Reading: Locating, Interpreting and Judging
What the reading section tests
The reading section measures whether you can find information stated directly, work out meaning that is implied, and judge the reliability and purpose of a text. Key concepts are main idea versus supporting detail, inference (conclusions the text supports but does not state), vocabulary in context (what a word means in this sentence, not its most common meaning), text purpose and audience, tone, fact versus opinion, and navigating everyday texts such as notices, timetables, forms, emails and short articles. Some items ask you to follow a sequence or match information across two short texts.
Traps to watch for
Distractors often repeat words from the passage but distort the relationship between them, so matching vocabulary is not evidence of a correct answer. Watch for answers that are true in general but not supported by this text, options that overstate (always, never, all) when the passage says often or some, and questions asking what the writer suggests rather than what is stated. In vocabulary questions, test each option by substituting it into the original sentence. In inference questions, prefer the smallest conclusion the evidence supports rather than the most dramatic one.
Rule of thumb
Read the question first, then scan for the relevant lines and read around them. Underline the exact words that justify your choice. Worked example: a notice says "Bags larger than A4 are not permitted in the gallery; lockers are available on level one." A question asks what a visitor with a large backpack should do. The text does not say "leave", so the supported answer is to use a locker on level one, not to cancel the visit. Eliminate any option that adds information the notice does not contain.