Reading comprehension and knowledge acquired in school
What this domain tests
Reading comprehension and knowledge acquired in school checks whether you can extract meaning from a short passage and connect it to school-level cultural and scientific background. Questions ask for the main idea, explicit detail, inference, vocabulary in context, the author’s attitude, and the function of a sentence. The passage is authoritative; outside knowledge should support the text, not override it.
Core rules
- The main idea must cover the whole passage, not one vivid detail.
- An inference must be necessary from the text, not merely possible in real life.
- For vocabulary questions, replace the word with each option and check the surrounding sentence.
- For “except” or “not stated” questions, mark each option as supported or unsupported before choosing.
- Tone words such as “yet”, “although”, and “therefore” signal contrast, concession, or conclusion.
Worked example
Passage: When the city replaced paper tickets with a phone app, queues at the station fell sharply. Yet complaints rose, because visitors without smartphones could no longer buy a ticket at the gate. The transport authority then restored a single staffed window. Question: The authority restored the window mainly because… A. queues had risen again B. some passengers lacked access to the app C. paper tickets were cheaper D. staff wanted fewer app users E. complaints always signal failure Answer: B. The text says complaints rose because visitors without smartphones could not buy tickets; restoring a window addresses that access gap. A contradicts the passage, C and D are not stated, and E is an overgeneralisation.
Traps that cost marks
Do not choose an option because it is true in general; it must answer the question from the passage. Beware extreme words such as “always” and “never”. Do not confuse the author’s view with a view the author reports. In school-knowledge items, check dates, works, and scientific terms carefully; near-misses are common.