Unseen passage comprehension and vocabulary
What the unseen passage tests
This section gives you a Khasi passage you have not studied and asks factual, inferential, vocabulary, reference, and title questions. It tests independent reading: can you find information, follow pronouns, work out an unfamiliar word, and state the main idea without copying the passage?
Core rules
- First read for gist: read the whole passage once without stopping; identify who, what, where, and the writer’s attitude.
- Then scan for detail: underline names, numbers, negatives, and cause words such as namar (because).
- Answer in your own words: a full-sentence copy rarely earns full marks when the question says ‘in your own words’.
- Pronoun reference: check what u, ka, ki, or kane points back to in the previous sentence.
- Vocabulary in context: use word formation and surrounding clues. A prefix such as pyn- often makes a causative verb; jing- often forms an abstract noun.
- Title questions: choose a title that covers the whole passage, not one vivid detail.
Worked example
In Ka kmie ka pynïaid ia ki khun sha ka jingïaseng (The mother leads the children to the meeting), the word pynïaid may be unfamiliar. Reasoning: ïaid is a verb of going or walking, and pyn- makes a causative form, so pynïaid means cause to go, lead, or guide. The object marker ia shows who is being led. This is inference from morphology plus context, not a guess from sound alone.
Traps that cost marks
Do not copy an entire sentence when one phrase is asked for. Do not ignore a negative such as ym. Do not confuse u and ka when tracking a person. Do not invent a vocabulary meaning that contradicts the sentence. Do not exceed a stated word limit.
Exam habit
Number your answers exactly as the questions are numbered, and keep one point per answer line so the examiner can find each mark.