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tumblr reading comprehension: electric boogaloo (i.redd.it)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/curatedtumblr@sh.itjust.works
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[–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

I mean, sometimes questions have assumed context that make it harder to understand or answer correctly. I don't think how money works is an obscure topic among contemporary Internet using people.

I think "rhetorical questions" are either a subcategory or close relative of reading comprehension. When someone says "who watches the watchmen?" they're not looking for a literal "Bob, cuz that's his hobby, got a police scanner and everything" answer. You're supposed to think about it and make some connections.

Rhetorical questions in the style of the OP go back thousands of years. Being unfamiliar with this concept is not great. Maybe not a reading comprehension problem, strictly, but poor literacy.

And for your dice question is "weight the dice" not an acceptable answer?

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

    A close relative, sure. But to point to reading comprehension and go on to elocute about that would not have basis in this example, in my view. The crux of the issue literally isn't written, as you say, it is assumed. The point being it is an implication from fully external understanding. It isn't that there is an inference to be made or dots to be connected based on notions only vaguely referenced by the text, e.g that the value could be equal / that dice rolls being equal is a valid answer. Because there is no vague reference in the text. Correct understanding in either case fully depends on understanding of concepts outside the text. The person with the best reading comprehension in the land would be unable to comprehend the text without that external understanding.

    To put it more succinctly, if comprehension is understanding stuff, reading comprehension is understanding stuff based on what is written, right? The issue being that in this case the lack of comprehension is about something that wasn't written. It is a comprehension issue unspecific to reading.

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