ECCE Reading, Ads

Topic: Places to Stay in the Eastern U.S.

Notes about Nonprose Brief Texts Reading
DO NOT LOOK AT THIS UNTIL AFTER YOU TAKE THE PRACTICE TEST.
Each GVR Section of an ECCE includes Reading. Another kind of reading on the ECCE GVR
involves nonprose reading. There are several texts on the same theme. The texts are in the form of
written advertisements.
The nonprose reading in this practice test are advertisements about places to stay in the eastern
part of the United States near historical Williamsburg.
Generally, most ECCE candidates do relatively well on this kind of reading. Reading on this part of
ECCE requires mainly the use of skimming and scanning of the texts rather than close reading.
Skimming text involves just quickly looking the text quickly to get a general understanding of the
material. Scanning is a very quick search through the material looking for specific information.
Some close reading, even close re-reading, of particular parts of the ads may be involved to
understand fully the information.
Only three items is this Ads reading about places to stay seem to be challenging. All the other
items were quite easy for candidates who had this reading as part of an actual ECCE. The three
items that may be particularly challenging are Items 132, 133, and 138.
Item 132 asks where you could get a special rate if you plan to visit for two weeks in November.
Ad 3 about the Econo Motor Inn states that there are discounted weekly and monthly rates.
Item 133 asks which places offer tours. Information about the two places that offer tours, Ads 2
and 3, is given in the grey shaded areas on those ads.
Item 138 asks where you could stay if you want to spend less than $100 a night for
accommodations. All five ads have $ signs on them. The key to what the $ signs means is given on
the bottom left of the page. Ads with one $ symbol are inexpensive places, those with two $$ are
moderate in price, and so on. Ad 2 has two $ symbols, Ad 3 has one $ symbol, and Ad 5 has one
$ symbol so the correct response is Response (a). Advertisements with more than two dollar signs
cost at least $100, so they are not correct answers to the question.
A competent reader should be able to fully comprehend a variety of non-prose materials.
Nonprose materials include advertisements, signs, packaging labels, schedules, etc. Comparing
the similarities and differences of nonprose information relating to the same topic can help increase
your familiarity with the format and language used to convey information in such reading texts.
Special vocabulary and symbols may be used in nonprose material to convey information. The
key to developing your independence as a reader is to practice regularly with a range of nonprose
reading material.