Information retrieval from texts and charts (情報検索・資料読解)
What the retrieval section asks
The 情報検索・資料読解 gives a poster, timetable, menu, or notice with several events or items, plus conditions in the question. You must find the one entry that satisfies every condition. The English is usually simple; the difficulty is in the conditions.
Core rules
- Read the question conditions before the poster. Underline every number, day, time, price, and restriction: free, students only, bring ~, closed on ~, not included.
- Turn the conditions into a short checklist with two or three boxes.
- Check each candidate against all boxes; eliminate, do not just find.
- Look for symbols and footnotes: ★, ※, "tax included", "one drink order required".
- Watch 午前/午後 and a.m./p.m.; 13:00 is afternoon.
Worked example
Poster: A - Saturday 13:00, free, students only, laptops provided. B - Saturday 13:00, 500 yen, laptops provided. C - Sunday 13:00, free, laptops provided. Question: A student wants a free workshop on Saturday afternoon and has no laptop. Which is suitable? Reasoning: checklist = Saturday / afternoon / free / student / no laptop needed. B fails on price, C fails on day, A meets all. Answer: A.
Traps
- Matching only the first condition and stopping.
- Ignoring a note that cancels the obvious answer: "free - but only for members".
- Confusing "students" with "high school students"; eligibility is part of the condition.
- Reading the poster top to bottom and running out of time before checking the last entry.