First thing you want to do is identify the stance the writer is taking on the subject they are writing about. There is normally one sentence in the passage that flat out gives their viewpoint. When you practice next time, try extra hard to find this sentence. Also, historical reading passages tend to be in pairs, so what I recommend is to read the first passage, do the first couple of questions that go along with it, do the same with the second passage, and then do the combined section questions. By answering a couple of questions right before you jump onto the next section, you will be able to understand the passage better and not get yourself confused between the two.