Reading and Responding
Reading for meaning, not word matching
Reading tasks ask for main idea, supporting detail, inference, vocabulary in context, pronoun reference, and author purpose or tone. Start by identifying the question type: detail questions can be scanned, while inference and purpose questions require the whole paragraph. Pay attention to topic-comment structure, connectives (虽然…但是…, 因为…所以…, 不但…而且…), aspect markers (了, 过, 着), and 把/被 constructions because they clarify who did what to whom. For vocabulary, substitute the candidate meaning back into the sentence and check logic and register.
Traps include choosing an option because it repeats words from the passage but distorts the relationship; ignoring concession clauses so that you miss the author’s real emphasis; treating a possible inference as certain; and confusing characters that look alike or share pronunciation. Extreme words such as 都, 一定, 完全, 从不 often make an option too strong. Also check scope: a statement may be true of one example, not the whole passage.
Worked example: “虽然价格不便宜，但是质量很好，所以我还是买了。” If asked why the speaker bought the item, the contrast makes “quality” the reason; “price” is mentioned but is not the answer. Rule of thumb: locate the contrast or conclusion marker, then test each option against the whole sentence rather than a single repeated word.