Reading Comprehension
What the questions test
Reading comprehension items ask you to locate, summarize, and interpret information in a short passage. The core skills are identifying the main idea (the point the whole passage supports) versus supporting details; making inferences that follow from stated evidence; recognizing the author's purpose (inform, persuade, explain) and tone; following sequence and cause-and-effect; and working out a word's meaning from context.
Traps to watch
- True but off-target: an option that is accurate but answers a different question than the one asked.
- Too far: an inference that needs information the passage never supplies.
- Extreme language: always, never, all, proves - these usually overstate a passage's claim.
- Half-right pairs: two options each restate part of the passage; only one captures the main point.
- EXCEPT / NOT questions, where the correct choice is the odd one out.
- Jumbled sequence: options that scramble the order of events.
Method
Read the question stem first so you know what to hunt for. Scan for the sentence that addresses it, and predict the answer in your own words before reading the options. Then pick the choice that matches your prediction and eliminate any that reach beyond the text.
Worked example
Passage: Although the department added patrol cars, response times rose last year. Dispatchers blamed heavier traffic; the chief pointed to a new reporting system that logs calls later. Question: what does the passage suggest about the rise in response times? (A) Traffic is the only cause. (B) The cause is disputed. (C) The added cars were unnecessary. Answer: B. Two competing explanations are offered, so (A) overstates, and nothing in the passage supports (C).