This may require several readings of the same passage or chapter. It may require that you get together with the instructor during office hours. It may require that you write notes to keep track of your ideas, that you get and use a good dictionary to help with the vocabulary, that you ask questions about the material you don't understand or you think is interesting. You might even consider, horrible as it might seem, reading many hard texts. That may constitute hard work.
Philosophy is like that.
You should come with questions and comments. It's perfectly possible that an entire class session will be devoted solely to answering questions and explaining just those portions of the material you find puzzling, impenetrable or fascinating. It's also possible that, given no questions or comments by the students, the instructor will lecture on the material for the full class period. Understand, however, that you will be held responsible for all of the material assigned, and not just that which is discussed in class. Attendance Attendance is mandatory.