Unseen Passage Comprehension and Summary
Unseen Passage Comprehension and Summary tests independent reading. You must answer literal and inferential questions on a passage you have not studied, explain vocabulary in context, and produce a concise summary.
Read for structure
Identify the topic sentence of each paragraph and the connective that signals contrast, cause or addition. This gives you a map before you answer.
Literal versus inferential
A literal answer is stated; an inference is implied but supported. If the question asks 'why', look for cause and effect in the text, not your own opinion.
Vocabulary in context
Replace the word with a candidate synonym and test whether the sentence still makes sense. 'Reluctant' in one context may mean unwilling, not slow.
Summary rules
State the main idea, then the key supports, in your own words. Keep the original order if it aids clarity. Do not add examples, quotations or judgement.
Worked example
Passage idea: a city planted trees along a road; residents watered them; the trees reduced heat and noise; the city now plans more. Task: summarise in 40 words. Reasoning: main idea = tree planting brought benefits and led to expansion; supports = resident care, heat and noise reduction. Draft: 'Residents watered newly planted roadside trees, which cut heat and noise; the city now plans to extend the scheme.' This is 22 words and avoids detail about species or dates.
Traps
Copying sentences; adding opinion; missing 'not' or 'except'; exceeding the word limit; summarising one paragraph instead of the whole passage.
Exam habit
Underline the command word and the limit before writing.