Method 1: Confidence and Change in Attitude
Let's say that it's your first day of work, and your boss asks you to read through several piles of documents and type up the key summaries for the meeting the next day. Almost all office-related jobs will require you to read large amounts of readings and extract only the main points.
So, the first method to improve your reading comprehension is to change your attitude. See that the standardized tests are just first "piles" of papers that you have to read and analyze. Perceive the multiple choice questions at the end as the key summary points that your boss would be reading. Just like how you would not write answers that interest you and not the boss, you need to be able to think like the author of the passage and pick the answers that he/she would choose. Once you have mastered that, you need to be able to tell yourself that you can do it well each time. It's like having the confidence to tell your boss that your key summary is always impeccable and thorough that he/she will be pleased to read.
Method 2: Be a Psychic
Always keep this in mind. Treat the author as your future client and ask, "What is he/she trying to tell me? Why is he/she here to go through all the details? Is there something that he/she needs to prove to me?" Do not see the passage as a boring paper that you can't penetrate with your eyes. Try to read into the author's mind.
Method 3: Practice Your Fights and Battle Your Author
Reading Comprehension should be treated as a "sport" and undergo daily practices to brush up on your skills. But, here's the twist: think of it as a fight. You need to be aggressive when it comes to reading comprehension.
Why?
Think about how focused you are when you argue with your boss for a raise. You are very careful to hear every word that he says, but at the same time, you are preparing counterarguments to things that he will say. An irrational person will simply say whatever comes to his mind and be fired. But, someone who is rational and can construct logical thoughts will be able to express exactly how he wants to say while understanding the views of the boss.
Reading comprehension is the same way. When you read your passages, believe that you are "hearing" the words from your boss but only this time, it's presented in written form. This is an excellent way you can stay focused throughout the passages. Read every single word and focus on the big picture. You wouldn't fight someone because of one tiny detail, would you? No, your goal is to understand the overall argument that the author says, and comprehend it to the level that you can counterargument the person.
Selections from-Dissecting Standardized Tests Part 1: Reading Comprehension
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