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in the form of “A, B.” An important distinction with regard to the latter is that the two events are simply being described in detail, but not contrasted. Because science passages exist classically to describe (not to criticize), the author is unlikely to show favoritism to one side.

Regardless of the structure of the passage, a reader should always be careful to distinguish between the author’s view and that of the information and evidence in the passage itself. For instance, the author may present information that clearly favors one side of an issue, especially if there is more support for that side or the stance is compelling. However, he or she may not necessarily endorse that viewpoint. Remember that “what the passage says” and “what the author thinks” may not always be one in the same. For example, an author of a passage may present evidence as to why the scientific community, in general, is sceptical about a belief in psychics, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the author is skeptical about a belief in psychics.

Author’s note: Two caveats that must be noted when using the The Four-Corner Question Cracker for Reading Comprehension™. The first is that it can only be used on three of the five question types, namely overview questions, explicit-detail questions, and inference questions. That said, this is hardly problematic because these three question types are by far the most common question types found in reading comprehension. In fact, they may even be referred to as the “big 3” question types for reading comprehension. Second, the vertical grid of the four-corner question cracker, which highlights too general answer choices and too detailed answer choices, can only be used when tackling overview questions. That is, the vertical grid cannot be used on explicit-detail or inference questions. In short, wrong answer choices on explicit-detail and inference questions are strictly referred to as being out of scope, opposite in meaning, or distorted in meaning.

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS

Note: Some problems have definitive solutions. For others, where there is no single “right” answer, a proposed solution is provided.

CHAPTER 2: CREATIVE THINKING

Problem 1: One Stroke

Oh, how easy it is to be trapped by a programmed mindset and conclude, “There’s no answer here!”

SIX = 6

Another solution is:

IX ≠ 6

Here’s another solution (although the instructions don’t actually say you can reposition a character):

IX = 9

Back to problem

Problem 2: Mop

The floor is dirty because Sally used a dirty mop, and before she used the mop the floor was clean!

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Problem 3: Pattern

There are two possible solutions to this problem. The first solution below could be accurate if the pattern alternates with one on top and three on the bottom. This solution is also accurate if we put vowels on the top and consonants on the bottom.

A second solution is possible if we put letters consisting only of straight lines on top and letters consisting of curves on the bottom.

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Problem 4: Nine Dots

The “Nine Dots Game” serves as an example of a self-imposed barrier to creativity. As can be seen in the first solution below, the lines can be drawn outside of the perimeter formed by the nine dots. This usually cannot be seen because we are programmed to keep the lines within the boxed area. Another possibility, as depicted by the solution on the right, occurs by drawing lines that touch the corners of the various dots. Nothing states that the lines have to be drawn through the centers of the dots.

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Problem 5: Two Water Bucket Problem

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CHAPTER 3 – DECISION MAKING

Problem 6: Corporate Training

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Problem 7: Singles

Answer: 662⁄3%. Two-thirds of the women are single (i.e., 20⁄30 = 2⁄3). An truly easy way to do this problem is to assume for simplicity’s sake that there are 100 students in the course and fill in the given information, turning percentages into numbers. For example, if 70% of the