EIKEN Reading: Matching Questions to Text
EIKEN Reading tests how well you extract meaning from written English. At Grade 3 the passages are short notices, emails, and articles; from Grade 2 upward you meet longer passages followed by several questions, and at Pre-1 and Grade 1 the texts become more academic. The section rewards precise reading and question analysis, not vocabulary size alone.
Match the question to the passage
- Detail questions: locate the sentence containing the information; the correct answer is usually a paraphrase.
- Main-idea questions: check the title, first sentence, and final sentence; the right choice covers the whole passage.
- Inference questions: the answer must be logically supported by the text, not merely plausible.
- Reference questions: look at the sentence before the pronoun and test each candidate.
- Vocabulary-in-context: replace the word with each option and see which keeps the sentence meaning.
Worked example
Passage: 'Last year, Riverside's town council banned plastic bags at supermarkets. Shoppers now bring reusable bags, and the town reports that plastic waste has fallen by 30 percent. Some shop owners complained about the cost of paper bags, but the council says the ban will remain.' Question: Why does the council keep the ban? A. Shop owners want paper bags. B. Plastic waste has decreased. C. Supermarkets sell reusable bags. D. The council dislikes plastic. Reasoning: The question asks for the council's reason for keeping the ban. The passage links the ban to a 30 percent fall in plastic waste. A is a detail about shop owners, not the council's reason. C is not stated. D is too general and unsupported. B paraphrases the result. Answer: B.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing an option because it repeats a word from the passage; correct answers often use different words.
- Picking a true statement that does not answer the question.
- Ignoring EXCEPT or NOT in the stem.
- Confusing an example with the main idea of the passage.
Exam habit
For a long passage with four questions, read the first question, then scan. Questions usually follow the order of the passage. Mark the line where you found each answer so you can check quickly without rereading everything.
At higher grades, watch for contrast markers such as 'however' and 'although'. They often signal the writer's real position or the twist that the question tests.