*laughs* Alas, I had to take it down, so I'd have plausible deniability with my co-workers. But the gist of it was: read the first and last paragraph. Scan the topic sentences of sections. Be the first to raise your hand for the very first "so what is the essay/story about" question, so you can give the most general answer or response of the day, because most teachers will want to spread the participation around, and you will have participated. If all else fails, say that you couldn't quite understand it despite really attempting to, and make reference to the bits you managed to skim.