Reading Comprehension: Main Idea, Detail, and Inference
What Reading Comprehension tests
The ISEE Middle Level Reading Comprehension section has 36 questions in 25 minutes. Passages come from fiction, nonfiction, humanities, and science. Questions test main idea, explicit detail, inference, vocabulary in context, author's purpose, tone, and organization.
Reading approach
Read for the "map": topic, author's purpose, tone, and structure. Note each paragraph's function-example, contrast, or conclusion. For detail questions, return to the passage; the answer is stated or closely paraphrased. For inference, choose the smallest logical step supported by the text, not outside knowledge. For vocabulary, substitute each choice into the sentence and check fit.
Worked example
Mini-passage: "City officials introduced goats to clear invasive weeds in a park. The goats worked quickly, but they also trampled native seedlings. Officials now fence the goats out of restored areas." Question: The author's attitude toward the goat project is best described as - Choices: enthusiastic, balanced, dismissive, alarmed. Reasoning: "worked quickly" acknowledges a benefit; "but ... trampled" acknowledges a drawback; the fence is a corrective measure. The author presents both sides, so balanced fits. Dismissive and alarmed are too negative; enthusiastic ignores the drawback.
Traps
- Choosing an answer that is true in real life but not supported by the passage.
- Picking extreme language (all, never, proves) when the passage is qualified.
- Confusing the author's view with a view the author quotes.
- For main idea, selecting a detail that covers only one paragraph.