Reading Comprehension: Longer Passages and Information Retrieval
This domain tests reading of longer passages and practical information: multi-paragraph articles, notices, brochures, timetables, tables, and sets of conditions. Candidates must locate details, combine two or more pieces of information, follow a sequence, and choose the option that satisfies every condition. The main skill is matching the question to the exact part of the text, not reading everything at the same speed.
Core rules and concepts
- Scan first for anchors: names, dates, prices, headings, bold words, and numbers.
- For information-retrieval tasks, turn the question into a checklist. Each option must meet all conditions, not most of them.
- Distinguish 'open' from 'last entry', 'free' from 'discount', 'must' from 'recommended'.
- In longer passages, track referents and paragraph function: example, contrast, result, conclusion.
- Answer inference questions from stated evidence; if the text does not support it, it is not the answer.
Worked example
Notice: 'The science museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30–17:00. Last entry is 16:30. Student rate is 400 yen; groups of 10 or more pay 300 yen each. Closed Mondays.' Question: A group of 12 students visits on Sunday at 16:00. How much does each pay, and can they enter? Reasoning: Sunday is open. 16:00 is before the 16:30 last entry, so entry is possible. The group has 12 students, which meets '10 or more', so the group rate applies: 300 yen each. The student rate of 400 yen is the individual rate and is overridden by the group condition. Answer: 300 yen each; yes, they can enter.
Traps that cost marks
- Applying a discount without checking every condition (group size, day, student status).
- Confusing closing time with last entry time.
- Choosing an option that matches one detail but contradicts another.
- Treating a recommendation as a rule.
- Losing the main idea while hunting for numbers.