Reading: vocabulary, dialogue gaps and content questions on the EIKEN Grade 3 first-stage paper
The Reading section sits inside the 50-minute written paper of EIKEN Grade 3, together with the vocabulary items and the short writing task. Everything here is multiple choice. The level is roughly CEFR A2: sentences are short, grammar is junior-high school range (present perfect, comparatives, infinitives, basic relative clauses), and the vocabulary is everyday life - school, travel, shopping, clubs, family. What the section tests is not literary interpretation but the ability to find one piece of information and recognise it when it is expressed in different words.
The item types, in paper order
- Vocabulary and phrase fill-in. Single sentences with one gap and four choices. Expect straightforward word meaning, common phrasal verbs and idioms (look after, take part in, be good at), and a few conversational expressions.
- Dialogue completion. Short two- or three-line exchanges where you choose the reply that fits the flow of the conversation, not simply a grammatically possible sentence.
- Passages with content questions. A notice, e-mail or schedule; a short explanatory text; and a narrative. Questions are in English and ask about stated facts, reasons, and what a pronoun refers to.
What the content questions really test
Most wrong options are not nonsense. They are built from words that appear in the passage. The correct option usually paraphrases: the text says "The store is closed on the first Monday of each month" and the option says "You cannot shop there on some Mondays." Train yourself to locate the sentence, then check whether the option says the same thing - not whether it contains familiar words.
Worked example
Passage: "City Library Book Sale: Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., second-floor meeting room. Please bring your own bag. Books are one dollar each; magazines are free. No entry after 2:30 p.m."
Question: What must visitors bring? A) a library card B) a bag C) one dollar D) a magazine
Reasoning: the only instruction about what to bring is "bring your own bag" → B. Option C is tempting because the price appears in the text, but a dollar is paid for a book, not carried in. Option D confuses "free" with "required". Option A is never mentioned. Answer: B.
Traps that cost marks
- Options that copy a word from the text but attach it to the wrong person, time or place.
- Options that are true in real life but not stated in the passage.
- Questions containing NOT or EXCEPT - underline them mentally before you read the choices.
- Numbers: opening times, prices and dates are deliberately swapped between options.
Read the question first, then the passage, then return to the line that answers it.