Reading Comprehension: Explicit Detail and Factual Recall
What the question is really asking
These questions test whether you can locate a specific fact stated in the text: a date, a name, a number, a cause, a condition. The answer is in the passage; you do not infer it.
Concepts to master
- Scanning strategy: read the question first, identify the key word (a proper noun, a figure, a technical term), then locate that word or a synonym in the text.
- Paraphrase recognition: correct options rarely repeat the text word for word. "Only after 2010" may appear as "not before 2010".
- Qualifiers: pay attention to only, most, some, unless, provided that, except. These words decide whether a statement is true.
- Direction of causation: distinguish "X caused Y" from "X and Y coincided" or "Y resulted from X".
- Numbers and units: check percentages versus proportions, and whether a figure refers to a total or a subset.
Traps to expect
- A statement that is true in the real world but absent from the passage.
- A detail attributed to the wrong person, place, or period.
- A reversed cause and effect.
- A near-miss quantity (20% instead of 12%).
- An option that is true but answers a different question.
Rule of thumb
Find the exact sentence and put your finger on it. If you cannot point to the line that proves the option, it is not the answer. Watch for words like except or NOT in the stem, and read all options before deciding.
Worked example
Passage: "The library extended its opening hours only after a petition signed by 400 residents was submitted." Question: why did the hours change? The correct answer is the petition. A trap option, "because the council wanted to attract students", sounds plausible but is nowhere in the text.