Reading comprehension (short passages)
Short passages on this exam are usually 100-200 words: emails, notices, postcards, and brief articles. Questions ask for the main idea, a specific detail, a reference, vocabulary in context, or the writer's purpose.
Core rules
- Skim the title and first sentence for the topic, then scan for question keywords.
- Separate the main idea from supporting details; a main-idea answer must cover the whole passage.
- For reference questions, check the surrounding sentences and whether the noun is singular or plural.
- For vocabulary, substitute each option into the sentence and test whether the context fits.
- Notice contrast and cause-effect connectors: however, therefore, because, although.
Worked example
Passage: 'Our school library will be closed next Monday for shelf cleaning. Students who need books for the science project should borrow them by Friday. The return box outside the main gate will remain open.' Question: Why is the library closed? A To repair the building, B To clean the shelves, C To hold a science project, D To move books. Reasoning: 'for shelf cleaning' directly states the purpose. 'Science project' explains why students should borrow books, not why the library closes. Answer B.
Traps
- Matching a word from the passage to an option without checking the meaning.
- Confusing who or what the question asks about.
- Overgeneralizing from one detail.
- Ignoring EXCEPT or NOT in the question.
Exam habit
Read the questions first for short passages so that scanning has a target, then read the passage once fully to confirm the main idea.