Supplementary Reading and Unseen Passages
What the domain tests
Supplementary Reading and Unseen Passages tests independent reading: main idea, supporting detail, inference, sequence, vocabulary in context, writer's purpose and tone. The passage may be a longer story from the supplementary reader or a fresh unseen text, so you must rely on what is printed, not on remembered plot summaries.
Core rules
- Skim first for the gist, then scan for names, dates, causes and contrast words.
- Separate stated facts from implied ideas; inference must be traceable to a line.
- Use topic sentences to locate paragraph main ideas.
- For word meaning, substitute each option back into the sentence and test the fit.
- Answer in complete sentences and keep the tense of the passage.
Worked example
Passage: 'The village library opens only at night. Its volunteers work in the fields by day and take turns at the desk after supper.' Question: Why does the library open at night? Reasoning: the second sentence gives the cause. The volunteers are free only after their daytime work. A weak answer says 'because it is quiet'; that is not stated. Strong answer: The library is run by volunteers who work in the fields during the day, so they can staff it only after supper.
Traps that cost marks
Choosing an option that is true in real life but not in the passage; over-inferring motives; copying a whole sentence when a focused phrase is enough; confusing the writer's opinion with a character's words; missing sequence words such as 'after' and 'meanwhile'.