Reading Comprehension and Unseen Passages: Answering Without Lifting
The ਅਣਡਿੱਠਾ section gives you a passage or poem you have never seen and asks what it says, what words mean, and what can be inferred. The examiner is testing comprehension, so copied sentences earn little.
Method that works under time pressure
- Read the questions first, then the passage, so you know which lines carry the answers.
- Skim once for the topic, then read closely for the sentences that answer each question.
- Answer in your own words; use synonyms rather than lifting whole clauses.
- For word meaning, use the surrounding words as context clues before guessing.
- For inference questions, state what follows logically, then give the phrase that supports it.
Worked example
Passage line: 'ਪਿੰਡ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੇ ਖੂਹ ਦੀ ਮੁਰੰਮਤ ਆਪਣੇ ਖਰਚ ਨਾਲ ਕੀਤੀ।' Question: 'ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਕੀ ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ?' Reasoning: repeating the line earns nothing. The inference is that the villagers were self-reliant and cooperated instead of waiting for outside help; quoting 'ਆਪਣੇ ਖਰਚ ਨਾਲ' as support completes the answer.
Traps that cost marks
- Copying a full sentence from the passage as the answer.
- Giving a one-word title when the question asks for a title with a reason.
- Ignoring a two-part question: title and justification are separate marks.
- Leaving vocabulary-in-context items blank instead of inferring from the sentence.
- Writing an opinion about the topic instead of what the passage actually states.