predict the entire passage.

Here is what awaits you:

  1. Foundation First.
    Chapters 1–7 break down purpose, tone, diction, structure, main idea, and bias into bite-sized strategies. No fluff—just the moves great readers make automatically.

  2. Targeted Application.
    Chapters 8–10 walk you through informational texts, literary passages, and paired sets, showing where the traps hide in each genre.

  3. Speed & Precision Drills.
    Chapters 11–12 tighten your reaction time with mini-sets and devious tone nuances.

  4. Full Simulations.
    Chapters 13–14 replicate the pressure of the real test. Score trackers and reflection prompts help you see exactly where to improve.

  5. The Appendix Toolkit.
    Instant answer keys, a tone-word bank, and explanation templates let you self-coach long after you close the covers.

How to Use This Book

  • Read actively. Underline charged words, jot the purpose in the margin, guess tone before you see the choices.

  • Time yourself. Start generous, then shave minutes until you match HSAT pacing.

  • Talk it out. Explain aloud why each wrong option fails; teaching the concept—even to your bedroom wall—cements it.

  • Log progress. Use the score tables; patterns of error are road maps to improvement.

  • Schedule breaks. Brains need recovery just like muscles. A rested reader hears subtle tone shifts others miss.

A Quick Word on Confidence

Purpose-and-tone questions reward calm observation, not frenzied memorization. You already possess a lifetime of tone detection—you sense sarcasm in a friend’s text, sympathy in a coach’s pep talk. This book simply teaches you to label what you already hear and to prove it with textual evidence.

Keep a pen handy. Ask “why” and “how” on every page. By the time you reach the first full-length test, you’ll catch the author’s motive before the second paragraph and spot bias from three adjectives away.

Welcome to the conversation.