Reading Comprehension of Long English Passages
Reading comprehension of long English passages
This domain tests whether you can follow an extended English argument, not just decode sentences. Chiba-style papers typically ask for main idea, supporting detail, inference, pronoun reference, paragraph function, and the author's attitude.
Core rules
- Map the passage first: label each paragraph's job (claim, example, counterpoint, conclusion).
- Answer every item from a specific line or paragraph; keep the line number in mind as evidence.
- Treat inference as a small, evidence-based step, never a leap.
- Track referents: this, such a view, they usually point backward to the nearest compatible noun phrase.
- Separate the author's claim from views the author reports and rejects.
Worked example
Sentence: "The subsidy was not so much a cure as a painkiller: it eased the symptom while leaving the cause untouched." Question: What does the author imply about the subsidy? Reasoning: "Not so much X as Y" downgrades X and foregrounds Y. "Painkiller" relieves without curing, and the colon explains this. The answer is that it gave temporary relief without solving the underlying problem. "It failed completely" is wrong: easing a symptom is still an effect.
Traps
- Choosing an option that is true in the real world but not stated in the passage.
- Picking a detail that answers a different question.
- Accepting extreme words (always, never, proves) that the passage does not support.
- Confusing an example with the main claim it illustrates.