Unseen passage and vocabulary (Idrak)
What the idrak section tests
The unseen passage section tests independent reading. You must find the main idea, locate details, infer what is implied, and explain vocabulary in context. The passage is new, so memorised lesson answers do not help. The examiner looks for answers in your own words, supported by the passage.
Core rules
- Read the questions first, then read the passage twice: once for gist, once for detail.
- Mark the topic sentence of each paragraph and any connector showing cause, contrast or sequence.
- Answer in your own words; do not copy a whole sentence unless the question asks for a quotation.
- Keep the same tense and person as the question.
- For vocabulary, use the surrounding sentence, word roots and affixes; check whether the word is positive, negative or neutral.
- For inference, state what is implied and give the clue that supports it.
Worked example
Passage: The village well was no longer used; people walked to the new pump. Question: What does no longer mean here? Reasoning: the second clause shows a change of practice, not that the well was dry. The phrase means it had stopped being used. A full answer gives the meaning and the contrast with the new pump. Guessing from general knowledge about wells would be weaker.
Traps
Answering from general knowledge rather than the passage; copying long phrases; missing negation in not or except questions; giving a synonym that fits the dictionary but not the context; ignoring contrast connectors; guessing an unknown word without checking the sentence.