Reading Comprehension (short passages)
What short reading tests
Short-passage items in the Nagano exam use notices, emails, flyers, menus, and schedules of roughly 80-150 words. They test scanning for a specific detail, not literary interpretation. The question usually asks when, where, how much, who qualifies, or what is NOT true.
Core rules
- Read the question stem first, then locate the matching line. The answer is usually one sentence, not the whole passage.
- Expect paraphrase: the passage says 'free for children under six'; the option says 'a five-year-old does not pay.'
- For price and time items, write the numbers in the margin and do the calculation once.
- For NOT/EXCEPT items, mark each option T or F beside the text.
Worked example
A city library notice says: 'The library is closed on Mondays. From April, Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., two hours longer than before.' Question: What is true? Options: (A) The library opens on Monday. (B) Saturday hours are longer than before. (C) The library closes at 6 p.m. on Saturday. (D) The library is closed on Saturday. A is false by the first sentence. C confuses 'two hours longer' with the old closing time. D is false. B matches the paraphrase 'two hours longer than before,' so B is correct.
Traps
- Matching the same word instead of the same meaning.
- Ignoring a negative in the question: 'Which is NOT offered?'
- Using outside knowledge about libraries instead of the notice.
- Over-reading one word and missing the condition 'on weekends only.'
Exam habit
Underline the question word and the line that answers it. If two options seem true, re-read the exact condition; one will fail on a date, age, or price.