FAST Practice passage

FAST Practice:

Passage with Questions

As you know, the FAST has a variety of passages to read and answer questions. Here is what to do:
- Read slowly. Read it again.
- Break it into chunks.
- Translate what you read on your note paper.
- Look for repeating words or ideas.
- Look for context clues.
- Ask yourself what the writer is trying to accomplish with their writing.

Let's practice:

​-Read slowly. Read it again.
- Break it into chunks.
- Translate what you read on your note paper.
- Look for repeating words or ideas.
- Look for context clues.
- Ask yourself: what the writer is trying to accomplish with their writing?

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it.

​From “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare (abridged)

Multiple Choice

What is the first step when you encounter a passage, followed by breaking it into chunks?

• Read the passage carefully.
• Ignore the passage and move on.
• Skim the passage quickly.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it.

​From “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare (abridged)

​Read this
slowly.
Break it
into chunks.

​From “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare (abridged)

​Read this
slowly.
Break it
into chunks.

​
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interred with their bones;

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus

Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Caesar answered it.

​Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

Multiple Choice

BREAK IT DOWN: The Speaker writes:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

"Friends, Romans, countrymen..." Who do you think he is addressing?

• The Senate of Rome.
• The citizens of Rome.
• His closest family members.

Multiple Choice

What is the main purpose of this speech excerpt?

• To summarize previous discussions without a clear focus.
• To convey a specific message or idea to the audience.
• To entertain the audience with humor.
• To provide a historical overview of a topic.

Multiple Choice

BREAK IT DOWN:

"I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."

What can we tell from this sentence?

• The speaker is delighted, and his attitude towards Caesar is positive.

• The speaker wants to put Caesar on a pedestal and celebrate him.

• Caesar is dead and the Speaker does not think highly of him.