Reading - EIKEN Grade 2
Grade 2 Reading sits inside the 85-minute written paper and is by far its largest block: 38 multiple-choice questions across four item types, followed by the writing task. It tests whether you can handle upper-high-school English - roughly 5,000 words plus common idioms - at speed. Nothing here rewards cleverness; it rewards recognising the exact wording the text supports.
The four item types
- 短文の語句空所補充 (20 questions). One sentence, one blank, four options that share a part of speech. Tests vocabulary, collocation and core grammar (tense, relative clauses, conditionals, comparatives, passive).
- 会話文の空所補充 (5 questions). A short three- or four-line dialogue; the blank is a whole utterance, so you must match the function (refusing, agreeing, asking for repetition) as well as the meaning.
- 長文の語句空所補充 (6 questions). A passage of about 300 words with blanks that test grammar and discourse - the answer often depends on the sentence before or after.
- 長文の内容一致 (7 questions). Two passages with comprehension questions. The correct option is a paraphrase, never a copy of a sentence.
Worked example
The company decided to ______ the meeting until next Monday because the manager was away. 1) put out 2) put off 3) put up 4) put away
Four phrasal verbs with put; the grammar is identical, so only meaning decides. Put out = extinguish a fire, put up = build or tolerate, put away = store. Only put off means "postpone", and "until next Monday" confirms it. Answer: 2.
For a 内容一致 question the difference is usually strength or scope rather than topic. If the passage says "some researchers believe X may reduce stress", an option reading "X has been proven to reduce stress" is wrong even though the topic matches.
Traps that cost marks
- Filling 大問1 by feel: check the word class and the words it must collocate with, not just the general meaning.
- In 大問2, choosing a reply that repeats a word from the question instead of one that answers its function.
- In 大問3, ignoring the sentence after the blank; transition words (however, therefore, for example) usually settle it.
- In 大問4, choosing an option that is true in real life but not stated in the passage, or that uses absolute words (always, only, never) the text avoids.
- Budgeting: writing needs 20-25 minutes of the 85; do the passages first and keep the 20 one-line items for the end if time runs short.