Reading
What to notice
Reading questions ask about main idea, supporting details, inference, vocabulary in context, author's purpose, tone, text structure, and evidence. The main idea is the topic plus the author's central point, not merely the subject. Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, why, or how. An inference must follow logically from the passage without adding outside assumptions. Purpose is why the author writes; tone is the attitude conveyed. Structure may be chronological, cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution, or description. Evaluate arguments by checking whether evidence is relevant and sufficient, and notice bias or loaded language.
Traps
Wrong answers are often true statements that do not capture the whole passage, extreme versions of a moderate claim, or details mistaken for main ideas. Vocabulary questions often use a familiar meaning that does not fit the context. Do not confuse the author's purpose with the reader's reaction. Do not infer more than the text supports. Qualifiers such as some, often, and may matter; answers with always or never are suspect unless the passage says so.
Rule of thumb
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence: The author argues that ____ because ____. Then test each answer against the entire passage, not one sentence. For vocabulary, substitute the answer choice into the sentence and check the surrounding contrast or example.
Mini-application
If a passage describes a city adding trees and then reports cooler streets and lower energy costs, the main idea is that trees can reduce urban heat and energy use, not merely that trees were planted.